SlTARIS.- 
-INSECTS.- 
-Moruellid^. 
225 
Blapsidce, AtVican Pimelice, curious South American 
Nyctelidos, the Tmebrionidce, the HelopidcB,^i\A.Cistelida, 
one of which, described and figured by Mr. Curtis, is 
represented in the subjoined cut, 114. 
Fig. 113 Fig- 111- 
A figure is given of the African Adesmia candidi- 
pennis, or of an allied species, one of the Melasorruda, 
so called from their black colours (fig. 115). This 
species has beautiful white elytra. 
The Gnathium Francilloni, with its long thread-like 
maxillae, is figured on Plate 3, fig. 16. 
The other families, Melandryadoe, Diaperidce, and 
Trachyscelidce, would require a volume to contain their 
description. Fig. 116 shows the larva and pupa 
respectively of Lagria hirta, discovered by M, Pends. 
Fig. 115. Fig. 116. 
b pupa. 
In this country there is a small beetle about half an 
inch long, called Sitaris humeralis. It is a blackish 
brown rather ungainly beetle, with large wings, which 
are only partially covered by the short elytra, and 
have a yellowish patch at the shoulder or base, whence 
the beetle derives its name of humeralis. This beetle is 
a parasite in the nest of Anthophora acervorum^ a bee 
which constructs its cells in old walls. Professor Fabre 
VoL. 11. 85 
of Avignon has lately cleared up* its history, which 
seems to resemble that of Meloe. He thus sums up his 
observations — Sitaris, Meloe, and apparently the other 
Meloidae are all parasites on Hymenoptera in their early 
stages. The larva, before reaching the nymph state, 
passes through four forms, which Professor Fabre calls 
primitive larva, second larva, pseudo-chrysalis, and 
third larva. The passage from one of these forms to 
the other is effected by a simple moult or change of 
skin, without any change in the viscera. The primi- 
tive larva is coriaceous and fixes itself on the body of 
Hymenoptera, as its object is to reach a cell full of 
hone}'. When it has been carried by the bee to the 
cell, the little larva devours the egg of the bee, for 
which this cell was made and the honey deposited. 
Its object has been effected. The second larva is soft 
and nearly apodal, and differs entirely from the primi- 
tive larva, which is slim and long-legged. In this 
stage it feeds on the honey contained in the cell. The 
pseudo-chrysalis is a body deprived of all motion, and 
covered with hard teguments compared with those of 
the pupae or chrysalids. On these teguments there is 
a cephalic mask, without movable and distinct parts ; 
six tubercles, representing legs, and nine pairs of stig- 
matic orifices; the pseudo-chrysalis is contained in 
another covering formed by the skin of the second larva. 
The third larva is very similar to the second. After 
this third larva, the metamorphoses follow their habi- 
tual course; that is to say, this larva becomes a nymph, 
and this nymph a perfect insect. 
The female Sitaris lays very small white oval eggs. 
Fabre calculates the number deposited by one insect to 
be upwards of two thousand. 
Family— ANTHICID^. 
Of the family Axthicida*:, so common in flowers, 
whence their name, there is figured (Plate 3, fig. 20) 
the strange Notoxus monoceros — the male of which has 
the thorax curiously produced in front over the head. 
There is also figured on the same plate (fig. 10) another 
member of this fiimily — the Anthicus pedestris, with its 
attenuated thorax. The other British genera are Me- 
cinotarsus, Xylophilus, and the large-eyed Eriglenes. 
Mr. Waterhouse records thirteen species as British. 
Family — MORDELLIDHl. 
The family M 0 RDELLID./E is an important one, many 
of them being parasites. 
Here too comes Rhipiphonis paradoxus, that known 
parasite, and perhaps the Strepsiptera, briefly 
alluded to in these pages between Hymenoptera and 
Coleoptera. 
* Annales des Sciences Nalurelles, Ser. 4e, vol. vii. pp. 239- 
365; 1857. 
