The Standard Natural History.

6 Vols. Im^ "rial 8vo. Fully Illustrated.

By about fifty leading American scientists. J. S. Kingsley, Editoi, ;
Prof. E. D. Cope, Dr. A. S. Packard, and Prof. F. W. Putnam, I

i

Advisory Editors. j

PROSPECTUS FURNISHED ON APPLICATION,

S. S, C^SSI]SrO Sz> CO., F-ablisliers,

BOSTON, MASS.

Ar^ic/e, .G3LE0PTERA.

Fro7n Vol. 2.

Pages 297-402.

By OR. GEORGE DIMMOOK.

WFTwirrWCIlANAII
l»»7

//

BEETLES. 297

P..

Okder VII. — COLEOPTERA./

The Beetles, or Culeoptera as they are termed by naturalists, briefly defined, are
six-legged insects, which have thick and horny fore wings and chewing niuuth-parts,
and which undei'go complete metamor])hosis.

The most striking of these characters is the peculiar horn-like, opaque, usually
quite rigid fore wings, which, in the beetles, are termed elytra (singular elytron), from
the Greek elutron, meaning a sheath, a word used by Aristotle to designate the fore-
wings of beetles. These elytra give a general aspect to beetles which make them
easily recognizable as such, however much they may vary in other respects. As a
rule the elytra close together, meeting in a straight line along the ]iosterior portion of
the back or dorsum of the insect, and shielding beneath them the delicate hind wings,
unless hind wings arc absent, as is the case with a small number of beetles. The
elytra take no active part in the flight of Colcoptera, but generally are opened out-
ward at right angles to the body of the insect, remaining at rest in that i)osition,
while the membranous hind wings perform the necessary strokes for locomotion. In
beetles that have rudimentary iiiml wings, and in those of which the hind wings are
absent, the elytron of one side usually is united linnly along the back to that of the
other side, to form a single shield, which protects the abdominal portions of tlie insect
beneath it. In one family, the Staphylinida', or rove-beetles, and in some less com-
monly known beetles belonging to other families, the elytra arc much too short or too
small to cov>rr the whole abdomen, although the ytaphylinid;e nuuiage to bring the
entire wings beneath the elytra by a complex system of folding.

The name Coleo].)tera (from koleos, a sheath, and pteroii, a whig) was first employed
for beetles by John Ray, an early English naturalist, in 170.5, and has been generally
adopted by subsequent naturalists, although Fabricilis, in 177J>, termed beetles Eleu-
therata, on account of their free maxilkp, anil Schluga, in 1707, used for
them the term Vaginata, from r<tijiiKi, the Latin for sheath.

The distinct division of tlie head, tli(.irax, and abdinnen, so clearly
discernible in most beetles, extends in less degree to their larva'. In
the larvte the head is usually quite distinc-t from the following segment.
The first three segments followinu' the head, which correspond to the
thorax of the imago, are often quite different from the succeeding ab-
dominal segments of the larva-, but sometimes thev closely resemble the
abdominal segments. The abdomen is usually more ])rolonged in jn'o-
portion to the thorax and head than it is in the imago, consequently
most Iteetle larva- have a vermiform a]i]>(.'araiu-e, which has given rise to
popular names, such as 'meal-worm' for the larva of Tuiithrio nioUtor,
and ' wire-worms ' for the larva- of many Elaterida\ The thicker and
more fleshy larva- of Colcoptera, such as are those often dug up .aliout
roots, or split from their mines in wood, are in pojmlar parlance 'grubs.'

The larval of beetles mostly haxe six legs, or feet, near the anterior
end of their body, that is a pair of legs for each of the first three
segments behind the head — the thoracic segments. In the Curcu-
lionidas and in some other beetles of which the larvae live within
their food, the latter are legless. Certain larviv have more or less developed
traces of anal legs, sometimes a product of the evaginated lateral portions of the

Fic. :H4.— Larva
of IiUq}s jtru-
ilurta.

298

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

aims, and a few have a fairly develoi)ecl median foot on the posterior abdominal seg-
ment. In many larvaj locomotion is aided l)y the evaginatiou of little wart-like ven-
tral processes on the abdominal segments ; these j)rocesses in the Cerambycidie are
found also on the dorsum, and have been termed discs ; they aid these larv* in loco-
motion within their narrow mines, and call to mind a pair of processes u]ion the dor-
sum of the fifth abdominal segment of the larva of Cicimlela, by which the latter
larva is helped to go \\\i and down its tube in the ground.

Beetle larva? possess, like beetles themselves, without exception, mandibulate
mouth-])arts, that is to say mouth-parts intended for biting, although in the larvji' of
Dytiscidae the liquid food is sucked into the cesophagus through cliannelw in the man-
dibles, as will be explained more fully when treating of that family.

Larva! of Coleoptera mostly live in concealed places under very diversified circum-
stances ; beneath stones, and in wood ; in acorns, nuts, and seeds ; on both jihaneroga-
mous and cryptogamous jilants ; in furs, woollen goods, and hair goods ;
a few are parasitic on other insects ; others lead a predaceous life, either
on land or in water.

