Order 5. COLEOPTERA. 503 



The aquatic, carnivorous, pentamerous Coleoptcra, form a tliird tribe, that of 



The Hydrocanthari, or Swimmers. 



Their feet are formed for swimming, the four posterior being compressed and ciliated, or in the form 

 of plates, and the two hind ones are far apart from the others. The mandibles are nearly covered [by 

 the upper lip], the body is always oval, with the eyes slightly prominent, and the thorax much broader 

 than long ; the hook wiiich terminates tlie maxillae is curved from the l)ase ; the ungues are often unequal. 



These insects compose the genera Dytiscus and Gyrinus of GeofFroy. They pass the first and the 

 last state of their existence in fresh water, such as lakes, pools, and ditches. They swim well, and 

 rise to the surface of the water from time to time to respire, ascending easily by holding tlieir feet 

 still and suffering themselves to float. The body being turned upside down, they slightly elevate the 

 tip of the body above the surface of the water, raising the extremity of the elytra or bending down the 

 abdomen, so that the air introduces itself into the spiracles, which they cover, and from thence into 

 the tracheae. They are very voracious, and feed upon small animals which, like themselves, ordinarily 

 reside in the water, which the Hydrocanthari only leave at the approach of or during the night. Whea 

 taken out of the water they emit a very disagreeable odour. They are sometimes attracted by the 

 light into the interior of houses. Their larvae have the body long and narrow, composed of twelve 

 segments, of which the first is largest, with the head strong, and armed witli two powerful mandibles, 

 which are curved into an arch and pierced near the tips ; they have also short antennae, palpi, and six 

 simple eyelets close together on each side of the head. They have six feet of moderate length, often 

 fringed with hairs, and terminated by two small hooks. They are active, carnivorous, and respire 

 either by the anus, or by a kind of swimmerets resembling gills. They quit the water in order to 

 undergo their metamorphosis into pupae. 



This tribe is composed of two principal genera. 



Dytiscus, Geoff.,* — 

 Which have thread-like antennae longer than the head, two eyes, the fore legs shorter than the fol- 

 lowing, and the posterior often terminated by a compressed tarsus finishing in a point. They swim 

 with great quickness by the assistance of their feet, fringed with long hairs, especially the posterior 

 pair. They dart forward upon other insects, aquatic worms, &c. In the majority of the males the 

 four anterior tarsi have the three basal joints dilated and spongy beneath ; those of the first pair are espe- 

 cially remarkable in the large species, in which these three joints form a broad plate, the under surface of 

 which is covered with small bodies, some of them hke warts and others like small suckers. Some females 

 are distinguished by their elytra being furrowed. The larvae have the body composed of eleven or twelve 

 segments covered by scaly plates ; they are long, swollen in the middle, and slenderer at each end, especially 

 when the terminal segments form an elongated cone fringed at the sides with floating hairs, with which 

 the animal beats the water and thus propels the body forwards, which is ordinarily terminated by two 

 conical bearded and moveable filaments, between which are two small cylindrical bodies pierced with 

 a gutter, at the extremity which are aerial channels, to whicli are attached two tracheae ; moreover, the 

 sides of the body are provided with spiracles : the head is large, oval, attached to the thorax by a neck 

 with strongly-armed mandibles, beneath the extremity of whicli De Geer observed a longituiliual slit, so 

 that these organs resemble ilie mandibles of the larvae of the Myruieleons, or Ant-lions, and serve them 

 for suckers : the mouth oflfers besides a pair of maxillae and a lip with palpi : each of the three first 

 segments supports a pair of moderately long legs, of which the tibia and tarsus are fringed witli hairs, 

 which are serviceable in swimming ; the first segment is the broadest or longest, and defended beneath, 

 as well as above, by a scaly plate. 



These larvae suspend themselves at the surface of the water by means of two appendages at the sides 

 of the tail, which they keep dry l)y raising them above the surface. Wlien tliey wish to change their 

 place suddenly, they give their body a quick and vermicular movement, beating the water witli the 

 tail. They especially feed upon the larvse of Dragon-flies, Gnats, Tipulte, Aselli, &c. When the period 

 of their transformation has arrived, they quit the water and bury themselves under the earth of the ad- 

 jacent banks, keeping, however, in very damp situations, where they form an oval cavity in which they 



• [I.atreille is incorrect in giving Geoffrey ns the author of the | contrary, corrected it to Dyticas, being derived from the Greet; 

 airne Dytiscus, it baviai; been proposed by LiuuKus, CeoSroj, on the j Uiutiltoi, uriualurius. j 



