NEW ENGLAND FARiMER, 



July 24, \^-29 



Column 2, 2Stli liiiu tVuiii botioin, fur humtrout 

 rcatl humerus. 



CO.NTRIULTION.S TO KNTOMOLOGY. 

 No. VII. 

 Famili/ Buprtslidct. 

 The 8|H!cics of'the principal genua, wliicli gives 

 name to this fuinily, are i|uite uunierous, and 

 many ot'thcni/ni their perfect state, arc onmnienteil 

 with brilliant or Mictallic htic.<'. The larvoe are 

 wood-tatcrs or l)«fei>', nnil are to bccliisscrl among 

 the noxious inseclft Our forests and urclinrds 

 nro more or kss subject to their cttack:*, e.>-pec- 

 ially alter the trees have passed their prime. — 

 The Itiiprestes do not leave the trees till they 

 Jiave completed their metamorphoses, and as- 

 sumed the perfect state. The ktrva; that are 

 known to me have; a close resemblance to each 

 other; a general idea of them can be formed from 

 a description of that which attacks the pig nut 

 tree. It is of u yellowish white color, elongated 

 and depressed in form, and abruptly dilated near 

 the anterior e.xtreniity. The head is brownish, 

 small, and merged in the next segment ; the jaws 

 (mandible?) Iridentutc at the points, and of a black 

 color ; the antennic very short, tuberculilbrm. — 

 The segment which receives the head (collar) is 

 very short ami transverse ; next to it is a large, 

 oval segment, broader than long, depressed or flat- 

 tened above and beneath ; it forms the thoracic 

 portion of the body. Behind this the segments 

 are very much narrowed, and, from transverse, 

 become gradually cpiadrate, but are siill flattened, 

 to the last, which is teri.-iinated by a rounded tu- 

 bercle. There are no legs, nor any a)iparatus 

 which can serve as such, except two small tuber- 

 cles on the under siile of the second se^'ment from 

 the thorax.' The motion of the hirvie appears to 

 be eflecied by the alternate contractions and 

 elongalion.t ol' the segmints, aided perhaps by 

 the tubercular extremity of the body, anil by siez- 

 ing hold, with the mandibles, upon the sides of its 

 burrow. 



The hirvu^' of the IJuprestes are found under 

 the bark and in the solid wood of trees, and some- 

 times in great numbers. A transverse section of 

 one of their burrows is oval, as is also the hole 

 through wliicli the perfect insect makes its escape 

 from the tree. 



On the trunks and limbs of trees we find Bu- 

 prestcs in tliiMr perfect state. They walk slowly, 

 and, at the approach of danger, draw their feet 

 close, and fall from their situation. Their flight 

 is swifi, and attended with a whizzing noise. 



I am not acipiainteil with the larvio of Tra- 

 c:irB, a genus separated from Buprcstis, and dis- 

 tinguinhed by its short ililiited, or triangular body. 

 The habit of the perfect insect is the same as that 

 Qf the cylindrical Bupresle.s, (Teres,) both being 

 found upon the li'aves of trees. 



Two ."perics of TrtACMV.s are common here 



upon the leaves of the oak, in June and July. 



The large.'-t, T. Uasellatii, !•'. is twenty-two bun- 

 dretliM of an itieli in length, and has the elytra 

 covered with whiiish hairs except where they are 

 rro».icd by two transverse, broad, glabrous, black 

 banits. Till- other species is rather smaller, the 

 hi!ad and thorax cupreous, or brassy, the elytra 



black with a Ranguineous spot near the apex 



The name of this ^pecjcs I have not been able to 

 doti^rmine. 



A'ule. For the sake of exactness and' brevity 



the dimensions of insects will be expressed, dec- , tellar lobe of the thorax dceplv indented, disc 



imally, in hundredths of an inch. i soletely canaliculate before, and with a siii;ill 



Ge.nls BiPRESTi.. [dentation each side of the middle ; each ih 



with two basal indentations, a pale fulvous .-pi 



5 1. ScuUllum nojie ; thorax transversely lrun-\ lUc middle near the suture, another behind 



cated behind ; body subeonieal ; head nulanl. 



B. *Otrani\. Body black, brassy, hairy ; each 

 elytron with eight, small, subcrpjal yellow spots 

 in a doidile seri'-.s, the two |)osterior spots some- 

 times coalescing into a single oblique one. 



Length .25, breadth .0« inch. 



In the perfect state found only on the blossoms 

 of (jERA.MiM hiaeulalvm, in the stalks or i-oots of 

 which I suppose the larvie to rc^iide. 



§ II. Sculelluni dUtiJict but viinute and subor- 

 bicular ; body oblong-ovalc, depressed ; elytra not 

 produced at tips. 



B. rirg-iiiifniM. (Herbsl.) Body black, brassy, 

 or cupreous, beneath pimctured hairy, above ru- 

 gose ; head sulcated ; thorax with three elevated 

 lines and two tubercles, on each side, glabrous 

 black ; elytra with the suture, a submarginal and 

 subsutural elevated line, and four intermediate ab- 

 breviated lines black, glabrous ; external edge 

 near the ape.x serrate. 



middle near the margin, and a third near the a 

 in a line with the first ; tip rounded ; postpc 

 in the middle canaliculate. 



Length .29 to .-JO, breadth .12 to .17 inch 



I captured the perfect in&ect on the iron 

 the PiNLs strobus, white pine, in which the 1 

 had resided, .'specimens were prcscnteil lU' 

 Mr Leonard, of Dubhn, \. H. 



