THE OEDER OF COLEOPTEHA. 



American, but most of the species are found south of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. 



The geuus Serica is distinguished by the soft silken pubescence with 

 which the body is covered, and which is beautifully iridescent, that is, 

 reflecting the colors of the rainbow. Whiere this character is deficient, 

 as it is in a few species, they can be readily determined by the remark- 

 able widening- of the hind coxic, which form a broad plate covering the 

 base of the abdomen, and which are at least as wide as any two ab- 

 dominal segments. The ground color is dark reddish-brown, or almost 

 black. We have three rather common species : the 8. sericea, llliger, 

 between three and four tenths of an inch in length, of a dark i>uri)le 

 tint; the 8. iricolor^ Say, scarcely three-tenths of an inch long, almost 

 black, and distinguished by the erect hairs with which the thorax is 

 clothed ; and the aS'. vespertina, Sch., of the same size as the sericea, but 

 destitute of the iridescent pubescence. 



Diplofa.vis, Kirby, (Contains a large numlier of small s])ecies, from 

 three to iive-tenths of an inch long, and of a reddish brown or black 

 color, and often closely resembling each other. They resemble the 

 genus seriea in general appearance, but are distinguished by the hind 

 coxiie not being unusually dilated, and the want of pubescence ; one 

 species, however, the mrdiila, Say, forms a, connecting link, in this re- 

 spect, by being clothed with erect hairs. 



Family XXXII. RUTELID.E. 



The most distinctive charac- 

 ters of the Kutelides are their 

 unequal tarsal claws, and their 

 usually fine or brilliant colors. 

 r>ut our most common species, 

 the Anomala^, though glabrous, 

 are not brilliant, and might be 

 mistaken for Melolontha' ; but 

 the unequal and uncleft poste- 

 rior claws readily distinguish 

 them. ]\lost of the insects of this 

 sub-family are troi)ical. Nine- 

 teen N. A. species are known, 

 more than half of which belong 



J/i'?i?'wail«to the genus Anomala. This 



PHLIDNOTA PUNCTATA, Liuil..— «, laiva ; 



/, leg; d, tip of alxloiueu ; b, \n\\iA, iii it 



of which are composBil of particles of wood and excie- i f' • i i;k^ ^i „ nrpr'twliiio- 



jiient ; c, beetle— after Kiley. SUO-Idmil^ , llKe tue JJieCtUHlo 



