WEKlRBY ONE SHILLING fc£T THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID THE YOUNG COLLECTOR. BRITISH BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS AND BEETLES. BY W. F. KIRBY, Of the Zoological Department, British Museum', Author of "An Elementary Text Book of Entomology," "European Butterflies and Moths" etc., etc. LONDON : W. SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., PATERNOSTER SQUARE. 1885. Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Priutiug Works, Frome, and London. 8u M3GS952 Phasgonura Viridissima. [Face p. 3- THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. ENTOMOLOGY, or the Science of Insects, concerns a great num- ber of living creatures, some of which we see around us every day of our lives. They are far more numerous than any other group of animals, for about 12,000 different kinds are known to inhabit England, although the smaller and less attractive groups are very insufficiently known at present ; and at least twenty times this number are known to be found in other parts of the world. But in order to obtain a general knowledge of British insects, it is by no means necessary to make yourself acquainted with every one of these 12,000 species; for they have been divided into sections, so that each individual species can be identified and its resemblances to those most like itself perceived, and its differences pointed out. When you have acquired a general idea of the various sections of insects, you can then select the group which you like best, and confine your attention to it ; but most people, when they begin to collect insects, collect everything which comes in their way, until they have formed this special preference. Naturalists have begun by dividing the various objects which we see around us into the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms. The Animal Kingdom is again divided into several large sections called Sub-Kingdoms, to one of which, called- variously Arthropoda, Annulosa, or Articulata, insects belong. The Arthropoda have no internal framework of bones, like vertebrate animals, but their bodies and limbs are formed of a number of jointed pieces, of a bony or horny consistence, to which the muscles are attached on the inside. This outer cover- ing forms what is called their external skeleton, and its strength and solidity is such that their activity and bodily powers are frequently far greater in proportion to their size than in any vertebrate animal. The Arthropoda are again divided into four principal classes : Crustacea, including Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimps, Wood-lice, etc. ; Myriopoda, or Centipedes ; Arachnida, or Spiders, Ticks, and Mites ; and Insecta, or Insects. We need not now discuss the 4 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. characters of the three first classes, as the Insects are separated from them by a great number of characters. Insects have six legs in the perfect state, and no more ; four (or two) wings, two eyes, composed of a great number of facets, and sometimes one, two, or three eyes of another kind, called simple eyes, or stemmata, on the tip of the head. Their body is composed of thirteen segments, divided into head, thorax, and abdomen. They have neither heart, brain, nor nervous system at all resembling those of the higher animals. The place of the heart is supplied by an organ called the great dorsal vessel, lying along the back ; and the brain and nervous system of vertebrate animals are represented by a double row of connected ganglia, or knots of nervous matter, lying along the lower surface of the body. They breathe by means of spiracles, or air-holes, opening on each side of the greater number of the segments of the body. The muscular system is highly developed, the muscles being far more numerous than those of vertebrate animals. Insects pass through four stages, called respectively egg, larva (or caterpillar), pupa (or chrysalis), and imago, though these are more sharply defined in some insects than in others. They also moult their skins more or less frequently in the larva state ; and although they sometimes possess more than six legs in this state (and occasionally none at all), yet the larvae of insects are not generally liable to be mistaken for any other animals. We have spoken of the thirteen segments of which the body of an insect is composed ; the first forms the head, the second to the fourth the thorax, and the remainder the abdomen. These thirteen segments (except occasionally one or two of the terminal segments) are generally distinct in larvae, but become more or less welded together in the perfect insect, in which, however, the three divisions of head, thorax, and abdomen are always dis- tinctly visible, and are much more clearly defined than in the larva state. The head contains the organs of sense, and the mouth. In addition to the eyes, there is always a pair of long jointed organs called antennae, which appear to be organs of touch, smell, and probably of hearing. After the loss of these organs, an insect becomes wholly incapable of directing its flight. The antennae differ very much in shape in different insects, and are called simple, pectinated, lamellated, clavate, etc., accordingly. Sometimes they are straight ; sometimes sharply angulated in the middle ; sometimes smooth ; sometimes hairy ; and often furnished with long projections, giving them the- appearance of a •T&E ORDERS OF INSECTS. 5 comb, or of the feather of a bird. Sometimes they are tapering at the end ; sometimes knobbed ; and sometimes, again, they have a series of long processes near the end, opening and closing at pleasure, almost like a fan. The mouth of insects is formed either for biting or for suction. Those which have horny jaws are called mandibulate insects {Insecta Mandibulata), and those which are provided with a pro- boscis to imbibe liquid food are called haustellate insects (Insecta Hanstellata). Most of the latter, however, are mandibulate in the larva state, and many mandibulate insects are likewise provided with a proboscis. The three segments of the thorax are called the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax respectively. The first bears on the under surface the first pair of legs. The second bears the first pair of wings, and the second pair of legs ; and the third bears the second pair of wings, and the third pair of legs. The under surface of the thorax is called the pectus, and the space beneath the wings the pleura. The two pairs of wings are not always alike, and when there is any difference, the first pair are always thicker and narrower. When they are much harder and thicker than the hind wings, so as to form wing-cases rather than additional organs of flight, they are called elytra. The wings are always traversed by a greater or less number of jointed air-tubes, called nervures, the arrangement of which differs con- siderably in various insects. The legs are divided into several parts. First come the coxce, or hips, which are generally the thickest parts of the leg ; next a connecting joint, called the trochanter ; after which follow two straight parts, called femora, or thighs, and tibiae, or shanks, respectively. Below these comes the foot, which is composed of five joints, called joints of the tarsi, and terminating in a pair of claws ; but in many insects, the claws, or even one or more of the joints of the tarsi them- selves, are undeveloped. The point of intersection of the femur and tibia is called the knee ; and the knees, like the trochanters, are occasionally of a different colour to the rest of the leg. The legs, like the rest of the body, may be smooth, or clothed with hairs, or spines ; there are often a pair of long spurs at the end of the tibiae, and sometimes also in the middle. In many insects, the abdomen is completely covered by the wings when the insect is at rest ; while in other cases, it projects far beyond them. Its latter extremity is often furnished with a variety of curious appendages, which are either directly or indirectly defensive or offensive weapons, or connected with the reproduction of the species, and oviposition. £ THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. Insects differ very much in size ; the smallest insect known is said to be a four-winged fly, the larva of which lives in the egg of a parasite of a North American bee. This little creature has beautifully formed wings, each of which resembles a single feather. It measures one-ninetieth of an inch in length. Al- though this is an American insect, yet we have several allied species in this country, and need not despair of ultimately meeting with a still smaller insect in England On the other hand, some of the great tropical moths and locusts measure a foot across the wings ; but we must be contented to regard the Death's Head Hawk-Moth, which sometimes measures nearly six inches across the wings, as our largest British insect. Many of our readers will perhaps think 12,000 a very large number of different kinds of insects to be found in one country ; but insects are by no means so abundant in England as in the adjacent parts of the Continent, nor are they so destructive to our crops. Islands are always poorer in plants and animals than continents ; besides, when forests are cleared, and marshes are drained, numbers of insects are destroyed, and those which are confined to such localities are very likely to become exter- minated. It is almost certain that a few centuries ago, when England was covered with marsh and forest, many insects must have been abundant which are now rarely or never met with. In fact, several different kinds are known to have become extinct in England within the memory of many entomologists now living ; and if this is the case among large and conspicuous insects, it must also have happened to many small and incon- spicuous kinds without our being even aware of it. The south- eastern counties having the finest and driest climate in the islands, as well as being those nearest the Continent, produce most species of insects. Insects are much less numerous in Scotland and Ireland than in England, though these parts of the kingdom produce some species not to be met with elsewhere in the British Islands. Although nearly all our British insects are at least as common on the Continent as with us (and often much more so), yet there are a few species and varieties, generally confined to very restricted localities, which have hitherto only been met with on this side the water. These 12,000 different kinds of insects are divided into seven large sections, called Orders. Some writers admit more, but the seven great Orders are those which are universally recog- nised, and the smaller ones are now generally treated as forming part of the others. These date from the time of Linnseus, who founded the modern system of classification, and are called Panorpa Communis. [Pace p. 6. THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. 7 Ccleoptera, OrtJwptcra, Neuroptcra, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Diplcra ; according to the general character of the wings in each Order. The first four Orders are mandibulate, and the three latter haustellate. But we must here point out that it is impossible to place insects in a linear arrangement which shall also be natural. Thus, even in the arrangement of the Orders, the Hemiptera might be placed between the OrtJwptera and Diptera; or the Lepidoptem between the Neuroptera and Diptera, just as well as in the order in which we have placed them above. The Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera are the three largest Orders, of each of which we have above three thousand representatives in Britain ; of Lepidoptera we have two thousand species ; but the three other Orders are much less numerous. The Ccleopfera, or Beetles, have hard horny wing-cases, beneath which the wings are folded like a fan, and are then doubled over, so as to fit still closer. Their larvee have six legs, and their pupoe are inactive and mummy-like, the legs of the future beetle being enclosed in separate sheaths. In some cases the perfect insect is destitute of wings and elytra, as in the female of the common glow-worm ; and in many other beetles the wings are absent, the elytra being either movable, but of course useless for flight ; or soldered together at the suture, as the line is called where the elytra meet over the back of the abdomen, but the elytra of beetles very seldom overlap. We will proceed to enumerate a few of the commoner and more interesting beetles. The Cicindelidce, or Tiger Beetles, are handsome, bright- coloured beetles, with large heads and strong jaws, which run and fly actively in the sunshine. The common Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela Campestris) is green, with white markings, and is veiy abundant in many places. It feeds on other insects, and its larva is also carnivorous, forming a burrow in the sand, something like an Ant-lion, which is the name given to the larvse of a family of the Order Neuroptera, a few species of which are found on the Continent, but which has no representative in this country. The Green Tiger Beetle is about half an inch in length. The Carabida, or Ground Beetles, are also carnivorous. Several species of the typical genus Carabus are common, and may be seen running on paths or by the side of walls, especially in the morning and evening. They are oval beetles, about an inch long, and are of dark colours, with purplish, greenish, or brassy shades. They have movable elytra, but no wings. Many smaller species of ground beetles may be noticed in 8 TItE ORDERS OF INSECTS. similar situations, most of them being black or greenish, often with bronzy reflections. One section frequents marshes, and a Ground Beetle (Carabus Violaceus), natural size. few small species are found on the seashore at low-water mark, thus being among the veiy few insects which may be looked upon as marine. Dytlscus Marginalis (Male), natural size. Although so few insects inhabit the sea, great numbers are found in fresh water, especially in their earlier stages ; but two or three families of beetles are more or less aquatic in all their THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. $ stages. The