THE TECHNOLOGIST. [July 1, 1865. 



548 



NOTES ON THE CANTHARIDES OF THE ARGENTINE 

 PROVINCES. 



BY DR. HERRMANN BURMEISTER. 



Cantharides belong to a family of Coleoptera Heteromera—i.e., of 

 that section of Coleoptera which have five joints in the four fore feet, 

 and only four in the hind feet ; and this family is easily distinguished 

 from others of the same section by its soft body, less horny on its 

 surface ; as also by the form of the hind part of the head, and the cloven 

 claws. 



The celebrated Latreille, the first entomologist of his time, has called 

 the family of cantharides " Vesic'ifica," alluding to the caustic properties 

 possessed by many (although not all) of the species. This property 

 seems to reside, not in the fluids, but in the solids of the body, and 

 chiefly in the horny covering ; and it is stronger in proportion as that 

 covering is rougher and more metallic. On this account, the European 

 Canthari3 is probably one of the most efficacious, for it is most 

 resplendent in its golden-green metallic lustre.* 



The family of the Vesicifica is divided into two principal sections, viz., 

 Meloides and Cantharides. The former have no wings, and the elytra 

 are usually short ; but the latter have no elytra, and are furnished with 

 wings. 



Amongst the Meloides there is one species Meloe Proscar aboeus, which 

 was at one time considered an antidote to hydrophobia. We have in 

 this country (the River Plate) only a single species of this section, viz., 

 Meloe miniaceo-maculatus, figured in D'Orbigny's ' Voyage to South 

 America' {Insect tab. 15, fig. 6). I have found this insect (which is 

 easily recognised by the red spots on its small elytra) a few times in the 

 interior of the province of Buenos Ayres. Another species, the Meloe 

 Klugii, described and figured by Brandt and Erichson, in the ' Transac- 

 tions of the Acad. Ca?sar. Leop. Car.,' vol. xvi., pi. i., p. 103, t. 8, is found 

 in the Banda Oriental. I have myself collected, during my travels in 

 the Argentine Provinces, two new species, — the one in Mendoza (M. san- 

 guinolentus, nob.), the other in Catamarca (M. ebeninus, nob.). These four 

 species are hitherto only known to exist in this part of South America. 



The Cantharides are far more numerous, not only in other countries, 

 but also in the Argentine Republic. Entomologists divide them into 

 various genera, of which I have met -with the following in this 

 country : — 



1. Horia ma&data, Fabr. — This lives with the great bees which make 



* [It nay be observed, however, that Mylabris Cichorii, Fabr., which is devoid 

 of metallic brilliancy, has vesicating powers quite equal to those of the common 

 cantharis.] — Ed. 



