1"^- mi 



658. 



CANTHARIS VESICATORIA. 



The Blister-beetle or Spanish-fly. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Cantharidse. 



Type of the Genus, Meloe vesicatorius Linn. 



Cantharis Geoff., DeGeer, Curt. — Meloe Linn. — Lytta Fab., Marsh. 



Antenna inserted before the eyes at the base of the clypeus, 

 considerably longer than the head and thorax especially in the 

 mEdes ? filiform, naked, 11 -jointed, 3 basal joints metallic, 1st 

 the longest and stoutest, pear-shaped, truncated obliquely, 2nd 

 small somewhat cup-shaped, the remainder thickly punctured, 

 elongate-ovate, the apical joint longer and ovate-conic (6). 

 Labrum exserted, transverse pocket-shaped, sides rounded and 

 bristly, anterior margin concave, coriaceous and bristly (1). 

 Mandibles strong, subtrigonate, blunt at the apex, a quadrate 

 notch on the inside at the middle, with an ovate fleshy lobe 

 covering it internally (2). 



Maxilla terminating in 2 large ciliated lobes. Palpi short stout 

 pubescent and 4-jointed, basal joint small, 2nd elongate-obovate, 

 3rd similar but shorter, 4th a little the longest and stoutest, 

 ovate-conic (3). 



Mentum transverse-ovate, the base straight. Lip rather large, 

 subquadrate, coriaceous, the margin very pubescent. Palpi in- 

 serted on each side near the middle of the lip, clavate, triarti- 

 culate, basal joint minute, 2nd the longest, clavate, bristly out- 

 side, 3rd the broadest obovate (4). 

 Head large subcordate : eyes small lateral, remote from the base. 

 Thorax not larger than the head, transverse, narrowed at the base : 

 scutel subtrigonate. Elytra veiy long, linear and convex, the costa 

 slightly margined. Wings ample, the tips folded. Legs rather 

 long and stout, hinder the longest : tibiae clavate, terminated by a 

 pair of spurs, short in the hinder, with one dilated (5 f) ,• tarsi 

 compressed, 5, 5 and 4-jointed, terminal joint as long as the basal, 

 except in the hinder : claws strong, hooked, bifid, being cleft to the 

 base; (5 afore, f a hind leg). 



Vesicatoria Linn. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 281. 1. 



Bright green, sometimes golden or copper coloured ; antennae, 

 excepting the 3 basal joints, dull black : head and thorax spa- 

 ringly punctured and slightly pubescent, the former with a 

 dorsal channel, the latter with several depressions : elytra finely 

 rugose, with 2 elevated lines on each : tarsi blackish. 



In the Author s and other Cabinets. 



