HELOPHORUS PLANICOLLIS, Thoms.

Allied to H. aneipennis, but rather narrower, with the sides more parallel, and the thorax (as its name implies) flatter; the punctures in the striae on the elytra are finer and closer, and the interstices are flatter, and a little narrower. Taken in the mountainous districts of Scotland and Ireland, and also in the Shetland Isles (Ent. Mo. Mag., xi, 39).

HELOPHORUS LATICOLLIS, Thoms.

Also belonging to the aneipennis group, but distinguished by its broad thorax, which is as wide as the elytra, by its elytra being not dilated behind the middle, but thence narrowed towards the apex, with very strong, almost crenate, striæ, with narrow interstices, and by the long, and sometimes entirely black, apical joint of its maxillary palpi. This very distinct species has been taken in some numbers at Woking, by Dr. Power (Ent. Mo. Mag., xi, 40).

HELOPHORUS STRIGIFRONS, Thoms.

A well-marked species, incapable of being confused with any other except H. æneipennis and H. planicollis, from both of which it differs in being a little larger, in having the sides of the thorax more regularly rounded, in the broad reflexed margin of the elytra, and in having the longitudinal fovea on the base of the head uniformly narrow. It is probably common (Ent. Mo. Mag., xi, 40).

Sphæridium marginatum, F.

The characters assigned to this species hardly suffice to separate it from S. bipustulatum, F., of which it appears to be a variety.

LEPTUSA TESTACEA, Bris.

STAPHYLINIDE.

This species rests as British on a single example taken by Mr. Champion out of sea-weed at Whitstable, Kent. It is described as being long, linear, flattened, testaceous in colour, with dark abdomen, very short elytra, and long antennæ. When alive, it has much the general appearance of Phytosus balticus (Ent. Mo. Mag., ix, 5). ALEOCHARA VILLOSA, Mann.

This insect very much resembles A. grisea, Kraatz, in general appearance; it appears, however, to come nearer to A. lanuginosa, Gr., than to this last mentioned species it differs in having the 2nd and 3rd joints of the antennæ equal in length; in being flatter, more parallel, and much less shining; and also in the punctuation of the abdomen. Taken in several localities, Newcastle, Braemar, &c. (Ent. Mo. Mag., vii, 275).

ALEOCHARA HIBERNICA, Rye.

This species rests entirely on a single specimen found by Mr. Champion on the top of Slieve Donard (a mountain 2800 feet high, in Co. Down, Ireland). It is of the size and somewhat of the build of Homalota cambrica, Woll., but darker, more convex, elongate, and shining, less closely punctured, with shorter antennæ, &c. Its general appearance is not that of an Aleochara at all, but it has its anterior tarsi 5jointed (Ent. Mo. Mag., xii, 175).

January, 1883.]

Homalota egregia, Rye.

169

This species, which was introduced on a single specimen taken by Mr. Champion at Caterham, has apparently been since abandoned, as being synonymous with H. rufo-testacea.

HOMALOTA DIFFICILIS, Bris.

Near H. vilis, Er., but smaller, with shorter thorax and paler antennæ. Taken by Mr. Champion at Staines, Lee, and Arundel, and by Mr. Rye near London (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 247; Ent. Ann., 1873, 23).

Homalota æneicollis, Sharp.

This insect can hardly be separated as a species from H. xanthoptera, Steph.

HOMALOTA HUMERALIS, Kraatz.

This insect is described by Dr. Sharp as being very near H. sodalis, Er., but smaller, with paler elytra and antennæ, and different characters. Taken by Professor McNab, at Cirencester (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 247).

HOMALOTA ATrata, Mann.

Most nearly allied to H. gagatina, Baud. (variabilis, W. C.), but rather smaller, shorter, and broader, with the abdomen thickly and finely punctured all over the upper surface. Five specimens taken by Mr. Champion in a marshy place near Lee (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 247).

HOMALOTA FIMORUM, Bris.

Very near H. cinnamoptera, Thoms., but smaller, darker, rather more sparingly punctured, and with shorter antennæ. Taken by Mr. Crotch, according to Dr. Sharp's belief, in Norfolk (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 247).

