XI. INSECTA. 83 



II.— INSECTS WITH AN IMPERFECT METAMOR- 

 PHOSIS, OR WITH NONE AT ALL. 



A. With sucking mouths ; rostrum composed of the jointed 



labium, enclosing bristles. 7. Rhynchota. 



B. With biting mouths, of which the parts are exposed; no 



organs of locomotion at the extremity of the abdomen. 8. 

 Orthoptera. 



C. With biting mouths, the parts of which are usually very 



delicate, and concealed within the cavity of the mouth ; no 

 wings ) no metamorphosis. 9. Thysanura. 



AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



OOLEOPTERA, or Beetles, are at once recognisable by 

 having the fore-wings modified into homy coverings, called elytra, 

 which are not used in flight. The mouth-parts are well developed 

 and the transformations or metamorphoses are complete ; they 

 are not, however, so complete as in the Lepidoptera (Butterflies 

 and Moths), the swaddling-cluth of the pupa not forming a simple 

 case, but separately covering body and limbs. The Australian 

 beetles alone have recently been estimated to number more than 

 30,000 species, of which about 7,300 are actually described, and 

 many more await description in collections. 



The Cicindelidce (Tiger-beetles) are represented by about 32 

 species, including two species of Megacephala, and nine of 

 Tetracha, genera which find their allies in Africa and South 

 America respectively. The true Carahidce are represented by 

 three species of Calosoma, and by the large ground beetles of the 

 genus Fa7nborus, and the other subdivisions by a large number of 

 species, of which those found under bark are especially numerous. 

 Chief among the essentially Australian groups are the Pseudo- 

 TnorphincE, a curious group of bark beetles, which, although 

 common in Australia, are not represented in New Zealand. The 

 largest known ground beetle, Hyperion Schrcetteri, Sc, belonging 

 to the Morio group, is not uncommon in certain localities. The 

 following characteristic genera, among many others, are also 

 found : — Zuphium, jEnigma, Helluo, Plieropsoplms^ Xanthophcea, 

 Homothes^ Sarothrocrepis, Philop)hloe,uSy Agonochila, ScopodeSy 

 Eutoma, Carenum, Scaraphites, Catadromus. The true water 



