^^ 



686. 

 TRACHYS MINUTA. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Buprestidae. 



Type of the Genus, Buprestis minuta Linn. 

 Frachys Fab., Gyl., Soli., Curt. — Buprestis Linn., Oliv. 



Antenna free, inserted in a small cavity on the inside of the eyes, 

 at the base of the clypeus, not remote, 11 -jointed, 2 basal joints 

 stout, 1st long but very much bent and curved at the base, 2nd 

 elongate-ovate, 4 follov^^ing slender, somewhat obovate, the 3rd 

 being a Uttle the longest, the remainder compressed and shghtly 

 produced internally, excepting the apical joint vv^hich is ovate (6) . 

 Labrum suborbicular, truncated at the base and sharply notched 

 in the middle, with 2 or three short bristles on the sides (1). 

 Mandibles rather large in proportion, subtrigonate-conic, the 

 outer angle elongated at the base (2). 



Maxillce terminated by a rounded lobe, with a minute one in- 

 side, both densely ciliated. Palpi clavate and 4-jointed, basal 

 joint subovate, 2nd rather long, pyriform-truncate, 3rd cup- 

 shaped, 4th the largest, barrel-shaped (3). 

 Mentum large and trigonate, the sides sinuated. Lip small. 

 Palpi minute, triarticulate, basal joint small, 2nd cup-shaped, 

 3rd ovate-truncate (4). 

 Body depressed. Head short and broad, face concave ; eyes not pro- 

 minent, lateral and oval. Thorax short, broad, narrowed before, 

 anterior margin bisinuated, the base very much sinuated, forming 

 acute angles and a lobe over the Scutel, which is exceedingly minute : 

 antepectus with a short rounded lobe, fitting into a cavity in the 

 medipectus. Elytra broader than the thorax, ovate-trig onate, the 

 shoulders prominent, sides slightly emarginate, apex rounded : wings 

 ample. Legs compressed, lying in cavities in repose, nearly of equal 

 length, slender : thighs not stout : tibiae as long as the thighs, slender : 

 tarsi short, all dilated, 5-jointed, 4 basal joints very short, membra- 

 nous and spongy beneath, 5th elongated, clavate : claws small, very 

 much hooked (5t). 



Minuta Linn. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 301. 2. 



Violaceous or bluish black ; face polished, aeneous, concave, 

 channelled in the middle ; thorax subcupreous, with scattered 

 shining ochreous hairs, the angles and a line along the base de- 

 pressed ; elytra with various depressions and large shallow punc- 

 tures forming indistinct striae ; a space at the base formed by 

 shining ochreous hairs, as well as a transverse line before the 

 middle, and 2 undulating ones towards the apex and looped at 

 the suture. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



The valuable Essay of Mons. Solier in the Annales de la Soc. 

 Ent. de France has greatly contributed towards the classifi- 



