Rhynchites. | RHYNCHOPHORA, 121 
RHYNCHITES, Schneider. 
This genus, taken in its wide sense, contains at present upwards of a 
hundred or more species, which are mostly found in the Northern 
Hemisphere ; they have, however, a very wide range as representatives 
have been described from South Africa, Ceylon, Java and Sumatra, 
Cuba, Brazil, Chili, &c.; in all probability the genus will be found to 
be a very large one and to be spread over all the warm and temperate 
regions of the world ; the greater part of the species are pubescent and 
brightly coloured, and very often strongly metallic; they are chiefly 
found in spring and early summer on whitehorn hedges, and flowering 
shrubs or trees: the larve, which do not call for any particular 
remark, live in cases formed by the female by rolling leaves into the 
shape of a cigar or trumpet, or by joining leaves together; this is not, 
however, the case with all species, as in some the female deposits her 
eggs in the freshly set fruits of certain Pomacece or Amy,dalacec, or in 
the young shocts of oak, beech, &c. ; in all cases she appears to cut partly 
through the stem, so that the fruit or leaves or shoots fall at about the 
time at which the larva is ready to undergo its further transformations, 
which take place underground; the genus, as here limited, is distin- 
guished by the transverse posterior cox, which reach the episterna of 
the metasternum, and by the membranous penultimate segment of the 
abdomen ; the antenne are rather slender, with a loose three-jointed 
club. The sexual differences are variable ; in some species the rostrum 
is longer in one sex than in the other, in others itis curved in the 
male and straight in the female, or vice versd, and in others again the 
thorax in the male is armed on each side with long projecting spines, 
Twenty-seven species are found in Europe of which about half occur 
in Britain ; two of these, however, are extremely rare and have not been 
taken for very many years ; they may be distinguished as follows :— 
I. Body behind thorax short and stout, only about 
one and a half times as long as broad. 
i. Elytra not metallic, dark scarlet or bright brick- 
_ ved with the suture often darker. . . . . R. arquatus, ZL. 
i, Elytra metallic. 
1, Elytra thickly and irregularly punctured be- 
tween the rows of larger punctures; size 
large. 
A. Surface of rostrum almost entirely metallic ; 
thorax with a strong projecting spine on 
either side in front in the male. . . R, auratus, Scop. 
B. Surface of rostrum, at all events Behind: 
traversed by a raised black keel ; thorax 
without a spine at sides in either corre mgeemny Gk Baccuus, L. 
2. Elytra smooth or with regular rows of small 
punctures between the rows of larger punc- 
tures. 
A. Elytra without a scutellary stria. 
a. Colour purplish or purplish-red with a 
metallic coppery tinge; size larger. . . KR. cupREus, L. 
