300 PHYTOPHAOA. [XYwarcAei. 



to Europe and Northern Africa ; a few, however, have been described 

 from Northern Asia and North America ; they are, as a rule, large and 

 conspicuous insects, of a dull black or dark metallic bronze colour ; they 

 are characterized by having the inentum large and emarginate, the 

 anterior coxal cavities closed behind, the metastermim very short, and 

 the femora projecting considerably beyond the margin of the elytra; the 

 thorax is truncate at base and margined, and the elytra are subglobose 

 and convex ; the legs are rather long and the tarsi are broad and have 

 the first three joints strongly dilated in the males, which are smaller 

 than the females. T. tenebricosa, F. (Icevigata, Duft.), is the largest of 

 our indigenous Phytophaga ; it is very slow in its movements, and has 

 the power of ejecting a brilliant red fluid from its mouth when alarmed, 

 from which peculiarity it has acquired the name of the " Bloody-nosed 

 beetle " ; its larva is described and figured by Westwood (Classification, 

 vol. i., p. 387-8, fig. 48, 2) ; it is thick, fleshy, and wrinkled, of a green- 

 ish-black colour, with the extremity of the body and under-side dark 

 brown or blood-coloured ; the body is narrowed in front and behind, and 

 four or five of the terminal segments of the abdomen are furnished 

 beneath with small raised tubercles serving as prolegs, and there is also 

 one at the anal extremity ; the head has six ocelli on each side, and the 

 legs are of moderate size ; when alarmed the larva rolls itself up, some- 

 what after the manner of a woodlouse. 



The larvae of Timarcha appear closely to resemble those of Chrysomela, and to 

 differ chiefly iii having eight pairs of stigmata instead of nine, as is the case in the 

 latter genus. 



Of the sixty-four European species only two are found in Britain ; 

 these may be distinguished as follows : 



I. Thorax dilated in middle and strongly contracted 



behind ; elytra finely punctured ; size larger . . . T. TKNKBRICOSA, F. 



(IcBvigala, Duft.) 



II. Thorax not dilated in middle with sides slightly 

 rounded and scarcely contracted at base ; elytra 



coarsely punctured ; size smaller T. VIOLACEONIOBA, De G. 



(coriaria, Laich.) 



T. tenebricosa, F. (Icevigata, Duffc.). A large and conspicuous 

 species, broad oval, very convex, upper side dull black, usually with a 

 very slight greenish or bluish reflection, underside obscurely bluish or 

 violet ; head, especially the clypeus, rather strongly punctured, antennae 

 rather short and stout, with the first six joints metallic and strongly 

 punctured ; thorax double as broad as long, dilated in middle, and 

 strongly contracted behind, rather finely punctured ; elytra shallowly 

 and finely punctured, with the punctures, especially in female, often 

 united by engraved lines ; legs rather stout with the tarsi dilated. L. 

 11-18 mm. 



Male smaller and more shining than the female with the tarsi more 



