44 AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGY. 



Fabricius separated these insects from Lampyris, under the 

 name of Lycus, (Auko?,) a word, which, according to Olivier, was 

 employed by Herzychius to designate a species of spider ; by 

 Athenaeus for a fish ; and by Aristotle for a kind of bird. But 

 the word was commonly used by the Greeks, and by Homer 

 himself to indicate the wolf. 



In respect to form, the body is, in many instances, somewhat 

 Knear, that is, having the sides approaching to parallelism ; but 

 in the L. latissimus Fabr. of Africa, and the L. palliatus Fabr. 

 of the Cape of Good Hope, the elytra are so much dilated as to 

 give the species an orbicular appearance ; whilst in other species, 

 as the L. fasciatus Fabr. of Cayenne, these substitutes for an- 

 terior wings are greatly dilated, only toward their posterior ex- 

 tremities. Many have this dilatation, which is more particularly 

 observable in the males. Their colors are chiefly fulvous, violet- 

 black, and sanguineous. 



The larva is supposed to live in the earth ; the perfect insect 

 is innoxuous, and is found on flowers. 



Lycus reticulatus. — Specific character. Black ; lateral 

 thoracic margins fulvous ; elytra fulvous, with a band, and ex- 

 tremity, blackish. 



Lycus reticulatus Fabr. Syst. Eleut. pt. 2. p. 111. Oliv. Ins. 

 vol. ii. No. 29, p. 7. pi. 1, fig. 7. 



Desc. Body deep black; polished : antennae exceeding the mid- 

 dle of the elytra, opake : rostrum short : thorax black, the dilated 

 lateral margins a little recurved, fulvous ; an acute carina in the 

 middle ; posterior angles attenuated, prominent and acute : elytra 

 fulvous, with four elevated lines, which are alternately larger, 

 the suture and exterior edge are also elevated ; interstitial spaces 

 with numerous transverse elevated lines; near the base is a 

 broad black band, which nearly reaches the middle, and is 

 continued along the suture to the base ; a much dilated terminal 

 black band, which does not reach the middle ; both these bands 

 are slightly tinged with violaceous : wings blackish, the nervures 

 margined with whitish : feet sericeous. 



Obs. This species may well be said to inhabit North America, 

 for it would seem to be found in almost every part of it, except- 

 ing, perhaps, the region beyond the Kocky Mountains, and the 

 more northern inhospitable solitude of Canada. I have received 



