THE BRITISH GEODEPHAGA. ll 



a single sheath, thus approaching very near to the pupae of the 

 Lepidoptera. 



Of the other characteristics, the most striking, and the one to 

 which there are fewest exceptions, is that which led Aristotle to 

 name them Coleoptera, or sheathed wings. This designation 

 refers to the hard wing-cases called Elytra, which normally meet 

 in a straight line down the back and protect the membranous or 

 flight-wings from injury when they are present. Usually, these 

 wing-cases are quite hard and brittle ; but by way of exceptions 

 we have the whole of the family of the Afalacoderma and many 

 others, which have the elytra soft and leathery. The Soldier 

 Beetles {Telephoriis) are good examples. Again, we have the 

 females of Drihis flavescejis and Lampyris noctiluca (the glow- 

 worm), which are entirely wingless and possess no elytra. The 

 former, and more particularly the female, is very rare ; both it and 

 the glow-worm are carnivorous, feeding on slugs and snails. There 

 is also another species of beetle, Phosphcenus he?jiipterus, of which 

 the female is entirely apterous ; the male has very short elytra and 

 no posterior wings. It is a very rare insect. 



In the genera Metoecus and Sitaris (Figs, i and 2) the elytra 

 touch only at the base, and do not cover the posterior wings, 

 giving the insects very much the superficial appearance of the 

 Hemiptera, or bugs. The genus of the first was originally called 

 RhipipJwrus^ from the form of the antennae of the male, which has 

 processes on both sides of each joint, arranged in a fan-like 

 manner ; this name is still retained for the sub-family. The 

 specific name, Paradoxus^ was given to it because nothing was 

 known of its life-history ; but from careful observation, it has been 

 ascertained that it inhabits the nests of wasps, its larvae being 

 parasitic on the larvae of w-asps. The second example, Sitaris 

 inuralis, is also parasitic on certain solitary bees which inhabit 

 holes in walls. It appears that the Sitaris lays its eggs at the 

 entrance to these holes, and the young larvae, when hatched, crawl 

 into the nest and attack the larvae of the bees. It is a very rare 

 beetle in Britain, but is common on the Continent. 



In the well-known Oil Beetle {Meloe proscarabczus) we have 

 another example of elytra which not only diverge, but actually lap 

 over at their bases; they are also very soft, and the posterior 



