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Show 500 INSECTA. uneven. These Insects are peculiar to the south of Europe and to Africa, live on thE' gt·ound and appear very early in the spring. The women of Ethiopia use one species as a sort of amulet; they pas~ a stl'ing through its body and hang it round their neck(l)-" Voyage de M. Calliaud au fleu.ve 13lanc." CuncuLIO. Where almost the whole under part of the tarsi is furni~hed with short and stiff hairs, forming pellets, and their penultimate joint is deeply bilobate. The it· antennre are com posed of eleven joints, or even of twel vc if we count the false one, which sometimes terminates them, the last of which form the club. As this genus, although much mot·e restricted than in the Linnean system, still comprises numerous species discovered since the time of that naturalist, various savans, Germar and Schcenhet·t· in parti· cular, have divided it into many others. It may be separated, from our own observations, into two principal divisions. 1. Those in which the mentum, more or less widened superiorly, and more or less orbicular, occupies all the width of the buccal cavity, and entirely or very nearly conceals the maxillre, and where the mandibles are not very sensibly dentated, or merely present a slight sinus under the joint. We may form a first subgenus, CYOLOMUS, Of those Brevirostres in which, as in the preceding ones, the tarsi are destitute of a brush, and the penultimate joint is entire or slightly emarginated, and without very distinct lobes. To it should be referred the Cryptops, Deracanthus, .llmycterus, and Cyclomus of Schcenherr(2). The tarsi of all the others are furnished with a brush, and the penultimate joint is deeply bilobate. Some are provided with wings. Here the lateral sulci of the proboscis are oblique and directed inferio~ly. The anterior le~s cliffet· but little in theit· proportions from the following ones. They form a first subgenus, that of (1) Oliv., Col., 82. M. Schrenherr forms the genus Episus with the species called the rostratus. The thorax is elongated and almost linear. . (2) These genera seem to connect themselves with the Myrniops and Rhytlr· hinus of this author, and in that case the Brachyceri should b~ placed further back. See our article Rltynclwphores in the Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. COLEOPTERA. 501 CunouLio proper( 1 ), Which comprises a great numbet· of the genera of Messrs Germar and Schcenhert·, the characters of which are of but little importance and frequently very equivocal. At most, we can only detach those whose antennre are proportionally longer. Among those in which the antennre are short, the thorax is longitudinal and forms a tr~ncated cone, the shoulders at·e salient, and of which the genera Entzmus, Chlorima, &c. have been fot·med, come certain species from South America,' remarkable for the it· splendour and ft•equently for their size. C. imperialis, Fab.; Oliv., Col. V, 83, i, 1. A brilliant got'dengreen with two black and longitudinal bands on the thot·ax; ranges of golden-green impressed points on the elytra, with black intervals. C. regalis, L.; Oliv., Ibid. I, 8. A blue-green, with very brilliant cupreous or golden bands on the elytra. It is found in St Domingo and Cuba. The name ofJastuosus, nobilis, &c. given to other species, indicates the magnificence of their attire. One of those that inhabit France, which is most analogous to the preceding, is the C. viridis; Chlorima v·iridis, Dej.; Curculio viridis, Oliv., lb., ii, 11. It is about five lines in length; the first joint of the antennre is proportionally shorter than in the preceding species; obscure-green above; sides and inferior parts yellow; the termination of the elytra is somewhat pointed; the proboscis is carinated. Very rare in the environs of Paris. (1) 1. Thorax lobate anteriorly. The genera Entimus, Rhigus, Promecops, Pltmdropus, Dereodus (subgenus of Hypomeces.., Polydius, Entyus of Schrenherr, and the Brachysoma of Dejean, but reduced to the species which he calls the suturalis. 2. Thorax non-lobate anteriorly. • Thorax sensibly longer than it is wide. • Proboscis shortet· than the head, or at most of equallength. The gepera Cloroplwnus, Itltycerus, .!lnremerus, Hypomeces, .!lnymecus, .lbtytu8, Liss(Yfhinus, Prostenomus.2, .!lrtipus, Sitona, of SchcxmhelT. .. Proboscis evidently longer than the head. The genera Hadropus, Cypltus, Callizonus. " Thorax tmnsversal, almost isometrical. The genera Eustales, .Exoptltalmus, Diaprepes, Ptilopus, PacnflJU8, :Polydroaus, Metallites. The relative length of the first joint of the antenn~e also furnishes good chat•acters, which might be employeu before resorting to those drawn from the thorax. See Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat., article Rltynilwplwre•, and my Faun, Na.t. du Regne Animal. |
