Miscellaneous. 75 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Observations on the Blistering Beetles of the Neighbourhood of 

 Montevideo. By M. A. Courbon. 



The author states that three species of blistering Cantharides are 

 found in the neighbourhood of Montevideo, — namely the Epicauta 

 adspersa, Dej. {Lytta adspersa^ Klug), the Epicauta cavernosay 

 Reiche, and the Causima vidua, Dej. (Lytta vidua, Klug). 



Of these, the first, the Epicauta adspersa, is superior even to the 

 ordinary Cantharides (Cantharis v esic at oria) in its vesicating power, 

 and possesses the additional advantage that its application produces 

 no irritating action on the urinary organs, such as is usually caused 

 by the common Cantharides. The author discovered this when 

 treating a patient for acute hepatitis, by applying blisters upon the 

 seat of pain ; the Epicauta adspersa caused no inconvenience to the 

 patient ; but on one or two occasions, when blisters of the Cantharis 

 vesicatoria were used, they produced the customary irritation of the 

 urinary organs. 



This species is exceedingly abundant in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of Montevideo in the months of December, January, February 

 and March, but especially in January and February. Its length is 

 13-1 6 millimeters (6|— 8 lines) ; it is covered with minute grey scales, 

 in the midst of which appear numerous small black points. The 

 antennse are black, and the feet yellow or reddish. It lives on the 

 common Beet (Beta vulgaris, var. Cicla), and may be very easily col- 

 lected, especially in the morning and evening, by taking a large sack 

 with a few beet-leaves at the bottom of it to the places where this 

 plant grows in abundance, cutting ofp the stems of the plants close 

 to the root and shaking them into the sack. The insects may then be 

 killed by exposing them to the vapour of vinegar, or by packing them 

 closely in a glass vessel, closing them up hermetically, and exposing 

 them to the heat of the sun. 



The second species, the Epicauta cavernosa, is about the size of 

 the preceding species, but is of a yellow colour, with three small 

 black lines on the head, numerous small black points on the thorax, 

 and large impressed black dots on the elytra. The legs are reddish. 

 It is a rare species and occurs only on the Eryngium paniculatum, 

 an umbelliferous plant which is very abundant on the Cerro de Monte- 

 video. Its vesicating power is about equal to that of the common 

 Cantharis. 



The Causima vidua is a much larger species, measuring 22-27 

 millimeters (|-in. to IjL ii^-)» ^^^ ^^ entirely black, except an indi- 

 stinct white border which sometimes occurs at the extremity of the 

 elytra. It is found on two leguminous plants, Adesmia pendula and 

 A. punctata, especially on the former ; it devours the flowers. It 

 occurs in the months of November, December and January. It 

 is less abundant than the Epicauta adspersa, but may be collected in 

 the same manner, and its vesicating power is at least equal to that of 

 the officinal species. 'The author did not ascertain whether it acted 

 upon the urinary organs. 