§ \ I. ScuteUum moderate, triangular ; i/u 

 bisinuate behind for the reception of thi mi 

 of the elytral bases ; coUnplra broader than 

 rar ; shoulders obtusely rounded ; anterior f 

 ra dentnta. 



B. femorata. (F.) Above brassy or pree 

 black, confluently or regularly puiictureil ; 

 plane, with two metallic, impunctured, raised g 

 between the eyes ; thorax canaliculate, and • 

 an obsolete impression each side ; elytra w ith 

 eral, impressed, metallic or greeni.-^h, conflue 



Length from .81 to .87 inch ; breadth from .29 1"""^ "_"■♦-■'' spaces between which are son 



to .31 inch. 



This is probably our largest species. The larva 

 iidiabits the trunks of the Pi.m's rigida or pitch 

 pine, and perhaps other trees. The perfect insect 

 may be found on the trunks of these trees in May 

 and June. It varies in being either cupreous, 

 brassy, or black with hardly any metallic reflec- 

 tions. 



^ III. ScuteUum very small, subtranscerse ; body 

 long subovate-triangular ; elytra produced at tips. 



B. divaricuta. (Say.) Cupreous, confluently 

 punctured, thorax canaliculate, indented before I 

 the scutel ; elytra striated, and with elevated 

 blackish, abbreviated liiie.«, tips attenuated, diver 



ed, sub-glabrous, blackish lines ; tips rouniled 

 ternal edge very minutely serrated : Bern 

 brassy, sometimes tinged with cupreous, di.-iin 

 punctured, not canaliculate except on the niii 

 of the postpectus. Two confluent inipre: 

 spoiB on the middle, and two larger behind 

 middle of the elylron are more apparent tb.iu 

 others. 



Length .43 to .54, breadth .15 to 19 inch. 



I have repeatedly taken this in.sect upon 

 under the bark of the peach tree ; it is most ab 

 dant on fallen trunks of the Qiercis alba, or w 

 joak, iii June and July. ' 



B. charactcristicn .' (-MeUheimer ) .\bove cu| 



„ent, truncate: pectus, postpectu.s, and first von- P"'^ '''"'^'* ""■ pi'rp''-'' ^rown, contluentlv punc 

 tral segment canaliculate. Intermeilinte tibitc of ^'' ' ''"'"'^ divide.l by a transverse line between 

 the nnilc toothed beneath the middle. ^>^s, the superior portion apparciuly ovcrl:ip| 



Length from .69 to .88, breadth from .24 to. 30 I''"' inferior; metallic niised spots very snial 

 inch. 



The larva' is exceedingly injurious to the Pnu- 

 .Nus virginiensis, or wild cherry tree, and some- 

 times attacks the peach tree. The perfect insect 



>!' 



obsolete; thorax and elytra with several la: 

 impressed, densely punctured spaces, beiw 

 which are elevated, glahrous, abbreviate<l lir 

 tip roimded, distinctly serrated : Beneath ilistii 



may be found on the limbs of these trees in June,! 'i'.P""*"'"'''-'''' r"P'«"'"s or l"-»ss.v. obsoletely c 

 Julv and August. I al'dlale- It i* nither more depressed than 



B. obscura :> (F.) Obscure brai».sy above, shining /""o™'"- 

 cupreous beneath ; confluently punctured ; thorax Length .50 to .56, breadth .18 to 22 inch 

 obsoletely canaliculate, indented before the scutel;) Inhabits the white oak, upon which the peril 

 elytra obsoletely striated, and with elevated, black- j '"sect is taken in Jime and July, 

 isli, abbreviated lines ; tips bidentate ; not so nnich | Allied to the two last, and bidonging to 

 elongated as in the </it'arica/(j ; pectus, postpectus, ! same division, is a splendid little grt'cn spec 

 and fn-st ventral segment canaliculate. In some -31 to .33 inch long, and .14 to .15 inch bro 

 lights the elytra appear to be tessclUited with black | ^^■'''<^'' ''"S been described, by Prof, llentz. by I 

 and cinerieous, wliich arises from the interstitial | '"""" of B. //<Trn»i!. The head, thighs, ami m 

 lines being iiucrrupted into blackish, glabrou,*, i !5''ns of the pectus ami thorax in the nude are o 

 elongjited tubercles by intermediate patches of i l""illiant cupreous color. The larva inhabits 1 

 cordluent punctures. 'small limbs of the white pine. Pinis .«/ro()ti.», 



Length from .57 to .60, breadth from .20 to .24 

 inch. 



It is found in the suimner months on the trimks 

 and liiidis of the Cakva jiorcina, or pig nut tree, 

 in whii'li the larva also resides. 



§ V. Scull Hum minute, transverse; thorax 

 bisinuate behind; baies of thorax and elytra sub- 

 equal; shouldirs prominent. 



which I have captured the sexes about the midi 

 of June. 



Several small Bi rRF.STKs, of an elongated a 

 cylindrical lorm, with the scutellum divided by 

 transverse line into two portions, ore found up 

 the leaves of trees. Not having ascertained t 

 habits of the larva^ no descriptions of the spoci 

 are olfi-rcd. The largest native one, of this < 



B. */u/ca-g'u«u(</. ll.iily nearly oval, depressed, jvi.sion, in my collection, is the granuhtn of Pr> 

 black brassy and confluently punctured above, Say ; next to which in succe.-sion are B. iir-iaf 

 shining brassy, minutely i>unctured beneath ; scu- 1 Ptj/fco//w, innuba, F., &c. .Sec. These insOtT*" 



