396 MANDIBULATA. COLEOFTERA. 



late: elytra of a rather bright castaneous-red, luith the sidure and the entire 

 margin deep black : legs pitchy black. 



Taken in Suffolk and near Hertford : it may be a small and dark 

 variety of the immediately preceding species. 



Sp. 16. atriceps. Subovatus,capite atro,thoracerufo-brunneis elytrispedibusque 



pallide testaceis. (Long. corp. f lin.) 

 Sc. atriceps. Steph. Catal. 239. No. 2403. 



SubovatCj pubescent : head dusky black : thorax red-brown, finely punctured : 

 elytra very slightly pubescent, entirely pale testaceous : legs the same : 

 the body beneath piceo-testaceous, with the apex paler. 



I have a single example of this very distinct insect, which was 

 taken in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. 



Genus CCCCXVIII. — Rhyzobius mihi. 



Antennas elongate, pilose, the basal joint large, robust ; second subcylindric, 

 shorter and more robust than the third, which is longer than the fourth, 

 both of which are slender; the three following short, subnodose; the 

 remainder forming an elongate, slender, club. Palpd short : mandibles acute, 

 and entire at the apex: head small, rounded: eyes oblong: thorax short, 

 convex, the hinder margin closely applied to the base of the elytra, the 

 latter convex : body pubescent : legs simple : femora slender : tibice slightly 

 compressed : tarsi short. 



Rhyzobius evidently differs from Scymnus by the greater length 

 of the antennas, the structure of which also approaches more nearly 

 to that of Cacicula than to any other genus of this family, the club 

 being very slender and elongate ; like Scymnus, its body is convex 

 and pubescent, and the elytra are not striated, by which it may be 

 at once recognized from the other genus above alluded to. The 

 only indigenous species occurs at the roots of plants, whence the 

 name of the genus, adopted from the MSS. of Dr. Leach. 



Sp. 1. Litura. Sub-glaber, rufo-testaceus, nitidus, oculis, abdomineque nigris, 

 elytrisfusco aut nigro-maculatis, vel immaculatis. (Long. corp. 1 — 1^ lin.) 



Ni. Litura. Fabricius.—Ch. Litura. Sleph. Catal. 239. JVo. 2405. 



Slightly glabrous, rufo-testaceous, shining: eyes black: head and thorax 

 immaculate: elytra finely punctured, with an interrupted black fascia 

 placed a little behind the middle : legs pale testaceous. 



Var. j8. Rufous, with the elytra immaculate, and the abdomen black. 

 Var. y. As in var. a. but the thorax with a dusky central spot. 



