H8 



THE OKDER OP OOLEOrTERA. 



American, but most of the species are found soutli of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. 



The genus Serica is distinguished by the soft silken pubescence with 

 which the body is covered, and which is beautifully iridescent, that is, 

 reflecting the colors of the rainbow. Where this character is deficient, 

 as it is in a few species, they can be readily determined by the remark- 

 able widening of the hind coxie, which form a broad idate covering the 

 base of the abdomen, and which are at least as wide as any two ab- 

 dominal segments. The ground color is dark reddisli -brown, or almost 

 black. We have three rather common s]»ecios : the i8. sc'Hcm,. I Hi ger, 

 between three and four tenths of an inch in length, of a dark purple 

 tint; the S. iricolor^ Say, scarcely three-ten tlis of an inch long, almost 

 black, and distinguished by the erect hairs with which the thorax is 

 clothed ; and the S. vespertina^ Sch., of the same size as the sericen, but 

 destitute of the iridescent pubescence. 



Diplotaxis, Kirby, contains a large nnml^er of small species, from 

 three to five-tenths of an inch long, and of a reddish l)rowu or black 

 color, and often closely resembling each other. They reseml)le the 

 genus serica in general appearance, but are distinguished by the hind 

 C0X8B not being unusually dilated, and the want of pubescence ; one 

 species, however, the sordiila, Say, forms a connecting link, in this re- 

 spect, by being clothed with erect hairs. 



Family XXXII. RUTELID^. 



Pkijdxota i-r n( 

 /, ley;; d, tip »>!' iilxloinen ; h, jtujia, iu its cell, tlio walls 



The most distinctive charac- 

 ters of the Kutelides arc their 

 unequal tarsal claws, and their 

 usually fine or brilliant colors. 

 But our most common species, 

 the Anomahi', though glabrous, 

 are not brilliant, and might be 

 inistaken for MclolonthiC ; but 

 the unequal and uncleft poste- 

 rior claws readily distinguish 

 them. Most of the insects of this 

 sub-family are tropical. IS^ine- 

 teen N. A. species are known, 

 more than iialf of which belong 

 to the uenus Anomala. This 



>iV wliich' are composed of particles of wood and excre- i £. • ■ .-i^ ^i i^rp/.p/liniT 

 iiient ; c, beetle— after Eiley. {sUU-iamJi;> , ilKt} lue IJieVvCUJiio 



