170 INSECTS ABROAD. 



them feed upon the larva- of other insects, especially upon those 

 of the solitary bees. A very pretty species of this family, Clems 

 formicarius, is well known to English entomologists. It is a 

 very pretty little Beetle, red, yellow, and black in colour. Even 

 the larva is dark pink, spotted with black. Its larva is found 

 under bark, where it feeds on the larva; of other wood-boring 

 Beetles. 



The present insect, which is found spread over a considerable 

 portion of Asia and part of Europe, especially round the shores 

 of the Mediterranean, is in every way an admirable representa- 

 tive of the Oleridre. In the larval or grub state it inhabits the 

 nests of wild bees, the larvae of whieh it devours. It is beauti- 

 fully coloured. The head and thorax are of the richest blue, the 



colour of which is, however, rather 

 obscured by the thick downy hairs 

 with which it is covered. The elytra 

 are warm dun, deeply punctated, and 

 across them are drawn two broad 

 bands of deep purple, a patch of the 

 same hue occupying the tips of the 



in. 78. — Trichodes crabronifarmia, , . •,, ',, . ,i , -j. 



(reuow and purple.) elytra. Altogether, except that it 



is so much larger, it is wonderfully 

 like the British Clerus which has already been mentioned. 

 The legs are purple, just like the bands on the elytra. 

 There is a downy clothing on the elytra, but the hairs are 

 neither so thick nor so long as on the thorax and head. The 

 wings are large, and, as is the case with our own inseebs, 



portion of them can mostly be seen towards tl nd of the body, 



as the ends of the elytra slightly diverge. 



The generic name Trichodcs is Greek, and signifies " fine 

 hair;" and the specific name crdbroniformis is Latin, signifying 

 "hornet-like," in allusion to the dark stripes on the yellow body, 

 which at a little distance really do give to the Beetle a very 

 hornet -like air. 



There are many species of these beautiful insects, nearly all 

 of which have a strong family likeness. Some are very small, 

 and some are very splendid in colour, the most striking of which 

 is a North African species, rather larger than our common Tiger 

 Beetle. It is very hairy, has a ldack thorax, and yellow elytra 

 banded and edged with the deepest green. 



a 



