^4 ItfSECTA. 



FAMILY II. 



XYLOPHAGI. 



In our second family of tetramerous Coleoptera, we find the head 

 terminating as usual, without any remarkable projection, in the form 

 of a proboscis or snout. The antennae are thicker near the extremity, 

 or perfoliate at base, always short, and consist of less than eleven 

 joints in a great number. The joints of the tarsi are visually entire*, 

 the penultimate being sometimes Avidened, and cordiform in others; 

 in this case the antennae always terminate in a club, either solid and 

 ovoid, or trifoliate, and the palpi are small and conical. 



These Insects mostly live in wood, which is perforated and chan- 

 nelled in various directions by their larvae. When they happen to 

 abound in forests, those of Pines and Firs particularly, they destroy 

 in a few years immense numbers of trees, which are rendered useless 

 for any purpose of art. Others do great injury to the Olive, and 

 some again feed on Mushrooms. 



We will divide this family into three sections. 



1. Those in Avhich the antennae are composed of ten joints at most, 

 sometimes terminating in a stout club, most commonly solid, and 

 sometimes consisting of three elongated leaflets ; and at others form- 

 ing a cylindrical and perfoliate club from their base, and in which 

 the palpi are conical. The anterior legs of the greater number are 

 dentated and armed with a stout hook, and the tarsi, of which the 

 penultimate joint is frequently cordiform or bilobate, are susceptible 

 of being flexed on them. 



Some have very small palpi, the body convex and rounded above, 

 or almost ovoid, the head globular and plunged into the thorax, and 

 the antennae solid or trilamellate, and preceded by five joints at least. 



These Xylophagi form the genus 



SCOLYTUS, Geoff., 



Confounded by Linnaeus with the Dermestes. 



Sometimes the penultimate joint of the tarsi is bilobate, and there 

 are seven or eight joints in the antennee anterior to the club. In 



HYLURGUs,Xa^ — Hylesinus, Fa6., 

 The club of the antennae is solid, almost globular, obtuse, not at 



* Their number in some appears to amount to five. These Insects seem to con- 

 nect themselves with the Crj tophagi and other analogous Pentamera. 



