Rhynehaet — Life-History and Bionomics of the Flax Flea-Beetle. 499 



In 1775 Fabi'icius (19) described Altica atra thus: — "A. atra, nitida, 

 antennarum basi plautisque piceis . . . parva, tota atra, solis plantis pedum 

 at basi antennarum siibrufeseentibus," with a reference to the Altise 8 of 

 Geoffroy (26). Twelve years later the same author (20), using a new system 

 of classification, gives to Chrysomela atra a similar description ; while in 1792 

 (21) he adopts the generic name Galleruca, and under G. atra is the descrip- 

 tion :— " G. saltatoria atra nitida antennarum basi pedibusque piceis .... 

 parva tota atra solis pedibus piceis," with refei-ences to Chrysomela atra F. and 

 Attisc 8 Geoff. PaykuU in 1798 (50) further described a species as Galeruca- 

 atra, having G. atra F., and Attise 8 Geoff, as synonyms. 



In 1801 Fabricius (22) again altered the classification; substituted the 

 name Crioceris atra for his Galleruca atra, and gave the latter, G. atra Payk., 

 and Altiae 8 Geoff., as synonyms. In all Kabricius' works atra appears 

 either immediately before or after nemorum — our present Phyllotreta nemorum. 



Subsequent authors are not agreed that Altica atra F., Chrysomela 

 atra F., Galleruca atra F., Galeruca atra Payk., and Crioceris atra F. are 

 identical. Thus Gyllenhal (27) gives Crioceris atra F. as a synonym 

 of Haltica parviUa E. H. ; Hoffmann et al. (33), Duftschmidt (18), and 

 Redtenbacher (52) refer Criocerin atra F. to Haltica atra; while Olivier and 

 lUiger (37) regard it as a synonym of their Haltica atra, which would appear 

 to be different from the //. atra of other authors, inasmuch as it is placed by 

 Illiger in his " Longitarses " division, being regarded by him as very like 

 H. anclmsae = Longitarsus anchusae. It may have been identical with that 

 species. Foudras (23) and Allard (1) give Galeruca atrct Payk., Haltica atra 

 Ent. Hefte and Gyll. as synonyms of Phyllotreta atra, while Kutschera (44) 

 gives Galeruca atra Payk. and Phyllotreta atra Foudras and Allard as 

 synonyms of his Haltica atra.. It is difficult, if not impossible, to refer 

 definitely Altica atra F., Gcdleruca atra F., Chrysomela atra F., Galeruca atra 

 Payk., and Crioceris atra F. to a present-day species ; but from the references 

 given it is concluded that- they were our present Phyllotreta atra, so that the 

 ater of Gemminger and Hairold cannot be retained as the specific name of the 

 species injurious to flax. 



PaykuU (49) in 1798 gave a description of a new species under the name 

 Galeruca parvula. This description agrees precisely with the characters 

 of the flax flea-beetle, and is that now generally regarded as the original ; so 

 Longitarsus parvidus Payk. is the legitimate name according to the present 

 system of classification. 



Hofimann and his collaborators in 1803 (32) redescribed Galeruca parvula 

 Payk. as Haltica parvula, with the former as the only synonym. Four years 

 later Illiger (37) gave a further description under the name Haltica pumila, 



SCIENT. PROO. R.D.S., VOL. XVI, NO. XXXIX. 3 G 



