LIBRARY

592 COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
suaveolens (Linn.) is believed by Harvey 1 to be one of the insects involved in
constructing Poe's famous "Gold Bug." C. holochlora Bates of Central America
has a beautiful iridescent green dorsum and black legs and antennre. The famous
harlequin beetle, Acrocinus longimanus (Linn.), is a giant species 65 mm.
long, with greatly elongated forelegs 75 mm. long and antennre about the same
length. It is velvety black with brown, gray, and reddish brick-colored markings
and occurs throughout tropical North and South America, the finest
colored specimens occurring in southern Brazil. It was originally described by
Linmeus in the genus Ceramoyx but has since been relegated to at least five
other genera. It is figured in a great many books on insects but very little is
known about it.
Melanauster chinensis Forster is a shining black species with white dorsal
spots and bluish antennal and leg markings. It is 35-40 mm. long and is a
favorite of Chinese and Japanese collectors. The Chinese make knitted and
wired artificial specimens of it for the trade.
One of the most beautiful species is the superb Psalidognathus superbus Fries
of Colombia and tropical South America, a brilliant metallic-green sculptured
species attaining a length of 50-65 mm. including the long exserted mandibles.
The head, thorax, and base of the elytra are spined. Macrodonlia cervz'cornis
Linn. of Brazil is another huge black, brown, and tan species with very large
mandibles, wide truncate elytra, and short antennre. One of the handsomest
and most brilliant genera is Crioprosopus Serville, 18 species, of Central America.
Cerambyx. cerdo Linn., a brown and black species 26-50 mm. long, is the largest
European species. Prionus californicus Motschulsky and Ergales spiculatus Lec.
are both shining brown species attaining a length of 60 mm. and are among
the largest species in temperate North America.
Family CHRYSOMELIDlE (Leach 1816, 1819) (Chrys'o-mel'i-dre, from the
Greek f1oIL'rJ}..oMllfholJ, a little golden beetle [xPV(TOS, gold, + 1-I'Y/}..o}..6v()Lov,
beetle]; from the brilliant golden colors of many species). German,
Blattkafer, Laubkafer. Chrysomelid Beetles, Leaf Beetles, Tortoise
Beetles, Flea Beetles.
Minute to small, globular, elongated flattened, oval, cylindrical, or slender
beetles; hard or leathery, smooth, scaly, pubescent, ptmctured, or striated; dull
or brightly colored in all shades and combinations of rainbow hues; enameled or
brilliant, iridescent and metallic. Head small, mostly hypognathous, some
prognathous, sometimes partially or wholly covered by the prothorax. An.
tennre short, rarely as long as the body, simple or somewhat Clavate, ll-seg.
mented (rarely 10.segmented), arising in front of the eyes. Eyes well developed,
rounded, often emarginate. Mouth parts inconspicuous, mandibles short and
strong. Prothorax variable, narrower than or as wide as the mesothorax. Legs
short: hind femora enlarged for jumping in many forms; tibial spurs usually
absent; tarsi five·segmented, the fourth very small and hidden. Wings well
1 Harvey, A. Israfel. The Life and Times oj Edgar Allan Poe (Doubleday Doran N. Y.,
1927), I :214-219. Also see E. A. Smith, Sewanee Rev., Jan. I, 1910. '