286 Rev. F. W. Hope on the XLI. Blonograph on the Genus Campsosternus of Latreille. By the Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., &c. [Read 2d August, 1841.] Latreille, in the " Annales" of the Entomological Society of France, first separated Elater fulgens of Fabricius from other Elatcrklce, and applied to it the name of Campsostermis. He appears to have been unacquainted with other species, as no men-tion is made of them, and from his short published characters it might almost be inferred that he hesitated in detaching it from the magazine genus Liidius, unless, perhaps, he intended at a future time more fully to detail them. Of late years our acquaintance with the East Indian forms of insects has greatly increased, and amongst the numerous additions to the Coleoptera of that mag-nificent continent, some Elaters closely allied to fulgens of Fa-bricius have enriched our collections. In my late visit to Paris I observed some undescribed species, and possessing several others of great beauty and metallic splendour, I now describe and submit them to the notice of the Entomological Society. Elater contrasted with Buprestts can scarcely pretend to vie with the latter family in metallic splendour, or in the various colouring of the species ; in magnitude, however, Tetralobus surpasses the former. With regard to the distribution of the species of Camp-sosternus, it appears to be altogether an Oriental genus, and is confined almost to China, the East Indies, and the neighbouring islands. In the present monograph fourteen species are de-scribed, and there can scarcely be a doubt that many others, closely allied to those in the following pages, will yet be discovered in the same regions. It is scarcely necessary to add, perhaps, that little is known respecting the larvee of these gigantic insects ; and it is solely with the hope of directing the attention of our English naturalists in the East to these magnificent insects, that T have taken them up at present. Any information respecting their habits is much wanted ; should they turn out upon investi-gation only half as destructive as our wireworms in Europe, their ravages would indeed produce most serious consequences. I am inclined to consider them rather as living on the vegetation of trees and shrubs, than on herbage. This point at present is not satisfactorily ascertained, and any information respecting their larviae and habits (which appear to be unknown) is much desired. In concluding these brief remarks on the genus Campsosternus, 1
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