644 COLEOPTERA 



transversal, visible, or concealed by the epistome. Mandibles moderate, 

 a little prominent, sometimes terminating in an acute point or fissile, 

 sometimes with three or four stout teeth. Maxilla corneous at the 

 base, exhibiting two ciliated lobes ; the inner the shorter and more 

 slender, the external more variable, almost bi-articulate ; palpi four- 

 jointed, their basal joint very short, second and third of variable form, 

 the fourth much developed, securiform, rarely oblong and truncated. 

 Under-lip formed of a triangular or trapezoidal mentum, with a moderate 

 tongue, oval or obtuse in front, seldom hollowed, with tri-articulate 

 palpi, the terminal joint oval and truncated at the apex. Eyes lateral, 

 moderate, oval or rounded, entire or emarginate. Antenna inserted 

 close to the front and inner margins of the eyes, their base uncovered 

 or concealed ; composed of eleven joints, sometimes of eight, nine, or 

 ten, terminated by a variable club ; they are ordinarily short and retrac- 

 tile. Pronotum transversal, generally narrower than the elytra, strongly 

 convex, narrowed anteriorly, its anterior margin nearly always strongly 

 hollowed. Scutellum triangular, moderate, or very small. Elytra semi- 

 globose, oval or oblong-oval, convex ; irregularly punctate or smooth, 

 very seldom punctured in lines ; their epipleurse always apparent. Wings 

 very much developed, very rarely absent. Prosternum always visible on 

 the median line, and separating the anterior coxae ; mesosternum usually 

 wider ; its epimera irregularly triangular ; metasternum notably longer, 

 its episterna and epimera distinct ; presenting at its front external angles 

 a depression which is often limited by a carina. Abdomen composed of 

 five, sometimes of six or seven, ventral segments, the basal generally 

 most developed, hollowed at each side, with a more or less profound 

 depression defined by a fine ridge. Legs short, rarely somewhat elon- 

 gated, often retractile and invisible from above, their knees protruding a 

 little beyond the margins of the body, the three pairs usually equi- 

 distant; femora always unarmed and almost compressed ; tibia variable; 

 tarsi sub-tetramerous, terminated by appendiculate, often bifid, very 

 rarely simple claws. 



Coccinella. 



Linn'e ; Lacord. Hist, des Ins. Coleop., Tom. xii.,/. 178. 



Head immersed in the prothorax beyond the hind margin of the 

 eyes ; labrum large, transversal, very slightly hollowed at the edge. 

 Eyes wide, oval, often emarginated inwardly. Antenna moderate, not 

 reaching beyond the middle of the pronotum, with short compact club, 

 formed of transversal joints, obtuse at the end. Pronotum transversal, 

 narrower than the elytra, the front hollowed or sinuated behind the eyes, 

 the sides margined, and converging anteriorly ; hind margin arched, 

 indistinctly sinuated in front of the shoulders, disc rather convex; 

 anterior angles more or less projecting, blunt ; posterior angles nearly 

 straight. Scutellum moderate, of the form of an equilateral triangle. 

 Elytra short, oval, rather convex, rounded at the shoulders, margined 

 on the edges, and irregularly punctured ; epipleura moderate, almost 

 concave, the internal edge less raised than the external. Prosternum 

 moderate, feebly convex between the coxae ; anterior edge of mesosternum 