species of Dytiscus are large, broad, flattish beetles, found in fresh water, and are of a brown or olive colour, with yellowish borders. They are veiy voracious, feeding on Dytiscus Marginalis (Female), natural size. smaller insects, and sometimes on small fish. They fly strongly, and in the evening often quit the water and fly to long distances. Many smaller species of Dytiscida inhabit our ponds and streams ; but the most interesting of the smaller water beetles are the Gyrimdce, or Whirligig Beetles, little black beetles with very long fore legs, which may often be seen rapidly circling about on the surface of the water. The great group of Staphylinidce may be known by their very Devil's Coach-Horse (OcyJ>its Oletts), natural size. short elytra, which gives them a superficial resemblance to an earwig without the forceps. They may be found among all kinds of animal and vegetable refuse, though some are also met io THE ORDERS OF INSP1CTS. with on flowers. Some species inhabit the nests of ants, to which they often bear a superficial resemblance themselves. One of the largest and best known of the Staphylinidce is the Devil's Coach-Horse, a large black insect with powerful jaws, and very rapacious. If alarmed, it lifts up its head and tail, and it is capable of inflicting a severe bite, which may be dangerous if the insect has lately been feeding on any putrid substance. The species of Necrophorus (Burying Beetles) are black, with red markings on the elytra. They feed on carrion ; and if they meet with a mouse or bird, they dig a hole under it, and gradually pull and stamp it down into the ground, covering it up with earth. The female is buried with the carrion, in which she deposits her eggs, and then makes her way up to the surface of the ground again. Hister is a genus of small round beetles, of a shining black colour, with red spots. Their antennae are clubbed at the tip, as is likewise the case in Necrophorus. Some smaller beetles allied to this, but of a more oval shape, belonging to the family Dermestidcc^ are exceedingly destructive to hams, skins, and other dried animal products, Dermestes Lardarius and Anthrenus Musaorum having received their names from their food, or the localities in which they are found. The largest water beetle found in England is Hydrous Piceus, which is half as long again as a Dytiscus. It is of a shining black colour, and is more convex and narrower than Dytiscus. The Scarab(zid(Z, or Chafers, may be known by their short antennog, the terminal parts of which are expanded into broad flat layers, which the insect can open or shut like a fan. All the species feed either on plants or on the dung of animals. They are large, broad, heavily formed insects, though some are very active on the wing. The Rose Chafer (Cetonia Auratd) is a bright green beetle, with whitish markings on the elytra. It measures rather more than half an inch in length, and is nearly as broad. It is often found nestling in roses, whence it derives its name, but is just as frequently found upon thistle, elder, and other flowers. The Cockchafer (Melolontha Vulgaris] is a larger insect. Its larva feeds on the roots of plants, and is often very destructive to grass-fields, whereas the perfect insect is equally destructive to trees. The Cockchafer is brown, dusted with white in the male, and the under surface is banded with black and white. Several smaller species are similarly destructive to plants, one of which (Phyllopcrtha Horticola) is called the "Buckwheat Beetle " in Germany, where it swarms on the flowers of that plant. But it is equally common and very destructive in THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. it England also. It is about half the size of the Cockchafer, and has brown elytra, \nd a bronzy-green head and thorax. Shak- speare's " shard-horn beetles, with their drowsy hum " belong to the genus Geotrupcs. They are black beetles, about the size and \ Gcotrufcs Stcrcorarius, natural size. shape of a Cockchafer, and fly about in the evening. They are black above and purple below, and feed on dung, as do likewise the little beetles of the genus Aphodius> which resemble very small Cockchafers in appearance, and are often to be seen flying over dung, even on dusty roads. The Stag Beetle is our largest British beetle, measuring nearly two inches in length in large specimens, but it varies considerably Click Beetle (Elatcr Sat/guincus), natural size. in size. It is remarkable for the enormous size of the jaws of the male. The larva feeds on the wood of trees, and the perfect insect on the sap. The Elatcrida are long, narrow beetles, with hard wing-cases. 12 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. The hinder angles of the thorax are very acute, and many of the species have a habit of doubling themselves up when they fall on their backs, and jerking themselves on their legs with a click. They are therefore sometimes called " Click Beetles," and their larvae are very long, slender, and tough, and are too well known to farmers and gardeners as wire-worms. The Telephorida resemble these beetles in their shape, being rather long insects ; but they are of gayer colours, being reddish or ochreous instead, of black or bronzed, and their elytra are unusually soft for beetles. But their habits are predaceous, notwithstanding their apparently fragile structure. The Glow-worm (Lampyris Noctiluca), in which the male is a brown beetle, about half an inch long, and the female is wingless, is allied to these. The Tenebrionida and allied families may be known from all the foregoing groups by having only four joints to the hind tarsi, and five on the front and middle legs. The preceding families have five joints to the tarsi of all the legs. They may also be known by their antennae, which are moniliform, or com- posed of a number of bead-like joints. Several species are very familiar, such as the ugly, dull-black, wingless Cellar Beetles (Blaps) ; the rather narrow black beetle ( Tenebrio Cellar Beetle (Blaj>s Klortisaga), natural size. ^ the larva of which feeds on flour, etc., and is called the Meal-worm ; the large soft-bodied sluggish Oil Beetle (Mdoe\ which has no wings, and only rudimentary elytra, and which is generally found among grass ; and the beautiful green Blister Beetle (Cantharis Vesicatoria}, which is found on ash-trees, but which is rare in this country. The great group of Curculionid<£, or Weevils, may generally be recognised at once by their heads being produced into a kind THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. 13 of long tapering snout, near the extremity of which are placed the antennae, which are often bent in the middle at a right angle. They are of all shapes, colours, and sizes, feed on dif- ferent kinds of plants, and are sometimes very destructive. The Nut-Weevil is a familiar example ; the larva is abundant Nut-Weevil {Balaninus Afucioii), magnified. in nuts, and the perfect insect is a small brown beetle. In these, and several of the following families, the feet have only four joints to the tarsi. Musk Beetle (Aromia Moschata), natural size. The Long-horn Beetles ( Cerambyddtz] may be recognised by their very long antennae. The commonest is the Musk Beetle, 14 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. a green beetle about an inch long, which is found on the trunks of willow-trees, and emits a peculiar but agreeable odour. The larvae of the Cerambyddce feed for the most part on the wood of trees. The Chrysomelida, or Golden-apple Beetles, are generally of a bright green or coppery colour, and are found, often gregari- ously, on the plants on which they feed. The Bloody-nose Beetle (Timarcha Lcevigata), which is the largest British species, measures about half an inch in length, and is black, instead of green. It is of a roundish form, and very sluggish, and when touched it emits a reddish fluid ; whence its popular name. The Halticida are smaller beetles, which possess the power of leaping. The destructive Turnip Fly (Haltica Nemorum], which is of a bronzy colour, with a yellowish stripe on each of the elytra, is the best known of this family. The CoccinettidtB) or Lady Birds, have only three joints to the Seven-spot Lady Bird (Coccinella Septempunctata), magnified. tarsi. They are generally red or yellow, spotted with black ; and are very useful insects, as their larvae fee4 on plant-lice. The Trichopterygida, the smallest known beetles, which are found among vegetable refuse, and are scarcely visible to the naked eye, are placed here by some entomologists. The Orthoptera, or Straight- winged Insects, resemble the Coleoptera in the fore wings being much narrower and of a much thicker texture than the hind wings, which are the real organs of flight. The wing-cases are not horny, as in Coleoptera, but more resemble parchment. The metamorphoses of Orthoptera are imperfect, that is, the larva, pupa, and perfect insect re- semble each other, except that the larva is destitute of wings, which are rudimentary in the pupa. The pupa is active, and there is therefore no lengthened cessation of feeding or move* ment in the life of these insects. The Orthoptera are rather poorly represented in cold coun- THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. i$ tries ; but the Order includes several common and well-known insects, as well as some of the largest and most conspicuous species that we possess. Earwig (Forficnla A urlcularia), magnified. The Earwigs (Forficulidcc} somewhat resemble Staphylinidce among the Coleoptera, from which the pincer-like processes at Cockroach (Blatta Orientals), natural size. the extremity of the body will at once distinguish them. They generally fly by night, hiding themselves in crevices during the 16 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. day. Their wings are ample, but are perfectly concealed undei the short wing-covers when not in use. They are very destruc- tive to fruit and flowers — a hollow apple, or the flowers of the dahlia, sun-flower, etc., often harbouring a considerable number. The female is said to brood over her young like a hen. The Earwig derives its name from its occasionally entering the ear — a fact which has been denied, but which is indisputable. The insect may be immediately dislodged from the ear by pouring oil into it. Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa. Vulgaris), natural siz e. The Cockroaches are also nocturnal insects. The commonest species (Blatta Orientalis] is believed to be an importation from abroad, and is generally known as the Black Beetle. This description would apply well enough to Blaps ; but as Blatta U not a beetle, nor even black (being of a reddish brown), the TttE ORDERS OF INSECTS. 17 popular name does not seem very appropriate. The eggs are laid in a single mass, being enclosed in a capsule j as is also the case with locusts. A less disagreeable insect is frequently associated with the Cockroach in town -houses — the Cricket (Acheta Domestica), which enlivens the winter evenings with its cheerful chirp. It is brown, but the Field Cricket (Acheta Campestris) is black. It is found on heaths and commons, though it is not nearly such a common insect as the House Cricket. The Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa Vulgaris) is a much larger insect, which has the front legs formed nearly like the paws of a mole. It lives in burrows in the earth, and is rarely noticed above ground. The Crickets may be distinguished from the Grasshoppers by their long antennae. The Great Green Grasshopper (Acrida Viridissimd), as it is called, is, however, really a cricket, though belonging to a different section to those mentioned in the last paragraph. It is of a bright green, the hind wings paler, and the female has an ovipositor about half as long as her body, which is rather short, although the wings expand about three inches. It is common in meadows, etc., in the south of England. The Grasshoppers, which are about an inch long, belong to the same family as the Locusts, which they greatly resemble, except in size. The Migratory Locust (Pachyteles Migratorius} is about three inches long, and the wings expand about four inches. The fore wings are mottled with grey and light brown, and the hind wings are green. Stray specimens are not un- commonly met with in England, but it does not breed in this country. The Neuroptera (Nerve-winged, or, more properly speaking, Net-winged Insects) have four wings of similar texture, not linked together by links on the borders. They are mostly carnivorous, and their metamorphosis is complete in some groups and incomplete in others. The principal insects included in this Order are the Dragon Flies, the Lace-winged Flies, the May Flies, and the Caddis Flies. The Dragon Flies are large, voracious insects, which live in the water during their earlier stages, where they undergo an imperfect metamorphosis, the pupa finally creeping out of the water, and giving birth to the perfect insect. The smaller species are generally found in the immediate neighbourhood of water ; but the larger and more active species are often found in woods and on heaths a long way from water. Libdlula Depressa is a common species, measuring about three inches in expanse, and with a short, flat body, bluish in the male and yellow in the female. The giants of the section 13 x3 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. however, belong to the genus dZschna and its allies. y£". Grandis is a large brown species, measuring four inches in length, and even more across the wings, which are deeply tinged with yellow. The small species of Agrion, etc., with their slender blue, red, and brown bodies and delicate wings, often do not measure more than an inch and a half across the wings, and are generally found resting on the leaves or stems of water-plants. Dragon Fly (Ltbelhilct Dcpressa), natural size. The Lace- winged Flies (Chrysopa) are green flies, often found among bushes, with four transparent wings, something like those of a dragon fly ; but they are much smaller, measuring about three-quarters of an inch across the wings. Their bodies are slender, and comparatively short ; and notwithstanding their beauty, they emit a very disagreeable odour. Their larvce feed on plant-lice (Aphides'). The May Flies (Ephemera} are