COLOURS OF BEETLES. 



47 



they will at once see it, and wonder how anything so obvious 

 could have eluded them. 



In any large genus of insects there is always a difficulty in 

 deciding upon the different species ; and, even among the 

 moths, where size and colour are tolerably constant, mistakes 

 are continually made. But, among Beetles, these important 



1. ^Epys marinus. 2. Philocthiis bignttatns. 3. Notaphus [Bembidiimi] fnmigatns. 

 4. Bembiclium qniidrigiittatiim. 5. Bembidinin pallidipenne. a. jEpys, maxillary palinis. 

 6. ^pys, labial palpi. c. iEpys, labnuu. d. ^pys, right mandible. e. ^pys, antenna. 



elements of size and colour go for almost nothing, and when- 

 ever green and blue are in question, colour absolutely does go 

 for nothing. Now, in the members of the genus Amara, blue 

 and green are the leading hues ; and five individuals, which 

 undoubtedly belong to the same species, may be respectively 

 bluish-green, greenish-blue, brassy, coppery, or even black. 

 Then the head and thorax may be of one colour, and the elytra 



