COLEOPTERA. MORDELLID^. 295 



notice of the habits of Ripiphorus bimacuhitus, the larva of which, 

 according to this author, resides in the root of the Eryngium cam- 

 pestre (field eryngo), which it perforates in the centre, and always in 

 a vertical direction, thus differing entirely from that of R. paradoxus. 

 It is not, however, impossible, that the larva may be parasitic upon 

 some larva residing in such a situation. When full grown, it works 

 its way out of the root at the end of June, forms a pedunculated 

 cocoon of the size of a small nut, attached to the stem of the plant, 

 and assumes the perfect state in July. 



M. Sundeval has published a detailed account (in the Isis of Oken 

 for 1831), of a small insect nearly allied to Ripiphorus, which is 

 parasitic in the bodies of Blatta americana, on board of ships, and 

 which he names Symbius Blattarum (^Jig.33. 16. $ ,\7. J, 18. head 

 ,y , 19. head of 2 .). The male is winged and very alert, but its elytra 

 are very short and narrowed ; its antennae are beautifully pectinated; 

 the female, on the contrary, is destitute of wings and elytra ; the body 

 is elongate-ovate, attenuated behind, and terminated by a long and 

 slender ovipositor; the antennae are short and simple. The larva 

 {fig. 33. 20.) closely resembles the female, but the structure of the 

 antennae, &c., {fig- 33. 21.) is less perfect, it is entirely of a pale-brown- 

 ish colour; the terminal segment of the body is small, entire, and the 

 anus simple ; the mouth is furnished with two very large 4-jointed conical 

 porrected palpi. The pupa of the female is represented in fig. 33. 22. 

 This genus appears identical with the genus Ripidius of Thunberg, of 

 which Dalman has published an account of two species found in gum 

 copal, in the Swedish Trans., 1825, (pi. v. f. 1-8.). Mr. Stephens has 

 also described another species, found dead amongst Admiralty papers 

 received from Portsmouth, under the name of Ripidius ? anccps 

 {Brit. Ent. v. p. 427.), and which is most probably identical with the 

 Symbius blattarum. Tlie eyes in both insects are united on the 

 crown, thus differing from Myodites of Latreille, by whom they are 

 given as synonymous. 



The sixth family, Cantiiarid.t: * Leach (or which, in order to 

 avoid the confusion occasioned by the synonyms of the genus 



* BiBLioG. Refer, to the Cantharidve. 

 Gebler. IMylabrulos Siber. Oceid. et Tartar. Mum. Mosc. 1829. t. vii. 

 Billberg. Mono-rraphia Mylabridum, Holm. 1813. 7col.pl. (51 species.) 



U 4; 



