438 Mr. G. R. Waterhouse ujjon certain British Species 



XXXIII. N'ote upon certain British Species of the Genus 

 Quedius in which the Elytra are more or less (sneous, 

 and the Scutellum punctured. By G. R. Waterhouse, 

 Esq., V.P.Z.S., &c. 



[Read 3rd November, 1862.] 



These insects are comprised in the genus Raphirus by Stephens. 

 I will first describe the species in Stephens' collection which re- 

 presents the R. nitipennis of his works. 



Qued. elongatiis, attenuatus, niger ; antennis, palpis, pedibusque 

 testaceis ; coxis intermediis, femorihus, tibiisque posticis infus- 

 catis ; elytris nigro-ceneis, postice rufo-marginalis, piibe plus 

 7niniisve rufescenii vestitis, crebr^ subtiliter punctatis ; scutello 

 crebrk punctidato ; abdomine suprd I'/neis qualuor interruptis 

 cinereo-pubescentibus ornato, segmenlis basalibus levitkr trifoveo- 

 laiis, totis vei^tralibus testaceo-marginatis. 

 Long. 3 tin. 



This insect, which is about equal in length to, but rather 

 narrower than, Q. attenuatus, Gyll., agrees very nearly in some 

 respects with Erichson's description of Q. virgulatus : like that 

 species it has the elytra fringed at the apex with fulvous pubes- 

 cence (indeed the pubescence of the elytra is for the most part 

 fulvous), and the abdomen is adorned with lines of ash-colored 

 pile ; but in our English insect the lines are not three in number, 

 nor are they uninterrupted, as would appear to be the case in 

 Q. virgulatus. 



When viewed with the head of the insect towards the light, the 

 pale markings present themselves in the form of two lines on the 

 dorsal surface, which are interrupted on the hinder part of each 

 segment; and, again, near the lateral margin, the pale pubescence 

 forms a somewhat V-shaped marking, composed of two lines, 

 which, commencing at the base of the segment, converge and 

 meet at an acute angle posteriorly, and terminate scarcely beyond 

 the middle of the segment. If the insect be reversed in posi- 

 tion as regards the light, the appearance is very different, and this 

 arises from the unequal siirface of the segments, there being on 

 each segment two shallow oblong foveas (distinct on the basal 

 segments, and obliterated on the 6th segment) : now each seg- 



