OCR Text |
Show 550 INSRCTA. gicornes in the number and double insertion of the vessels which compose it; they amount to six, two of which, those of the ca~sidre excepted, are generally slenderer and shorter. Each testis is formed by a single capsule. All the larvre known to us are furnished with six feet have a soft, coloured body, and feed, as well as the perfect' Insect, on the leaves of vegetables to which they usually attach themselves by means of a viscid or adhesive humour. There also many of them become nymphs, at the posterior extremity of which is found the last exuvire of the larva folded into a pellet. These chrysalides arc frequently of various colours. Some of the larvre penetrate into the earth. These Insects are generally small, and are frequently orna. mented with brilliant and metallic colours ; their body is smooth or destitute of hairs. They are mostly slow and timid, letting themselves fall to the ground the moment we attempt to seize them, or folding their antennre and feet close to their body. Several species are good jumpers. The females are extremely prolific. If we take into consideration the different habits of their larvre, we will find that the Cyclica are divided into four principal sections: 1. Larvre covering their bodies with their excrement. 2. Larvm inhabiting tubes which they drag about with them. 3. Naked larvre. 4. Larvre concealed in the interior of leaves, and feeding on their parenchyma : the Leaping Cyclica. Snch are the principles on which we have proceeded in the arrangement of this family. We divide it into three tribes, according to the mode in which the antennre are in· serted. In the first, or the CAsSIDARIJE, the antennre are inserted in the superior part of the head, and are approximated, straight, short, filiform and almost cylindrical, or gradually enlarged towards the extremity. The mouth, altogether un· derneath, and with short and almost filiform palpi, is some· COLEOl''l'EIL\. times arched ( cintree ), and sometimes }>at•tl , · d · • • c Y 1 ecetve mto the cavity of the prresternum. The eyes ar 'd < e ovo1 or round The legs are contractile and shm·t ·md the t • · 11 • ' ' aiSl attencd · the lobes of the penultimate J. oint completely 1 1 ' r • ' enc OSe t le last. fhe body bemg llat above, the&e Insects OWI.tlg to tl d. . . f I . . ' lC IS-positiOn o t letr tarsi, are enabled to glue themselves to the surface of leaves and to remain there withot1t 1. . not'I On; b est· d es this, the hody IS most commonly orbicular 01• oval d < , an over-lapped al1 round by the thorax and ely·t1·a · 'I.,LI le hc a d I·s con-cea ·l ed unTdle r · the thorax, or received into its •a nte. t··w r emarg· 1- ~atwn. leir colours a.re various and are prettily distributed m the form of spots, pom ts, and streaks. Such of their larvre as are known to us cover themselves with their freces. The Cassidarire are composed of two genera. In the first, or HISPA, Lin. The body is oblong, the head is entirely exposed and free and the thorax forms a trapezium. The mandibles have but tw~ or three teeth; the extet~ior maxillary lobe is shorter than the inner one; the antennre are fihform and pectinated antet·iorly. ALURNus, Fab. The Alurni, which Olivier does not distinguish from his Hispre appear to differ fl'om them only in the form of their mandibles th~ superior extl·emity of which is prolonged into a stout and potnted tooth, and which, besides, exhibits a second but very short one on the inner side. · The ligula is corneous. This subgenus comprises the lat·gest species, most of which at·e peculiar to Guiana and Bt·azil. Among them is the Hispe bordee, Regn. Anim. Ed. I, pl. xiii, f. s. Blood-red; antenure, thorax, the sides excepted, and elytra, black; suture and external margin of the elytra, colour of the body; theit· middle is marked, in a variety, by a transverse line also red. This Insect is not rare in Brazil( 1 ). HrsPA, Lin, Fab. The Hispce, properly so called, have short mandibles terminated (1) See :Fabricius and Olivier, Col., VI, 95, 1, 2. |