CLE'PTICUS, a genus of Fishes, belonging to the section A can thopterygii and family Labrider. C. yenizara is the only species, and is from the Antilles. It has the following generic characters : Bead obtuse; mouth protractile ; teeth minute, barely perceptible to the touch ; body elongate, lateral line uninterrupted ; dorsal and anal fins covered with scales nearly to their outer margins.
CLE'RIDtE (Tillidce, Leach), a family of Coleopterous Insects of the section llialacodermi. It has the following characters :—Palpi generally clavate ' • mandibles dentated internally ; penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobate ; • antennae more or less serrated or terminated by a club; body generally cylindrical and pubescent ; head and thorax narrower than the abdomen ; eyes emarginated. Most of these insects are found on flowers and some on old trees. The larvae of those which are known are carnivorous.
The principal genera included in this family are—Cylindrus, Till us, Priocera, Arina, Eurypus, Thanasimus, Opilur, Clerus, Necrobia, and L'noplium.
Uterus is thus characterised :—Maxillary palpi with the terminal joint thicker than the rest, compressed, broadest at the apex, and truncated ; labial palpi with the terminal joint securiform ; antennae with the basal joint rather long, the seven following short, the three terminal joints forming a compressed knob of the form of a reversed triangle ; tarsi exhibiting only four distinct joints.
Two species of this beautiful genus (C. apiarius and C. alrearius) are natives of this country, but they are here of rare occurrence, though in Germany, France, and Italy they are common, and are found on the flowers of umbelliferous plants.
C. apiarius varies from one-half to two-thirds of an inch in length, and is very thickly covered with hairs ; it is blue; the elytra are red, and have three blue fasciae, one of which is at the apex.
The larva of this species feeds upon those of the common hive-bee, and is sometimes very destructive to hives.
C. alrearius very much resembles the species just described, differ ing chiefly in having a blue spot in the region of the scutellum in addition to the three blue fasciae on the elytra; its larva feed upon those of the mason-bees.