Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations . th violet elytra.) nut 0f its thorax, whieh hue extends to its head. The elytra are blue in some specimensand green in others, and the abdomen is chestnut, like the have in England two little Chrysomcliche which presentexactly similar peculiarities. They belong to the genus Gastro-physa, swollen-belly, and may generally be found in thecommon dock. The insect which is here repre-sented is an exceedingly variable one,especially in point of size, manyspecimens being so small
Insects abroad : being a popular account of foreign insects, their structure, habits, and transformations . th violet elytra.) nut 0f its thorax, whieh hue extends to its head. The elytra are blue in some specimensand green in others, and the abdomen is chestnut, like the have in England two little Chrysomcliche which presentexactly similar peculiarities. They belong to the genus Gastro-physa, swollen-belly, and may generally be found in thecommon dock. The insect which is here repre-sented is an exceedingly variable one,especially in point of size, manyspecimens being so small as to lookby the side of others like dwarfs be-side giants. It also varies in head and thorax are alwaysshining yellow, but the elytra aresometimes green and sometimesblack, though, as the name of the in-sect implies, they are mostly purple. This is a very large genus, containing some splendidly colouredBeetles. Aplusonyx basalts, a species which inhabits Manilla, iscuriously and boldly marked, the upper half of the elytra beingshining jetty black, and the lower half yellow. Another species,. 127.—Aplosonyx purpnrasaeus.(Yellow and purple.) THE TORTOISE BEETLES. 26 L which lias not yet been named, and which comes from Dorey, isblack, with a yellow belt; while another, also unnamed, is yellow,with a large oval patch of black on the middle of the elytra,and a round spot on the shoulder. Some species, again, areyellow, with a blue band across the middle of the elytra. Amidall the variety of colouring, the reader will see that yellow isthe hue which most prevails throughout the genus. The last family of these Beetles is called Cassidiidse. Thisname is taken from the Latin word Cassida, which signifies aniron cap, and is given to the Beetles because their shape, closelyresembles that of the basin-like steel cap which has been in andout of fashion so often. Don Quixotes celebrated Helmet ofMambrino really did bear some resemblance to the peculiar head-covering calle
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1883
