

ffypera.] RHYXCHOPHORA. 229 



HYPERA, Germar (Pliytoncmus, Schonherr). 



This species is a very extensive one, containing upwards of two 

 hundred species which, are almost entirely confined to the Palearctic 

 region ; a few, however, have been described from North Africa, Madeira, 

 the Canaries, and South America (Chili, Cayenne, &c.); they are mode- 

 rate-sized or small insects, often prettily variegated and mottled, with 

 the elytra ovate or oblong ovate and the thorax, as a rule, much narrower 

 than the elytra, which have the shoulders well marked ; the rostrum is 

 rather stout and not carinate ; the posterior tibiae have no hook, or a 

 very obsolete one, at apex, and the tarsi have the last joint long with 

 the claws long and free ; the femora are simple and not longer than 

 the tibia3 ; the scutellum is small hut distinct, and the elytra are not 

 produced at apex and are furnished with regular punctured striae; nearly 

 a hundred species are found in Europe, of which sixteen are contained 

 in the British catalogue ; two or three, however, are extremely rare, and 

 are only represented by single specimens in our old collections ; they 

 have for the most part a strong family likeness ; one or two of them are 

 very common and occasionally are injurious to certain crops, but I have 

 never heard of their doing any material damage. 



The sexual differences are sometimes very marked, and consist chiefly 

 of variations in general shape, length of rostrum, point of insertion of the 

 antennae, <fcc. 



The species are, for the most part, very easy to distinguish if com- 

 pared side by side, but the differences are often hard to express in words; 

 several authors make considerable use of the characters drawn from the 

 relative length of the first two or three joints of the funiculus of the 

 antennas, but I have not, in some instances, found them satisfactory, and 

 have preferred, in several instances, to roughly divide them on the 

 clothing of the elytra, which, after all, is the character by which they 

 are, as a rule, superficially distinguished; the shape of the scales is also 

 very important. 



I. Rostrum broader, about twice as long as broad ; size 



larger H. PCXCTATA, F. 



II. Rostrum narrower, about three times as long as 

 broad ; size smaller. 



i. Clothing of elytra formed of coarser scales which 

 are rounded or truncate behiuil. 



1. Alternate interstices somewhat raised; elytra 

 variegated, with an immaculate lighter spot in 

 middle of margin and another at shoulder ; 

 scales overlapping one another and broadly con- 

 cave ; length 6 mm H. PASCICTJLATA, Herbsf. 



2. Alternate interstices not raised ; elytra vari- 

 able ; scales not overlapping but placed side by 



side and furrowed in middle. 

 A. Shoulders scarcely broader than base of 

 thorax ; elytra with greyish-yellow or reddish- 

 brown scales, without distinct spots or patches H. AKO'DIXIS, Pay*. 



