An epitome of the natural history of the insects of China: comprising figures and descriptions ... By E. Donovan, ...

BUPRESTIS VITTATA arrow_forward .

GOLDEN-STRIPE BUPRESTIS.

GENERIC CHARACTER. Antennae setaceous, as long as the thorax. Head half retracted, or drawn back within the thorax.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER. Elytra impressed with points or spots: marked with four longitudinal ridges, and terminated in two teeth or spines; a ribbon-like stripe of golden yellow, down each elytron.

• arrow_back BUPRESTIS VITTATA arrow_forward : elytris bidentatis punctatis: lineis quatuor elevatis viridi aeneis vittaque lata aurea. Fab. Ent. Syst. 1. p. 2. 186. 5.
• Bupreste Bande-dorée. Oliv. Ins. 32. tab. 3. fig. 17.

The Buprestides form an extensive, and most brilliant tribe of coleopterous insects. Brasil and New Holland produce some gigantic species, but none more beautiful than those of India. We need adduce no other proof of this, than Buprestis chrysis, sternicorus, attenuata, ocellata, and vittata. These wrought into various devices, and trinkets, decorate the dressesx of the natives in many parts of India. The arrow_back Buprestis vittata arrow_forward in particular, is much admired among them. It is, we believe, entirely peculiar to China, where it is found in vast abundance, and distributed from thence at a low price among the other Indians. The Chinese, who always profit by the curiosity of Europeans, collect vast quantities of this Buprestis, and other gay insects, in the interior of the country, and traffic with them.

A considerable error seems to have arisen concerning this species, and the true Buprestis ignita of Lin∣naeus. All authors, except Fabricius and Olivier, have considered the arrow_back Buprestis vittata arrow_forward , and ignita, the same. Fabricius, in his Species Insectorum, refers to Mus. Dom. Banks only, for the arrow_back Buprestis vittata; and to the 14th figure, plate 6, in Sulzer's work, for a figure of Buprestis ignita. In the Entomologia Systematica we however find the same reference to the figure of Sulzer, for B. vittatay; and, to increase the perplexity, precisely the same reference under that of B. ignitaz also.

The Buprestis ignita of Linnaeus, we imagined, was unknown in the cabinets of the curious in this country, till we discovered an insect nearly corresponding in character with it, in the collection of Mr. Drury, and which we presume is the B. ignita, or at least a variety of it. It has not the brilliance of colours that so eminently distinguishes B. vittata, but in form and size it agrees with it. The only figure of that species is given by Olivier, from a specimen formerly in the cabinet of Gigot d'Orcy, of Paris. We have exa∣mined the specimen in the cabinet of Sir J. Banks, referred to by Fabricius as B. vittata, and find the figure in Sulzer is of that species, as well as the specimen we have represented.

Fabricius has given as a part of the specific distinction of these insects, that B. ignita has three spines at the end of each wing case, or elytron, and B. vittata no more than two. This may form a sufficient cha∣racteristic in those species; but we must remark, that it is not so in Buprestis ocellata. We have two speci∣mens that have two spines at the end of each elytron, and another with three, as Fabricius has described it. We also find several insects nearly allied to B. vittata, the stripe of gold on each side excepted; one of these has six teeth, another four teeth, and a third only two.

The Buprestides are supposed, for the most part, to undergo their transformations in the water, or marshy ground.

Canna Indica.—Indian flowering Reed.

This plant is common in China, and is found also in most other parts of Asia, Africa, and America. In our climate it requires to be placed in the stove, where it produces an abundant succession of flowers throughout the summer. It bears a berry which is perfecty hard and round, of a black colour, and highly polished. It is called Indian Shot.

Notes

• x

  A pair of slippers embroidered with little pieces of the wing cases of this insect is preserved in the Leverian Museum
• y

  Vol. 1. part 2. p. 186. 5.
• z

  Vol. 1. part 2. p. 192. 28.