Dr. Burmeister on the Larva of Calosoma sycophanta. 235 



XLVIII, Anatomical Observations upon the Larva o/ Calo- 

 soma sycophanta. By Dr. Hermann Burmeister, Fellow 

 of the Natural History Society of Berlin, For. M.E.S., 8^c. 



[Read Oct. 5, 1835.] 



The first author who has given a description of the larva of Calo- 

 soma sycophanta was Reaumur (Memoire, &c., vol. ii. p. 457), — 

 whose account has been republished by many subsequent authors. 

 I have often had occasion to observe this insect, which is not rare 

 in the pine-woods in the neighbourhood of Berlin in the larva as 

 well as in the perfect state, in both of which I have seen it employed 

 in devouring the larvse of Liparis dispar and other moths, which are 

 very common in the vicinity of this capital. 



The length of the animal is one inch and a quarter ; the colour 

 black on the upper side, but on the under side white, with black 

 spots. The skin of the upper side is corneous, but on the under 

 membranous, and the spots alone corneous. Nine of these corneous 

 spots are placed on each segment, in the manner and being of the 

 relative size represented in the figure. Between the two exterior a 

 small spiracle is to be observed. The whole body is composed of 

 thirteen segments : the first segment is the head, upon which are af- 

 fixed the antennae, trophi, and six eyes on each side behind the lat- 

 ter organs. The antennae have four joints, of unequal size; the first 

 being the shortest and thickest, the remainder of equal length, but 

 gradually smaller (fig. 13. a, a.). The mandibles (fig. 2. fig. 13.6, b.) 

 have a large tooth in the middle. The maxillae consist of a small 

 basal joint (fig. 4.), and a second larger, bearing two articulated ap- 

 pendages ; the exterior three-jointed, which forms the maxillary pal- 

 pus, and the interior two-jointed, forming the interior maxillary pal- 

 pus, or the galea of Orthoptera. The underlip is a small coriaceous 

 piece (fig. 5. fig. 13. d.), bearing two two-jointed palpi, and closing 

 the mouth from beneath. The three following segments after the 

 head form the thorax and bear the legs. llie first is larger than the 

 others and has a small longitudinal impression in the middle ; the 

 two following are respectively equal in size with the remaining seg- 

 ments, the last only excepted, which is evidently smaller. The legs 

 are composed of five joints, gradually decreasing in size ; of these the 

 first large and thick joint is the coxa, the second the trochanter, 

 the third the thigh, the fourth the tibia, the fifth the inarticulated 

 tarsus, armed at the extremitj- with two equal claws. On each side 



