BUPRESTIS NITIDULA. 



Order Coleoptera. Fam. Buprestidse. Sternoxi LaL 



Type of the Genus, Buprestis nitidula Linn. 



BupRESTis Linn., Fab., Curt. — Anthaxia Esch., Solier. 



Antennce inserted on each side of the clypeus, at the base of the 



mandibles, short, serrated in both sexes ; 11 -jointed, basal joint 



the longest, clavate, 2nd oval, 3rd longer obovate-truncate, 



remainder obtrigonate, jDroduced internally, compressed, apical 



joint minute, ovate-conic (6). 



Labrum small, nearly concealed, transverse, narrow^ed before, 



slightly emarginate and ciliated (1). 



Mandibles exserted, gaping, small, very much curved, bifid at 



the apex (2) with a protuberance on the inside (2 a) . 



»Maxill(e small, terminated by an oval hairy lobe, notched at the 

 apex. Palpi moderate, 4-jointed, basal joint minute, 2nd 



elongate -clavate, 3rd shorter and stouter, 4th as long as the 



2nd ; stout, sUghtly securiform at the apex (3). 



Mentum large, transverse elliptic. Palpi small, not remote, 



nearly concealed, triarticulate ? (4). 

 Head shoi-t, face orbicular and flat ; clypeus emarginate : eyes long, 

 lateral, elliptic. Thorax short, transverse, sides j)arallel, anterior 

 margin bisinuated, the angles slightly produced, base nearly straight : 

 sternum with a short spine resting between the coxcb : scutel small 

 and subtriangular . Elytra a little broader than the thorax, linear, 

 depressed, the apex subtrigonate, and rounded. Wings ample. 

 Legs short : thighs moderate : tibiae slender, slightly clavate, with 

 minute spurs at the apex : tarsi longish, 5-jointed, basal joint the 

 longest, clavate, 2nd and 3rd broad obcordate, 4th dilated and bi- 

 lobed, 5th long and clavate : claws simple (5, afore leg). 



Nitidula Linn. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 304. 1. 



Elliptic, metallic-green : head and thorax yellow-green, thickly, 

 minutely and irregularly punctured, the latter with a slight 

 channel down the back, a foveolet on each side and a large de- 

 pression at the posterior angles : elytra slightly rugose with 

 minute punctures, having numerous obscure punctured striae ; 

 antennae, mandibles and tarsi piceous, the former green at the 

 base, the latter more or less greenish. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Dale and the Author. 



This superb family has been formed into many genera by 

 Eschscholtz, Serville and Solier, agreeably to the geographical 

 distribution of the various groups discovered in Asia, New 

 Holland, Madagascar, the Cape of Good Hope, &c. : the 

 European species have also been investigated, and are now 

 separated into several genera, besides Agrilus and Trachys, 

 which are illustrated in this work. The larva3 live in wood, 

 and are very destructive : the Buprestidae resemble the Ce- 

 rambycida? in their economy, and, like them, they are fre- 

 quently conveyed in timber in an imperfect state from their 



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