IQ [.lamiary, 



VAEIATION OP THE FORM OP TBE MAXILLA IN THE GENUS 



MORDELLA. 



BT G. C. CHA.MPrON, F Z.S. 



Several years ago, when studying the Mordellidce, I noticed that 

 some of the species of the genus Mordella, European and American, 

 had long slender lobes to the maxillse, the outer one tapering, and so 

 much elongated as to be partly exposed, and others short obtuse lobes. 

 These characters, overlooked by Mulsant, Emery, and others, are well 

 illustrated in M.fasciata, P., and M. aculeata, L., as may be seen by the 

 accompanying figures : No. 1 representing the 

 maxillae and maxillary palpus of M. fascinta, and 

 No. 2 the corresponding parts of M. aculeata. The 

 outer lobe in M. aculeata varies in length, and the 

 angular dilatation on the inner side towards the apex 

 1- 3. jg jjQj; always distinct. Jacquelin Duval's description 



and figure of the maxillae of the genus Mordella (Gren. Col. Europ., 

 iii, pp. 405, 406, t. 90, fig. 447 his) were probably taken from the 

 8. European M. sulcicauda, Muls. (some of the varieties of which 

 closely resemble M. fasciata, P.), or from M. aculeata, L. ; the figure 

 is incorrectly assigned to M. fasciata, F. His description does not 

 apply to the last-mentioned species, in which these organs are formed 

 very much as in Tomoxia higuttata, Cast. ; the maxillse of this insect 

 being also figured by him on the same plate (fig. 446a). The dis- 

 sections were made long ago and forgotten, till Mr. J. J. Walker 

 recorded the capture of M. aculeata in Kent.* 



The sexual characters of some of the species of this family, as 

 illustrated by Mordellistena ahdominalis, F., &c.. have already been 

 noticed by me.f 



Horsell, Woking : 



September ISth, 1897. 



HOMALIUM NraSICJEPS, Kies. : SYNONYMIC NOTE. 

 BE" G. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S. 



The Homalium niqriceps of our collections, first introduced as a 

 British insect by the late E. C. Eye (Ent. Annual, 1863, p. 89), with 

 some doubt, is, as generally admitted by British Coleopterists, a colour 

 variety of H. ccesum, Grav. ; it is not, however, referable to the apterous 

 H.nigriceps, Kies., but to R. tricolor, Rey [Omaliens, p. 2L8 (1880)]. 



* Ent. Mo. Mag., xxxiii, pp. 161, 176. 



t Biol. Centr.-Am. Col., iv, 2, p. 308 ; Ent. Mo. Mag., xxvii, pp. 287, 288. 



