CICINDELA, the SPARKLER, in zoology, a genus of insects belonging to the order of coleoptera. The antennæ are setaceous; the jaws are prominent, and furnished with teeth; the eyes are a little prominent; and the breast is roundish and margined. There are 14 species. The campestris, or field-sparkler, is one of the most beautiful of the genus. The upper part of its body is of a fine green colour, rough, and rather bluish. The under side, as also the legs and antennæ, are of a shot colour, gold and red, of a copperish cast. The eyes are very prominent, and give the head a broad appearance. The thorax is angular, and narrower than the head; which constitutes the character of the cicindela. It is rough, and of a green colour tinged with gold, as well as the head. The elytra are delicately and irregularly dotted. Each of them has six white spots, viz. one on the top of the elytrum, at its outward angle; three more along the outward edge, of which the middlemost forms a kind of lunula; a fifth, on the middle of the elytra, opposite the lunula; and that one is broader, and tolerably round; lastly, a sixth, at the extremity of the elytra. There is also sometimes seen a black spot on the middle of each elytrum, opposite to the second white spot. The upper lip is also white, as is the upper side of the jaws, which are very prominent and sharp. This insect runs with great swiftness, and flies easily. It is found in dry sandy places, especially in the beginning of spring. In the same places its larva is met with, which resembles a long, soft, whitish worm, armed with six legs, and a brown scaly head. It makes a perpendicular round hole in the ground, and keeps its head at the entrance of the hole to catch the insects that fall into it; a spot of ground is sometimes entirely perforated in this manner. The insects belonging to this genus are in general very beautiful, and merit the attention of the curious in their microscopic observations; some are minute, though not inferior in splendor, therefore best suited for the amusement. Living subjects are ever preferable to dead ones. The larvæ of all this genus
are under ground; and are, as well as the perfect insects, tigers in their nature, attacking and devouring, can overcome.