184 THE ORDER OP COLEOPTEEA. 



joints evidently places them at the extreme end of the order, whilst their 

 predaceous habits ally them to the pentamerous carnivora which occupy 

 the first rank in the perfection of their organization. 



The name Goccinella is derived from the Coccus which produces the 

 cochineal dye, and was suggested by the prevalence of bright red in the 

 coloration of these insects. 



A. Aiitennfe nearly as long as the head and thorax ; elytra almost always red dotted with black ; 

 length mure than a sixth of an inch. 



B. Body somewhat oblong ; anterior margin of the thorax nearly or quite stiaight Hippodamia. 



B B. Body hemispherical ; anterior margin of the thorax more or less concave Coccinella. 



A A. Antennae usually very short ; elytra never red ; length almost always less than a sixth of an 

 inch. 

 C. Thorax deeply hollowed in front ao as to embrace the head ; color black, usually dotted or 

 varied with red or white. 

 D. Surface glabrous; black, dotted with red, or whitish. 



E. Margin of elytra wide and entire ; size various Chilocorus. 



E E. Margin of elytra narrow and pitted, for the reception of the tips of the thighs ; size 



small Hyperasfis. 



D D. Surface pubescent ; black, sometimes varied or tipt with red Scymnu8. 



C C. Anterior margin of thorax nearly straight. 



F. Margin of elytra entire ; presternum not advanced ; color white with black dots : 



PSYLLOBOHA. 



F F. Margin of elytra pitted ; presternum advanced so as to conceal the mouth ; color black 

 without spots ; size minute ffiNEts. 



Hipimdamia^ Chev., has for its type the H. maculata, of DeGeer, the 

 most common of all our Coccinellidaj; nearly a quarter of an inch in 

 length ; scarlet-red with six large black dots on each elytron, two of 

 which join those on the other elytron at the suture. About fifteen other 

 [Fig. 94. ] species have been indicated, most of which exhibit a 



tendency to follow this type of coloration. Upwards 

 of twenty N. A. species of Coccinella, Linn., have been 

 described and distributed in a number of sub-genera, 

 founded for the most part upon obscure or unimpor- 

 H1PPODAMIACONVERGEN8 : tant characters. Chilocorus, Leach, contains the com- 



— Larva, pupa and bee- ' 



tie— after Kiiey. mou C. oivulnevus, Muls., two-tcuths of au luch long, 



black, with a red dot on the middle of each wing-cover, so useful in de- 

 stroying the bark-lice of the ai)ple tree, and of the pine leaf. The C. 

 [Exochomus, Eedt.) trijmstulatus, DeG., is similar but larger, with a red 

 spot on each shoulder, and a spot on the suture behind the middle. 

 Hyperaspis, Redt., meaning literally covered by a shield, contains many 

 species readily distinguished by their small size and their black color, 

 dotted with red, or whitish. Brachyacantha, Muls., differs from Hype- 

 raspis only in the presence of a minute spine on the outer margin of the 

 anterior tibiae.* 



* The separation ol Megilla and Ceratomegilla from Hippodamia ; of Mysia and Cycloneda from Got- 

 eiiiella ; of Exochomus from Ohilochorus ; and of Brachyacantha from Hyperaspis, under distinct gene- 

 ric names, are examples of the modern tendency to the excessive multiplication of genera, often found- 

 ed upon the most trivial characters. 



