COLEOPTERA. 13 



BUPRESTIS (CHRYSOCHROA) VITTATA. 



Plate 7. fig. 1. 



Tribe. Sternoxi, Latreille. 



Genus. Buprestis, Linnceus. 



Sub-Gen. Chrysochroa, Carcel et Delnp. 



Cn. Sp. B. aureo-viridis, elytris bidentatis, punctatis; lineis quatuor elevatis, vittaque lata 

 aurea. Long. Corp. 1 unc. 5 lin. 

 B. golden green, elytra with two apical teeth, punctured, with four elevated lines and 

 a broad golden stripe. Length 1 inch 5 lines. 



Sys. Buprestis Vittata, Fabricius Syst. Eleuth. 2. p. 187. Oliv. Ent- 2. 32. ;;. 9. t. 3. 



/. 17. a—d. Herbst. Col. 9. tab. L38./. 4. 

 Buprestis ignita, Herbst. Archiv. t. 28. a. f. 3. 



The family Buprestidae is one of the most extensive and brilliant tribes of coleopte- 

 rous insects. Brasil and New Holland produce some gigantic species, but none more 

 beautiful than those of India. We need adduce no other proof of this, than Buprestis 

 chrysis, sternicornis, attenuata, ocellata, and vittata. These v^rought into various devices 

 and trinkets decorate the dresses of the natives in many parts of India. The Buprestis 

 vittata in particular is much admired among them. It is, we believe, entirely peculiar to 

 China, where it is found in vast abundance, anci distributed from thence at a low price 

 among the other Indians. The Chinese, who always profit by the curiosity of Europeans, 

 collect vast quantities of this Buprestis, and other gay insects, in the interior of the 

 country, and traffic with them. 



The Buprestis ignita of Linnaeus, with whicli the present species has been partially 

 confused, has not the brilliance of colours that so eminently distinguishes B. vittata, but 

 in form and size it agrees with it. The only figure of that species is given by Olivier, 

 from a specimen formerly in the cabinet of Gigot d'Orcy, of Paris. The specimen in the 

 cabinet of Sir J. Banks, referred to by Fabricius as B. vittata, agrees with Sulzer's figure 

 of that species, as well as the specimen represented here, so that the reference by Fabri- 

 cius of Sulzers figure to B. ignita is incorrect. 



Fabricius has given as a part of the specific distinction of these insects, that B. ignita 

 has three spines at the end of each wing case, or elytron, and B. vittata no more than tioo. 

 This may form a sufficient characteristic in those species ; but we must remark, that it is 

 not so in Buprestis ocellata. We have two specimens that have two spines at the end of 

 each elytron, and another with three, as Fabricius has described it. We also find several 

 insects nearly allied to B. vittata, the stripe of gold on each side excepted ; one of these 

 has six teeth, another four teeth, and a third only two. 



Donovan observes that the Buprestides are supposed, for the most part, to undergo their 



