BDPRESTIS. BUPRESTIS. 



Generic Character. 



Antenna setaceae, longi- 



tudine thoracis. 

 Caput dimidium intra tho- 



racem retractum. 



Antenna setaceous, of the 

 length of the thorax. 



Head half witi idrawn be- 

 neath the thorax. 



JL HE splendid genus Buprestis stands conspi- 

 cuous among the coleopterous insects, on account 

 of the superior brilliancy of its colours, which, in 

 many of the larger exotic species in particular, 

 shine with a metallic lustre. It is a very numer- 

 ous genus, but by far the major part of the species 

 are exotic. Among these the Buprestis gigantea 

 is the largest hitherto discovered, measuring two 

 inches and a half in length: the thorax is smooth, 

 resembling the colour of polished bell-metal, and 

 the wing-sheaths are of a gilded copper-colour, 

 with a cast of blue- green, and are wrinkled in a 

 longitudinal direction with slight, prominent ra- 

 mifications. It is a native of India, China, and 

 many other parts of Asia, and is also found in 

 South- America. The large size, metallic colours, 

 and wrinkled surface of the wing-shells in this 

 insect, have induced the Chinese to attempt imi- 

 tations of it in bronze, in which they succeed 



