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Show 276 I SECTA. APTINus, Bon.-Brachinus, Web. Fab. ' The last joint of the exterior pal pi somewhat thicker, that of labials particularly; a tooth in the middle of the emargination the mentum. The ligula is similar to that of the Graphipteri the lateral divisions form a small pointed projection. What ' culady distinguishes this, as well as the following subgenus, is fact, that the oval and thick abdomen contains or·gans which a caustic liquor of a penetrating odour, that issues fr·om the with a crepitus and instantly evaporates. This fluid produces discolor·ation of the skin similar to that caused by nitric acid if the species be large, a burn, accompanied with pain. M.' Dufout· has described the organs which secrete it( 1 ). These Insects are frequently found in society, at least in the sp under stones. They employ the abdve mentioned mode of d to terrify their enemies, and can repeat the discharge a number times. The larger species inhabit tropical and other hot c to the limits of the temperate zone. Jlpt. balista, Dej., IIist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., II, viii, ' BracMnus displosor, Duft. From five to eight lines in black, with a fulvous thorax and sulcated elytra. Navarre various parts of Spain and Portugal. .!J.pt. pyrenceus, Dej., Hist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., II, 3. From three to four lines in length; deep black; antennre palpi fulvous; feet of a russet yellow(2). The elytra are cated. It was discovered by Count Dejean in the de of the Pyrennees-Orientales. . BRAOHINus, Web. Fab. The Brachini only differ from the Aptini in being furnished win'gs, and in the circumstance of the emargination of their having no tooth. Some, generally the largest and mostly foreign to Europe, their elytra very sensibly sulcated or ribbed. Of this number is species common to the Antilles and Cayenne, the Brach. complanatus, Fab.; Carabus planus, Oliv. III, vi, From six to eight lines in length; russet yellow; the black, no humeral point, a sinuous band traversing their COLEOPTBUA. 277 aftd a russet yellow spot at their .extremity: th~ir external margin of the same colour; posterior angles of the thorax prolonged into a point. The elytra ~f the others are smootl~ or but slightly sulcated. In environs of Paris the following species are usually to be found. Brach. crepitans, Fab.; llist. Nat. des Coleop . . d'Eur., II, viii, 6; Panz., Faun., Insect. Germ., XX, 5. Average length four Jines; fulvous; elytra sometimes deep blue, at others bluishgreen, and slightly sulcated; antennre fulvous, but the third and fou 1·th joints blackish; the pectus, its middle excepted, and the abdomen, black. This species has been confounded with the explodens of Duftschmid-Hist. Na-t. des Coleop. d'Eur., II, viii, 7-which is also very common. It is but half the size of the crepitus, with blue and almost smooth elytra. The glabratus, Bonelli, only differs from it .in the absence of the spots on the antennre. Brach. sclopeta, Fab.; Fiist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., II, ix, 3. Very similar to the last, but distinguished from it as well as from the preceding ones by the suture of the elytra, which is fulvous-red from the base to the middle. The body also is wider in proportion, and of the same colour above and beneath. Brach. bombarda, Illig.; Hist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., II, ix, 2. This species is intertnediate between the last and the first. A fulvous spout surrounds the scutellum, but does not extend along the suture. Brach. exhalans, with elytra of an obscure blue, and four yellowish spots, and Brach. causticus, all fulvous, with a band along the suture and posterior spot blackish-are found in the department of Herault( I). In the Hist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., we placed the genus CatascopU8 of Kh·by next to Brach in us. A ·more recent examination leads us to think that it rather belqngs to the Simplicimani. The posterior extremity of the elytra, it is true, does offer a deep emargination, but it terminates in a point towards the suture, and is not truncated. Several species of this division also present the same sinus, although less deep and acute. Between the Brachini and the Catascopi, Count Dejean-Species I, p. 226..,...places the genus Corsyra of Steven, the type of which is ------·--------~-----------:• the Cymindisfusula of the Russ. Entomog., of Fischer, I, xii, 3. It Dej. The .llntltia ezclamationia, Fab., is a Graphipterus, figured Diet. d'Hili Nat. X, E, 2, 7, under the name of trilint!e. (1 l Mem. sur le Brae/tine tirailleur, Ann. du Mus. d'Hist. Nat. XVII, 7U, 5, the Ann. des Sc. Nat. VI, p. 320. (2) See Hist. Nat. des Coleop. d'Eur., and the Species des Coleop., Dej.,I. (1) See op. cit. ut sup. Add of American species Brach. altemam, quad'l'ipennia, fuman8, cephalotu. Jm.Ed. |