88 
THE ORDER OF COLEOFTEUA. 
American, but most of the species are found south of the Gulf of 
Mexico. 
The genus Serica is distinguished by the soft silkcu pubescence with 
which the body is covered, and which is beautifully iridescent, that is, 
reflecting the colors of the rainbow. Where this character is deficient, 
as it is in a few species, they can be readily determined by the remark- 
able widening of the hind cox;e, which form a broad plate covering the 
base of the abdomen, and which are at least as wide as any two ab- 
dominal segments. The ground color is dark reddisli-brown, or almost 
black. We have three rather common species: the 8. sericea, llliger, 
between three and four tenths of an inch in length, of a dark purple 
tint; the S. tricolor, Say, scarcely three-tenths of an inch long, almost 
black, and distinguished by the erect hairs with which the thorax is 
clothed ; and the 8. vespertine, Soli., of the same size as the sericea, but 
destitute of the iridescent pubescence. 
Diplotuxis, Kirby, contains a large number of small species, from 
three to five-tenths of an inch long, and of a reddish brown or black 
color, and often closely resembling each other. They resemble the 
genus serial in general appearance, but are distinguished by the hind 
cox® not being unusually dilated, and the want of pubescence ; one 
species, however, the sordida, Say, forms a connecting link, in this le- 
spect, by being clothed with erect hairs. 
Family XXXII. RUTELID/E. 
The most distinctive charac- 
ters of the Rutelides are their 
unequal tarsal claws, and their 
usually fine or brilliant colors. 
But our most common species, 
the Anomalie, though glabrous, 
are not brilliant, and might be 
mistaken for Melolonthse ; but 
the unequal and uncleft poste- 
rior claws readily distingniy 
them. Most of the insects of this 
sub-family are tropical. Nine- 
teen N. A. species are known, 
more than half of which belong 
[Fig. 40. | 
PKI.IDXOTA punctata, Linn..— a, larva ; e, its antenna ; x +i, e o-<>nus Aliomala. This 
f. log : d, tip of abdomen ; 0, pupa, iupts coll , the walls 
of wnlcb are composed of particles of wood andexcre- nub-family. like the preceding 
jueut ; c, beetle— after Kiley. J ’ 