The pupa3 of beetles have free limbs, and one can see the form of
the legs, wings, auteuua;, and mouth-parts of the perfect insect ; the legs
are gathered together along the ventral side of the pu]ia, with the feet
just each side of the median line, and pointing toward the jiosterior ex-
tremity of the abdomen; the wings and elytra are i)arted .■uid often
wrapi)ed partially around the sides of the jiupa, so that their ajiices
are alongside the feet on the ventral side. Where the antenna? are
especially long, as in certain Cerambycidje, they are arranged in sym-
metrical curves upon each side of the ]nipa. Often jiriniary or sec-
ondary sexual characters disclose in the puj)a the sex of the insect.

Beetles which pujiate subteiTaneously, usually do so in a case or cocoon rounded out
in the earth ; many wood-borers form cocoons of rubbish or of shreds of wood ; while
true cocoons above ground are spun, or formed of a viscid secretion of the larva by a
few Curculionidie. Those beetles which construct no cocoon jmpate upon the ground
amongst the grass, or, as is the case with many Chrysomelida' and all Coccinelli(he,
suspended upon a twig or other object. The last larval skin may remain about the
iui])a^ of some species of these last mentioned families. I'uiia found underground,
enclosed in wood, or in other i)laces not exjioscd to light, are mostly white, the lieetles
from them attaining their color shortly after emergence. The abdominal extremity
of the pupa, is genei-ally movable, and jiupa' of some s]iecies will whip their abdomen
about with considerable activity when disturbed ; this motion is about the only external
indication of life in coleopterous jmjiie.

Even as distinct as beetle-pupse may seem to Ite from their larval condition on the
one side, and their perfected imago on the other side, there are — as might Ije ex-
pected from the fact that egg, larva, pupa, and imago are serial developmental stages
of one and the same insect — intermediate forms, gradations and variations in these
stages. Under Meloidre and Stylopidas forms will l>e further treated of wherein the
metamor]ihoses have been modified by parasitism, that condition of existence which
never fails to ])roduce degradation and retrograde develo))ment.

The number of living species of Coleoptera in any country cannot be accurately
determined; new species are being constantly added, and sjiecies described long ago
are discovered to be varieties of other species ; besiiles this the forms regarded by

Fig. 345. — Pujj.a
of Mouoham-
mus.

BEETLES. 299

one autliority to be species \rill be only varieties in tlie estimation of anotlier equally
able coleopterologist. Gemminger and Harold's catalogue of the Coleoptera of the
world, issued in parts between 1868 and 1876, contains 77,008 species described up to
the time of issue. Counting omissions from this catalogue, and species described
since its publication, the number of described species must now reach or exceed
100,000. In large collections there are, in all prol)aI)ility, between 2ti,(iO() and 30,000
more species still waiting dcscrijition, and it would be rash to predict the number of
species which will be found later in parts of the world as yet insufficiently explored.
In Xorth America, north of Mexico, Crotch's list, published in 1874, enumerates 7,450
species, and Mr. S. Ilenshaw, who has a manuscrijit catalogue of beetles of the above
region kept up to date, informs me that the numVier is now (1884) about 8,950.

Sjjecies of insects which feed upon substances of commercial value belonging to
one region are often transported, in one way or another, to other regions, where it is
not unconnnon that these immigrants become serious j)ests until their natural enemies
are also imported, or until predaceous animals of their new home resort to them for a
food supply. Thus the Cnlnrado jjntato-beetle {Dori/iihora decemUneuta) has spread
from its original habitat in Colorado over the eastern United States, and its advent in
Europe is so greatly feared that it has been a subject of legislation in several coun-
tries. Our troublesome carpet-beetle {Anthrcuus scrop/aihtriu;) was probably intro-
duced from Europe, and the asjiaragus-beetle of Europe {C'riocei'is aspuva;/!) was an
immigrant that landed on Long Island, near Xew York city, some time about 1800,
and has since done considerable damage to the nuirket gardens which suiij)ly Xew
York city. So, too, the meal-beetle ( Tenebrio inoUtor), and the grain-weevil ( Cahin-
(/)•<( ortjzii) are of European origin. A few sjiecies of beetles have become, by mi-
gration, almost cDsmopolitan, liut the greater numlier of sjiecies are confined to one
continent, often to some small part of a continent, although lieetles are found in every
jiart of the world that has been exjilored.

In geological distribution Coleoptera have l)een found as carlv as the carboniferous;
they are more common in Jurassic strata, and still better rejjresented in the tertiary
and in amber.

