KA.MII.Y I.AMPVUIDJE. 89 



J.aiiipyii(li«'. 



Till-: glowwuinis and fireflies constitute a part of tliis interesting lamilj- of insects. Their 

 bodies are elongated and greatly depressed, and soft : the elongation affects the abdomen, 

 the thorax and head being very short, and the latter concealed in the former. The females 

 are sometimes destitute of wings. Their colors are dull, though a considei-able variety 

 exists, and the markings of tlie thorax aie very peculiar, the oruameuial colors consisting 

 of red and yellow combined with black. Tluy are said to i)e voracious, and feeders upon 

 Ile^h, subsisting uji'Ui snails, etc. When alarmed, they fold up their antenna- and leet,and 

 remain motionless : if disturbed, they fall into the grass or leaves. They are common on 

 fences and walls during the simimer and spring. Some species fly into the windows at 

 night, being attracted by the light of the candle. 



The family is characterized anatomically by the different authors as having filiform or 

 serrated antenna^, with comjjressed joints ; the penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobed ; the 

 parts of the niouth small : mandible small, acute and curved. 



Genus LAMPYRIS (Lin.). 



' Head not rostrated, covered by thorax : females apterous : mandibles entire ' ( West- 

 woon). 



Lampvris nigricans (Knoch). ( Plate xxi, fig. 3.) 



' Brownish black : thorax with a rufous spot each side within the margin " ( Say). 

 The margin of the thorax appears wetted, and the thorax is edged with brownish. 



Lampvris scintillans. ( Plate xxi, fig. 5.) 



Disk of tlie thorax rufous, with an angular brown spot in the centre ; border yellow : 

 elytra brown, bordered with yellow. 



Lampvris angulata. ( Plate xxi, fig. 4.) 



Color pale fuscous, the darker indistinctly tlclincd. Tliorax marked with an iingular and 



pointed jiatch of brown on its posterior i>art. and surrounded with rufous : sides of 



the brown anterior part furnished with a paLr of oval yellowish spots. Elytra brown. 



bordered with yellow. 



Lampvris laticornis. ( Plate xxi, fig. 2.) 



Antenmc conspicuous and compressed. Thorax ornamenteil with an oval central black 

 spot, pointed before, and bordered with rufous; margin pale yellow : beneath, the 

 colors correspond to those al)ove. Elytra plain dull black, black beneath. Length 

 one-foiuth of an inch. 

 [ Agriculti'Ral Report — Vol. v.] I'J 