found about running streams. They have long fore wings, about an inch and a quarter in expanse, and very short hind wings. Their tail ends in two or three long filaments, often quite as long as the body. The genus Perla, including the Stone Flies, is intermediate in appearance between the May Flies and the Caddis Flies. The hind wings are nearly as long as the fore wings, the antennae are long, the body rather broad and flattened, and the abdomen THE ORDERS OP itiSECTS. ig terminates in two long filaments. The larva is found under stones in rivers. The Caddis Flies are sometimes formed into a separate Order, called Trichoptera,) or Hairy-winged Insects. They are of different sizes, up to about two inches across the wings. Phry- ganea Grandis is the largest and one of the commonest species. They much resemble brown moths with rather narrow wings, which are clothed with hairs instead of scales, and their mouth is very imperfectly developed. Their larvoe live in water, where they form cases for themselves composed of bits of stick, stone, small shells, or any other material suitable for the purpose, which they can lay their hands on. They assume the pupa state in these cases, sometimes forming a slight cocoon. Stone Fly (Perla Bicaudata), natural size. The Order Hymenoptera has four transparent wings, which are generally small in comparison with the size of the body. The fore and hind wings are linked together by a series of minute hooks on the borders. The female is always provided with a powerful ovipositor, which is frequently modified into a sting. The principal groups included in this Order are the Saw Flies, the Gall Flies, the Ichneumons, the Ruby-Tails, and the Ants, Wasps, and Bees. The Saw Flies (Tenthredinidce} derive their name from the boring apparatus of the female being modified into a pair of saws, which are used to cut a crevice in the bark or leaves of plants to receive the eggs. These eggs produce larvce resembling those of Lepidoptera, but with from eighteen to twenty-two legs, whereas Lepidopterous larvce never have more than sixteen. The best known species is the Gooseberry Fly (Nematus Ribesii}, a yellow, four-winged fly, more or less spotted with 20 -THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. black on the back, and measuring about half an inch in length. Its gregarious larvae soon strip the gooseberry and currant bushes of their leaves, when they once get a footing in a garden. The Gall Flies (Cyntpidce) are very small four-winged flies, which deposit their eggs in a somewhat similar manner under the cuticle of plants, and more especially on the oak. The puncture gives rise to an excrescence in which the larva lives and grows. These larvae, however, are greatly infested with parasites, and you may sometimes rear several different species of small parasitic Hymenoptera from a gall, without the real owner being one of the party. The Ichneumonida are a very large group of parasitic insects. Many of them puncture the bodies of caterpillars, and deposit an egg in each wound. The ichneumon larvae, when hatched, devour the caterpillar alive, until it is full grown, or assumes the pupa state, when the larvae quit the body of their victim, \ Ichneumon Fly (Plmpla Turlonellce), Magnified. frequently forming their cocoons around it. The Ichneumon Flies are often gaily coloured, with black and yellow mark- ings. They are slender, elegantly formed insects, with long antennae, and often a long ovipositor, which is sometimes formed of two or three filaments. There are several groups of Hymen- optera besides the Ichneumons proper which are parasites. Among these are the smallest of all, the Proctotrupidtz^ or egg- parasites, to which we have already alluded. THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. at The Ants, Bees, and Wasps frequently live in large communi- ties, in which case they are the most intelligent of all insects. The work of the nests is accomplished by undeveloped females, called neuters, which form the bulk of the community. In ants, the neuters are wingless, and the males and females only acquire wings for their "marriage flight," after which the males perish, and the few females which escape the pursuit of their numerous enemies, either return to established nests, or become the foundresses of new colonies. Ants are far more nu- merous and annoying in hot climates than with us ; but the so- called "White Ants," or Termites, which have very similar habits, but are still more destructive, though happily not British, belong to the Order Ncuroptera. Several of our British ants form nests in woods, fields, or gardens, and one little yellow ant {Myrmica Domestica) is common in houses, where it is some- times very annoying from its numbers. Like nearly all our noxious insects, it is an importation from abroad, and was almost unknown fifty years ago. It is believed to be a Brazilian species, Red Ant (Myrmica Rubra), Male, Magnified. which was first imported into the United States, and thence to England. Outdoor ants are very fond of the sweet substance, called honey-dew, which exudes from the bodies of Aphides, or plant-lice. These they sometimes keep in their nests, some- times tend on the plants where they feed, and sometimes even superintend their breeding. Many other insects are looked after by ants in a similar manner, or are found in their nests ; and it is no exaggeration to say that ants possess a much greater variety of domestic animals than ourselves. Concerning the metamor- phoses of ants, I will only say here that they are most assiduous 22 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. in their attentions to their progeny, and that the so-called "ant- eggs " are not really eggs, but pupce, which the ants expose to the proper amount of sun and air required for their develop- ment. The solitary wasps and bees form nests in loose earth, or sometimes in decaying wood, differently constructed according to the species, and provisioned by the bees with honey, and by the wasps with caterpillars or other insects, which they sting in such a manner as to disable without killing them, so that a store of fresh provisions is always ready for the young larvae when they hatch. In the Humble Bees (Bomfais) we already find small communi- ties, consisting of perhaps a hundred individuals living together. There are no neuters among them, but the females differ very much in size, some being twice as large as others. The Social Wasps belong to the genus Vespa, the species of which are all yellow with black markings, and are very similar to each other. They make their nests of a material resembling paper, either in the ground, under the eaves of a house, or sus- pended to the branch of a tree. The largest species, the Hornet \Vespa Crabro], generally forms its nest in a hollow tree. It is about twice the size of the other wasps, but much less common in most parts of this country, and its nests are much less popu- lous. Although, unlike bees, there are always many females in wasps' nests, yet every colony is founded by a single female which has survived the winter. Having constructed the beginning of a nest by herself, she continues her labours until she is joined by her progeny ; and the whole colony works together to procure provisions and tend the young, until winter sets in. Then the wasps massacre the still immature larvae and pupae in the nest ; and are themselves speedily killed by the increasing cold. A few females only survive the winter in a torpid state, to form fresh colonies next year. All the wasps which we see flying about in early spring are therefore females, each of which will soon found a new colony ; and if we wish to diminish their numbers in summer, we can do so most effectually by destroying these wasps in spring. The common Honey Bee or Hive Bee (Apis Mellificd) is scarcely to be considered wild, and has been introduced into every part of the world. A hive of bees contains one female, or queen bee ; 200 or 300 males, or drones ; and a large number of neuters, or workers, whose office it is to tend the larvae and pupae, construct the combs, and provide food for the com- THE ORDEXS OF INSECTS. 23 munity. The queen cannot bear a rival ; and whenever a queen bee emerges from the pupa, a mortal combat ensues, the sur' vivor becoming queen of the hive. But in spring, when the hive becomes overcrowded, it generally happens that the old queen and several of her successors rush out of the hive in a huff, attended by a numerous escort ; and these become the founders of a new hive. This is called " swarming." The Lepidoptera, or Scale-winged Insects, include the Butter- flies and Moths. They have four wings, clothed with a fine dust which rubs off on the fingers, and which we find, under the microscope, to be composed of elegantly formed scales. They are classified primarily by differences in the structure of their legs, wings, and antennae. Butterflies fly by day, and have ample, gaily coloured wings, and a more or less abrupt knob at the end of their antennae. Many butterflies have the front legs more or less aborted, and useless for walking. As examples, we may mention the Meadow Brown (Epinephile Janira), a brown butterfly common in fields in summer, which has an eye-like spot near the tip of the fore wings, surrounded with fulvous in the female ; the Small Tortoiseshell (Vanessa Urtica?)> a reddish butterfly, with black spots on the fore wings, and a black border Small Tortoiseshell (Vanessa Urticaf}^ natural size. spotted with blue round all the wings ; and the Fritillaries, which are fulvous butterflies spotted with black, and generally with silvery spots on the under side of the hind wings. All these are rather large butterflies, measuring an inch and a half or more across the wings ; some of the larger Fritillaries ex- pand nearly three inches. Our most delicately formed butterflies, the Small Blue and Copper Butterflies, which we see flitting about over flowers in waste places, only measure about an inch across 24 THE ORDERS OF INSECTS. the wings. They are particularly abundant in chalky localities ; and, notwithstanding their small size, are very pugnacious, often Small Copper (Lyceena Phlceas), natural size. driving other insects away when they approach the flower on which they are resting. The Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx Rhamni], which is of a sulphur-yellow colour, as its name implies, is very common in woods in England, though almost unknown in Scotland or Ireland ; it appears very early in the spring, and is to be found Large White Butterfly (Pierls Brassicce), natural size. through a great part of the year. It has an angular projection on each wing, and thus differs from its allies, the White Cabbage Butterflies (Pieris), three species of which are common in our gardens, where their caterpillars feed on cabbage, etc. The Skippers are small butterflies, about an inch in expanse. They have rather thick bodies, large heads, and a rapid but somewhat irregular flight. Most of the species are brown with fulvous markings, but the Grizzled Skipper (Hesperia Malv. 38. HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 39 plied, frequent grass, flowers, and trees ; and others, again, Veed on dung and other decaying substances. Many beetles fly little, and most of those which do have a heavy flight, and are very easy to capture. Having collected your beetles, you have next to set them, and it is always better to do so as soon as possible after they are killed ; but if they have become too stiff, or if you are unable to set them immediately, they should be dropped into a jar half filled with chopped laurel, which must not be allowed to get mouldy. Those in spirit will keep for some time, but it is always better to set everything as soon as possible. Large beetles must be pinned through the right wing-case, and their legs and antennae spread out and kept in as natural a position as possible by means of pins, which must not be thrust through any part of the insect, but merely used to fix the limbs in position. Common pins are too thick and stiff for entomological use ; but proper insect pins can be purchased of any dealer in objects of natural history. It is not customary to spread the wings of beetles. Smaller beetles may be gummed on cards, their limbs arranged in a natural position, and left to dry. The gum used is prepared of gum tragacanth, to which a little gum arable and acetic acid has been added. It is better to rule cards into sections of equal shape and size, and to mount a beetle on each ; they can then be cut up afterwards. The cards used in England are cut into an oblong form, but those employed on the Continent are long and pointed, the beetle being often mounted at the very tip. The former method has the neatest appearance in the cabinet. The boxes used to keep insects in are generally made double, like a backgammon board, and are lined top and bottom with cork. A little camphor or solid naphthaline must be kept in each box, to drive away mites. The collector will find it useful to keep some record of his captures, and the shortest way is to write a reference number beneath each card, or to stick a small ticket on the pin bearing a date corre- sponding with the entries in his journal, thus i885> 7, 10 (July 10, 1885). This arrangement secures the utmost brevity, with perfect facility of reference ; for next year you will begin again in the same way, and thus avoid a long row of figures. But now, having got together the nucleus of a collection of British beetles, how are you to begin to classify them ? We have about 3,000 different kinds of beetles in this country, and at first sight it would seem to be a hopeless task to set about finding the name of any particular beetle ; yet, as everything known about beetles is registered according to the name of each, 40 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S we shall never be able to make any practical advance in our knowledge of the subject, unless we are able, not indeed to name every specimen offhand (for this is scarcely within the power of the most experienced Coleopterist), but at least to assign it to its place in the system with approximate accuracy. First of all, how do we ascertain that our insect is really a beetle ? Beetles belong to the