Telephorus. | _  SERRICORNIA. 135 
their own mates; the larve also are carnivorous, feeding on earth-worms, 
larvee, &c., and occasionally on their own species : the perfect insects 
are well known to ordinary observers, and go by the common name of 
Soldiers and Sailors. 
The larva of 7. fuscus is described and figured by Westwood (Classification, 
i, p. 256, f. 27, 16); it is long and fleshy, depressed, and of a velvety-black colour, 
with an exposed scaly flat head, furnished with strong toothed jaws, two short 
antenne, and a single ocellus behind each of the antenne ; the segments are rounded 
at the sides, the thoracic segments being the largest ; the anal segment is fur- 
nished on the under-side with a fleshy tubercle, which serves as a proleg; the legs are 
moderately long, and terminate in a single claw; the larva passes the winter in the 
full-grown state, and changes to a pupa in April or May, without forming any 
cocoon, the perfect insect emerging in two or three weeks; the larva lives in moist 
earth, at the roots of plants and grass, and may often be found er eeping on footpaths ; 
the pupa calls for no particular remark, 
Fifteen species belonging to the genus Telephorus proper are found in 
Britain ; they are very easy to distinguish when once they are known, 
but they closely resemble one another in structure, and in some species 
the colour is rather variable, so that it is almost impossible to tabulate 
them satisfactorily ; the following table may, however, be found of some 
service, although it must be admitted that the character of the impressed 
lines on the central joints of the antenne in the males of several of the 
species is not a very obvious one unless care is used in the examination 
of specimens. 
I. Thorax more or less distinctly and rather coarsely 
agente at all events in female. 
. Thorax red with a central dark spot touching 
Mune ee margin; femora black . . LL eRUSOUSS 2. 
. Thorax red with a central dark spot not touching 
canteae margin; femora mostly red . . . TT. Rusticus, Fall. 
II. Thorax not, or very finely and obsoletely, pune- 
tured. 
i. Length 10-12 mm.; thorax unicolorous reddish- 
testaceous ; elytra testaceous or black. . . . . T. xrvipus, LZ. 
(v. dispar, F.) 
ii. Length 6-10 mm. 
1. Elytra always black. 
A. Legs mostly red; elytra with close greyish 
pubescence. 
a. Third joint of antenne in male much 
longer than second; thorax of a clear red 
colour. . Oh on oe Le PELEUOLD US, eh. 
b. Third joint of antennze in male not much 
longer than second ; thorax reddish- 
testaceous, with a more or less distinct 
black spot or patch, which is often absent . T. NiGRicaNns, Mill. 
(v. diseoideus, Steph.) 
B. Legs black; elytra with less close pubes- 
cence; thorax black with margins broadly 
yellow .. . T. opscurus, LZ. 
2. Elytra testaceous or brownish-testaceous (very 
rarely black in one or two varieties). 
