NITIDULID^E. MELIGETHES. 45 



very convex, the sides dilated, and slightly margined : antenna? and legs tes- 

 taceous : body beneath glossy, punctate. 

 Var. /s. Steph. Catal. I. c— With the body beneath somewhat tomentose. 



Abundant on flowers at Darentli-wood in the beginning of June ; 

 less common in other places : I have taken a few specimens near 

 Ripley, on the flowers of the Dogwood. " Occasionally taken 

 among herbage (near Swansea)." — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 



Genus CXXXIII. — Meligethes, Kirby. 



Antenna as long as the thorax, the basal joint large, robust, the second short, 

 less robust, subquadrate, the third as long as the first, subclavate, the two 

 following united about the length of the third, the two next very short, 

 transverse, the eighth still shorter, broad, the three terminal ones forming an 

 abrupt compressed club. Palpi short, filiform : head small, angulated : 

 thorax rather large, convex, the sides not depressed, rounded, slightly mar- 

 gined : elytra broad, ovate, convex, the apex sometimes rather truncate, the 

 sides slightly margined : body subquadrate : tibia sometimes spinulose. 



The species of Meligethes, which require a more critical exa- 

 mination than I have leisure to devote to them, are amongst the 

 smallest of the Nitidulidee, from the other genera of which they 

 principally differ, by having the antennas with the third joint about 

 as long as the two following united, the sixth and seventh joints 

 very short, the eighth still shorter; exclusively of their habit: they 

 are usually of dark, sometimes metallic, colours, and are generally 

 found in flowers. 



Sp. 1. Dulcamara?. Fusco-olivaceus, scutello abdomineque nigris. (Long. corp. 



f-1 lin.) 

 Laria Dulcamara?. Scopoli.—Me. Dulcamara?. Steph. Catal. 80. JVo. 854. 



Oblong-ovate; fusco-olivaceous, slightly pubescent, with the head, scutellum, 

 suture of the elytra, and abdomen' deep fuscous or black ; the thorax broad, 

 with its anterior margin entire : legs pale testaceous. 



Less common than several of the following species; taken in 

 grassy banks, amongst flowers, near Hertford, Ripley, Coombe- 

 wood, &c; also in Norfolk and Suffolk. " Near Swansea." — 

 L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 



Sp. 2. rufipes. Brevis, ovatus, convexus, obscure niger, subpubescens, thorace 



antice emarginaio, pedibus rufo-rtestaceis. (Long. corp. l\ — 1^ lin.) 

 Si. rufipes. Be Jean.— Me. rufipes. Steph. Catal. 80. No. 855. 



Short ovate, convex, obscure black, slightly pubescent, the pubescence of a rich 