The modes of collecting and preparing beetles for the cabinet are very varied.
The beginner usually depends for sjiecimens ujion lucky finds, upon captures witli the
net, and upon such modes of collecting as are used for all kinds of insects, and which
are described in most general works on entonmlogy, while the experienced coleoii-
terist studies the habits of rarer insects, and uses baits and traps to ensnare them.
Some of the less-km)wn and useful ways of obtaining Coleoptera for the cabinet are
the following, lieetles and their larvw which inhaljit dung, earth, or other materials
heavier tlian water, float to the surface of water, and can lie easily discovered if the
earth or dung be broken u]i and placed in still pools, or in a trough filled with water.
For killing many kinds of beetles a 'cyanide bottle' is very useful: this bottle is
made by putting a few pieces of potassic cyanide into the lidttum of a large-mouthed
bottle — a horse-radish bottle will do very well, if no larger one can be found — and
covering the pieces of cyanide with dry plaster of jiaris ; after the plaster has been
evened down by shaking the bottle a little, water should be added, best a spray from
an atomizer. When the jilaster sets a firm shell will be formed, which will hold the
cyanide in its })lace, while its poisonous vapors will slowly escape through the plaster.
If the moistened and suljsequently hanlened portion of the plaster is only about as
thick as is the glass of the bottle itself, a condition of affairs which can be regulated

300 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

e.-isilv it" an atomizer is used, there is little danger of the bottle cracking \>\ the slight
expansion of the plaster in setting. As potassic cyanide is extremely poisonous, great
care shoukl be taken in handling it, the bottle should be labelle<l " Poison," and kept
in a safe place, tightly corked, and out of the reach of children. As a general means
of killing insects the cyanide bottle is unsur])assecl, although a few yellow or red beetles
may have their colors injured liy the cy.anide va])or. The cyanide is best renewed
in the bottles each sjiring, but I have had bottles that retained their killing power
several years. A successful mode of wholesale collecting with the cyanide bottle is to
sweej) the grass, trees, blossoms, and shrubbery of all kinds with a collecting net made
of stout cloth, and tlien to empty the whole mass from the bottoiu of the net into the
cyanide bottle, where the insects will be killed, and can be jiicked out at leisure. Of
course this rough mode of treatment injures some beetles, but, on the whole, it is a
very ])roductive way of collecting. In the sjiring leaves and rubbish from the corners
of pastures, and from the woods, can be sifted, by ]iutting them in a stout cloth bag,
of which the bottom is made of wire-cloth such as is used to make coaksieves, and
shaking the bag vigorously over a piece of white cloth. The finer liits of rnlibish,
together with numerous torpid beetles that have liibernated lieneath the leaves, will
fall through the sieve ujion the cloth, and the insects can be easily seen. The con-
tents of the cl(jth beneath the sieve may be tied into cloth bags and taken home for
subse(pient and more thorough examination. In the same way the rubbish dej)0sited
by spring floods of rivers may lie carried home for later examination on a surface of
white ])aper. A single drop of strong ammonia water may be used to drive the beetles
from the rubbish on the ])a])er ; too nuich annnouia, however, kills them, and then they
are not readily foun(L Water-beetles are often attracted by leaving a dead mouse or
other sm.all animal to decay in shallow water ; the place should be approached cau-
tio\isly a number of times daily, and the insects about tlie bait quickly netted. Beetles
which feed in bark and in toad-stools, and which run from their holes and drop wlien
disturbed, are easily trapi)ed in large numbers by the use of a bottle partly filled with
strong alcohol, into the cork of which a small tin t\iiuiel has been inserted. The tunnel
should be held close down beside the toad-stool, the latter suddenly jiicked and lield
over the tunnel, and now and then jarre<l with the hand. The beetles run out, drop,
and tumble directly through the tunnel into the alcohol. In this way I have taken
repeatedly as many as fifty specimens, mostly Sta]ihylinida% from a single toad-stool.
Manv leaf-eating beetles and their larva-, as well as other insects, are taken by holding
an invei-teil initbrella beneath liushes and weeds, and then shaking the ])lants vigor-
ously ; the insects drop into the umbrella, which is still more useful if it is made of
white cloth to enable one to see them distinctly. A hatchet, for winter collecting
under bark, and, in sunnner, a trowel for digging, are useful accessories of a coleo])-
terist's outfit.

Beetles should always be jiinned for the colk'i'ticm thi-(jugli the right elytr.ui, about
one-third of its length from its forward end, and ]iins made ]iurjiosely for insect collec-
tions should be used. These pins are slender, sharji, about one and a half inches long,
thus lifting the insect up fi-oni the surface on which it is ]iinned, and lessening the
danger of breaking the s]K'cimen. On the under side of beetles the jiin should ])ass
out between the middle and hind legs on the right side, care being taki'U not to have
it pass through or push off any of the legs. The beetles should be slid upwards on
the jiin until about three-eighths of an inch of pin is left above the elytron. Ko
specimens should ever be pinned in such a manner that the head or one side is^droop-

BEETLES. 301

in£f ; if there is niiy <liffereiice, the head shmiM Ik^ sliLilitly elevnted, Imt not endiiu'li
so MS to lie iioti<-e.-ilile. Some eollectoi's t;ike |i:iiiis to spreail out th<' niiteiin;e, ]i:il]ii,
mill letjs of theiv l)eetles, hut this is useless worls, :iiii.l renders these orunns more Halile
to he hroken off in handling the s]ieeitnens.

