COLEOPTERA. 93 



upon willows, where, however, its colour greatly protects 

 it from observation. 



Clytus arietis, one of the "wasp "beetles" (PL III., 

 fig. 6), another conspicuous though smaller insect, is 

 black, with clear bright yellow bands and spots. It is 

 about 4 inch in length, of a rather long oblong form, 

 with long and very active legs. 



Strangalia elongata is remarkable for its elegant form. 

 The thorax is long and widest at the base. The elytra 

 are, near the base, much wider than the thorax, and 

 taper towards the end. The back is convex, the legs are 

 long and the colour is a pale yellow, marked with a 

 dusky blackish brown. It is a lively insect, and may 

 be found in flowers (especially those of the umbellifer) 

 or on the trunks of the trees whence it has emerged 

 on arriving at perfection. This beetle is nearly two 

 thirds of an inch long. Another species of this group, 

 Molorchus umbellatarum, is interesting as exceptional. 

 The wing-cases are as short as in the Brachelytra, but 

 do not cover the wings, which have not even the usual 

 shortening fold, but lie at full length exposed upon the 

 abdomen. 



The PHTTOPHAGA (<J>VTOV, phuton, a plant ; Qayto, 

 phago, to eat) are less elegant in form than the 

 Longicornes. The abdomen is larger in proportion to 

 the thorax, and the outline of the figure varies from 

 oblong to oval, quadrate, and nearly round. The 

 antennae are short, and the head is partly buried in the 

 thorax. 



Among them are some beautiful species, and one of 

 these is the little Asparagus-beetle (Crioceris asparagi), 

 a little oblong beetle, which, in the month of June, 

 when the young plants are beginning to run up into 



