68 SERRICORNIA. [lluprestidcc. 



our old catalogues ; occasionally exotic species have bo^n found in Britain under 

 curious circumstances, which seem to show that they may exist for a great many 

 years in the larval stnte. 



The four British genera may be distinguished as follows: 



I. Tnrsi elongate. 



i. Thorax truncate at base; posterior coxre scarcely dis- 

 tant, with the plates distinctly dilated internally . . ANTII AXI A, Etch. 



ii. Thorax excised and sinuate at base ; posterior coxa> 

 widely distant, with the plutes scarcely dilated in- 

 ternally AGKILUS, Sol. 



I 1. Tarsi short ; posterior coxae widely distant. 



i. Antennae with the four last joints serrate; prosternum 



acuminate at apex ; body elongate APHANISTICUB, Latr. 



ii. Antenna; with the five last joints serrate; prosternutn 



rounded at apex ; body short and broad Tit AC n YS, /'. 



ANTHAXIA, Eschscholtz. 



This genus contains upwards of a hundred and fifty species, which are 

 very widely distributed, but are less characteristic of tropical climates 

 than the greater part of the genera belonging to the family; they range 

 from Siberia to the south of South America, and right across Europe, 

 Asia, and North America; more than fifty species are found in Europe; 

 they are small but very brilliantly coloured insects, and often occur 

 abundantly on flowers in Southern Europe; at the least alarm, however, 

 of a passing footstep or a shadow they take to flight, or gather in their 

 limbs and drop among the herbage, a habit which is common to a large 

 number of the Buprestidse, and to many other conspicuous and brightly 

 coloured insects, such as the Sagridoe and many of the Curculionidae. 



The larva of Anthaxia candens is described by Schiodte (Part iv. p. 373) ; it is 

 remarkable for the size of the prothorax, which is three times as broad as the 

 middle of the abdomen, and it is furnished with two large scansorial warty promi- 

 nences ou both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the metuthorax ; the whole surface 

 of the larva of the Anthnxiae, except the head nnd prothoracic scuta, is covered with 

 small transverse folds, and is sparingly pilose. 



A. nitidula, L. Oblong, subparallel, of a beautiful golden green 

 colour, shining, with the sculpture of the upper surface finely rugose, 

 which gives it a frosted appearance; head much narrower than thorax, 

 eyes large, antennoe of a dark metallic colour; thorax almost double as 

 broad as long, truncate at base, transversely rugose, with sides rounded 

 in front, posterior angles almost right angles; scutellum distinct, 

 roundish; elytra subparallel, but rather sharply narrowed before apex, 

 depressed, with thick and shallow rugose scxilpture; under-side shining; 

 legs rather long and slender, more or less metallic. L. 4-5 mm. 



On flowers of whitethorn und celandine in May nnd June; very rare; taken nenr 

 Brockeuhurst by Turner, Dr. Power, nnd others ; Dr. Power informed me shortly 

 before his death that the plant on which the beetle was chiefly taken was the 

 common celandine, Ranunculus fic-jria ; it has usually been supposed to have 



