BUPRE'STIDX, a family of Colcopterous Insects of the section Pentamera and sub-section Sternoxi (Latreille). The section Sterno.zi is composed of two great groups or families, Baprestides and Elatcrides: the species of the former group are distinguished from the latter principally in having the tarsi dilated (the penultimate joints of which are bilobed) and furnished beneath with velvet-liko pellets; the thorax nearly straight behind, and the mandibles entire, that is, without any notches internally near the apex; and likewise in having the terminal joints of the palpi cylindrical, or nearly so.
The form of the body in the Buprest ides is somewhat ovate, the apex of the elytra being more or leas pointed, and the base of the thorax of nearly equal width with that of tho elytra ; the head is placed almost vertically, and is deeply inserted into the thorax, so that the eyes nearly come in contact with that part.
In splendour of colouring this family of insects surpasses all others among the Beetle, Tribe, the Cetoniathe perhaps excepted. Green appears to be the most frequent colour, hut shades of blue, red, golden or copper-liko hue are not uncommon, and these colours are in most cases brilliant, or as it were burnished.
The Btiprestidte are found on the trunks and leaves of trees, and likewise on flowers (on the latter more particularly the smaller species), when touched, or frequently oven when approached, they apply their legs and autennte close to the body, and allow them selves to fall to the ground, a means of escape frequently practised by insects; they crawl slowly, but in hot sunny weather are frequently on the wing, and flv rapidly.
About 600 species have been discovered belonging to this tribe, which are for the moat part from the tropics. In this country about 20 species have been found at large, of these however several have most probably been imported with timber in which their larva) feed.
The genus Beprestis, which is now only restricted to a few of the species of this family, is distinguished principally by the following characters :—Antentim serrated from the third or fourth joint to the apex ; lnbrum attenuated and slightly °marginated anteriorly; scu tellum distinct; body nearly ovate.
The elytra of this genus have been found fossil at Stoneafield.