ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET. 



MELASIS BUPRESTOIDES. Curtis. Stephens. 



Elater Buprestoides. .Unite. 



Melasis Flabellicornis. Fair. 



Obscure black, varying to castaneous, glossy in 

 proportion to the darkness of colour and the ma- 

 turity of the insect, more especially in the elytra : 

 antenna;, palpi and legs rufous : head pubescent and 

 punctured : thorax gradually narrowing towards the 

 elytra, with minute scaly tubercles and a deep im- 

 pressed line down the middle, and in some speci- 

 mens with only a simple puncture at the junction 

 with the scutellum : elytra shining, with a play of 

 colour from the irregular transverse impressions on 

 the superfices, caused by the deep impressed stria? 

 that appear to vary in number ; the margin partially 

 inclining to the breast and gradually narrowing 

 towards the apex. 



Length of the body 2§ to 4 lines 



Inhabits ? 



Of the habitat of this insect we are ignorant: In its 

 perfect and liberated state, it may possibly feed on 

 the nectar of flowers : hitherto it has only been 

 detected in the wood of decayed trees, and that at a 

 depth and in channels that would infer it was merely 

 retreating from the place of its nativity to the open 

 day. We have before observed the deficiency of 

 colour in wood-feeding insects, more especially as 

 19-2 