Order Coleoptera, or case- winged insects. They have four wings, like most other insects ; but the two first are modified into stiff wing-covers called elytra, which protect the delicate transparent under-wings, when these are not in use, and serve rather as poisers than as locomotive organs during flight. The elytra are generally hard and horny, though sometimes of a leathery consistency, but always much stouter in texture than the lower wings. They almost always meet down the middle of the back in a straight suture. In some families, especially in the Staphylinidce and allied families, which are often called Drachelytra on that account, they are very short, leaving the greater part of the abdomen exposed. In some wingless beetles the elytra are present and movable, and in others they are soldered together ; while in a few instances, as in the female of the common glow-worm, both wings and elytra are absent. The character of the wings at once separates the Coleoptera from all orders of insects except the Orthoptera and the Hemip- tera; but the last have a strong proboscis for imbibing their food, whereas the Coleoptera are provided with mandibles for biting. There remains the Orthoptera; but in these insects, the tegmina, as their wing-cases are called, differ much less from the lower wings ; they are generally more 01 less veined, and often overlap each other, in all which characters they differ from Coleoptera ; besides, the Orthoptera have imperfect metamorphoses — that is, the stages of larva, pupa, and perfect insect are not sharply defined ; but in Coleoptera the metamorphosis is complete, and a beetle passes through the four stages of egg, larva, pupa, and imago, or perfect beetle. The larvae of beetles are white maggots, with a hard head, and sex legs, and the pupa is inactive ; but the cases which enclose the various parts of the perfect insect are much more clearly visible than in the pupae of Lepidoptera. Before proceeding to give a short sketch of the principal sections into which the great Order Coleoptera has been divided by Entomologists, it will be necessary to notice a few more points in the structure of beetles. Their bodies are divided, like those of other insects, into three principal portions ; viz. , head, thorax, and abdomen. The most important parts of the head are the HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. eyes, the antennse, and the mouth. There are two large com- pound eyes, one on each side of the head ; and two additional simple eyes, or ocelli, are occasionally present, placed on the top of the head. The antennse, or feelers, which are long, jointed organs, are very important in classification, as they differ very much in structure in different families. They may be filiform, or thread- like ; moniliform, or bead-like ; pectinate, or feathery ; clavate, or knobbed at the tip ; lamellate, or furnished with a series of broad layers at the end opening out like a fan, etc. The mouth is composed of a variety of organs, which cannot here be described in detail; but we may mention the mandibles, crupper jaws, the maxillae, or lower jaws, the labrum and labium, or upper and lower lip respectively, and the mentum, or chin. To the maxillee and the labium are attached pairs of small feelers, called the maxillary and labial palpi respectively, and composed of only a few joints. The thorax is composed of three segments soldered together, called the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax respectively. To the lower side of each is attached a pair of legs ; the elytra are attached to the mesothorax, and the wings to the metathorax. The legs are composed of the following principal parts : the coxae, or hips ; the trochanters, or joints below the coxae ; the femora, or thighs ; the tibiee, or shanks ; and the tarsi, or feet. The tarsi consist of from three to five joints ; five is the normal number, and the principal exceptions will be. specified. The abdomen requires little special notice here, is flattish above and convex below, and covered by the wings and elytra when these are closed. The Coleoptera are divided into a great number of families and sub- families, which are classed together into larger groups, the first of which, the Adephaga, contains the carnivorous ground-beetles, and the water-beetles of the section Hydrodephaga. The / ground-beetles, or Geodephaga, have J long slender filiform antennge, and powerful jaws. They are divided into two families, the Cicindelidce and Ccirabidtz. The Cicindelidtz, or Tiger Beetles, A are very active predaceous insects, with Tiger Beetle (Cicindela Cam* large heads and eyes, and long slender fcstris). (Mag.) In most beetles it 42 THE VOVNG COLLECTOR'S legs and antennae. The beautiful green Tiger Beetle (Cidndela Campestris) is very common in sandy places, flying or running with great agility. Its larva forms a burrow in loose earth, very much like that of an Ant-Lion. The species of Carabus are the largest of the Carabidce, several measuring an inch or more in length. They are long, oval insects, and are black, often with . violet borders, or are more or less metallic in their colouring. The metallic species vary from dull bronze to brilliant green. Their wings are rudimentary, and they come out at dusk, and prowl about in search of prey during the night, though they may some- times be found running beneath walls, or along paths dur- ing the daytime, especially in spring. Many smaller species of Carabidce, belonging to the genera Pterostichusi Harpalus, Amara, etc., are very common on paths in cornfields, and in similar localities. Many are black, bronzed, or green, while others are more brightly coloured. Although they are carnivorous, and probably de- stroy large numbers of injurious insects, yet it appears to be pretty well ascer- tained that they will sometimes attack corn; and one black species (Zabrus Gibbus), about half an inch long, is said to be very destructive to young wheat. Harpalus ^Eneus, a very common species, varies considerably in colour, but has always red legs and antennae. Many Geodephaga, and other beetles, will attempt to defend themselves by discharging a disagreeable acrid fluid when handled ; but the Bombardier Beetles (Brachinus) have a more unusual mode of defence. They are small beetles, about a quarter of an inch in length, and are found under stones. The head and thorax are reddish, and the elytra are bluish or greenish. If they are alarmed, they discharge a slightly acid fluid, which immediately Bombardier volatilizes into smoke, each discharge being accom- Bectle (Brachi- panied by a slight explosion. nus Sclopetd), Many small species belonging to the genus (Mag.) Bembidium, though not exactly aquatic insects, frequent marshy places. They are generally black or bronzy, with yellowish spots and markings. The species of Aepus are tfANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 43 very small apterous yellowish beetles, found on the seashore at low-water mark; and as they are covered by the water for several hours every day, they may fairly be regarded as true Aepus RoUnii. (Mag.) marine insects. They are sometimes accompanied by Aepo- pkihis Bonnairei, a small insect of very similar appearance and habits, but belonging to the Order Hemiptera, or Bugs The Hydradephaga, or carnivorous Water-Beetles, include the two families Dytiscida and Gyrinida. The Dytis- tidce may be known from other water beetles by their long, slender antennae, short palpi, and the structure of their legs. The front pair of legs is generally short, with the basal joints of the tarsi more or less dilated, at least in the males ; in one group (the Hydroporides) the four front tarsi are only four-jointed. The largest and some of the commonest of the Dytiscidcs belong to the typical genus Dytiscus. They are olive green, or brown, with yellowish borders to the thorax and elytra. Water-beetles^ are generally very smooth and shining, but the elytra of Dytiscus, and several Nat. Size. ( allied genera, are furrowed in the female. The Dytisci arc 44 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S very active and voracious insects, swimming about by day with the aid of their long hind legs, the tarsi of which are provided with a fringe of long hairs, and thus act as oars. These beetles will even attack and de- stroy small fisli ; and as they hybernate, they may be met with in the perfect state nearly all the year round. Their larvae are also carnivorous, and are likewise aquatic ; but the beetles leave the water in the evening, and sometimes fly to a great distance. The smaller species of Dytiscida: are generally black or green- ish, more or less marked with yellow ; Dytiscns Marginnlis. some of them are very pretty ; and while Nat. Size. (Female.) some species prefer running water, others are more often found in stagnant pools. The next family, the Gyrinidiz, Or Whirligig Beetles, includes the most curious of all our water-beetles, as well as those which most readily attract the attention of those who are not specially looking for them. They are oval, bluish- black beetles, about a quarter of an inch long, very smooth and shining, with very long front legs, and the two hinder pairs short and broad. They may be seen spinning in circles on the surface of the water through- out the summer. But the most re- markable peculiarity is in their eyes, which are completely divided in two, so that they may actually be said to have two eyes on the top of the head, and two on its lower surface, so that they can look upwards and downwards at the same time. There are very few other insects which possess so remarkable an ap- paratus. The Palpicornia are a group of beetles which some authors place here, though others place them considerably further on. They include the two families Hydrophilida and Sphceridiida, and may be known by their short, clubbed antennae, and their very long palpi, which are as long or longer than the antennae. The Whirligig Beetle (Gytinus Natator), (Mag.) HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 45 HydrophilidcB are water-beetles, and one of them, Hydrophilus Pueus, is our largest water-beetle, measuring more than an inch and a half m length, though scarcely as broad as the Dytisci ; Hydrous Caraboides is a smaller insect. Both these species are Hydrous Caraboides. (Mag.) black and shining, and are found in stagnant water. They and their larvae are carnivorous, feeding on small insects, etc., though the beetles are much less voracious than the Dytiscidir, and feed to a greater 01 less extent on vege- table as well as animal matter. The females construct a silken silvery case to contain their eggs, provided with a tube at one end, which floats on the surface of the water, the egg-case itself being fixed to some plant. The smaller beetles of this family are mostly to be found in stagnant water among the roots of plants, though some few are not strictly aquatic. Laccobius Minutus, which we have figured, a common aquatic insect, is a little round black beetle, with pale yellow legs, mouth, and antennae. The Spharidiidtz are small round black beetles, sometimes spotted with red, which live in dung and under stones ; a few species have yellowish elytra. The Brachelytra are a very extensive group, differing very much in size and habits, but easily to be recognised by their very short elytra, which leave the greater part of the abdomen 46 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S exposed ; in fact, they much resemble an earwig in shape, except the forceps. This and the succeeding groups are divided into so many families that our limits will only permit us to mention some of the most important. Many of the species of Brachely- tra are black, often with a bluish or greenish reflection, but others have the elytra, or their whole bodies, reddish or yel- lowish. The Akocharidcs are a very large family, including many small species, which are found under stones and bark, in marshy places among rushes, in fungi, under dead leaves, etc. Many species are found in or near ants' nests, and we have figured Myrmedonia Collaris in illustration, though it is not a very common species. It is a small insect, about one-sixth of an inch in length, and is black, with the thorax and abdo- men, except the tip, black. What relation the beetles which Myrmedonia Collaris. VelleinsDilatahts. (Mag.) Nat. Size. inhabit ants' nests bear" to the ants, is not certainly known ; but it is probable that they are employed in some manner as domestic animals. Velldus Dilatatus, which we have figured as a representative of the Quediida, is a black insect, about three-quarters of an inch in length, with reddish-brown antennae. It is nowhere common, but is generally met with in hornets' nests, though found occasionally in the hollows of rotten trees where no hornets are present ; its larva has some resemblance to that of the hornet. The largest of the Brachelytra is a large black beetle, popu- larly called the Devil's Coach Horse (Ocyfus Olens). It often HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 47 exceeds an inch in length, and feeds on dung or carrion. It runs about on roads, etc., by day, and, if touched, turns up its head and tail. It is armed with powerful jaws, and emits a very un- pleasant smell. This insect belongs to the family Stapkyltnitfa, and is common everywhere. The Clavicornia are a rather extensive group, with clubbed antennae, but their palpi are much shorter than in the Palpi- cornia^ which some writers include in the present family. The Necrophorida, or Burying Beetles, are black beetles, generally with transverse orange bands. They measure from half an inch to an inch in length, and the elytra are too short to reach to the extremity of the abdomen. They generally hunt in pairs, and if they find a dead mouse or bird, they carefully bury it by *~ -* digging away the earth beneath, and pulling f j and stamping it down. After working for a Burying Beetle day or two, with occasional intervals of rest, (Necrophorus Rns- the male finally buries his mate with the car- /•*"*• Nat- Slze- case, in which she deposits her eggs, and then makes her way to the surface again. The Silphida are smaller and rounder insects, which likewise feed on carrion, and measure about half an inch in length. They