AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY. 68 



allied to polychloros and urtlcx of Europe, but is sufficiently dis- 

 tinct from either. 



The plate presents two views of the insect. 



CRYPTOCEPHALUS. Plate XXVIII. 



Generic character. Body short, robust, cylindric ; head verti- 

 cal ; antennae inserted between the eyes, simple, jBliform, more 

 than half the length of the body ; palpi terminating with a conic- 

 cylindric joint, maxillary palpi very apparent. 



Ohs. ]Many of this group are agreeably ornamented with colored 

 spots and lines. They were mingled with the C hrysomeJae. by 

 Linne, from which they may be known by the more cylindrical 

 form of the body, and by the abrupt deflection of the head. In 

 these characters, the present genus corresponds with Clythra, 

 to which it is more closely allied than to any other ; but the an- 

 tennae of Clythra are short and serrated, instead of being long, 

 simple, and filiform, as in the genus before us. The genus 

 Cryptocephalus was established by Geoffi'oy, and has been adopted 

 by the greater number of entomologists who have written since 

 his time. These insects feed on vegetables, and many of the 

 species are very injurious to useful plants, by devouring their 

 leaves and buds. The larva is furnished with six scaly feet, which 

 are situated near the head ; some of the species in the larva state 

 protect themselves from the ardor of the sun, and from the 

 attacks of their enemies, by fabricating a cylindrical covering, 

 closed at one end, into which they can withdraw every part of 

 the body ; it is generally composed of small grains of vegetable 

 and excremcntitious matter, agglutinated together by a viscous 

 excretion from the body. With the head and feet protruded 

 from this little domicil, and carrying it erect with respect to 

 their pathway, the artificer proceeds at a slow pace, in quest of 

 food. The perfect insect is also slow in its movements, and on 

 the approach of danger, it counterfeits death by retracting the 

 feet and antennte close to the body, and permitting itself to fall 

 from any height to the ground. 



Cryptocephalus ornatus. — Specific character. Reddish- 

 brown ; thorax with the margin and two spots, yellow ; elytra 

 yellow, with two black vittae on each. 



