534 



INSECTA. 



Chrysomela, Cerambyx, and Cantharis. In the first edition of this work, I had united the whole into 

 one genus, Ilelops, but their internal as well as external anatomy indicates that this family constitutes 

 five tribes, composed of the same number of genera, namely, Helops, Cistela, Dircaa, Fabr., (Edemera, 

 and Mycterus, Oliv. In respect to their digestive organs and other characters, Helops and Cistela ap- 

 proach Tenebrio ; but the Cistelse have the mandibles entire, and generally live amongst leaves and 

 flowers, in which respect they differ from Helops ; the majority of the Dircae.u have the faculty to 

 leap, and the penultimate joint of the tarsi is bifid in many. Some live in fungi, &c., and others in 

 rotten wood. These are allied on one hand to Helops, and on the other to (Edemera, and especially to 

 Notbus, belonging to the same tribe. Such are the principles upon which I have distributed this familv. 

 Those which have the antennae inserted near the eyes, and the head not produced into a long muzzle, 

 form the first four tribes, [Helopii, Cistelides, Serropalpides, and CEdemerites], 



The Helopii have the antennae covered at the base by the margin of the head, nearly filiform, or 

 slightly thickened at the tip ; generally composed of nearly cylindrical joints, the terminal one being 

 always the longest ; the extremity of the mandibles is bifid ; the last joint of the maxillary palpi is 

 largest, and hatchet-shaped ; the eyes oblong, and kidney-shaped : none of the legs are formed for 

 leaping; the penultimate joint of the tarsi is either entire or not deeply bilobed; the ungues entire ; 

 the body often arched above, and of a solid consistence ; the larvae, so far as known, are filiform, 

 smooth, and shining, with very short feet like those of the Tenebrionidae ; they are found in old wood ; 

 the perfect insects are also met with beneath the bark. This tribe nearly corresponds with the genus 



Helops, Fabr. 



Epitragus, Latr. (having the base of the maxillae hidden by the mentum), 



Cnodalon, Latr. (with the head narrower than the thorax), and 



Campsia, Lepel. and Serv. (Camnria. L. & S., with the head as broad as the hind part of the thorax), are American 

 groups, having the hinder extremity of the presternum produced into a small point, received into a notch of the 

 mesosternum. In all the other Helopii the mesosternum is not notched, nor the presternum pointed. 



SpkenUous, Kirby (Brazilian insects, having the appearance of Erotyli), 



Acanthopus, Meg. (with the fore thighs thick and toothed, A. dentipes, Germany), 



Amarygmus, Dalm. (with simple fore-legs and antennas), 



Spharotus, Kirby (with the thorax narrower throughout than the abdomen, and with simple antenna? and 

 slender tibiae), and 



Adelium, Kirby (being of an oval form, with the thorax nearly orbicular, composed of New Holland insects), have 

 the body nearly ovoid or short, with the thorax transverse. [None of these subgenera occur in this country.] 



Helops proper, has the thorax transverse, scarcely as long as wide, and closely applied to the base of the elytra. 

 //. cceruleus, lanipcs, and caraboides, [British insects, the last being exceedingly abundant]. 



L<ena has the last joint of the antennas thicker than the preceding, and ovoid, the thorax truncate-cordate, 

 separated from the abdomen by a visible space ; anterior femora thickened. [European species of small size.] 



The following Helopii have the body long and narrow, the thorax nearly square, or truncate-cordate. 



Stenotvachelus, Latr. (Dryops, Pk.), with the head narrowed behind into a neck, the three terminal joints of 

 the antennae short and thick. D. <enea, Payk. [a continental species]. 



Agnathus decoratus, Germar, appears to approach the last very closely, as does also Pelmatopus Hummelii, Fisch. 



Strongylium, K., and fStenochia, K., have the head not narrowed into a neck, and the terminal joints of the 

 antennae scarcely differing from the preceding. [Brazilian insects, mostly gaily coloured.] 



Pytho, Latr., has the body flattened and the thorax narrowed behind. [P.depressus, found in the northof Europe. 

 The larva is very flat.] 



The second tribe, Cistelides, is exceedingly close to the preceding, but the antennae are not concealed 

 at the base ; the mandibles are entire ; the tarsal ungues denticulated : many of these insects live in 

 flowers. This tribe forms the genus 



Cistela, Fabr. 

 Lystronichus, Latr., has the thorax thick, narrow, and suborbicular. [Brazilian insects.] 



Cistela proper, has the thorax depressed trapezoid, the head produced into a short muzzle, the 

 antennal joints mostly serrated, and the body ovoid or oval. 



Cistela ceramboides, five lines long ; black, with orange-coloured, striated elytra ; the larva 

 resides in the decomposed wood of the oak. 



- Mycetochares, Latr. (Mycetophila, Gyll.), has the head not produced into a muzzle, and the 

 body narrow and elongated. H. barbatus. 



AUecnla, Fabr., differs from the preceding in having the penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobed, 

 and the last joint of the maxillary palpi hatchet-shaped. 

 [M. Sober has revised this tribe, and added several new genera, in the Annates de la Socie'te 

 teramUoides Entomol. de France.] 



