286 INSECTS. COLEOPTEEA, 



in the males ; scutellum distinct ; posterior extremity of the 

 abdomen discovered ; antennae of ten joints, the last three 

 forming a lamellar club ; mandibles corneous, with the exte- 

 rior side projecting, sinuous or crenulated ; jaws scaly, den- 

 tated, or spinous ; chin oval or ovoid, truncated or obtuse 

 before ; labrum membranous, concealed under the hood. 



The insects of this genus fly and run easily. They are generally found in moist 

 places in the fields, or at the roots of old trees. The greater part frequent places 

 where the earth is humid, for the purpose of depositing their ova. The larva resem- 

 bles a soft thick worm, with a hard and scaly head, and two short filiform antennae. 

 The body is composed of thirteen distinct segments, of which nine have stigmata on 

 each side. The pupa is found sunk in the ground, inclosed in a kind of cocoon, 

 which the larva constructs before its transformation ; but the body of the insect is 

 seen in all its parts through the covering. The Scarabaaus of the Egyptians, sculp- 

 tured on the bases of the statues of their heroes, is referred to the genus Ateuchus of 

 modern naturalists. Believing the Scarabazi to be all males, the masculine virtues 

 were emblematically signified by the representation of these beetles, unassociated with 

 the weaknesses of the feebler sex. 



S. Hercules, Oliv. (Geotrupes, Fab.) Head black, shining, armed 

 in the male with a long, projecting, and bent horn, and three 

 or four teeth at its upper part ; thorax black, with a projecting 

 horn, hairy below, notched at the extremity, and with a tooth on 

 each side ; scutellum black ; elytra brownish, with black spots ; 

 under part of body and feet black ; anterior legs with three la- 

 teral teeth. The female differs much from the male. Inhabits 

 the Antilles Shaw, vi. pi. 1. 



S. punctatus, Lat. Blackish brown, with numerous impressed points ; 

 head with two small tubercles ; thorax convex ; elytra with each 

 three longitudinal elevated lines. Inhabits south of France and 

 Italy. Lat. Gen. ii. 104. 



4. PHYLLOPHAGI. 



Gen. MELOLONTHA, Lat. Fab. Scarabceus, Lin. 

 Antennae of ten joints, the club in the males formed of from 

 five to seven oval compressed leafy joints ; body oblong, gib- 

 bous, and often hairy ; hood rounded or notched, more or 

 less margined ; eyes rounded ; thorax slightly convex ; scu- 

 tellum generally cordiform ; elytra a little shorter than the 

 abdomen, slightly margined on each side ; anterior legs with 

 two or three lateral teeth ; tarsi of five joints. 



The insects of this genus, feeding on vegetable substances in all their stages, are 

 very injurious to the agriculturist and gardener. In the larva state, they gnaw for 

 two, three, or four successive years the tender roots of plants, bushes, and trees. 

 In the cold and temperate portions of Europe they bury themselves in the earth, 

 and pass the winter in a state of torpor. These beetles are found during the day at- 

 tached to the branches and leaves of trees, rarely flying, however, except when the 

 weather is warm and dry ; but after the setting of the sun, they fly about from tree 

 to tree in search of food, or the males pursuing the females. In their perfect state 

 their life is very short, the individuals scarcely surviving a week, and this merely for 

 the purpose of reproduction. After coupling, the male ceases to take food and pe- 

 rishes ; and the female, after digging a hole half a foot in depth for the deposition 

 of the ova, languishes for a day or two near her usual haunts and expires. The 



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