CIClNDELIDiE. CICINDELA. 5 



f apice articulatae : . . . . 1. LicindelidjE. 



emarginatas : \ ^ 



J haud apice ar- 



f ticulatffi : , , 



^ ^ S breves, crassae : 



^«'^««'^h"belongate,graciles: 



farticulo ultimo 



fhaudtruncata, f haudpedunculatum: | minuto: . 6. BembidiiDjK. 



-,., . . I vel apice sub- Palpi exterior es -{ articulo ultimo 



ii6tx annex | 5;^^^^^: | | penultimo 



emarginatffi: , AMomen\ (. Eeqiiale : . 5. Habpalid^. 



7. Elaphrid^. 

 4. Cauabid^. 



Elytra \ 



I (^pedunculatum . . .3. ScARixiBiE. 



l^truncata: . . • . . 2. Brachinida;. 



Family I.— CICINDELID^, Leach. 



AntenncB filiform, inserted before the eyes: lahrum horny, somewhat trian- 

 gular : mandibles armed internally with many teeth : maxillw strongly ciliated, 

 with a distinct, articiilated, homy claw at the tip : labium minute : labial palpi 

 with four joints : mentum deeply emarginated : legs long, slender. 



The CiciNDELiDiE, termed Sparklers, or Scale-beetles, frequent 

 arid and sandy places exposed to the sun ; they are the most active 

 and vigorous of coleopterous insects, run with great velocity, and fly 

 with celerity, but their flight is of short duration, rarely exceeding 

 ten or a dozen yards at a time. They have been truly styled the 

 tigers of the insect world, as in their larva and imago states their 

 rapacity and gluttony are pre-eminent, seizing and devouring every 

 insect they can overcome, sparing not even their own species. The 

 typical genus only has been observed in Britain. 



From the dissimilar structure of the larvse of this family to that 

 of the other geodephagous families, Mr. Kirby is of opinion that 

 the CicindeliDjE belong to a tribe distinct from the CARABiDiE — 

 the former he terms Eupterina, or flyers, the latter Eupodina, or 

 runners. 



Genus I. — Cicindela, Litme, S^-c. 



Internal maxillary palpi with the joints nearly equal in length: external with 

 the first joint short, the second elongated, the third and fourth equal: labial 

 palpi with the two basal joints very short, the third elongated, ciliated with 

 hairs, the fourth short, somewhat clavate, naked : mentum deeply notched, 

 with a strong spine-Uke tooth in the middle. Antcnnce inserted into the an- 

 terior margin of the eye : head broader than the thorax : forehead excavated : 

 eyes large, prominent: elytra ^aX: wings two: anterior tarsi with the three 

 basal joints dUated in the male. 



Six species only of this truly elegant genus have been detected 

 in tliis country ; but it is highly probable that other European 



