ILLUSTRATIONS 



OF 



BRITISH ENTO 



COLEOPTERA. 



Section VI. — Heteromera, Latreille. 



Tarsi chiefly heterorr.erous ; that is, the four anterior five-jointed, the two 

 posterior four-jointed : rarely pentamerous, or tetramerous. Antennce gene- 

 rally 11-jointed, never laminated, or with a pectinated head: palpi four : 

 labrum distinct in all : mandibles always horny ; their internal edge armed 

 with one or two teeth, and generally furnished with a fleshy lobe : viaxillxs 

 crustaceous at the base, often with two lacinise, the external one largest, 

 trigonate, or somewhat ovate: menium crustaceous; distinct from the 

 labium, which is coriaceous and hairy. 



This section of the Coleoptera is decidedly an artificial one, but, 

 from the poverty of this country with regard to the groups, it is 

 utterly impossible to arrange them agreeably to their affinities, the 

 chasms being so numerous : the greater portion of the species are of 

 dull and sombre colours, those of the three first families usually 

 black or obscure shades of brown, rarely with metallic tinges ; but 

 amongst some of the typical families are several insects of gay and 

 lively hues, frequently somewhat brilliantly metallic. These insects 

 are generally found upon flowers or in hedges, while the former are 

 most frequently observed in damp, close, or sandy places, and are 

 usually concealed by day ; others again are of plain but rather lively 

 colouring, and in general frequent rotten wood, upon which their 

 larvae subsist : these last, as may be expected in such a heteroge- 

 neous group, are considerably diversified in structure, and differ 

 much in habit, and will be more particularly pointed out 

 hereafter. 



The indigenous families may be thus cursorily discriminated : — 

 Mandibulata. Vol. V. 31st Jan. 1832. b 2 



