222 CETONIIX^. 



Division II. VALGINI. 



This is a very well-defined group, one of the chief characteristics 

 of which is the diminutive size of its members. Many are very 

 small indeed, and the largest are little larger than the smallest 

 species found in the other groups of the CEXoyiix^. Another 

 conspicuous feature is the almost universal clothing of scales, 

 which are sometimes fiat and close, sometimes long and erect. 

 The head is long and narrow and capable of being folded closely 

 beneath the sternum, being then concealed from above by the 

 prominent front part of the pronotum. The latter is generally 

 distinctly narrower than the width of the body across the shoulders, 

 with the base rounded and not emarginate in the middle. The 

 scutellum is small, its sides convex and its apex not very acute. 

 The elytra ai'e generally short and broad, not at all cut away at 

 the sides, rounded at the extremities and leaving exposed the 

 pygidium and propygidium, which are broad and prominent, the 

 last pair df spiracles in most genera being borne upon very pro- 

 minent tubercles at the sides of the latter segment. The front 

 tibia is toothed along the entire outer edge, bearing generally 

 five, but sometimes only three teeth. The front coxae are very 

 prominent and contiguous and the middle and hind coxae widely 

 separated. The mesosternum is not produced. The tarsi, with 

 few exceptions, are very long and slender. The anterior abdo- 

 minal segments are short and the fifth segment relatively very 

 wide. The antennae and the organs of the mouth do not differ 

 from those of the Cetoniini. 



The sexual differences are very various. In certain forms the 

 extremity of the abdomen is produced in the female into a long 

 and slender style or ovipositor. 



A European species, Vah/us hemipterus, is the only representa- 

 tive of the group of which the habits are known. M. Fallou 

 (Bull. Soc. Eut. France, 18S0 and 1888) records that he found 

 this in all stages in the buried part of stakes of Acacia and other 

 wood, which they in time completely destroyed, e\'en when charred 

 or tarred before use. The eggs appear to be deposited at the 

 lowest part and the larvae work upwards through the wood to near 

 the surface of the ground. 



The great majority of the Valgini inhabit the Oriental 

 Eegion. 



Table of the Genera. 



1 (10) Pygidium very convex, much broader 



than long: *$ without caudal ap- 

 pendage. 



2 (9) Front tibia armed with three teeth. 



,3 (6) rrouotum having two sharp median 

 carinre. 



4 (5) Tarsi slender Oreodkkus, p. 223. 



5 (4) Tarsi very short and thick Podovalgus, p. 229. 



