74 COLEOPTERA. 



one of the most beautiful of the family. It is of a brilliant blue 

 or green, with coppery reflections. 



Many species are, however, of less brilliant colours. Adoxus 

 Fitis, Fabr., is black, with the elytra, tibiae, and base of the an- 

 tennae reddish ; it is about a quarter of an inch in length, and is 

 frequently very injurious to the vine in many parts of Europe in 

 early spring. 



Pachnephorus Cylindncus, Luc., is a handsome Algerian species, 

 with bronzed head and thorax, and blue elytra; it is found in 

 damp places under stones. 



FAMILY IV. ClwysomeUdw. 



Head completely separated from the thorax; antennae with 

 the terminal joints hardly longer than the others ; thorax trans- 

 verse ; elytra convex, oval, entirely covering the body. 



The Chrysomelidce, or Golden Apple Beetles, have received 

 their name from the brilliant metallic colouring of some of the 

 species, which rivals that of the Eumolpldce y whereas other species 

 are of very dull colours. 



One of the most beautiful species of the typical genus Chryso- 

 mela, Linn., is C. Cerealis, Linn. It is of a brilliant golden 

 green, with a purplish lustre, and there are three bands on the 

 thorax, and three on each of the elytra, besides the suture, of a 

 deep blue, bordered with green. It is about one-third of an inch 

 in length. It is not common in Britain, but is met with some- 

 times on the mountains near Llanberis. It is much commoner on 

 the Continent, where it is found under stones in spring, and, later 

 in the year, on grass and herbs. Most of the other species of the 

 genus are also found among grass. They differ considerably in 

 colour ; C. Banksii, Fabr., is of a bronzy green ; C. Limbata, 

 Fabr., is black, with a red border ; C. Rufa, Duft., a rare Alpine 

 species, is of a pale brownish red ; C. Goettingensis, Linn., is of a 

 dark violet ; C. Schach, Fabr., is blue-black, etc. 



A great number of genera, comprising a variety of moderate- 

 sized, and often very pretty species, are peculiar to tropical 

 America. One of the largest is Doryphora, 111., as an example of 

 which we have figured D. Punctatissima, Oliv., which is found in 

 Cayenne. It is black, with pale yellow elytra, covered with small 

 black spots, and is nearly an inch long. 



The famous Colorado Potato Beetle was originally described 