are generally black, often with raised ridges on the elytra ; but in Silpha Thoracica the thorax is reddish, and S. Quadripunctata has yellowish elytra, with two round black spots on each side. The largest species, S. Littoralis, more resembles a Necro- phorus in shape ; it is black, with the tip of the abdomen reddish. They may often be seen running on paths by day. The Histerida are round black shining beetles, sometimes marked with red, which are found in dung, etc. Their form, and the very prominent club of the antennae, render them rather conspicuous among our smaller beetles ; they are about a quarter of an inch in length. Many of the Clavicornia live in carrion, fungi, ants' nests, under bark, or in other situations where they are not only harm- less, but useful as scavengers ,' but the Dermestida are extremely injurious to hides, furs, etc. \ the most destructive of all being Silpha Thoracica. Nat. Size. 48 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S Dermestes Lardarius, the curious hairy larvce of which will soon hollow out a ham, leaving nothing but the skin. The beetle is Dermestes Lardarins (Larva). (Mag.) Bacon Beetle {Dermestes Lardarhts). — (Mag.) Dermestes Lardartus. (Pupa.) (Mag.) black, with a broad brownish-grey band on the elytra, marked with three black spots on each side. We have now arrived at the family Lamellicornia^ which includes many of our largest and most conspicuous beetles. They derive their name from their antennae terminating in a series of flat layers, which open or close at pleasure. The largest of our British beetles is the Stag Beetle (Lucamts Cerwis), (vide frontispiece), not an uncommon insect in the south of England, where it may be found in woods, resting on or near the roots of trees. The larva feeds on wood, and the perfect insect feeds on the sap of trees, etc. ; it is said to saw off the ends of twigs with its jaws, by whirling itself round on the wing. The beetles, especially the males, differ considerably in size and in the development of the jaws ; and the female is able to give a sharper nip with her jaws than the male, although they are very small in comparison. The Sacred Beetle of the Egyptians belongs to the family ScarabcRida. We have no species in England which has the peculiar ray-like teeth round the head; but our nearest approach to it is Copris Lnnaris, a black round beetle with a broad head, and a long horn in the middle iu the male, HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. Typhaus Vulgaris, which belongs to the family Geotrupida, has also a short horn in the middle of the forehead ; the male is provided with three horns in front of the thorax, projecting for- wards, and the tibiae are strongly toothed. The typical species of Geotrupes are roundish black beetles, often purplish be- neath, which fly about heavily in the evening. They all feed on dung, like the two species last mentioned, which they much resemble, except that they have narrower heads, and no horns on the head or thorax. The Aphodiida are also dung-beetles, but are more brightly coloured, many species being reddish or yellowish, or Geotmfes Stercorariu*. black varied with these colours. They are Nat. Size. more oval, and much smaller than the other Lamellicornia^ few of the species measuring as much as half an inch in length. The species of Aphoditis are often seen flying about over roads. ^3Lgialia Arenaria, which we have figured, is a blackish insect with undeveloped wings, which frequents sandy places, and is often met with on sandhills near the sea. The Cockchafer (MelolonthaVulgaris),\.^\- cal of the family Melolonthida, is a large heavy- looking reddish-brown insect, more or less (Mag.) dusted with white ; the thorax is blackish, and the abdomen is black, with stripes of white hairs on the under surface ; the pointed tip of the abdomen projects beyond the elytra. The beetle measures rather more than an inch in length. It is one of our most destructive insects, for its white subterranean larva (which is generally found doubled up) feeds on the roots of grass, and the perfect insect feeds on the leaves of trees. Another smaller but almost equally destructive insect is the Small Cockchafer (Phyllopertha Horticola), which belongs to the family Rtttelida. It is bluish or greenish, with reddish-brown elytra, and measures less than half an inch in length. The larva feeds on the roots of plants, and the beetle feeds on flowers. It is called the Buck- wheat Beetle in Germany, where it hangs on the flowers of this plant almost in clusters. The Cetoniida, of which we have only a few species in D 50 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S Britain, are also flower-loving beetles. The commonest species is the Rose Chafer (Cetonia Aurata), a beautiful green beetle, slightly marked with white on the elytra ; the under surface is a deep golden bronze. The larva feeds on rotten wood, and the beetle, which is very active in the sunshine, is found nestling in or flying around roses and other flowers. This insect is said to be used as a specific for hydrophobia in Russia ; and the statement has been repeated so long and so frequently, that it appears to deserve more serious attention than it has yet received. The Sternoxi are rather long and narrow beetles, with hard elytra covering the whole abdomen, and with serrated or oc- casionally pectinated antennae. The two principal families are the Buprestidce and the Elateridce; in the latter the under surface of the prosternum has a projection behind, which fits into a hollow in the mesothorax. The Biiprestida are distinguished by the hinder angles of the thorax not being pointed, and by their not being able to leap. This group includes the splendid green beetles so common in the tropics, but is only represented by a few small green, blue, bronzy, or black species in England, the largest of which scarcely exceed a quarter of an inch in length. The larvae of all the on wood. The Elaferidcz, or Click Beetles, may readily be known by the hinder angles of the thorax being pointed, and by their power of jumping up, with a slight clicking noise, when laid on the back. Most of the species are black, or bronzed, or partly black and partly yellow ; Elater Sanguineus, which we have figured, is a bright scarlet insect, with a black c . , head and thorax. The beetles are commonly (Ehtter Sangni- me^ with on Bowers, etc., in the daytime ; and «««). Nat. Size, their larvae are too well known everywhere, as "wire-worms," being long and slender, with a very tough skin, and feeding on the roots of plants. The Fire Flies of South America are large species of Ela- teridce, but I am not aware that any European species emits light. The Malacoderviata are not very unlike the Elaterida in shape, but rather shorter. They have slender antennae (rarely pecti- nated), and their elytra are generally very soft and flexible, and quite unlike the hard horny elytra of most other beetles ; several of the less typical families, however, have hard integuments. HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 51 The Tehphorida are the most typical representatives of this group. The species of Telephorus are black, brown, or yellowish beetles, about half an inch long. They abound on the flowers of Umbellifene, etc., and are very rapacious, feeding on other insects. T. Fuscus is a common brown species, «^ ri with the base and front of the head, the collar, and J the edges of the abdomen reddish. *r The Lampyridai are also carnivorous, but differ Telephones from the Telephoridac^ in th« females being apterous. Fuscus. Lampyris Noctiluca (the Glow-worm) is common Nat ^ize- in many parts of England. The male is greyish-yellow, and about half an inch long ; it flies by night, and is very slightly luminous. The female is completely apterous, and may easily oe detected among the grass by its light. Drilus Flavescens is another insect which some authors class D> ilus Flavescens. (Mag.) Drilus Flavescens. (Mag.) (Male.) (Female.) with the Lampyrida, while others regard it as belonging to a separate family, Drilidto. Both sexes much resemble the cor- .^sponding sexes of the Glow-worm in appearance, but are only half the size, and are not luminous. The larva feeds on snails, and forms its pupa in the shells. Several of the smaller beetles with hard integuments which are classed with the Malacodermata, feed chiefly on wood. These belong to the genera Ptinus, Anobium, etc., and form the family Plinida. Several species are found in houses, the best known being Anobium Domesticum, a small brown beetle about one-sixth of an inch in length, which is found in timber, furni- ture, etc., and produces a slight noise as a call to its mate. Its popular name is the "Death-Watch." We have now to consider the Heteromera^ a group of beetles 52 TtiE YOVNG COLLECTORS easily recognisable by two very obvious characters. The four front tarsi are five-jointed as usual, but the hind tarsi are only four-jointed. The antennae, too, consist of a series of nearly round joints, thus resembling a string of beads. The family Blaptida only includes three British species, which are found in cellars, stables, etc. We have figured Blaps Mortisaga, which is the rarest ; but the other species, B. Mucronata and B. Similis, very much resemble it. All three are black, wingless insects, with the elytra soldered together at the suture, and im- movable. Other species of Heteromera are found in houses, such as Tenebrio Mollitor (the Meal Worm), which is a black beetle, about half an inch long, but winged, and rather long and narrow ; it belongs to the family Tenebrionida ; its larva feeds on flour, etc. The PyrochroidcB are remarkable for their bright reel or scarlet colour, although many Qf ^ Haeromgra are very dingy in appear. ance. The Meloida, or Oil Beetles, are very strange-looking insects, perfectly incapable of flight, having no wings, very short, soft elytra, and very clumsy, bloated-looking bodies. They are common in grassy places in spring, and their larvas are parasitic in the nests of bees. They are large, blue-black beetles. The Blister Beetle (Cantharis Vesica- toria), belonging to the family Cantharida, is a most brilliant green beetle, rather more than half an inch in length. It is not common in England, though sometimes met with on ash and other trees. The beetles used in medicine are brought from South Europe, where they are abundant ; and I have not seen any beetle which pre- Blister Beetle sents so brilliant an appearance as this, antharis Vesica- when the sun is shining on a tree on which tona). Nat. Size. several of them are feeding. The next group of beetles is that of the Rkynckophora, or Weevils. It is one of the most extensive, and its members may be known immediately by the head being long and pointed in front, forming a kind of beak, on each side of which the antennse HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 53 we placed, which are angulated in the middle, and clubbed at the extremity. They have only four visible joints to all the tarsi (which is likewise the case in the Longicornia and Eupodci), and their integuments are much harder than those of most other beetles. The Bmchidce are injurious to peas and beans, and we have figured the Pea Weevil as an illustration of the group. The beetles are^ black, with white pubescence, and are about one- sixth of an inch long. They appear in spring, and lay their eggs when the pod is quite young ; and when the larva is hatched, it devours the peas. The rostrum in the Bruchidce is very short, and the antennae are not angulated ; we rarely find the characters of a group exhibited in perfection by the first or last families which are included in it. The peas and beans which are infested by these insects are extremely injurious to the animals which feed upon them. Pea Weevil (Brnchus Pist). (Mag.) 7 Apion Flavipcs. (Mag. ) The Apionldce are an extensive family of small weevils, many of which do not exceed one-tenth or one-twelfth of an inch in length. They are black, blue, green, or red, with broad elytra, but no wings, and a narrow head and thorax, the former produced into a long rostrum, and the antennae inserted about the middle. They are found gregariously on various plants on which the larvae feed. Apion Flavipes, which we have figured, is black, with reddish legs ; it is found on trefoil. Rhynchites Bacchus, which belongs to the family Rhinomaceridce, is a beautiful little purple beetle, with a golden lustre ; it is about one-sixth of an inch in length. It is met with in spring on apples and sloes, devouring the buds ; and later in the year it deposits an egg Rhynchites Bacchus. (Mag.) 54 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S in the young fruit. The larva eats its way out in three or four weeks, and forms its pupa in the ground. It is, however, too scarce an insect in England to be very destructive. There are several other species of the genus, some of which injure fruit in the same way, and others feed on the leaves of various trees, sometimes rolling them together, and laying an egg in them, and sometimes injuring a young shoot till it withers, and then laying an egg in the pith. 