Very min\ite beetles are yunimed ujion small slips of paper or (if mica, and these
slips then pinned in the collection. A convenient kind of slip is a narrow trianji'le of
stiff white paper, the triangle about one-fourth of an inch long, and one-sixteenth of
an inch wiile at the larger end. The beetle is giniinied — willi a mucilage of gum
tragacanth or of shellac — neatly across the ])oiute<l end of the triangle, which is then
pinned through its broad end, and arranged in the <-ollection.

The cabinets used for collections of insects vary with the taste of the collector :
some use boxes arraniicd on shelves like books, others cases into which lioxes are slid
as <lrawers. The e~-sential coinlitions are that the boxes have a depth of a little over
one and a half inches, in order to admit the insect-jiins erect ; that the box close very
tiii'htlv, to exclude museum ]iests, those little beetles which dannige or <levour sjiecimens ;
and that the boxes be made with very soft wood bottoms, oi' be lined on tlie bottom,
inside, with cork, felt, jiith, or some soft material in whicli the pins can lie stuck with-
out difHc\ilty. S)iecimens should not be kept exposed to light, for many of their colors
lade, and in a few years the collection which has been thus exposed loses its beauty as
well as its scieutitic value. Good taste forbiils the use of bright-colored surroundings
or colored pajier to line boxes for an insect collection ; white jiaper lining exhibits the
colors of the specimens best. Insects should be labelled in the collection neatly, and
with small labels. Anyone who wishes to study insects scientitically should add the
locality of capture on the label of each S]iet-imen, and a number liy which to refer to
a note-book, in which may be recorded the date of capture, haliits, food, and <itlier jiar-
ticulars of interest concerning th(^ s]iecimen.

The thoutiht of obscrviuii' the habits of beetles leads one (pute naturallv to a con-
sideration of rearing lieetles, for l)y rearing them, and keeping careful notes on their
habits, one not oidy advances science materially, but also di'rives beautiful speOimens
for the collection and ]ileasure from the occupation. Some beetles are easilv reared,
taking but a few weeks to undergo all their transformations, others require several
years for their metamorphoses, and are very difficult to rear. Even in Europe, where
entomology has been longest and most thoroughly jmrsued, only a small proportion of
all the species of Coleoptera have been reared, and their earlier stao'es observed. In
other countries still less has been done. Without elaborate directions, filling many
pages, it is im]iossible to exjilain the devices used to rear beetles; the only general
directions that can be given are to keep the immature beetles in conditions that are,
as far as possible, the same as those in which the same species live in a free state. To
estalilish and maintain these conditions in breeding-jars, or in other jilaces where the
different stages of the insect can be oliserved, requires much skill, and adds pleasure
to successful beetle-raising. Fungus, liark, decayed wood, dead twi<j;s, acorns, nuts,
and in fact almost any vegetable substances collected at certain seasons of the year,
and put into fruit-jars, the contents of which should be now and then somewhat moist-
ened, avoiding an excess of moisture, which often causes mouMiness, will disclose
beetles whose larvse feed on the substances put in the jars. The leaf-feeding larvre of
beetles usually attain full growth in a short time, and are conveniently bred under a
bell-glass, or tumbler, inverted over a plant-j)0t full of slightly moistened earth. The
larvre of water-beetles are reared, without much difticulty, in small aquaria, feeding

302 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

them ■with flics and otlier insects, care beiniL; taken that the full-grown lar\iB have
opportunity to crawl out of the water and into moist sand, in which latter they pupate.
Carnivorous land-coleoptera are more difficult to rear. Where a large nuinlier of the
same species of beetle is reared at once, sjjecimens of each stage should be preserved
in alcohol, carefidly labelled, for future reference.

In bodily form the Coleoptera present every variation from long cylindi-ical to
nearly globular, from hemisi)heres to extremely flattened discs, from straggling ant-
like forms to compact seed-like ones, as may be seen by examining tlie illustrations
which follow. Throughout all the diversity of form which environment has given
beetles, they invariably show, \\ith considerable distinctness, a division into three
parts, portions which, at first sight, might easily l)e mistaken for head, thorax, and
abdomen, but which more careful examination proves to be head, prothorax, or the
first of the three divisions of the thorax, and a portion, covered generally l)y the ely-
tra, which is composed of the mesothorax or middle portion of the thorax, the meta-
thorax or posterior part of the thorax, and finally the abdomen. The liead bears for
appendages the antenna; and uiouth-]'arfs ; the prothorax, the first ])air of legs ; the
mesothorax, the elytra and middle pair of legs ; the metathorax, the wings and hind
pair of leos ; the abdomen, only the genitalia, which are usually concealed in beetles.
The prothorax moves with considerable freedom on the mesothorax, and this articula-
tion is a character of importance in the se]iaration of the Coleoptera from the
Ilvmenoptera, Diptera, and other insects, in which the three divisions of the thorax are
more or less firmly united together. These di\-isions, head, prothorax, mesothorax,
metathorax, and abdomen, with their appendages, merit much further consideration.

