THE WOOD BEETLE. 
3 8 7 
Genus XVII .—Leptura. The Wood Beetle. 
T H e antennas of thefe infefts are fetaceous ; the e.ytra 
diminifli in breadth towards their extremity ; and the 
thorax is round and (lender. The larvae of the wood 
beetles are found, like thofe of the laft genus, in the per- 
forated trunks of trees, and, like them, they devour the 
pulverifed wood when digging their retreat. 
Jjeptura arcuata. This is one of the mod beautiful of 
infects ; when viewed with a microfcope, it appears like 
velvet inlaid with precious (tones ; and if expofed to the 
rays of the fun, it Urines with infinite fplendour. The 
ground colour of, this animal is a velvety black; the 
elytra are variegated with tranfverfe bars of a bright 
flame colour, formed by ftreaks of down, of a refulgent 
J’ellow *. 
3 C a 
* Barbut, p. 57. 
