ROSE BEETLES. 97 



other fragments of the material on which they have 

 been feeding ; and therein await their change into the 

 pupal and perfect forms. 



THE first family of the Lamellicornes is the 

 Cetoniidae, or Rose Beetle family. We have but few 

 examples of these beautiful insects 

 in England, and one or two of 

 them are very rare. In this 

 family the antennae are short, and 

 have only ten joints, three of 

 them forming the club. The 

 body is broad, and the elytra are 

 flattened and not quite long 

 enough to reach the end of the 

 abdomen. A very familiar 

 example of this family is the common ROSE BEETLE 

 (Cetonia auratd]. 



This is a truly handsome insect. The upper 

 surface of the body is beautiful shining-green, glossed 

 with gold. The elytra have a number of impressed 

 dots and curved marks scattered irregularly over them, 

 and towards the apex are a number of scattered 

 whitish marks, very variable in size, hue, number, and 

 shape, according to the individual insect. Belo\v, it is 

 bright polished-copper. 



The perfect Beetles are generally to be found in 

 roses, especially the white and wild roses, which they 

 are thought to damage in some degree. The larva, 

 however, does not content itself with such light diet 

 as rose-leaves, but lives on the less poetical but more 



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