24 
COLEOPTERA. 
in their habits in the larva and adult states. They are all 
easily distinguished by their short movable horns, or anten¬ 
nae, ending with a knob, composed of three or more leaf-like 
pieces, which open like the petals of a flower-bud. Another 
feature that they possess in common is the projecting ridge 
Qclypeus^ of the forehead, which extends more or less over 
the face, like the visor or brim of a cap, and beneath the 
sides of this visor the antenna) are implanted. Moreover, 
the legs of these beetles, particularly the first pair, are fitted 
for digging, being deeply notched or furnished with several 
strong teeth on the outer edges ; and the feet are five-jointed. 
This very extensive family of insects is subdivided into sev¬ 
eral smaller groups, each composed of beetles distinguished 
by various peculiarities of structure and habits. Some live 
mostly upon or beneath the surface of the earth, and were, 
therefore, called ground-beetles by De Geer; some, in their 
wiiiged state, are found on trees, the leaves of which they 
devour, — thev are the tree-beetles of the same author; and 
others, during the same period of their lives, frequent flowers, 
and are called flower-beetles. The ground-beetles, including 
the earth-borers (^Creotriqjidce)^ and dung-beetles (^Coprididce 
and Aphodiadce)^ which, in all their states, are found in excre¬ 
ment, the skin-beetles (^Trogidoe)^ which inhabit dried animal 
substances, and the gigantic Hercules-beetles (Idyna^tidoe)^ 
which live in rotten wood or beneath old dung-heaps, must 
be passed over without further comment. The other groups 
contain insects that are very injurious to vegetation, and 
therefore require to be more particularly noticed. 
One of the most common, and the most beautiful of the 
tree-beetles of this country, is the Areoda lanigera^ or woolly 
Areoda, sometimes also called the goldsmith-beetle (Plate 
II. Fig. 20). It is about nine tenths of an inch in length, 
broad oval in shape, of a lemon-yellow color above, glittering 
[2 Areoda lanigera^ now called Cotalpa lanigera; the genus Cotalpa, established 
by Burmeister, differs from the true Areoda by not having the last joint of the 
tarsi armed beneath with an angular projection. — Lec.] 
