176 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



Spinipes is easily recognised by its having 

 two deep punctures between the eyes, by 

 having the thorax punctured in front, by the 

 elytra being more or less rounded at the 

 sides, and having deep striae. Convexiuscida 

 wants the punctuation on the front of the 

 thorax ; the depressions between the eyes 

 are very shallow ; the elytra are longer and 

 parallel-sided, with finer striae. 



[A. alplna, which measures about 4^ lines, 

 is parallel-sided, but has the antennas and 

 tarsi pitchy, whereas in all the other species 

 these are red. It is very scarce, only two 

 specimens being recorded from the Scotch 

 mountains.) 



Of the above species, apricaria is un- 

 doubtedly the most generally distributed. 

 It may often be found in moss on walls 

 during the winter. A. splnijjcs probably 

 comes next in order of frequency, being 

 common on herbage at night, and under 

 stones in the day-time. Mr. Kinder used to 

 take this species freely near Liverpool on 

 thistle-flowers. A. fulva seems to be found 

 most commonly in sandy places near the 

 coast, but whether it is exclusively a coast 

 insect, I cannot say. A consularis and A. 

 convexiu&culcL are scarcer insects, and I 

 know nothing of their habits. 



Group B. — Thorax wider behind than in 

 the middle. 



a. — Thorax not much narrowed in front ; 



colour of upper side pitchy red or 



pitchy black. 



1. Size, 4 to 5 lines 



A. patricioL and A. ingcnua. 



A. patricia measures four to five lines ; is 

 pitch-black above and has the dilated joints 

 of the male anterior tarsi very broad. 



A ingemia measures 4 lines, is reddish 

 brown above, and has the joints of the male 

 tarsi narrower. 



Both species are very scarce. 



2. Size, 2 to 3 lines ; anterior angles of 

 the thorax rounded 



A. infima and A. lifrons. 



A. infima is very small (slightly over 2 

 lines), pitchy black in colour, convex, and 

 has short antenna. Scarce. 



A. hifrons measures 2^ to 3 inches, is red- 

 dish brown in colour, and has the antennae 

 longer! It is also not so convex as infima. 

 Not common, but occurs in sandy places, 

 as on the sandhills on the Lancashire coast. 



3. Size, 2\ to 3i lines ; anterior angles 

 of the thorax jwiuted and prominent . . 



A, rvfociiicta and A, Qnenselli 

 Both these rare mountain species have 

 the side margin of the thorax reddish ; but 

 rvfocincta has the sides of the thorax rounded 

 and the upper side pitchy, while Quensel'd 

 has the sides of the thorax hardly rounded 

 and is dark bronze in colour. 



1) — Thorax distinctly narrower in front 

 than behind ; colours green, bronze, or 

 brassy black. 



I. Spine at the apex of the anterior 

 tibiae Simple, 

 aa — Size, under 4 lines. 



Legs entirely red or reddish hrowii. 



A tibialis. — Easily recognised by the two 

 deep pits on each side of the base of the 

 thorax. Size, 2 lines. 



A lucida. — Size, 2 to 2\ lines. Blackish 

 or greenish bronze ; anterior angles of the 

 thorax rounded and not prominent. 



A familiaris. — Size 2| to 3 lines. Green- 

 ish bronze or bronze ; anterior angles of the 

 thorax pointed and not prominent. 



Legs wJwlly or entirely hlaclt ; first two 

 joints of aiitennce red. 

 A. spreta — Size, 3i lines. Striae on the 

 elytra not deeper behind than in front. 



A. cnrta — Size, 3 lines. Striae on elytra 

 deeper behind ; legs partly (tibias) reddish. 



A. lunicoUis. — Size, 3.^ lines. Striae deeper 

 behind ; legs wholly black. 



Legs wholly or partly Mack; first three 

 joints of antenncB red. 

 A. trivialis. — Striae of elytra not deeper 

 behind. 