'Balaninas Nucum (the Nut Weevil), belonging to the family Erirhinidtorhynchus .apathi. (Mag.) HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 55 once from any other beetles with four-jointed tarsi, by their usually large size and their very long antennae. Their larvae are all wood-feeding insects, but are not generally sufficiently numerous to cause much damage. The larger beetles may sometimes be found resting on the trunks of trees by day; especially near the roots ; and some of the smaller species are very active on the wing. One of the largest and commonest of our British Longicornia, belonging to the typical family CerambycidtZ) is the Musk Beetle, Aromia Moschata, which emits a strong but rather agreeable odour. It is a long green beetle, measuring an inch or more in length, with curving antennae at least as long as the body, and the sides of the thorax with a sharp angular projection. It is sometimes very common in summer on the trunks of willows, in which its larva feeds. It is not very active, and may easily be seized with the fingers, as it is quite harmless. We will now pass on to the large group of beetles called Etipoda. The majority are vegetarians, and hence the group is sometimes called Phytophaga, or Plant-feeders. They have four joints to the tarsi, like the Rhynchophora and Longicornia^ and their antennae are generally short and slender j their bodies are round or oval in shape. The Donaciida have longer antennae, legs, and bodies than most of the succeeding families, from which they likewise differ in their semi-aquatic habits. The species measure about one-third of an inch in length, and are generally bright green or 'bronzed, though some are purplish, or even black. Their larvce feed under water on the roots of water-plants, not being very particular in their choice. The beetles are fond of basking on water-plants ; the under surface of their bodies is clothed with a white down, which enables them to carry a bubble of air beneath the water when diving. The Criocerida have oval elytra, shorter and broader than in the Donaciida, and the antennae are rather short and thick. Crioceris Asparagi, which measures nearly a quarter of %n inch in length, is a common garden insect. It is of a bluish- Musk Beetle (Aromia Moschata). Nat. Size. 56 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S green, with a red thorax, and red edges to the elytra ; each elytron is also marked with three more or less confluent yellowish spots or blotches. The CryptocephalidcB and Chrysomelida include more rotund beetles, with longer antennae than Crioceris. Many are of a brilliant golden green, and are found gregariously resting on the various plants on which they feed. Some species are blue or blue-black, sometimes with a red border ; and others, again, are black. One of the most beautiful species is Chrysomela Cerealis, which is of a brilliant golden green, with a purplish lustre, and with three bands on the thorax and three on each elytra, besides the suture, of a deep blue, bordered with green. It is about one- third of an inch in length, and is found under stones in spring, and later in the year on grass and various low plants, but is not very common, though met with occasionally on the Welsh mountains. C. Banksii, a rather larger insect, of a bronzy- green colour, is very common among grass. Although it is not our intention to include notices of foreign insects in the present series of elementary handbooks, yet an exception must be made in the case of Leptinotarsa Decemlineata, the dreaded Colorado Potato Beetle, which belongs to the Chrysomelidtz. It is about one-third of an inch in length, and the elytra are marked with alternate stripes of black and dull yellow j the thorax is also yellow, with a blackish V-shaped mark in the centre, and several dark spots on each side. But a very striking peculiarity which will at once identify the insect, is its wings, which are not colourless, as in most other beetles, but red. It has proved so destructive in North America that its introduction into England is strictly forbidden, and a farmer was lately fined five pounds for this offence. The Halticida are a family of small beetles, which are too well known to the farmer, as the notorious Turnip Fly is one of their number. They are oval insects, often measuring less than one-twelfth of an inch in length, and have thickened femora, which enables them to leap almost like fleas. The species of Phyllotreta are black, generally with a yellow stripe on each elytron, and are all of similar habits, and about equally destructive to turnips, etc. The Cassidutei or Tortoise Beetles, are easily known by their flattened appearance, the thorax being developed in such a manner as to cover the head like a shield ; the legs and antennas are rather short and thick, and the beetles are very sluggish. They and their larvae feed on low plants, which they strip to HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 57 skeletons. The larvae have a curious fork-like projection behind, which curves over their bodies. Upon this they pile their excre- ments, by which they are thus always overshadowed. Most of the species are green, but some are black ; and others are red, Tortoise Beetle (Cassida Oblonga). (Mag.) with black spots. C. Oblonga is green above, with a golden band on each elytron ; the under surface is black. It is about a quarter of an inch in length, and is not an uncommon species. The Trimera, which form the last group of beetles, may be known by having only three visible joints to the tarsi. The species inhabit fungi, ants' nests, etc. ; many feed on vegetable refuse ; while others, again, are carnivorous. Most of the species have clubbed antennae, and many authors include part, at least, with the Clavicornia, in spite of the singular structure of their tarsi. The CoccinellidcZ) or Lady-birds, are small, smooth, round beetles, with red or yellow elytra, spotted with black. The commonest species is Coccinella Septempunctata, the Seven-spot Lady-bird, which has a black head and thorax, with scattered white marks, and red elytra, with three black spots on each, and one near the base on the suture. These insects and their larvae are very useful to agriculturists, as they destroy the Aphides, otherwise known as Plant-lice, Smother-flies, or Blight, which do so much mischief to our cultivated trees and plants. Lady- birds are migratory when abundant, sometimes making a sudden and unexpected appearance in some special locality in enormous numbers. The Pselaphida and Truhopterygida include the smallest 58 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S known beetles, They have clubbed antennae, and the former have short elytra. They are found among moss, grass, under stones, in Bills' nests, etc., and are of almost microscopic Bythintts Cttrtisli. (Mag.) minuteness. The species figured (Bythinus Ctirtisii) is one of the Pselaphida. It is a brown beetle, with reddish brown legs and antennas, and is not uncommon. It is impossible within the few pages to which we are restricted to give more than a very brief outline of so extensive a group ol insects as the British Beetles ; and those who wish to pursue the subject further will find more comprehensive works on the same subject by E. C. Rye and Herbert Cox. Calwer's "Kaferbuch," a German work, with coloured plates, will also be found very useful for the figures, quite apart from the letterpress, HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 59 SKETCH OF THE PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF BRITISH BEETLES. GEODEPHAGA. Ground Beetles. Carnivorous beetles, with five joints to the tarsi, and thread, like antennae. Cicmdelidte. Tiger Beetles. Green or brown beetles, with white markings ; head and eyes large ; legs long; very active by day ; frequenting sandy places. CarabidcB. Ground Beetles proper. Head and eyes smaller ; less active ; sometimes wingless ; frequenting fields, marshes, etc. HYDRADEPHAGA. Carnivorous Water Beetles. DytisddcE. Water Beetles. Antennae slender, much longer than the palpi ; hind legs formed for swimming ; front legs short. GyrinidcB. Whirligig Beetles. Front legs long ; four hind legs short. PALPICORNIA. Omnivorous Water Beetles. Antennce short, clubbed ; palpi as long or longer than the antennae. BRACHELYTRA. Rove Beetles. Abdomen long, elytra very short ; feed chiefly on decaying vegetable or animal matter. CLAVICORNIA. Antennas clubbed ; palpi much shorter than in the Palpicomlq ; feed on dung, carrion, etc. 60 THE YOUNG COLLECTORS LAMELLICORNIA. Chafers. Antennae short, terminating in a club formed of a number of movable layers ; feed on plants or dung. Lucanidce. Stag Beetles. Mandibles of the male very large; larvae feed on wood; beetles on sap. Scarabaidce. Head very wide and flattened, with a horn in the middle in the male ; black ; feed on dung ; fly in the evening. GeotrupidcB. Head not of unusual size ; black ; feed on dung. AphodiidcB, Small oval dung-beetles, of various colours ; fly by day. Melolonthida. Chafers. Large beetles ; larvae feed on grass ; beetles on the leaves of trees, round which they fly in the evening. Cetoniidce. Rose- Chafers. Brightly coloured or black beetles (sometimes downy) found feeding on roses, thistles, etc., by day. STERNOXI. Long and narrow beetles, with serrated or pectinated antennae j elytra hard ; feed on plants. Buprestidce. Hinder angles of the thorax not pointed. Elateridcz. Click Beetles and Wire- Worms. Hinder angles of the thorax pointed ; able to leap ; larvse feed on roots of plants. MALACODERMATA. Long and narrow beetles, generally with slender antennse and soft elytra ; frequent flowers, but attack other insects ; female sometimes luminous and apterous (as in the glow-worm). (The Ptinida, however, are small oval, wood-feeding beetles with hard integuments.) HANDBOOK Of BEETLES. 61 HETEROMERA. Beetles with hard or soft elytra, sometimes wingless ; antennae bead-like ; four front tarsi five-jointed ; hind tarsi four-jointed ; feed on vegetable substances. RHYNCHOPHORA. Weevils. Snout very long, antennae placed on each side, and elbowed ; integuments hard ; all the tarsi four- jointed ; plant-feeders. LONGICORNIA. Long-horned Beetles. Long and rather narrow beetles ; antennae very long ; tarsi four-jointed ; feed on plants, their larvae often burrowing in the wood of trees. EUPODA. Round or oval beetles ; antennas of moderate length ; tarsi four-jointed ; feed on plants. DonadidcE. Semi-aquatic ; feed on water-plants. Chrysomelidce. Bright-coloured roundish beetles, found among grass, etc. Halticida. Turnip Beetles. Small beetles with thickened femora, which leap like fleas ; very destructive to turnips, etc. Cassididce. Tortoise Beetles. Flattened beetles, with the thorax overlapping the head. TRIMERA. Small beetles, with only three visible joints to the tarsi. Cdccinellida. Lady- Birds. Small spotted beetles, which feed on plant-lice. » Trichopterygidtf. The smallest known beetles ; antennae clubbed ; found among vegetable refuse, in fungi, or in ants' nests* 62 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S ON THE PART PLAYED BY BEETLES IN THE ECONOMY OF NATURE. A "Beetle" often conveys the idea of something peculiarly repulsive ; but this perhaps arises chiefly from its improper association with the "Cockroaches," or "Black Beetles," of our kitchens, which, however, belong to the Order Orthoptera, and are therefore, strictly speaking, not " Beetles " at all. An enormous number of beetles are now known ; nearly 100,000 of all shapes, colours, and sizes, from a speck scarcely visible to the naked eye, to about six inches in length ; and although beetles are not the largest insects in expanse of wing, some of them are perhaps the heaviest and bulkiest insects known. They share with other insects the offices both of general scavengers and also of checks upon the too great luxuriance of vegetation. Many beetles feed on carrion, and especially small animals ; but the work of clearing away such substances is chiefly accomplished by the larvae of various two-winged flies (Diptcrd), Other beetles feed on dung, which they often attack the very moment it is dropped ; and you cannot turn up a patch of dried dung without finding it swarming with beetles. The plant-feeding and wood-feeding beetles, according to their species, attack almost every portion of every plant ; and any species feeding on a cultivated plant is likely to produce great destruction, if it becomes unusually abundant. Of the beetles which feed on other insects, the most important are the Lady-Birds, or Cocdnellida, which destroy the Aphides. We do not meet with many parasitic insects among beetles, but the larvae of the Oil Beetles, or Meloida, and those of the Stylopid are parasitic on Hymenoptera. The Stylopida, which used to be placed in a separate Order (Strepsiptera), are hardly likely to fall under the notice of beginners. They are small black insects, with a single pair of very large wings in the male ; and the larvae are parasitic in the bodies of bees, which the apterous female never quits j and which the male only leaves on emerging from the pupa. Beetles have probably not been made of so much use to man Galeruca Tanaceti. Endomychus Coccineus. \Face p. 62. HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. 