168 



INSECTS ABROAD. 



felled timber, and, being very slow in its movements, is easily 

 captured. The colour of its elytra is red, and the length of the 

 Beetle is barely half an inch. The generic name, Dictyopterus, is 

 formed from two Greek words signifying "net-winged," and is 

 given to the insect on account of the network-like texture of the 

 elytra, which has already been mentioned in connexion with 

 Lycus prccmorsus. 





Fin. 77.— Rhipidocera rnystacina. 



(Black, speckled with white.) 



The very remarkable insect which is shown in the illustration 

 belongs to a group which are appropriately named Uhipidoceridse, 

 from the structure of their antenna?. The name is Greek, signify- 

 ing " fan-horned," and is given to the Beetles because the antennas 

 of the males are furnished with a number of flattened or linear 



appendages, which in some species 

 radiate like the sticks of a lady's 

 open fan. These insects are re- 

 markable for another peculiarity. 

 As a rule, the antenna? of Beetles 

 have eleven joints, but those of 

 the Rhipidoceridse have from six- 

 teen to forty joints, according to 

 species. The present insect has, 

 altogether, thirty - one joints ; 

 namely, three simple joints next 

 the head, then four toothed joints, 

 and then twenty-four joints each furnished with a flabellum of 

 greater or less length. In the female the number of joints is 

 less, and they are merely toothed. 



The Beetle which is called Rhipidocera rnystacina is a native 

 of New Holland, and has been selected as forming an excellent 

 type of the family. The thorax is black and hairy, and the 

 iraare also black, longitudinally ridged, deeply granulated, 

 ai)d"decorated with a number of snowy white spots arranged in 

 longitudinal rows. The legs are black, except the thighs, which 

 are deep red. 



The, antennae of this insect are singularly beautiful. Each of 

 the numerous flabella with which it is adorned is formed very 

 much like a spear, supposing the shaft to be beaten flat and 

 mere or less bent. In consequence of this formation, and the 

 extreme regularity with which they are set on the antenna?, dark 



