GENUS HOPLOPHORA. 555 



become longer, but tlie diameter and consequently the 

 bulk increase greatly ; it thus again becomes compara- 

 tively globular, but not quite so ; the wrinkles are 

 almost lost, and the outer membrane becomes detached 

 from the larva, which may soon be seen moving freely 

 inside. The young Hoplophora now ruptures the egg- 

 membrane and escapes ; when it emerges it is, as before 

 stated, hexapod and quite white and translucent ; the 

 abdomen is wrinkled, and has not expanded to its ulti- 

 mate form, which it only attains gradually. The larva 

 just emerged is depicted at PL LI, fig. 3, and the egg- 

 shell which it has left at fig. 4. 



Habitat. — The common species are essentially wood- 

 boring creatures, not eating into sound, solid wood, but 

 taking advantage of what is already partly decayed. 

 The nymphs are found within the wood ; the adults 

 either in the same situation or on the moss, &c., on its 

 surface. They may be found elsewhere, but not so 

 abundantly. I have not found enough of the rarer 

 species to judge properly ol their habitats, but the few 

 specimens of H. anomala which I found were in moss 

 growing on the ground on the chalk hills, but there 

 was wood not far off. 



Table to assist in the identification of the British species 

 of Hoplophora. 



f Progaster plain, witliout any pro- 

 Aspis I jection .... Magna. 

 with a J 



median ] Progaster with a large square, 

 carina | shelf-like projection overhang- 



1^ ing the cephalothorax . . Anomala. 



Claws 



monodactyle, 



abdomen •{ 



rounded 



posteriorly 



fPseudo-stigmatic organs very 

 Aspis I short and lanceolate, cuticle 

 without ] smooth .... Dasypus. 



any 1 

 carina | Pseudo-stigmatic organs long and 



l^ sickle-shaped, cuticle pitted . Stkicula. 



Claws tridactyle, abdomen pointed posteriorly . . ArduA; 



