54 



AGRILINI. 



I n this tribe the species are generally slender, sometimes, however, very broad and 

 flat ; in both cases the body is narrowed behind. The front is strongly narrowed by the 

 insertion of the antennae ; the anterior part of the head is vertical ; the mouth inferior 

 and applied to the prosternum in repose ; the mentum is large ; prothorax lobed at the 

 base ; prosternum broad in front, with oblique sutures, cuneate behind, and scarcely angu- 

 lated behind the coxie ; the small mesosternum is completely divided. 

 There are two groups in our fauna : 



Antennce free Agrili. 



Antennoe, received in grooves BracheS. 



Group L— AGRILI. 



This group is well represented by the extensive, and 

 difficult to determine, genus Agrilus. 



The body is laways elongated, and generally con- 

 stricted about the middle. The species are small, and are 

 found on flowers and leaves 



A. bilineatus, Weber. A handsome insect, measuring 

 0.28 — 0.37, of a deep invilsibegreen ; head and thorax 

 black and granulated, elytra more finely so ; starting 

 from the mouth and running down the sides of the 



Fig. 37. thorax, then dividing and going down both margins of 



the elytra, is a beautiful line of golden pubescence ; this is very conspicuous down the 

 middle of the back. The elytra are serrate at the apex 



A ruficollis, Fab. The red-necked agrilus, fig. 37, another member of this interest- 

 ing group, is also a very handsome insect, which, in the larval state, bores into the canes 

 of the raspberry and blackberry. 



Group II.— BEACHES. 



Body usually broad or ovate, rarely elongated ; sides of the thorax deeply grooved 

 beneath for the reception of the antennse ; legs very contractile, the tibise usually sulcata 

 for the reception of the tarsi ; scutellum triangular. The larvae of this group are leaf 

 miners eating the parenchyma and transforming in the burrows. The genera are divided 

 — as follows : — 



Body elongate; prosternum pointed behind Taphrocerus. 



Body ovate ; prosternum obtuse behind; tibiae linear Brachys. 



Taphrocerus. 



Chiefly distinguished by having the body elongate and the claws simple and connate at 

 the base, and a lobe in the centre of the prothorax. 



T. gracilis J Say. A small insect, only measuring 0.14 — 0.21 ; of a blackish bronze 

 colour, with patches of minute white hair on the rather coarsely punctured elytra ; the 

 front has a wide furrow down the centre, and the elytra are sunk into a groove at the 

 apex. 



Brachys. 



Insects of ovate form, with the thorax strongly bisinuate at the base, with the me- 

 dian lobe hollowed. Scutellum moderately large. 



B. ovata, Weber. Measures 0.19 — 0.25. Head with a deep sinus and the fcice 

 covered with minute decumbent hairs ; elytra beautifully variegated with blotches of gold 

 and silver hairs and with three ridges, the external one acute and running from the 

 shoulder almost to the apex ; of a deep purple. 



