12 

 COLEOPTERA. 



PREPODES REGALIS. 



Plate VI. fig. 1. 

 Tribe. Rhyncophora, Latreille. 

 Family. Curculionidje, Leach. 

 Division. Brachyderides, Schonherr. 

 Genus. Prepodes, Schonherr. Circulio, Linn. &c. 



Species. Prepodes Regalis : oblongo elliptious, niger, squamulis cceruleo-virentibus 

 tectus, rostro subcarinato ; thorace supra impresso vitta media lateribusque 

 cupreo-aureis ; elytris subtilius remote punctato-striatis, plaga baseos, fas- 

 ciisque tribus flexuosis cupreo-aureis nigro-marginatis ornatis. Long. Corp. 

 lin. 8. 

 Prepodes : oblong-elliptical, black, clothed with greenish-blue scales ; the thorax 

 with a central streak, and the sides golden coppery ; the elytra with a basal 

 spot and three waved bands, coppery golden coloured, margined with black. 

 Length 8 lines. 

 Svn. Curculio regalis, Linn. Sysl. Nat. I. II. p. 616. Fabr. Syst. Eleuth. 2. 508. 

 Oliv. Ent. V. 83, t.l.f. 8, a, b. 

 Prepodes (Callizonus, Olim.) regalis, Sch. Sp. Curcul. 2. p. 21. 



Donovan well observed that this species truly deserves the title regalis, being an 

 aggregate of beauty and splendour : of the loveliest coerulean, changing alternately 

 to the deeper glow of the violet, to green, or the transitory sparkling of intermingled 

 silver. Every space of blue is constantly contrasted with another of crimson, and 

 which, as the violet changes to blue or green, alters its aspect to a still more vivid 

 expanse of gold. Each of those colours, the blue and red, are distinct ; for an 

 irregular space of black limits every spot and marking, and relieves the whole. As 

 the effect of such a combination of colours in this comparatively small species is in- 

 conceivably splendid, and almost inimitable, one figure in the plate is intended to 

 show the natural size, and to admit of more perfect delineation, another somewhat 

 magnified is added also. 



This insect, which Donovan believed to be unique in Great Britain, was brought 

 from France, in the collection of Mons. De Calone, and was in the possession of the 

 author. Linnasus met with it in one of the cabinets on the continent, and described 

 it as a South American insect. In the works of Fabricius, its habitat is given " in 

 Indus." On this authority Donovan introduced it amongst the insects of Bast India, 

 but it was the practice of Fabricius, and the older authors, to employ the term " in 

 Indiis," to designate the West as well as the East Indies. The real locality of this 

 species is South America, Peru, and the island of Saint Domingo. 



