File:The natural history of beetles - illustrated by thirty-two plates, numerous wood-cuts, with memoir and portrait of Ray (1852) (14762147774).jpg

Identifier: naturalhistoryof01dunc (find matches)
Title: The natural history of beetles : illustrated by thirty-two plates, numerous wood-cuts, with memoir and portrait of Ray
Year: 1852 (1850s)
Authors: Duncan, James, 1804-1861 Jardine, William, Sir, 1800-1874 Lizars, W. H. (William Home), 1788-1859, engraver
Subjects: Ray, John, 1627-1705 Beetles
Publisher: Edinburgh : W.H. Lizars London : Henry G. Bohn
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image:
one of the most singular ofcoleopterous insects, whether we regard the propor-tions of its parts, or the curious colouring and variega-tion of the body. The figures on the elytra, formedof strongly contrasted colours, are so regularly drawnthat they may be conceived to be the result of someartificial process. As the wings of several mothsand butterflies are inscribed with characters repre-senting with great accuracy letters of various lan-guages, and figures corresponding with several datesof the Christian era, these grotesque delineations inlike manner seem to resemble, as has been remarkedof them, certain hieroglyphic symbols pourtrayed bythe mysterious hand of nature. Its party-coloureddress has caused the insect to be very generallyknown by the name of Harlequin Beetle. The ground colour is black, and the whole sur-face is clothed with a dense silky pubescence. Theantennae are about twice the length of the body, andof a black colour, except the base of the joints, which PLATE 2.1
Text Appearing After Image:
\.Acrocuiu r h?7ioimaruu& COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS. 251 is greyish. The head is ornamented with two tri-angular patches of red, and two lines of the samehue are placed in the centre of the thorax, whichconverge in front: from each side of the thoraxbehind there projects a strong spine, which can bemoved in different directions at the will of the in-sect ; and two others, of small size, and incapable ofmotion, issue from the back, one towards each side.The elytra are variegated with undulated lines andangular figures of red and grey: towards the basethe surface is pretty thickly covered with impressedpoints, interspersed with small black shining tuber-cles ; and each elytron bears an acute spine on theshoulder, and two others at the hinder extremity.The under parts are likewise covered with silkypubescence, but it is of a grey colour. The thighsare smooth and black, each of them surrounded bya red ring near the apex. The anterior thighs andtibiae are of great length, the latter much in

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