SERKICOHNU. 135 



their own mates ; the larvae also are carnivorous, feeding on earth-worms, 

 larvae, &c., and occasionally on their own species : the perfect insects 

 are well known to ordinary observers, and go by the common name of 

 Soldiers and Sailors. 



The larva of F. futcv* is described and figured by West wood (Classification, 

 i. p. 256, f. 27, 16) ; it is long and fleshy, depressed, and of a velvety-black colour, 

 with an exposed scaly fiat head, furnished with strong toothed jaws, two short 

 antenna?, and a single ocellus behind each of the antennae ; the segments are ronnded 

 at the sides, the thoracic segments being the largest ; the anal segment is fur- 

 nished on the under-side with. a fleshy tubercle, which serves as a proleg ; the legs are 

 moderately long, and terminate in a single claw ; the larva passes the winter in the 

 full-grown state, and changes to a pupa in April or May, without forming any 

 cocoon, the perfect insect emerging in two or three weeks ; the larva lives in moist 

 earth, at the roots of plants and grass, and may often be found creeping on footpaths ; 

 the pupa calls for no particular remark. 



Fifteen species belonging to the genus Telephorus proper are found in 

 Britain ; they are very easy to distinguish when once they are known, 

 but they closely resemble one another in structure, and in some species 

 the colour is rather variable, so that it is almost impossible to tabulate 

 them satisfactorily ; the following table may, however, be found of some 

 service, although it must be admitted that the character of the impressed 

 lines on the central joints of the antennae in the males of several of the 

 species is not a very obvious one unless care is used in the examination 

 of specimens. 



I. Thorax more or less distinctly and rather coarsely 



punctured, at all events in female, 

 i. Thorax red with a central dark spot touching 



anterior margin ; femora black T. FU8CTJS, L. 



ii. Thorax red with a central dark spot not touching 



anterior margin ; femora mostly red T. BCSTICUS, Fall. 



II. Thorax not, or very finely and obsoletely, punc- 

 tured. 



i. Length 10-12 mm. ; thorax unicolorous reddish- 

 testaceous ; elytra testaceous or black T. LIVIDUS, L. 



(v. dispar, F.) 



ii. Length 6-10 mm. 

 1. Elytra always black. 



A. Legs mostly red; elytra with close greyish 



pubescence. 



a. Third joint of antenna? in mule much 

 longvr than second ; thorax of a clear red 



colour T. PEIXUCIDU8, F. 



b. Third joint of antennae in male not much 

 longer than second ; thorax reddish- 

 testaceous, with a more or leas distinct 



black spot or patch, which is often absent . T. MOHICANS, Mull. 



(v. discoideus, Steph.) 



B. Legs black ; elytra with less close pubes- 

 cence ; thorax black with margins broadly 



yellow T. OBSCUBCS, L. 



2. Elytra testaceous or brownish-testaceous (very 

 rarely black in one or two varieties). 



