8612 



Insects. 



sixth segment of the abdomen in this sex on the under side is widely emarginate, the 

 sides set with stiff black hairs, and the emargination itself filled up with a very thick 

 bushy fringe of stout yellow hairs; the seventh segment is more deeply, but not so 

 widely emarginate, the emargination having its sides also thickly fringed with stout 

 yellow hairs and terminating at its upper and smaller end in a thick button of similar 

 golden pubescence, the whole forming a very stout semi-erect cushion, slightly curved 

 towards the apex of the abdomen. In M. longicornis the sixth segment is very gently 

 emarginate, the sides set with stiff black hairs, and the emargination fringed with very 

 short fine yellow pubescence ; whilst the seventh segment is not so decidedly emar- 

 ginate as in M. splendidus, the emargination being edged with short slight yellow 

 hairs, and terminating at each outer angle in|a pencil of long golden pubescence, the 

 flat part of the under surface of the segment being clothed with very short tine yellow 

 down. Altogether a very different appearance is presented when compared with the 

 same parts in M. splendidus, and the distinctions are most easily seen by looking 

 sideways at the apex of the under side of the male in each against the light, when 

 M. splendidus will be found to exhibit a much more conspicuous and erect mass of 

 hairs, Sec. Fairmaire (Faune Franc, iii. 496, 13) considers M. longicornis a variety 

 of M. splendidus, — as usual, ignoring the structural characters ; " niraium ne crede 

 colori" would be a goud motto for a criticism on his work. The present position of 

 both M.. splendidus and M. longicornis at the end of the genus appears to me very 

 unsatisfactory. How can thev be allied to such an insect as M. pronus (clavicornis), 

 with which they are associated both by Erichson and Kraatz ? Tf they be true 

 Mycetopori, why not place them at the head of the genus, as affording a better link to 

 Boletobius than any other of their associates? indeed, it seems to me very doubtful 

 whether their general structure would not warrant their being placed in the last- 

 mentioned genus, near B. inclinans. The palpi are not sufficiently distinct to afford a 

 cause for generic distinction, and the antennae exhibit a very similar structure to that 

 insect, whilst they are quite different from the other species of Mycetoporus. Boletobius 

 also already includes species with the front tarsi in the males both dilated and not 

 dilated ; and both genera comprise insects in which the punctuation of the elytra is 

 either scattered or in the form of single stria?. 



Mycetoporus nanus, Grav. Man. 28, 8 (Tachinus). Erichs. Gen. et Spec. 

 Staph. 286, 7. Kraatz, Ins. Deutschl. ii. 463, 10. 



I have recently detected the above species among some Coleoptera taken by 

 Mr. A. Haward, near Croydon. Its very small size prevents it from being con- 

 founded with anything but M. clavicornis (M. pronus, Erichs.) and M. angularis, 

 Mulsant, from the former of which it may be known by its more parallel shape and 

 much narrower antennas; also by having the abdomen less strongly punctured, by the 

 large punctures on the anterior part of the thorax being closer to the front margin, and 

 particularly by an accessory stria of punctures on each elytron, commencing at the 

 apical margin, and running upwards for nearly the whole length of the elytron 

 parallel to the dorsal row, and between the latter and the sutural stria. It may be as 

 well to remark here, for the benefit of those who happen not to have examined the 

 elytra in these insects, that the normal three rows of punctuations referred to by the 

 authorities are situated as follows: — one along the outer reflexed margin, one running 

 parallel with and close to the suture, and an intermediate or dorsal row parallel to 

 both and rather nearer the outer edge than the suture. From M. angularis the present 