Mr. Matthews. has lately been revising the genus Myllena, and three or four species will have to be added to the British list: the descriptions will appear in his essay on the genus.

Mycetoporus longulus, Mann., and Mycetoporus lepidus, Gr.

These species are apparently again united by some continental authorities, and are classed as synonymous with Mycetoporus brunneus, Marsh. They seem, however, to have sufficient characters to separate them as species.

Mycetoporus longicornis, Kraatz.

It seems very doubtful whether the characters assigned to this species are sufficient to separate it entirely from Mycetoporus splendidus, Grav. It is the var. 2 of this latter insect mentioned by Erichson (Gen. et Spec. Staphylinorum, p. 287).

Quedius fulgidus, Grav.

This species is divided by Thomson into five distinct species, which will be found fully discussed by Mr. Rye in Ent. Ann., 1869, 27. They are as follows:Quedius 4-punctatus, Thoms.-Distinguished from the others by having two oblique

punctures on each side of the disc of the thorax, by its elytra not being longer than the thorax, and by the 6th ventral segment of its abdomen having four setigerous punctures on each side before the apex. Mr. Rye considers this a good species.

Quedius temporalis, Thoms.—This is the most common form: it is very variable in colour, but never exhibits the deep black body and bright red elytra of the preceding species (in fact, these two species in this point bear a strong analogy to Mycetoporus longulus and lepidus); its thorax is shorter, with its disc unpunctured on each side; its elytra are longer than the thorax, and the 6th ventral segment has only three setæ on each side.

Quedius fageti, Thoms.-This form is deep black with pitchy-red tarsi, and is distinguished from Q. temporalis by its shorter antennæ and elytra, and by other minor differences. It appears to be the smallest of the forms. I have taken several specimens under bark of a decayed oak near Ulting, Essex, in company with Q. scitus, and they all seem to exactly resemble each other, although I cannot but think that they are merely a variety of the ordinary form.

Quedius brevicornis, Thoms.-This form appears to be the most distinct, and to have the best claim to rank as a species; the very transverse sub-apical joints of its antennæ, the non-punctured sides of the thorax, and the very prominent temples of its sub-globose head, which are not punctulated, seem to give it more value than a mere variety.

Quedius puncticollis, Thoms.--This insect resembles Q. brevicornis in colour, being shining black, with bright red elytra; it appears to be closely allied to this species, from which it chiefly differs in the punctures of the head. I have taken the species in Sherwood Forest by sweeping.

It is very difficult to know what to do with these five forms, whether to class them as separate species, or to reckon them all as varieties of Q. fulgidus. To add to the confusion, some continental authorities have revived the Q. mesomelinus, of Marsham, of which they make Q. temporalis a synonym. The punctuation of the thorax, too, does not always appear to be constant, and specimens seem occasionally to be found with one elytron red and the other black. What is to be done with these insects is, of course, more or less a matter of opinion. At all events, Q. brevicornis seems to have specific value.

Quedius rufipes, Er.,

=

Quedius semiobscurus, Marsh.

QUEDIUS SEMIENEUS, Steph.

This species, however, which was accidentally omitted by Dr. Sharp from his catalogue, is the same as Q. semiobscurus, Er. It is a very well marked species, distinguished from Q. attenuatus, Gyll., which it much resembles, by the four longitudinal interrupted bands of ashy pubescence on the abdomen (Ent. Ann., 1863, 80).

XANTHOLINUS GLABER, Nordm.

This species, which was also accidentally omitted by Dr. Sharp, ought to be inserted after X. glabratus, Grav.

Scopaus Ryei, Wollaston.

This species was found by Mr. Wollaston at Slapton Ley, Devonshire, under stones near the sea, in 1869 and 1872. It differs from S. minutus, Er., in being smaller and narrower; its colour is paler, or more reddish-brown, and its surface more opaque; its legs are thinner, and its abdominal segments less strongly divided. In Mr. Mason's notes before referred to, I find one to the effect that S. Ryei, Woll., S. subcylindricus, Scrib. Mr. Rye (Ent. Ann., 1874, 82) says that these two species are not synonymous.

=

LITHOCHARIS PICEA, Kraatz.

