NOTES ON NEW AND RARE LOCAL BEETLES. 413 



I. Subgenus Triplax. 



Base of thorax strongly bordered, or furnished with a strongly marked 

 furrow before the scutellum, body more or less parallel-sided. 



A. Head black. 



(i) mela7iocephala, '[^■aX.^rnficollis, Steph. 



Easily distinguished by the fact that the antennae are pitchy- 

 red, with the intermediate joints very close, moniliform, 

 sub-equal, and that the scutellum is black. 



(Occurs in Western Germany, France, Italy, and 

 Spain, and was said by Stephens to have been 



taken near Windsor). 



B. Head red. 



(a) Under-side of the body entirely yellowish-red. 



(2) cenea, Schal. 



Easily distinguished by the bluish-green colour of the elytra, 

 and the red scutellum. 



(Very local, and usually rare, in Great Britain ; 

 occurs in Northern and Central Europe). 



(b) The breast beneath black, the abdomen yellowish-red. 



(3) russica, L. 



The scutellum of this species is black, and the antennas 

 blackish or brownish, with a black club. 



(It is generally distributed throughout Great Britain, 

 but usually very local and not common). 



(c) The breast beneath and the abdomen black, but the apex of the 



latter sometimes reddish. 



(4) lacordairei, Crotch. 



This species resembles russica, but is only about half the 

 size, and it is more parallel in shape. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished by its black abdomen. 



(Very rare : in this country only so far found in the 

 London district). 



II. Subgenus Platichna, Thorns. 



Base of the thorax throughout very finely bordered, and never provided 

 with a transverse furrow, shape more or less ovate. 

 A. Head red. 



(a) The whole of the under-side of the body yellowish-red. 



(5) bicolor, Gyll. 



The scutellum and the basal joints of the antennas are red. 

 (This is the species recently taken in numbers by Mr. 

 Bagnall at Gibside, Durham. On the Continent 

 it occurs in the northern and central districts). 



