Criocerid.e.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-AsPIDIMOUrHA. 



235 



Family— LEPTURID^. 



The family Lepturid^ have generally round eyes, 

 and are often attenuated in the elytra, and also in the 

 beak or front of the head. It is a very large family. 

 Many of the LepturcB (true), Stranrjalim, and Gram- 

 7nopter(e are essentially insects of the temperate or 

 colder parta of the world. Mr. Waterhouse places 

 Molorchus (Coleoptera, Plate 3, fig. 2), with its abbre- 

 viated antennae, among them. Here also comes the 

 genus Bliar/ium, of which we have three species, 

 marked like the bark of some trees, and mottled and 

 barred irregularly (see Rhagium mordax — Coleoptera, 

 Plate 3, fig. 1). I may specif}' the curious genus 

 Netnotragus, long and parallel, and those interesting 

 Australian genera, Stenoderus and its allies. The curious 

 Mastododera, from Madagascar, is a note-worthy genus, 

 allied to our Toxotus. 



There are fifty-five recorded British Longioorns ; but 

 many more are occasionally met with, imported by 

 fillips. 



Group— PHYTOPHAGA {Plant-eating Beetles). 



These Beetles, as the name implies, are all livers on 

 plants, and eaters of their leaves and other parts. 

 Some of them, especially in the family Galcrucidce are 

 at times very destructive to our crops. Few of them 

 are very large. The Sagrida, thick-legged clumsy 

 beetles, coming out of a hardish cocoon, are among the 

 largest. 



In the phytophngous beetles the head is generally 

 immersed in the thorax up to the eyes ; the parts of 

 the mouth, except in a few, are not prominent. The 

 Donacia, frequenting water plants ; the strange, often 

 strong jawed, large-headed Clythridce ; those lovely 

 ruby and emerald gems, the brilliant species of Zcmj- 

 jirosoma — South American insects. Here come the 

 strange species of Chlamys, some like pieces of clay 

 knobbed; others like a glowing ember; the species 

 are chiefly South American, but a few are met with in 

 the Old World. 



If the reader wishes to study the HtsjndcE — a well- 

 marked and very numerous fine family — he must pro- 

 cure Mr. Baly's work on it. 



The great work of Bohoman of Stockholm on the 

 Cassidid^ is indispensable, as well as his very useful 

 catalogue with new species, published by the trustees 

 of the British Museum. 



The Haltica;, are a very extensive family of insects 

 with thickened sallatorial hind legs ; our readers may 

 study the descriptive catalogue of tlie Rev. Hamlet 

 Clark. The numerous papers of Stahl and of Baly on 

 Doryphora and other chrysomelidous groups must be 

 consulted. 



Family-CRIOCERIDJE. 



Here come Sugra, Donacia, Megalopus, and its 

 allies, a fine group, chiefly from the New World. 

 Tlie strange and rare Carpophagus and Megamcrus, 

 Australian genera very like Bruchidce, are placed here; 



and here indeed the Bruchida;, perhaps, should be 

 naturally registered. 



The Crioceris merdigera is a species found on the 

 waler-lil}'. 



In Asparagus beds is frequently found that pn.'tty 

 striped member of the family, Lema asparagi. 



Professor Babington of Cambridge found many spe- 

 cimens of the Macroplea Zoslefi-ce amidst a dense mass 

 of leaves and stalks of the pectinated leaved pond-weed, 

 Potamogelon pectimUtis, They were always under the 

 water. 



Family— CASSIDID^ {The Tortoise Btetles). 



A very extensive family of Beetles, with highly- 

 developed elytra — (see figure of the curiously per- 

 forated Selenis spinifex, Coleoptera, Plate 3, fig. 14). 

 It is a native of South America. See also figs. 12 and 

 13 of the same plate, where is figured a Tortoise beetle, 

 named kindly after (he writer by Professor Boheman of 

 Stockholm Prioptera Whitei. Fig. 12 represents tho 

 perfect insect and its antennae, while fig. 13 is, as I 

 believe, that of its larva just changing into the pupa, 

 drawn from a specimen sent home by Mr. Fortune. 

 In this country we occasionally find, on thistles, green 

 species of Cassida very common. 



Many of the exotic species — such as the species of 

 the genera Aspidimorplia and Coptocyda, which in 

 cabinets are dull j'ellow, with cruciform brown marks, 

 or dotted and circled or half-circled with black — when 

 alive have the most glorious vivid golden hues pervad- 

 ing them. 



Fig. 136. 



4^u/ 



Larva of CasBid.a rubiginosa. 



Mr. Smith kept a specimen of tlie Aspidimorpha 

 sanctos cmds alive for several weeks, tho common 

 Indian species from Bombay, and most gloriously deco- 