The head of Coleoptera, both in their larval and adult states, bears the mouth-parts
directly forward and slightly downward as in many Carabida?, or directly downward
toward the surface on which the insect is standing, as in many ChrysomeliiliT?. Later-
ally the head of the adult beetle bears compound ej-es, usually large, and the antenure
are generally jnst in front of the eyes. "With few exceptions, among wliich may be
mentioned certain Dermestida?, ocelli are absent in the imagos of Coleoptera ; the com-
pound eyes are absent or functionless only in a very few cave-inhabiting species. In
the larvre, where compound eyes fail, there are often ocelli — from one to seven,
usually six, on each side.

The antenn.T, which are not only organs of touch, but much more olfactory organs,
present considerable diversity in form in adult beetles. Often these organs are better
developed on the male than on the female, becoming marked secondary sexual char-
acters ; this is especially tlie case with the lamelliform antennse of some of the species
of ScarabajidiP. In certain families the antennre are not very conspicuous, and can be
hidden in grooves, as in the Elateridte ; in other families, as in the Cerambyeidre, the
antennse are jirominent organs, often, in the last mentioned family, exceeding the
length of the insect, in some species double or treble its length. In a few families, as
in the Seolytidie, which have very small antennre, important generic characters are
found in these organs. The antennae of beetles may have from two to thirty-four
joints, but eleven is the usual number. The anteima^ of most beetle larvse liave but
four joints ; rarely they have five, three, or two joints, and in certain cases they are
represented only bv a very small inarticulate tubercle.

Beetles have, without exception, biting or chewing mouth-parts. More or less
concealed beneath a well-developed labrum, itself articulated to the epistoma or cl}-
peus, is a pair of chitinous mandibles. In the males of Lucanus the mandibles attain

BEETLES. 303

an extraorcliiinry size, nml are sometimes branclied. Beneath tlie manrlililes are the
maxilL-p, wliieli ai-e more ilelieate and more eomplex tlian tlie maiuliljles, and whieh
aid the latter in mnstieatinp-, njiparently jiei-t'ormini;- the Uuhter and more eomplieated
part of the work. The liasal artieuhition of eaeh maxilla is termed the eardo, to this
is attaeheil the sti]ies, with an external seale-like seument, the sqnama palpig'era ; to
the sijuama paipi'^era a mnltiarticiilate jialjms, the ])nlp\is maxillaris, or maxillary
palpns, is jointed. Two lamellar lobes, the real ehew iiiii-orpans of the maxilhe, are
also attached to the npper edge of the stipes ; these are termed, respeetively, the lobns
cxternns, and the lobns internns. In the Cieindelida\ Carabida;, and Dytiseida^, the
lobus extermis is jialpiform and nsnally two-joiuteil. The maxillary palpi generally
have fmn' joints. Beneath or l:)ehind the m.axilhe is, homologically, a third ]iair of
buccal org;ms, a second ]iair of maxilhe, the two halves of which are united together
at their bases, which latter are also iniited above with the ligula or tongne, and Ijelow
form the mentuni or chin. The ligula and mentum, the last of which articulates with
the lower portion of the head by the gular suture, are im]iortant in the classitication
of Coleoptera. .Toine<l to each side of the ligula is a jialpus labialis, usually three-
jointed. A membranous ]n'oeess nsnally exists on each side of the ligula near its tij) ;
these processes are the paraglossR'.

The labrnm above and the labiinn beneath, in Coleojrtera, as in other chewing
insects, are jiassive in function, serving to hold the food in place while it is masticated
by the mandibles and maxilhe. As the cheeks in higher vertebrates prevent a side-
wise or lateral s(pieezing out of the food from lietween the teeth, so the labrum and
labium of Coleojitera keej)S th(> food in its position between masticatory organs which
operate laterally. All the mouth-]iarts of adult Coleoptera arcv subject to slight modi-
fications and reductions in certain families and genera, and in the larv.a? the oral organs
are not rarely consiilerably modified. The larva' of Dytiscida' and Hydropliilida' pre-
sent remarkable modifications of form and use, which, as in the case of other striking
variations from the normal form of larval nn)utli-]iarts, will lie described under their
res]iective families.

The prothorax, the middle of the three ]iortions into which all beetles are divided
with considerable distinctness, is hollowed out in front to receive tlie neck or liead,
and is articulated behind with the mesothorax. The ])rothorax bears the forward
legs. Its dorsal surface is often termed the |ii'onotum.

The mesothorax, metathorax, and abdomen form the last of tlie three portions of a
beetle, which portion is often called the trunk.

