6032 



Insects. 



Capture of two Coleopterous Insects new to the British List. — I have much 

 pleasure in recording the capture of two small, but very interesting, genera, Sphserius 

 and Ptinella, both, as far as I can discover, new to the British Fauna: they were 

 taken by myself, some time ago, in Oxfordshire, but, in consequence of the removal 

 of our family from that part of the country, had become till lately almost forgotten. 

 The Sphaerius acaroides, Walil.^ was found in June, 1854, on a wall in our garden: 

 this is a well-named insect; it exactly resembles in size, shape and colour, the black 

 shining Acarus often found in decaying vegetable matter, and requires a close 

 scrutiny to assure oneself that it is a Coleopterous insect at all. The Ptinella 

 belongs to that section of the genus which has no visible eyes or wings: it appears 

 to be distinct from any species hitherto described ; the nearest approach to it is the 

 Ptilium apterum of Guerin, figured in Gillmeister's Monograph of the Trichoplery- 

 gidae, but it differs from that species in many important characters, which I will 

 shortly notice : it was taken at Weston-on-the-Green, in Oxfordshire, in July, 1853 : 

 the velocity of its motions is wonderful, far exceeding the well-known activity of the 

 true species of Trichopteryx, and would seem impossible to an animal not endued 

 with the power of sight. While I was observing it, it coursed several times along the 

 back of a large spotted slug, Limax maximus, whose slimy skin did not in the least 

 impede its motions. 



Ptinella britannica. 



Elongata^ haud depressa, aptera, rufo-testacea, fortius punctata; oculis nullis ; capite 

 lato,obtuso,rufo-piceo ; pronoto transversali, postice contracto, rufo-piceo, angulis 

 anterioribus productis, posterioribus rectis ; eh/tris capite atque pronoto longiori' 

 bus, magis subliliter punctatis, testaceis, ad humeros angustis, medio latioribus, 

 margine postico valde sinuato ; abdomine elongato, lateribus marginaiis^ segmentis 

 quinque apertis, penultima magno, obtuso ; antennis et pedibus pallidis^ elongatis, 

 gracillimis, singulis antennarum articulis corona setarum nigrarum ornatis. 



Elongate, rufo-testaceous, deeply punctured, clothed with a pale pubescence. 

 Head wide, rounded in front, rufo-piceous behind, paler towards the mouth. Pro- 

 thorax rufo-piceous, transverse, about as long as the head, much contracted near the 

 base, with the anterior angles produced, embracing the base of the head, and the 

 posterior angles nearly at right angles. Elytra testaceous, more finely punctured and 

 rather longer than the head and prothorax united, narrowest at the shoulders, and 

 widest about the middle, with the posterior margin very deeply sinuated. Abdomen 

 long, with its sides deeply margined, five segments uncovered, the penultimate large 

 and very obtuse, the apical segment very small. Legs and antennae pale, long and 

 slender; on the upper part of each articulation of the antennae is a conspicuous 

 whorl of strong black setae. Length | lin. 



This species differs from P. apterum, Guer., in the much larger size, in the shape 

 of the prothorax, which is much wider in front; in the contracted extremities and 

 deeply sinuated hinder margin of the elytra, and in the obtuse form and margined 

 sides of the abdomen. — A, Matthews; Gumleg, Market Harborough^ March 16, 

 1858. 



