CHAPTER VIII. 



ON THE FIVE FAMILIES OF PETALOCERA WHICH 

 FEED ON GllEEN OR LIVING VEGETABLE MAT- 

 TER. 



1 HE Thalerophagous Petalocera, as far as has yet been 

 observed, have never more than tenjoints or less than nine 

 to their antennas ; so that they possess neither so many or 

 so few as some of the insects which compose the other 

 circle. The clava, which is always rather elongate, ex- 

 cept in a few insects of the family of Glaphi/ridce, is here 

 often composed of more than three joints, which we have 

 never seen to be the case with the saprophagous insects. 

 The feet are also in general less robust than in the last 

 circle, but in the families of RiUelida and Anoplognathid(Z 

 they sometimes arrive at an enormous size *. The ungues 

 of the tarsi are also often divided ; and the insects on 

 the whole are of a gay appearance, generally possessing 

 much metallic splendour. 



Fam.VI. RUTELID^. 



Antennae '' decem-articulata ; 



• Such is the case with the famous Kanguroo Beetle {Scarahirus Ma- 

 tropus, Francillon; Cetonia Macropus, Kirby) and the Melolonlha thryto- 

 chlora of Humboldt, the natural situation of both which insects is between 

 the types of the Rutelidte and Anoplcgnathidts. 



* If the genus Hexodon should, as is stated by Olivier, really possess 