The mesothorax and metathorax are very intiinatelj' united ; upon the former are
borne the elytra and middle pair of legs, and upon the latter the wings and hind pair
of legs. Both mesothorax and metathorax are hidden from view, on the dorsal side
of the insect, by tlie elytra, except that in most beetles a small triangular jiortion of
the mesothorax is visible between the elytra at their bases; this triangle is the scu-
tellum. The median ventral ])ieces of the three different ])arts of the thorax arc
termed, resjiectively, prosternum, mesosternum, and metasternum, an<l the pieces
which connect each of these sternal pieces at the sides with the dorsal pieces, are
termed the episterna and epimera, respectively, of the prothorax, of the mesothorax,
and of the metathorax. The sutures betwei-n certain of the above-mentioned ]iarts
may be obliterated in some cases.

The abdomen is broad anteriorly, is closely united witli the metathorax, is in most
cases entirely covered or protected from above by the elytra, and contains the sexual

304 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

and the greater part of the ilijrestive organs. Spiracles, or l)reathing pores, open in
the flexible membrane which connects the dorsal and vciitrnl pieces of the abdomen.
At its extremity, between the dorsal and ventral pieces, open, in a common cleft,
the anal and genital orifices, and on each side are often structures of greater or less
complicity, generally hidden from outside view, constituting the genitalia or genital
armature. The genitalia are often more visible in pu]ia>, as is the case with manv
pupa' of Lncanidw and Scaralneidre, than in images.

While the alxlomen of adult beetles have no appendages except the genitalia, a few
beetle larva?, among which are those of Gyrinidro and Psephenida^, liave gill-a])pend-
asres borne bv several abdominal semnents.

Adult beetles enjoy locomotion of several sorts, flying, springing, c!iml)ing, crawl-
ing, or running ; a few add swimming : their larvte sometimes swim, but more com-
monly only crawl or run.

The legs of ailult beetles, as well as those of their Larvre, are appendages of the
three thoracic segments, and are modified according to the purposes for which they
are used. In some larvse one or more pairs of legs are reduced to the merest rudi-
ments or entirely disappear, but in the mature beetles no such reduction takes place.
The typical constitution of the legs of adult Coleojitera is as follows : the basal joint,
short but of various forms, is termeil a coxa, and the cavities into which the coxfe are
set on the under side of the thoracic segments, on each side of the median line, are
' called coxal cavities. The form of the coxa' is of importance in distinguishing the
families of Coleoptera. Jointed to the coxa is a jjiece named the trochanter; the con-
nection of the trochanter with the next following piece — the femur — is very intimate
in some beetles, in others the hind trochanters are prominent lobes upon the inner side
of the femora. The femur, or thigh, is the first long piece of each leg ; the tibia, an-
other long piece, follows it, and to the latter piece is jointed a foot or tarsus, consist-
ing of from three to five short joints, the terminal joint generally having two claws,
and between the claws a small appendage, the onychium. The tarsal joints are hairy
beneath, and those of the anterior (and sometimes also the middle) pair of legs of
many male beetles are modified to clasp more firmly the female during copulation.
The most peculiar of these modified tarsi are those of the males of the water-beetles
belonging to the family Dytiscida> ; their tarsi will be further described when treating
of that family. The form and proportion of beetles' legs are quite varied. Legs
fitted for walking and running, ambulatorial and cursorial legs as they are called, are
slender, and rather long in ])roportion to the size of the insect. Fossorial legs, or
those intended for digging, are short, stout, and flattened. Springing legs, or salta-
torial legs, have generally much thickened femora. Natatorial legs, those used for
swimming, are oar-shaped or ]iaddle-sha]ied, and are bordered with hairs.

The elytra, which are really horny forward wings, and in which the renmants of
veins often can be seen, are generally opened out nearly or quite at right angles to the
body in flight, and serve to balartce and to steer the beetles, while the two membran-
ons wings, which are ordinai'ily hidden beneath the elytra, unfold, and, by their rapid
vibrations, furnish the impulse in flight. Jousset de Bellesme thinks the elytra govern
direction in flight by changing their position, and consequently altering the position
of the centre of gravity of the beetle. In the Cetonians, a portion of the Scarab»id;e,
the elytra are said to remain closed in flight, the wings projecting out from beneath
their bases. The inflexed outer margins of the elj'tra are designated as epiplcurae.
The venation of the wings of Coleoptera at first glance appears simple, but the devices

BEETLES. 30.3

which enable tho tip of the wing to folil Iiacl<, in one or sometimes more folils, with-
out too greatly weakening its structure, are an interesting study. If one jniUs o})en
forcibly the wing of a large water-beetle (J)i/tiscits) that lias been preserved in alco-
hol, the wing will partly close itself by its own elasticity, and such a wing furnishes
an excellent object on which to study the folding mechanism.

