  DYNASTES HERCULES.Plate XXX. fig. 1. ?.—2. ?. Order: Coleoptera. Section: Lamellicornes. Family: DynastidÆ, MacLeay. Genus. Dynastes, MacLeay. Geotrupes, Fabricius. ScarabÆus, Latreille, LinnÆus, &c. Dynastes Hercules. Thoracis ? cornu incurvo longissimo subtus barbato utrinque unidentato, capitis recurvato dentato. (Long. Corp. 5 unc. 9 lin. ?.) Syn. ScarabÆus Hercules, Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 541. 1. Oliv. Ins. 1. 3. b. 1. tab. 1. f. 1. tab. 23. fig. 1. Fabr. Ent. Syst. 1. p. 2. No. 1. Naturalists' Library, Beetles, pl. 11. Edwards, Birds, t. 334. Gronov. Zooph. 412. Johnst. Ins. t. 16. f. 1. Petiv. Gaz. t. 70. f. 1. Roesel. Scar. tom. iv. t. 5. f. 3. Pal. Beauv. Ins. d'Afr. & d'Amer. Col. Pl. 1. c. f. 1. Marcgr. Braz. 247. fig. 3. Habitat: Gaudaloupe (Drury). South America. Male. Black, except the elytra, which are of an olive colour; having a number of black spots on them of different shapes and sizes, varying considerably in different individuals. Thorax, above, smooth, and shining, the sides covered with a multitude of small punctures. Its front is produced into a long shining horn, near three inches in length, which gradually bends downwards from the base to the extremity, where it is slightly forked; the under side being covered with short fine hairs of a yellowish colour, resembling the pile of velvet, and having about two inches from its extremity a strong short spine placed on each side. The head is furnished with another horn, about two-thirds the length of the first, sharp and thin on its upper side, and towards the end bending upwards; having on the upper edge, near the middle, three or four teeth or strong spines, and another near the extremity. Eyes shining, red brown. TibiÆ armed with spines, particularly the anterior pair, which have four; three near the tips, and one near the middle. The middle and hinder tibiÆ have each two strong spurs, and several smaller spines, surrounded with hair on the other parts. The edge of the abdomen is covered with a row of dark orange-coloured hairs. Several other parts of the body, joints, &c. are also clothed with the same Female. This sex is unfurnished with horns. The elytra are the same colour as in the male, not spotted so much, if at all, and more rugose. Thorax black, with a few yellowish spots, formed like stars or rays on it. In other respects it resembles the male. Drury adds to this insect the following remark—"I have observed many species of beetles whose males have been furnished with horns, either on the head or thorax, but in which the females have none, but have those parts quite smooth and plain; and my observations incline me strongly to think that this rule subsists in every one of them, through the whole class. The instances I could bring in support of this opinion are too many to be admitted in this place." The circumstance observed upon in the preceding note is certainly very interesting in a physiological point of view. In quadrupeds we find both sexes of cornuted species armed with horns; but in insects almost universally the males alone are provided with these appendages. It is also worthy of remark, that although in the majority of insects the females considerably surpass the males in size, yet in those species in which the males are cornuted, the females are almost invariably smaller than their partners. Burmeister lays it down as a rule, that with regard to the differences of the sexes, their whole character may be thus distinguished; viz. that the male displays a preponderance of evolution, and the female a preponderance of involution; and observes, "that some beetles have processes upon the head and thorax, which, like the mandibles, can meet, like tongs, and thus serve as a weapon. This is asserted of Hercules and its large comrades." This opinion as to the uses of these horns can, however, scarcely be maintained, since the number of species in which the horns really meet is very few. Kirby and Spence observe, "What may be the use of these extraordinary appendages to the males, has not yet been ascertained. Whether the individuals of this sex are more exposed to the attack of birds and other enemies, in consequence of being more on the wing than the females, and are therefore thus provided with numerous projecting points of defence, is a question worth considering." It is also to be observed that these appendages, instead of being deciduous, as in many of the higher animals, are in insects component parts of the external skeleton. There are a few exceptions to the observation of Drury; thus in the Lamellicorn genus Hoplites Dej. Catal. (ScarabÆus Pan,) the females are cornuted as well as the males; and in the genus Osmia, belonging to the section of wild bees, Dasygastres, Latr., the females alone have the head furnished with two porrected horns. BUPRESTIS (CHALCOPHORA) VIRGINIENSIS.Plate XXX. fig. 3. Order: Coleoptera. Section: Serricornes. Family: BuprestidÆ. Genus. Buprestis, Linn. Subgenus. Chalcophora, Solier. Buprestis (Chalcophora) Virginiensis. Thorace lato fusco, punctis cupreis; elytris serratis atris, maculis cupreis, saturÂque metallicÂ. (Long. Corp. 1 unc. 1½ lin.) Syn. Buprestis Virginiensis, Drury, App. vol. 2. Herbst. Col. ix. p. 114. 63. t. 148. f. 1. Buprestis Virginica, Linn. (Gmel.) 1. iv. p. 1940. No. 110. Rossi (Hellw.) Fn. Etr. 1. p. 211. not. Habitat: Virginia. Head small and broad. AntennÆ about the length of the thorax, and small. Thorax broad and rugged, having the elevated parts of a dark coppery colour; but the depressed ones lighter, covered with very small punctures, and joining close to the wing-cases. Scutellum very small and triangular. Elytra of the same colour with the thorax; the dark parts in the figure being those that lie highest. They are margined on the sides and suture, extending even with the anus; which near their edges are slightly serrated. Under side shining and coppery, but on the sides with a tincture of flesh colour. Legs the same; with two tibial spurs. |
|
