MONOGRAPHIA ^GERIARUM ANGLIC. 69 



Larva — subpubescens, pallida capite obscuriore, subdepressa, antice 

 incrassata, postice attenuata : pedibus sedecim, sex thoracicis, 

 corneis, glabris, acuminatis, validis: octo abdominalibus verruci- 

 formibus ; duobus posticis porrectis inutilibus : habitu Prioni vel 

 Cerambycis larvae non dissimilis : admodum pigra, et ob exili- 

 tatem pedum intermedloriim fere meatu expers : victus e cor- 

 tice, medulla lignoque arborum et fruticum, in quibus vias sibi 

 exeavat : domicilium suum non nisi metamorphosin aditura re- 

 linquit : metamorphosin aut in terra ad radices arborem et fruti- 

 cum, in quibus vitam degerat, aut in ipsa vetere habitatione 

 subit in folliculo serico cylindrico, terra vel scrobe aucto in quo 

 per aliquot hebdomadis baud mutata quiescit. 



Pupa — elongata, cylindrica, scabra ; abdominis utrumque seg- 

 mentum duabus ordinibus dentium minutorum, peracutorum 

 dorso armatum; in motibus vivida. 



Imago — palpis triarticulatis basi incrassatis, apice acuminatis ; an- 

 tliam corneam, involutam, filiformem, bifidam includentibus : anten- 

 nis subcylindricis, ante apicem incrassatis, apice ipso acuminatis, 

 fasciculoque setarum aliquot rigidarum praeditis : ocellis duabus 

 hemisphericis, pellucidis, minutissimis, ad superiorem oculorum 

 marginem : abdomine elongato cylindrico, apice saepius barba tri- 

 loba instructo : "{Dedibus longioribus, spinis armatis : alis anticis 

 angustioribus, posticis brevioribus, omnibus plerumqvie hyalinis : 

 vivacissima ; miranda velocitate radiis solaribus volat, sedendo 

 tamen florum nectar haurit, sub perpetua alarum abdominis pe- 

 dumque motione : coitus diurnus in floribus saepe diu durans.*^ 



These characters are, I conceive, sufficiently clear ; yet it 

 may be as well to point out the real differences between this 

 groujD and those to which they appear to approach. The 

 family /Egeriidce bears a very close resemblance to the Hy- 

 menopterous subclass Tenthredo. It must be evident that 

 in tliis case there can be no real relationship ; a glance at the 

 primary characters '' of each will shew at once that they belong 

 to distinct and distant classes : yet if we take apparently ap- 

 })roaching genera or species from each group, and arrange them 

 side by side, the similarity is so striking and so continual, that 



'^ These characters, as well as those of species hereinafter given, are in part 

 taken from Laspeyre's Sesice Europece ; but in no instance without a comparison 

 of the characters there given witli nature ; and additions, omissions, or alter- 

 ations have been made wherever they appeared desirable. 



■^ Sphinx Vesj)iformis, p. 23. Character of imago. 