A few beetles are wingless and cannot tly ; their elytra are united to each other on
the inner side, and they are said to have connate elytra. In such cases the original
function of the elytr.-i ami wings, that of flight, has been supersedcil liy a secondary
function of the elytra, ])roteetion. llarely both elytra ami wings are absent, as in the
females of certain "lightning-bugs" (Lampyriila»), which are thus rendered so worm-
like that they are calk'(l poimlarly "glow-worms."

The flight of beetles is generally heavy and slow ; some, however, can fly very
quickly, but most rapid-llying beetles rest often from flight, and can be chased down
and captured without great difhculty in an open field. A sjiort which children enj<.)y
is chasing down, in this manner, the tiger-beetles (Cicincklidie).

While the genitalia of most beetles are concealeil in the abdominal segments,
secondary sexual characters are so manifest in numy species as to attract the atten-
tion even of careless ol>servers. As already mentioned, the anterior tarsi of some
beetles serve to distinguish the males from the females ; in a few water-beetles (Dytis-
cida') fluted elytra arc found in some females, while the elytra of other females of the
same species are not fluted— truly dimor|ihic females; in many Scarabieida?, in some
Cerambycid;c, and in many other C'oleojitera, the males li.ave larger and better devel-
oped antenna' than the females have; a large nund)er of Scaraba'ida> and a few other
beetles have, in the male, well-developed liorns upon the prothorax, or upon the head,
or upon both ht'ad and prothorax, while their females have no horns, or much less
develo]ied ones in the corresponding jiositions ; in the stag-beetles (Lucani(hv) the
mandibles of the males are excessively developed. The sex of beetles is sometimes
determinable in the pupal state from their evaginated or protruded genitalia.

Beetles, or their parts, may be smooth, striate, punctate, eancellate, or may have
many other modiflcations of surface. They m,ay be clothed with waxy secretions,
spines, hairs, or even scales. The excessive lirilliancy and sparkling coloration of the
so-called diamond-l)eetle of Brazil (Entiniut; iiupcrialis, of the Cnrculionida;), which
will be figured further on, is d\ie to its being covered with scales : this kind of orna-
mentation with scales — really only modified hairs — is common among the weevils
(C'urculionida'), and not rare in a few other families of Coleoptera. Beetles exhibit
almost every known shade of color, and a few are iridescent with beautiful metallic
hues. A little beetle (Coptoci/chi auricliakea) not uncommon on the wild morning-
glory (Convoknilus), looks, when alive, like a flattened drop of the finest polished
gold. The species of certain families resemble one another in coloration and figura-
tion ; the leaf-beetles (Chrysomelida') have, for the most part, brilliant coloration ;
the lady-birds (Coccinellida') have for prevailing colors red, yellow, and black, mostly
arranged in round or roundish sjiots; the Tenebrionida> are generally som1)re colored,
often dull black.

The internal anatomy of Coleoptera is not as varied as is that of many other insects,
and the main facts can be condensed, in a general way, to the following statements.

A narrow cesophagus, into which often open salivary glands, passes into a crop,
the posterior portion of which is lined, in carnivorous Coleoptera, with chitinous teeth,
serving as a gizzard. Behind the gizzard the digestive tract, which has a few convolu-
VOL. II. — 20

300 KATURAL IHSTOnY OF ARTHROPODS.

tions ill carnivorous ln'ctles :m(l innif coiivcilutiniis in licrliivorous ones, may be
designated as the veiitriele. The posterior end of the ventricle is marked hy the
insertion of four or six long tubes, the mal|iiuliian vessels, which are urine-excreting
organs. IJcyoiid the insertion of the maliiighiau vessels, and ending at the amis,
is the intestine, ]iroperly speaking, often showing a differentiation into small intestine,
Cfficuni, and recluni. The maliiighian tul)es are usually a iiumlier of times as long as
the insect itself, and are coiled aVjout in the abdoineii <if the beetk' in a way that makes
them very difficult to disentangle without breaking. (tL-ukIs ojieii into various portions
of the digestive tract, among them rectal glands into the rectum. C'arabidie, Dytis-
cidse, and some other beetles have glands oiieiiing on each side of the anus that secrete
acid or strongly odorous iluiiis which are used by these insects tn defend tliemselves.
Ill the bombardier-beetle (linir/iiniiK) the secretion of these anal glands is partly
gaseous, or becmnes aeriform iiiiinediately after its discharge.

The nervous system consists of a supra-iesoiihageal ganglion, from wliicli originate
the antennal and optic nerves; an iiifra-(esoiihageal ganglion which sends nerves to
the mandibles, maxilhv, and labium ; ami a series of ganglia, connected by double
commissures, just beneath the digeslixe tract. During the growth of the larvre these
double ventral ganglia, typically distinct and one in each segment, consolidate in
various way.s, so that, in the iinagos, Eduard Hiaiidt has characterized four types of the
nervous systemi, as follows: first, a system with .1 supra-iesophageal ganglion and a
large central nerve-mass in the thi:)rax, of uliicli mass tlie forward end is the infra-
tt'sojihageal ganglion; secoml, a system with two cephalic ganglia, and a central
nerve-mass in the thorax; third, a system with two cephalic, two thoracic, and none
to eight abiloiuinal ganglia; fourth, a system with two cejihalic, three thoracic, and
none to eight abdominal ganglia. Beetles have, besides the central nervous system
noticed above, a somewhat complicated symjiathetic nervous system.

