228 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA 



Genus CCX. — Hoplia, Illlger 



Antenna ten-jointed; the basal joint very slender at the base and abruptly 

 clavate; the second short, globose; the third elongate, slightly obconie; the 

 two following of equal length, short, transverse; the sixth and seventh very 

 short, the remainder forming an ovate triphyllous club. Palpi, maxillary 

 with the terminal joint incrassate, conic-ovate : head small, rounded: clypeus 

 with the anterior margin slightly emarginate : thorax slightly produced in the 

 middle behind: elytra shorter than the abdomen: body ovate, depressed, 

 scaly: four anterior tarsi with very unequal claws, the largest bifid; pos- 

 terior with a single, stout, undivided claw. 



Hoplia is the only indigenous genus that has the antennse ten- 

 jointed, and the claws at the same time unequal and simple ; it 

 differs also from the two preceding, by having the body round, 

 with minute scales, as in Melolontha, and the elytra shorter than 

 the abdomen. 



Sp. 1. argentea. Fusco-nigra, subtus argenteo nitens, elytris castanets, pedibus 

 nigris, mas ; aut pedibus rufis, femina. (Long. corp. 4 — 4^ hn.) 



Mel. argentea. Olivier. — Sc. argentea. Marty n, pi. 2. f. 11. — Ho. argentea. 

 Steph. Catal. 117. No. 1197. 



SbVhtly squamose ; head, thorax, and scutellum obscure fuscous black, a little 

 pilose : elytra dull rufo-testaceous or castaneous : body beneath and legs 

 black, clothed with shining silvery or bluish scales. Female with the base of 

 the antennae, palpi, elytra, and legs rufous. 



Rather variable in size and in colour ; some examples being of a darker and others 

 of a lighter hue than the above : and the abdomen of the female is frequently 

 piceous. 



Not uncommon in some districts in the neighbourhood of London; 

 in July, 1813, I observed an amazing number flying in a field, on 

 Muswell-hill, about noon, and have occasionally taken the insect 

 in other places within the metropolitan district : it also occurs in 

 Somersetshire, and in Devonshire, Cornwall, and Suffolk. " Near 

 Swansea, plentiful in 181 L"— L. W. Dillwijn, Esq. " About Ely, 

 and in the Devil's-ditch, plentiful. 1 ' — Rev. L. Jenyns. " Epping." 

 — Mr. Douhleday. 



Family XXXI.— CETONIADiE, MacLeay. 



Antennae ten-jointed, glabrous : the basal joint large, stout, deflexed, tuberculi- 

 form; the capitulum triphyllous, ovate. Labrum membranaceous, concealed 



