250 [November, 



ON BEMBIDIUM TRICOLOR, BEDEL: A NEW BEITISH SPECIES. 

 BT E. A. NEWBEKT. 



Bemlidium iricolor, Bedel, was first described in 1879 (Fn. Col. 

 Seine, i, p. 35), and is a near ally of B. hiquttatum, F., and riparium, 01. 

 Though well known to British Coleopterists, it has not hitherto been 

 included in our catalogues. 



The following table will serve to distinguish the three species : — 



A. — Elytra with the 7fch stria indicated by a row of seren or eight punctures . 



B. higuttatum, F. 

 B. — Elytra with the 7th stria wanting. 



I. — Middle joints of antennae about 3 times as long as broad ; interstices of 



elytra broader and flatter. 4 — 5 mm B. «>icoZor, Bedel. 



II. — Middle joints of antennse at most 2\ times as long as broad ; inter- 

 stices of elytra narrower and more convex. 3^ mm.... 



B. lunulatum, Fourc. 



= riparium, Ol., et Auct. 



Bemlidium higuttatum usually has the first joint of the antennae 

 and the legs of a clearer red than in its allies ; the general colour is 

 greener, and in size it is intermediate between them ; it is common, 

 but less so than B. lunulatum, Fourc. 



B. iricolor is the insect described as riparium in Canon Fowler's 

 " British Coleoptera ;" it is much larger than its allies, and appears to 

 be restricted to the margins of brackish water. I have seen specimens 

 from Bainham, Plumstead, Plaistow, Sheerness, and Southsea. 



B. lunulatum, Fourc. (1785), = riparium, 01., and is the var, 

 riparium of Cox's " Handbook." As riparium has been used for both 

 this species and iricolor. Bedel, it is perhaps best to drop the name 

 riparium altogether. This is the smallest and darkest of the three 

 species, and is very abundant. 



I am indebted to Bedel's " Coleopteres du bassin de la Seine " 

 for the antennal character in the above table, the other characters 

 given by him do not appear to me to be so marked as the difference 

 in the interstices of the elytra. 



12, Churchill Road, Dartmouth Park, 

 London, N.W. : 



October 16th, 1893. 



[In my book I have allowed B. riparium (? = lunulaticm, Fourc.) 

 to stand as a separate species, on the ground of the total absence of 

 the 7th stria of the elytra, but I felt considerable doubt in the matter, 

 and believe it to be only a form of B. higuttatum. As for B. iricolor, 



