396 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



FIG. 480. Chlcenius 

 sericeus. 



the protborax, and a stripe of the same color along the middle of each elytron. Much 

 larger (about 0.6 of an inch), but of similar form, and pale-brown coloration, without 

 distinct black markings, is Geopinus incrassatus, a common New England species. 

 In Geopinus, Agonoder-us, and other genera of the group to which they belong, the 

 left mandible is longer than the right one, and overlaps it distinctly in the first-named 

 genus. 



o 



The genus Chlcenius includes beetles of medium size, which usually are of a green- 

 ish or purplish bron//> color above. Sometimes the margin of the 

 elytra or a few spots upon them are yello\v. They frequent moist 

 places beneath stones, and attain their maximum size and beauty 

 in Africa. Most of the species have an odor somewhat like that of 

 Morocco leather. C. sericeus, a bright green species, with brown 

 antennae and legs, is common along the banks of the larger rivers in 

 the north-eastern United States. C. tomentosus, from the same 

 region, is of a deep purplish bronze color. 



The genus JZrachinus, already mentioned on account of its habits, 

 consists of over 150 species distributed throughout temperate and tropical parts of the 

 world. The beetles of this genus are mostly red, with blue or green elytra, and are 

 found often in numbers together beneath stones. The species are very difficult to 

 distinguish, but the genus is readily distinguished by its form, colors, and habits. The 

 specific names armiger, bellicosus, bombarda, crepitans, exhalans, ex- 

 plodens, f unions, venator, and the like, have reference to the habits of 

 the bombardier-beetles. 



Numerous small species of Carabidae, which are much flattened, often 

 ornamented with bright colors, and many of which frequent flowers, 

 belong to the genus Lebia, in its older and less-restricted sense. L. 



~ O 



grandis, one of the larger species of this genus, measuring about 0.4 

 of an inch in length, is yellowish-brown, with dark-blue elytra. This 

 insect has proved useful by eating the eggs of the Colorado potato-beetle 



(Doryphora decemlineata) . The genus Coptodera, of which C. emar- 

 ginata, from Brazil, is figured, does not differ greatly structurally from 

 Lebia. Dromius, another genus closely related to Lebia, has a heart- 

 shaped prothorax. D. piceus, a common North American species, is 

 shining black and about 0.3 of an inch long. I). quadrinotatus, found 

 FIG. 482. Copto- j n Europe, feeds, as larva, under the bark of pines, 



dera emargmata. 



upon the larvae of Pissodes notatus, a weevil. 

 Of the genus Galerita there are five North American species. 

 In the northeastern United States, G. jamis is common under 

 stones in early summer. Its length is about 0.75 of 

 an inch ; its antenna?, prothorax, and legs are red, 

 and the rest of the beetle is bluish-black. The head 

 is much elongated, and the prothorax is not half as 

 wide as are the elytra, which latter are truncate at the 

 tip. In Casnonia, which includes small beetles, the 



PIG. 484. - Cas- 



noniapennsyi- structure is quite similar to that or Galemta, but 



I'fiitiftt 



l.flitK It, 11* 1 1 1 



the thorax is very much more elongate. C. pennsylr 

 vanica is not rare under stones. Its length is about 0.25 of an inch, and its color is 

 brown and black, the head, prothorax, and spots upon the elytra being of the latter color. 



FIG. 481. Lebia 

 grandis. 



,, 



r IG. 4S,. (ftiti fit" i 