This insect is easily distinguished from all our other species by its dark pitchy colour (with elytra rather lighter), and ferruginous legs and antennæ. It must be placed after L. brunnea in our list). Taken by Mr. Champion in Bexley Wood, Kent, 1872 (Ent. Mo. Mag., ix, 156).

Lithocharis tricolor, Marsh.

Was, by a misprint, placed as a separate species in Dr. Sharp's catalogue, as he points out in Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 84; it is synonymous with L. propinqua, Bris.

COMPSOCHILUS PALPALIS, Er.

This genus comes very near Acrognathus; C. palpalis may, however, be very easily distinguished from Acrognathus mandibularis by its much smaller size (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 37; Ent. Ann., 1872, 59).

Deleaster dichrous, var. LEACHII, Curt. (= adustus, Bielz).

This variety has the elytra strongly infuscate at the apex: it seems confined to the northern part of England, and to Scotland. The southern specimens appear all to belong to the type form (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 15).

Acidota cruentata, Mann., var. FERRUGINEA, Er.

This variety differs from the type in being smaller, narrower, with very markedly shorter elytra, of which the punctuation seems more confused. Taken by Mr. Lawson near Scarborough (Ent. Mo. Mag., ix, 190). This variety certainly looks like a good species, and if it is to be kept as a variety, there are several other species that might be sunk with quite as good reason.

Olophrum consimile, Er. (Omalium consimile, Gyll.).

Distinguished from our other two species by its narrower build, its thorax being sinuate at the sides behind the middle, and its longer elytra. Taken by Dr. Buchanan White at Braemar, 1871 (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 73; Ent. Ann., 1872, 60).

Eudectus Whitei, Sharp.

The genus Eudectus, new to our list, comes very near Coryphium: the strongly angulated sides of E. Whitei will, however, serve at once to distinguish it from

Coryphium angusticolle, which is the only British species that it resembles. It seems very probable that E. Whitei is only a dark northern form of E. Giraudi, Redt. A single specimen was taken by Dr. Sharp on the summit of Ben-a-Bhuird, Braemar, in June, 1871 (Ent. Mo. Mag., viii, 73; Ent. Ann., 1872, 61).

Homalium brevicorne, Er.

This species (introduced as British by Rev. A. Matthews, Zool., 8650 [1863]) has given rise to considerable discussion: it appears to be regarded by some continental entomologists as a variety of H. vile, Er. Mr. Matthews, however, considers it a thoroughly good species, and says that it is readily distinguished by its shorter and more robust antennæ, of which the second joint is largely incrassated, its shorter and more rounded thorax, and more distinctly striated elytra.

HOMALIUM TESTACEUM, Er.

This insect comes close to H. vile, Er., in our list: it differs, however, from this species in its more remote punctuation, and in its pale rufous colour: it also has a short, smooth, shining ridge on the hinder part of the disc of the thorax. Taken by Mr. Matthews near Gumley, Leicestershire (Ent. Ann., 1864, 62). This insect has been omitted from the British list, but is, I think, certainly a good species.

(To be continued).

HINTS AS TO THE BEST MEANS OF REARING LARVÆ OF TORTRICIDE.

BY CHAS. G. BARRETT.

For some years I have occupied myself, as far as circumstances would permit, in working out the life-histories and describing the larvæ of our British Tortrices, and, thanks to the kind help of friends in different parts of the country, have had opportunities of examining a great many species, some of them of extreme interest. In many cases these larvæ have been by no means easy to rear, from peculiarities in their habits or dispositions, and I, therefore, think that a few remarks on the peculiarities of Tortrix larvæ and the best modes of rearing them may be interesting.

There is no great difficulty in rearing the leaf-rolling species of the genera Tortrix, Lozotania, and part of Pacilochroma (of Wilkinson's "Tortrices " and Stainton's "Manual "), nor those which draw together leaves either flatly or by folding or spinning several together, such as Peronea and its allies, Phloodes, Podisca, Coccyx, &c., because they mostly feed on the comparatively dry and firm leaves of trees or bushes, and are in consequence but little subject to the annoyance of mouldy food. All that is necessary is to put the rolled, twisted, or joined leaves containing the larvæ into large tins or gallipots, closely tied down and covered with glass, and to open them daily for ventila