COLEOPTERA. 375 



which are always entire or unemarginate. These insects form a single genus, 

 that of 



MYCTERUS. 



In Mycterus, properly so called, the body is ovoid, solid, covered by a silky 

 down, and the thorax trapeziforra. The abdomen is square, long, rounded 

 posteriorly ; the antenna are composed of joints, mostly obconical, the com- 

 plete number of which seems to be twelve, the eleventh or last being abruptly 

 narrowed and acuminated, and the maxillary palpi are terminated by a larger 

 joint in the form of a reversed triangle. 



The subgenera are Stenostoma and Rhinosimus. 



FAMILY IV. 



TRACHELIDES. 



IN our second general division and fourth family of heteromerous Coleop- 

 tera, the head is triangular or cordiform, and borne on a sort of neck or 

 pedicle, abruptly formed, beyond which, being as wide at this point as the 

 thorax, or wider, it cannot enter the cavity of the latter. The body is most 

 commonly soft, the elytra are flexible, without striae, sometimes very short, 

 and a little inclined in others. The maxillae are never unguiculated., The 

 joints of the tarsi are frequently entire, and the hooks of the last bifid. 



Most of the perfect insects live on different plants, devour their leaves, or 

 suck the nectar of their flowers. Many, when seized, curve their head and 

 fold up their feet as if they were dead ; the others are very active. 



We will divide this family into six tribes, forming as many genera. 



In the first, or that of the LAGRIARL^E, the body is elongated and narrower 

 before ; the thorax either almost cylindrical or square, or ovoid and truncated ; 

 the antennae, inserted near an emargination of the eyes, are simple, filiform, 

 or insensibly enlarged towards the end, most frequently and at least, partially 

 granose, the last joint being longer than the preceding ones in the males; the 

 palpi are thicker at the extremity. 



The species indigenous to France are found in woods, on various plants ; 

 their body is soft, their elytra are flexible, and like the Meloes, the Cantharides, 

 when taken, counterfeit death. 



This tribe is formed of the genus 



LAGRIA, Fabricius. 



Those species, in which the antennas gradually enlarge, and are either 

 wholly or partly almost granose, with the last joint ovoid or oval ; in which 

 the head projects but little before, and is prolonged and insensibly rounded 

 behind ; and where the thorax is almost cylindrical or square, compose the 

 genus LAGRIA, properly so called. 