63 as they might. A few species are eaten in different parts of the world. The Sacred Beetle is sometimes eaten by the Egyptians ; and the larvae of various large wood-feeding beetles are con- sidered a great delicacy in the West Indies and elsewhere. The Blister Beetles and the Rose-Chafer are sometimes employed in medicine. The splendid green Buprestida of the Tropics, and their near allies, the Elalerida, or Fireflies, are sometimes used as ornaments, for which purpose the former are frequently em- ployed even in Europe. The Diamond Beetles, which are large Curculionid(Z> or Weevils, form magnificent objects for the microscope. But much more might be done to make insects useful. The Cockchafer, one of the most abundant and destructive of all our British Beetles, might be made an insect of great commercial value, — as has been proved, though more in the way of experi- ment than with any practical result ; for in this age of the world, capitalists prefer to invest their money rather on products of established value than in promoting new conquests from the kingdom of nature. Cockchafers form a very fattening food for fowls ; they will yield oil, which burns with a bright flame ; grease can be obtained from them which is useful for greasing carriage wheels ; and it is even said that a dye can be obtained from them. There is no doubt that with a little patience and experiment, beetles might be made very useful to man in a great variety of ways in which we have at present no idea. But we cannot turn insects to any practical value without taking up the study of Entomology seriously, and not simply as an amusement ; for many insects that look very much alike to inexperienced eyes, are really verv different indeed. We may find some Dlant in our helds or gardens suffering severely from the attacks of insects, and swarming with some species of insect which, so far from being the real depredator, is busily engaged in diminishing its numbers. In such a case, any one unacquainted with Entomology would probably devote all his energies to destroying his benefactors, while the real authors of the mischief might very possibly escape scot-free. It is quite certain, too, that if any one wished to use an insect for any special medical or commercial purpose, and had only a general idea of what it was like, he would be almost certain to pitch upon something else, which might happen to possess very different properties indeed from the insect he was really in quest of. The usefulness of a knowledge of Entomology was ludicrously illustrated by the Colorado Potato-Beetle panic some years 64 YOUNG COLLECTOR'S HANDBOOK OF BEETLES. ago, when every one who found an insect among his potatoes at once wrote to the local newspaper to announce the appearance of the dreaded enemy. Some of these blunders were compara- tively venial, as when the common Ladybirds (beetles somewhat similar in general appearance) happened to do duty as Colorado Potato-Beetles ; but others were monstrously wide of the mark, as when the larva of the Death's Head Hawk-Moth (Acherontia Atropos), a great yellow-striped caterpillar six inches long, was the supposed beetle. An even more absurd case once fell under my own notice. An Irishman went down on the quay, and found a crustaceous animal, closely allied to the wood-lice, but much larger, which is very common on the sea-shore, running along a tow-rope. He at once seized it, exclaiming, " Here's the Colorado Potato-Beetle just landing from America ! " and took it home with him, when he immediately wrote to the paper ; and there was quite a sensation in the town for a day or two, until the mistake was discovered and exposed. BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. ESIRE to form ra collection of butterflies and moths inspires al- most every boy who has ever lived in the country. They are beautiful insects, and are easily to be obtained and pre- served ; but you cannot do so success- fully unless you know how to set about it. Firstly, then, never touch your specimens with your fingers, without care ; for the down on the body and the scales on the wings are easily rubbed off, and the specimens are then spoiled ; besides, the wings themselves are very fragile, and easily broken. Butterflies, and indeed all insects which are captured on the 67 63 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S wing, are generally collected with the aid of a net. I myself prefer a common ring-net, which is made of a jointed iron ring which screws on to the end of a walking-stick, and can be folded up and put in the pocket when not in use. The ring is> about 9 inches across, and to this is attached a strip of stout green chintz, on which is sewn a net of green gaiize, about 18 inches in length. Such a net may be bought of any of the dealers in objects of natural history for about ^s. 6d. . The "umbrella-net "is formed of similar materials, but is mounted on a whalebone ring instead of an iron one, and slides up and down a stick, being covered by a common umbrella case when not in use. But this form of net is much more costly than the other, and the stick is too short for many purposes. It is, however, very easy to manufacture a net for yourself out of a ring of flexible twigs, a piece of green gauze, and a light Y-shaped sapling, between the arms of which the net is fixed. The net should always be transpai-ent, and sh«Hild contain no corners ; green is the best colour, as it harmonizes with the colour of grass and trees. You will find butterflies and day-flying moths in gardens, fields, .and woods ; and nocturnal species may be found at rest on shady walls, tree-trunks, or in outhouses, or may be dis- turbed from their lurking places by beating a hedge to windward. In the evening, many moths may be captured flying over flowers, or Ring-net. may be attracted into a room by a light placed at an open window, while others maybe obtained by "sugaring," that is, painting the trunks of trees with a mixture of sugar and beer, flavoured with a few drops of rum. The patches of "sugar" must then be visited after dark with a lantern, when moths will frequently be found regaling themselves upon the sweet mixture. Sluggish moths and small moths may generally be safely carried home alive in pill-boxes, taking care not to mix full and empty ones, and only to put one specimen in each box ; but butterflies and active moths must be killed and pinned at onte. Butterflies and small moths may be carefully nipped below the wings, taking care not to damage them. Stout-bodied moths HANDBOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. 69 cannot be thus killed without being completely spoiled ; for killing insects in the field, a glass jar about the size of a jam pot, and stopped with a bung, is usually employed, charged with a strong poison, which may be purchased ready-made where you buy your net. But a piece of blotting paper soaked in benzole is used by some Coleopterists, and might answer equally well for Lepidoptera ; besides, it would not injure their colours, as some of the chemicals employed are liable to do. A bell-glass or a deep glass jar will be found more convenient for killing insects brought home alive ; and if a small hole be made in the lid of the pill- boxes, they may be dropped into the killing jar, without being opened till the enclosed moth is dead. Setting-! card. Common pins are too thick and, clumsy to be used for pinning insects ; those used for insects are long and slender, and may be bought of any dealer in objects of natural history. In order to set insects, you require setting-boards, which are made of flat pieces of deal, of any length you please, and from one to six inches in width. There is a groove in the middle, of any convenient depth, but it must be uniform in all your boards, and should be deep enough to keep the insect well off the paper 70 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S of the drawer, when set. The groove, as well as the sides of trn board (which maybe either flat or bevelled off), must be covered with cork. Pin your insect through the centre of the thorax, stick it in the groove, and arrange the wings on each side of the board in a natural position, and fix them down with strips of card-board (as shown in our illustration), and leave them till stiff. Then arrange them in a tight-fitting corked box, placing them in rows, and as nearly in order as you can, putting the name of the genus above and the name of the species below your series of each species. A cabinet being an expensive article, you had better keep your collection in boxes at first. Tightly fitting boxes, like backgammon boards, but rather deeper, and lined, with cork top and bottom, are the best; and smaller boxes of a similar kind are necessary, to carry about in the pocket. If you have a turn for mechanics, you can perhaps amuse yourself by making boxes for yourself, lining them with sliced bottle-corks, if you have nothing else handy, and pasting clean white paper over the corks to make the box look neater, and to show off the insects better. It is a good plan to brush over the paper with a little carbolic acid and water (just so weak as to leave no stain), and then let it dry before using it. Insects must be kept in the dark, for light bleaches them, and a little camphor must be kept in the box, and replenished as often as necessary, or they will soon be devoured by mites. The carbolic acid is an additional safeguard. In rearing caterpillars, avoid touching them with the fingers, and keep them plentifully supplied with fresh food, which should not be gathered when wet, and the old food should be carefully removed. In collecting perfect insects, never catch more specimens than you want for your own collection, or for your friends ; and do not keep any damaged specimen, unless it is a rarity which you are not likely to be able to replace. It is true that most insects are generally abundant where they occur ; but many are confined to certain localities, and it is a pity to destroy them wantonly, especially when you perhaps run the risk of materially reducing the numbers of a local species. Although I cannot here attempt to give such a complete out- line of British Lepidoptera as is included in my larger work on European Butterflies and Moths, yet I will now attempt to give a brief introductory sketch of the subject, which may be useful to beginners. Butterflies and Moths belong to the Order Lepidoptera or Scale-winged Insects ; they pass through four well-marked Melanargia Galathea. Argynnis Paphia. Polyommatus Corydon. \_t'ace p. 70. HANDBOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. 71 stages — egg ; larva, or caterpillar ; pupa, or chrysalis ; and imago, or perfect insect. These changes are called metamor- phoses, or transformations ; and they are complete in Lepidop- lera, which means that the four stages are all sharply separated from each other. A caterpillar has six horny legs in the front of its body, and from four to ten additional fleshy legs, called prolegs, on the hinder segments of its body. The two last of these are called claspers. A butterfly or moth has only six legs, corresponding to the horny legs of the larva ; but occasionally either the first or the last pair is aborted, especially in the males. They have four wings, clothed with scales, and imbibe their food through a proboscis, although caterpillars have mandibles, and bite their food. The first five families of Lepidoptera are called Rhopalocera (Knob-Horns), because their antennae, or feelers, are more or less thickened into a knob at the tip. The butterflies, of which we have sixty-five different kinds in England, fall into this division. The moths are called Heterocera (or Various-Horned), because their antennae are of various shapes, sometimes tapering gradually to the tip, sometimes of uniform thickness throughout, sometimes thickest in the middle, and sometimes more or less comblike or feathery, when they are said to be pectinated. The five groups, or families, into which butterflies are divided, are called ffymphaKdat Erycinidce, Lycanidce, Papilionida^ and Hesperiida. The Nymphalidce have the forelegs rudimentary in both sexes, and the pupa is suspended by the tail. It is divided into two subfamilies, Satyrincz and Nymphalintz, The Satyrince are brown butterflies, more or less marked with tawny, and always with a round spot, either in a pale ring, or with a white dot in the middle, at the tip of the fore wings, and often others near the borders of the hind wings. They vary from an inch and a half to two inches in expanse, and many are veiy com- mon. The Meadow Brown (Epinephile Janira}, which is brown, with a tawny patch on the fore wings of the female, abounds in every field ; the Ringlet (E. Uyperanthus), which is blackish brown, with a row of eyes on all the wings beneath, is common in woods ; and the Grayling {Hipparchia Semele), which is brown, with tawny markings, and two eyes on the fore wings, is common in waste places. The Speckled Wood, or Wood Argus (Saty- rus ALgeria), is brown, with yellowish-white spots towards the margins, and is found in woods in spring ; while the Wall- Brown (S. Megara) is a handsome brown and tawny butterfly, common in lanes, etc., and fond of sunning itself on walls. The Marbled White (Melanargia Calathea) is a conspicuous black 72 THE YOUNG COLLECTORS and white butterfly, which is very local, though abundant where it occurs; and the Small Heath Butterfly (Ccenonympha Wall-Brown (Saiyrns Rlegara). Pamphilus] is a sandy-coloured butterfly, smaller than any we have mentioned, which is very common in open places. To the Nymphalina belong many of our handsomest and most conspicuous butterflies. The Fritillaries of the genus Argynnis vary in expanse from one and a half to three inches. They are of various shades of fulvous, with black spots or markings on the upper surface, and the under side of the hind wings is always spotted or streaked with silvery white. The two smallest species (Argynnis Selene and Euphrosyne} are common in woods in spring ; but the larger species appear in summer, when the Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis Aglaia] frequents heaths. It derives Small Tortoiseshell ( Vanessa Urticce). its name from the green colour of the under surface of the hind wings, which are likewise marked with many silver spots ; but HAKD&OOK Of BUTTERFLIES. 