BEETLES 197 



lustre ; legs reddish brown, except the femora, which are black. The only 

 species of this genus in England. Found in dead leaf heaps. 



Chlcenius vestitus (Fig. 16). Head, thorax, and elytra coppery green, 

 the rest brown. Type of a genus found under moss and stones near water. 



Licinus silphoides (Fig. 23). A flattish, dull-black beetle, deeply pitted. 



Steropus madidus (Fig. 24). A dull black ; elytra with three deep punc- 

 tures. Fairly common under stones. 



Bembidium quadriguttatum (Fig. 38). The beetles of this genus are very 

 small, and have bright, vari-coloured elytra. They are common in damp 

 meadows, sand, and under reeds. B. quadriguttatum is a shiny black, with 

 two pale yellow spots on the wing-cases, and also two similar coloured patches 

 near the bases. 



B. lampros (Fig. 39). Elytra black-bronze ; legs red. 



B. littorale (Fig. 40). Greenish coppery colour, with two reddish coppery 

 patches on each elytron ; legs reddish. 



B. pallipenna (Fig. 41). Head and thorax have a dark greenish lustre ; 

 elytra yellowish, with a darker wavy patch crossing the apex. 



Family : Dytiscida. 



These are all Carnivorous Water-beetles, having taken to living in water, 

 where they hunt their prey. Their hind-legs are adapted for swimming. 

 They breathe by rising to the surface and getting a supply of air, which they 

 store between the elytra and the abdomen. Both they and their larvae are 

 very fierce and voracious. The antennae have eleven joints, and are entirely 

 bare. 



Agabus bipustulatus (Fig. 48). The genus Agabus is represented by nine- 

 teen British species, very much alike and hard to distinguish ; but the photo- 

 graphs show that they are boat-shaped insects, without " waists," and with 

 wedge-shaped wings under rounded elytra. They are found in running water, 

 though they spend the winter in moss or at the roots of trees gregariously. 

 This species (,4. bipustulatus) is about f inch long ; black, with a distinct 

 coppery sheen ; legs brownish. Very common in ponds. 



A. chalconotus (Fig. 49). Slightly smaller; black, with a slight metallic 

 sheen ; legs and antennae reddish. 



A. maculatus (Fig. 50). About the same size, but the back is black, with 

 patches and streaks of coppery brown. 



A. nebulosus. A dusky yellow beetle, about | inch. Common in stagnant 

 water. 



Ilybius fuliginosus (Fig. 47). Length, about f inch ; dark bronze, with 

 a yellowish edge to the elytra ; under side yellowish red ; antennae red. 

 Common in running water. 



I. ater. Is a larger species, about \ inch ; black, with red antennae and 

 dark-brown legs. Common in ponds. 



