COLEOPTERA. ANOPLOGNATHIDvE. 215 



the Anoplognathida; and Cetoniidae, the former of which families 

 have the mandibles concealed beneath the clj'peus, and the maxillae 

 obtuse; whilst the Cetoniidte (to which, in general habit and appear- 

 ance, the species bear a great resemblance) have the mandibles 

 membranaceous. Hence it is evident, that the affinfty of the 

 Rutelidae with the Anoplognathidae is much stronger than with the 

 Cetoniidfe. I have therefore adopted the classification of the follow- 

 ing families given in the 2d edition of the Reggie AnimaL 



The seventh family ANOPLOGNATHiDyTi is also entirely composed 

 of exotic species, closely allied to some of the insects of the preceding 

 family, but having the clypeus dilated in front, entirely concealing the 

 mouth {Jig. 21. 14. underside of the head of Anoplognathus), with a 

 transverse suture before the eyes ; its anterior margin is acutely 

 incurved, having the labrum, which is small and triangular, on its lower 

 surface, which meets the front margin of the mentum, and thus closes 

 the mouth. The mentum is large but of variable shape ; the labium is 

 completely concealed ; the mandibles are large, horny, and generally 

 obtuse at the tips, the base being internally dilated into a large 

 square molary plate ; the maxillae are terminated by an obtuse lobe 

 (^fig. 21. 15.), which is seldom acutely toothed, but which, in some of 

 the species, has several deep transverse impressions ; the antennae are 

 9 or 10-jointed, the club 3-jointed. The body is subquadrate, or 

 ovate and subconvex ; the thorax trausverse-subquadrate ; the scu- 

 tellum distinct; the mesosternum often produced in front into a spine 

 extending between the fore legs ; the legs robust, with the posterior 

 pair sometimes greatly thickened {Jig. 21. 13. Repsimus Dytiscoides 

 from New Holland) ; the anterior tarsi are occasionally dilated in the 

 males, and the tarsal ungues are sometimes irregular, one or both 

 being often toothed. 



This family, although allied to the Itutelidnc in the produced me- 

 sosternum, the 3-jointed club of the antennae and large size of the 

 legs, evidently much more closely approximates to the Melolonthidas, 

 with which Latreille unites it under the name of Phyllophagi, but 

 from which it differs in the obtuse, but singularly channelled maxilla?, 

 and in the identity of form in the antenna; in the opposite sexes; the 

 males being here distinguished by the large and square clypeus, the 



p 4 