73 the most beautiful butterfly of this group is the Silver-washed Fritillary (A. Paphia), which is streaked with silver on the under surface of the hind wings, instead of being spotted. It is com- mon in woods, but is not always easy to catch. The spiny cater- pillars ot the species of Argynnis feed on violets. There is another genus of Fritillaries (Melitaa) which includes three black and tawny species, all very local. They are not spotted with silver, and their lame feed on plantain. There are three very common and beautiful butterflies the larvoe of which feed on nettle. These are the Small Tortoiseshell (Vanessa £7r/zV<£), the Peacock (V. 70), and the Red Admiral (Pyrameis Atalanta], In the two first each wing has a slight projection, giving them an angular appearance ; but that on the fore wings of the Red Admiral is less acute, and there is none Peacock Butterfly ( Vanessa. Id). on the hind wings. The Small Tortoiseshell is bright reddish, with black spots on the fore wings, and the basal or inner half of the hind wings black ; the borders of all the wings are dusky, with a row ot" small blue spots. It expands two inches, or a little over. The Peacock is of a dull red colour, with a large black space on the hind wings, partly bordered with buff, and filled up with blue markings ; the fore wings are spotted with black and yellowish on the" costa, or front edge ; and there is a roundish composite yellow, black, and blue spot towards the tip. The Red Admiral is black, with a red band on the fore wings and a red border on the hind wings, and some white spots 74 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S towards the tip of the fore wings. Both these butterflies are rather larger than the Tortoiseshell. The Painted Lady (Pyra- meis Cardui) is of a pale salmon colour, with black markings, and some white spots towards the tip of the fore wings. Its wings are less angulated than even in the Red Admiral. Its larva feeds on thistle, and the butterfly is much commoner in some years than others. In some years it is extraordinarily abundant, and migrates in vast swarms from one part of the country to another. The Comma Butterfly ( Vanessa C. Albtitn) is a local insect generally found flying along hedges. It is ful- vous, with dark markings, and is about the size of the Small Tortoiseshell, but may be recognised at once by its very jagged wings. The White Admiral (Limenitis Sibylla) measures over two inches across the wings, and is black, with a white band, more perfect on the hind wings than on the fore wings. It is a local insect, found in woods in the South of England ; and the same may be said of the Purple Emperor (Apatura Iris), one of the finest of our British Butterflies. It is brown, banded with white, nearly as in L. Sibylla, but the male is suffused with the richest purple, and soars over the tops of the trees, whereas the White Admiral has a lower and more sailing flight. The Purple Emperor measures about three inches across the wings. The family Erycinidce only includes one European species, called the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary (Nemeobins Liicina). It measures a little more than an inch across the wings, which are Duke of Burgundy Fritillary (Neineobius black, with rows of yellowish spots. It is found in woods in May and June, but is not generally common. The female has six perfect legs, but the first pair are imperfectly developed in the male. In the three following families both sexes have six legs. The Lyc includes the most typical moths of the 85 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S NoctucB ; their caterpillars feed on the roots of plants, and are often very destructive. Most of the species of Agrotis have brown fore wings, and brown or white hind wings ; but the genus Triphcena, including the Yellow Undervvings, has brown Yellow Underwing (Trij>hana Orlona). fore wings, and yellow hind wings, with a black border. These moths may often be met with by day in dark corners, among long grass, or strawberry beds, etc. The species of Cticullia, belonging to the family Xylinidce, are brown or grey moths, called " Sharks " by collectors. They have rather long, narrow, and often pointed wings, and long bodies. They expand nearly two inches, and fly over flowers in the evening ; but their long, simple antennae, which are not thickened in the middle, will at once prevent any danger of their being mistaken for small Sphingida, to which they have some outward resemblance. The Gamma Moth (Phtsia Gamma) > belonging to the family Gamma Moth (Plusia Gamma). Plusida, is one of our commonest Noctua, and is, perhaps, the most frequently observed of any, as it flies over flowers by day as well as at dusk. It has violet-grey fore wings, in the middle HANDBOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. 8; of which is a white mark shaped like a Y or the Greek letter Gamma. Plusia Chrysitis (the Burnished Brass Moth) flies in the evening. It is about the same size as the Gamma Moth, but the fore wings are nearly covered by two large brassy-green blotches, which are generally connected. Monno Maura (the Old Lady), belonging to the family Old Lady (Monuo Maura). Toxocampid(Z> is a large dark-brown moth, which is common in gardens in the evening, and often flies into houses when the windows are open. The Red Underwing (Catocala Nupta), belonging to the family Catocalidce, measures about three inches across the fore wings, which are varied with grey. The hind wings are red, with a black border and a black band across the middle. It may often be found sitting on the trunks of trees in the daytime, to which the colour of its fore wings assimilates it, its red hind wings being covered over, and invisible. It has then a triangular form, which is still more noticeable in the Deltoida, which differ from the other Noctua by their slender bodies, and by the palpi (two organs projecting from the head between the antennae) being so much developed as to resemble a kind of beak. The commonest species is the Snout (Hypzna Proboscidalis], which is found among nettles ; it measures an inch and a half across the fore wings, which are brown, with two darker stripes. In THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S the genus Herminia the males are provided with a curious tuft of hair on the front legs. ffet'tninia Tarsipennalis. The Geometrida are a large group of broad- winged, slender- bodied moths, generally of gay colours, and with the markings of the hind wings more or less similar to those on the fore wings. Their caterpillars have only ten legs — six in front, and four behind— and are therefore obliged to walk in a very peculiar fashion, arching their backs at every movement. These moths are readily disturbed from their hiding-places during the day, and are not very strong on the wing ; some few fly naturally by day, but the greater number fly at dusk. Several species are green, with whitish lines across the wings. The commonest is Hemithea Thymiaria, which expands rather more than an inch, and may be beaten out of hedges in summer ; it differs from most of the allied species by the hind wings being angulated. The genus Acidalia includes a great number of small white moths, with dark lines on the wings. They seldom expand much more than an inch, and many are smaller ; they Brimstone Moth (Ritmia Crateegata), are generally called "Waves" by collectors. The Magpie M.o\h (Abraxas Grossulariata) is common everywhere in gardens, where its caterpillar feeds on gooseberry and cm-rant bushes. It is white, with rows of black spots on the wings, and orange bands at the base and in the middle of the fore wings. The HANDBOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. £9 Swallow-tail Moth ( Urapterya Sambucaria} expands nearly two inches. It is pale yellow, with two dark lines on the fore wings and one on the hind wings ; the hind wings project into a short angular tail. The Brimstone Moth (Rumia Cratczgata) is a smaller insect, very common about hedges, for its larva feeds on hawthorn. It measures about an inch and a half across the wings, which are sulphur yellow, with some rust-coloured spots towards the costa. Some of the Geometridce belonging to the Autumn Moth (Male.) Autumn Moth (Female.) (Hybernia Defoliaria.) {Hybernia, Defoliaria). genera Hybernia and Cheimatobia appear only in winter ; and these have all apterous females. The fore wings of the males are yellowish or brown, with darker markings, and the hind wings are paler. There is another section which differs from the other Geometrida in having very stout bodies. Most of these appear in early spring, and many of them have also apterous females; but the Pepper-and-Salt Moth (Amphidasis Betularia] is an exception. It is white, speckled with black, and expands nearly two inches ; it appears in May. Odezia Atrata (the Chimney Sweep) is a smoky black moth, with white tips to the fore wings, and expanding about an inch ; the body is slender. The Carpets, which belong to the genera Coremia, Larentia, etc., have whitish, grey, or brown fore wings, with darker zigzag patterns, the centre of the fore wings being often banded with brown, reddish, or green ; they generally expand at least an inch. The moths of the genus Eupithecia (called popularly "Pugs") are usually of very dull colours, and of small size, only the largest species attaining the expanse of an inch. The typical Pyralidee are small moths, with broad rounded wings, slender bodies, and long slender legs. Some are found in houses, like the Tabby Moth (Aglossa Pinguinalis), which is 90 THE YOUNG COLLECTORS brown, and expands about an inch and a half ; others are found in woods, like the black, white-spotted Ennychia Octomaculata, or frequent dry places, like the red, yellow-spotted Pyrausta Pur- puralis ; others, like the China Marks belonging to the genera Cataclysta and Hydrocampa^ are found among reeds ; these latter Ennychia Octomcciilata. are white, with black and sometimes with yellowish lines on the wings. The Botyda are rather larger and longer-winged insects than the true Pyralidce, and are generally of a yellowish colour ; one species, however (the Small Magpie, Botys Urticata), which is common among nettles, is black and white. The Crambida are small moths, with slender bodies, and long palpi. The fore wings are narrow, and the hind wings ample, but fold into a very small compass when at rest. Many species of Crambus, with pearly white, yellowish, or brown fore wings streaked with white, and brown or whitish hind wings, are common in meadows. The Tortricida, or Bell Moths, have broad ample wings, and broad, rather short, truncated fore wings, so that they somewhat resemble a bell in shape when at rest. They are all small moths, rarely expanding more than three-quarters of an inch. Many of their larvae live in rolled-up leaves ; others live in the heads of composite flowers, or in the interior of fruits. The Green Oak Moth (Tortrix Viridana), with green fore wings and brown hind wings, may be beaten in abundance from any oak tree in summer. The larva of Penthina Pruniana, the brown moth Penthina Pruniana. with paler markings which we have figured, feeds on sloe ; but the larvae of two other species of this group (Carpocapsa Pomonella and Funebrana) live in the interior of apples and plums. Two species of Xanthosetia^ with rather narrower HANDBOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. 91 wings than the majority of the Tortricida (X. Hamana and Zcegana}, are common on the heads of thistles and other com- posite flowers ; the fore wings are yellow, with rust-coloured markings, and the hind wings are light brown. Xanthosetia Hamana. The Tinea are a very large group of small moths, including nearly a third of the British Lepidoptera. They may generally be known by their rather long and narrow wings, with very long fringes. They are divided into many families, of which we can only mention a few. The Tineida include the bulk of the Clothes- Moths, which give so much trouble to our housekeepers, and the Adelidtz may be known by their green or brown wings, and their Nemophora Swammerdametta. very long antennae. The Hyponomeiitidce include the Small Ermine Moths, which have white or grey fore wings, with several rows of black dots. Their larvse are gregarious, spinning a com- mon web, and frequently stripping our hedges and apple-trees of Phibalocera Quercana. their leaves. Phibalocera Quercana is a very pretty species belonging to the great family Gelechiifa. Th? ^>re wings are 92 THE YOUNG COLLECTOR'S reddish grey, with yellow spots, and the hind wings are whitish ; the larva feeds on oak, beech, etc., in a web on the under surface of the leaves. The Coleophoridce include a number of small, long- winged species, many of the larvae of which live in cases, some- thing like those formed by the larvce of Psychidce. C. Vibicella^ Coleoghora VibiceUa.. which we have figured, is not a very common species ; it is bright ochre-yellow, with silvery- white streaks on the fore wings. The larvae of the Tinea are very various in their habits, some feeding between united leaves, others forming galls, and a great number feeding in the substance of the leaves, and forming blotches or galleries by which their presence can be easily de- tected. The smallest species belong to the family Nepticulida, the smallest of all being Nepticula Microtheriella, the larva of which feeds in nut-leaves. Many of these very small species are very beautiful, being of rich dark colours, relieved by metallic spots. The Plume Moths, of the family Pterophoridce, are delicately Plume Moth (Pteropliorus Lithodactyhis). formed moths, with long bodies, long slender legs, and rather narrow wings, the fore wings being split up (except in Agdistis Bennettii] into two feathers, and the hind wings into three. They are all of dull colours, brown, grey, or white. The commonest species is the White Plume Moth (Pterophorus Pentadactylns\ which is often to be seen in gardens, or in weedy places. It expands rather more than an inch. Finally, the little brownish tf AND BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES. 93 Twenty-Plume Moth (Alucita Hexadactyla), our only represen- tative of the family Alucitidce, has each wing split up into six Twenty-Plume Moth (A India Hexadactyld). feathers. It is also a common garden insect, and may often be seen resting with its wings expanded. It expands rather more than three-quarters of an inch. FLOWERS AND INSECTS. A great many flowers are very attractive to butterflies in the daytime, and to moths in the evening. Among those which deserve special notice are sallow in spring, ivy in autumn, catch-fly and viper's bugloss on the sea-coast, thistles and rag- weed in waste places, honeysuckle in hedges, and valerian, petunia, etc., in gardens. BOOKS LIKELY TO BE USEFUL TO BEGINNERS. Kirby's European Butterflies and Moths. Coloured Plates. Stainton's Manual of British Butterflies and Moths, 2 vols. Woodcuts. Newman's British Butterflies and Moths. 2 vols. Woodcuts. Coleman's British Butterflies. Plates. Wood's Common Objects of the Country. Plates. Wood's Common British Moths. Plates. Greene's Insect Hunter's Companion, is. Knaggs' Lepidopterist's Guide. TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. Rhopalocera. Butterflies. NYMPH ALID^E, — Satyrince .... Brown Butterflies. Nymphalince. . . . Fritillaries, Tortoiseshells, etc. Duke of Burgundy Fritillary. ... Hair-Streaks, Blues, and Coppers. PAPILIONIDyE, — PierincB . . . White and Yellow Butterflies. Papilionincs .... Swallow-Tail HESPERIID^E . . « Skippers. Heterocera. Moths. SPHINGES,— Sphingtda .... Hawk Moths. s^Egeriidfe . . . . Clear- Wings. Zyg&nidcB .... Burnets and Foresters. BOMBYCES,— Arctiidas .... Tiger Moths. Lithosiidce .... Footmen. Liparidce .... Satin Moths. Psychidce .... Case-bearing Moths. Notodontidce .... Puss Moths and Prominents. LimacodidcE . . . . - Drepanulida Saturniidce .... Emperor Moth. Endromidce . . . . Kentish Glory. Las iocamp idee . . . Eggars. ZeuzeridcB .... Goat Moth, etc. Hepialidce ..... Swifts, NOCTU-iE, — Cymatophorides . . . Peach Blossom Moth, etc. Bryophilida .... Acronyctidce .... Dagger Moths, etc. Leucanidce .... Wainscots. MamestridcB .... Cabbage Moth, etc. Caradrinidce ... AgrotidcB .... Yellow Underwings, etc. T