The circulatory system of Coleoptera, like that of all insects, is not well differ-
entiated. A so-called heart extends along the dorsum, wliere it pushes the nearly
colorless blood toward the head ; here the blood is distributed in somewhat irregular
and usually ill-defined jiassages. Xeilher venous nor arterial system exists, in the full
sense of the terms, although in the mouth-iiarts and antenme of the larva of a water-
beetle {ILjdrophilus), when this interesting larva is seen alive under the mieroscojie,
the Idood can be observed circulating in definite channels.

Respiration is by trachea> in the iinagos, and the respiratory movements consist of
alternate approximations and separations of the dorsal and ventral ])ortions of the
abdomen, causing renewal of the air in the trachea^. Besides the traclieic there are
generally tracheal 1)ull)S, or expansions of the tracheal which can be inflated at the
will of the insect, and are thouglit to be useful in flight, by lessening the specific
gravity of the insect. The stigmata (sometimes called spiracles), the external open-
ings of the trachea?, usually have more or less complete sieves to prevent dust from
entering the trachea', .and in some cases these sieves form, as in a water-beetle
(Di/tiscits), most beautiful objects for the microscope. Beetles have a pair of stigmata
on the mesothorax, on the metathorax, and on each of the first eight al)domiiial
segments ; their larva^ geiferally have one ]iair of thoracic, and eight pairs of abdominal
stigmata. Some aquatic larva? have only the two stigmata of the eighth abdominal seg-
ment, others respire wholly or partly by gills.

The female sexual organs consist of numerous ovarian tubes on each side uniting
in various ways to form a ]iair of oviducts, which latter themselves unite to form

BEETLES. 307

a vngina, that ojiens into a inorc or less extensile ovipositor. The hiirsa eopulatrix
and reeejitaeiiluin seminis are generally present as accessory organs of the vagina. The
male sexual organs consist of from one to six testes on each side, opening into a vas
deferens, the two vasa <leferentia usually expand to form a pair of vesiculre seminales,
and then, receiving ducts from accessory glands, unite, to form a conunon efferent
canal into the extensible penis.

The e<i'<i's are covered with an egt^'-shell or chorion which is generally not verv tirm,
and are rarely, as in the case of a water-beetle {I/i/drojj/tilus), deposited in a nest. A
few beetles are vivij)arous, among them certain rove-beetles (Staphylinid*) and the
Stylopida^ One species of cln-ysomelid (Gastroj)hi/sa ruphani) has been shown by
J. A. Osljorne to be capable of parthenogenetic reproduction. Apparent hermaphro-
dites rarely occur as monstrosities wherein some secondary sexual character of one sex
is borne by an individual of the opposite sex, lint no real case of hermaphroditic Cole-
optera is known. Cojiulation sometimes takes place between different species of a
genus, and less commonly between sj)ecies of different genera.

Tlie muscular system needs no special descri]ition. The Coleoptera are among the
strongest of insects, and Professor F. Plateau found that the common Enrojiean dor-
bug (^Melolo)itha vuhjaris) could exert a traction along a horizontal surface equal to
forty times its own weight.

The sense organs are necessarily ])artly external and partly internal, that is they
are made up of moditied external parts to receive impressions, and nerves connecting
these parts with tiie central nervous system. The olfactory organs, as already mentioned,
are in the antenna;, and by their aid dung-beetles are guided long distances to their
food, and certain other beetles to their mates of the other sex. Eyes and ocelli are
the organs of sight. The location of the auditory organs has not been determined
with certainty, but lieetles surely hear, because they are often provided with sonoritic
organs. The sense of touch is especially developed in tlie antetnue, paljii and tarsi,
where the tine hairs communicate with nerves at their liases. The organ of taste has
not been certaiulv loi'ated, but possibly in beetles it is upon tlie hyjiopharynx, an ex-
tension of the pharvngeal walls just above the labium.

Allusion has just been made to the fact that beetles often produce more or less
musical sounds — stridulate as it is termed by entomologists. This stridulation is
produced bv nibbing different jiarts of the body, wings, or legs against each other, and
is observed very commonly among the longicorns (Ccrambycida'). If one of the red
and black beetk'S with long antenna' (species of 7''etraopes), that are so abundant on
different kinds of milk-weed (Axc/fpias) during the latter part of sumnu'r and during
autumn, be pinned, in the usual way, upon the cip\er of a cigar-box, or u])on anything
else that serves as a sounding-board, the stridulation can be demonstrated to a consid-
erable audience. By jn-essiiig from lime to time njion the tij) of the elytra of the
Tetraopes the sounds will be renewed vigorously at the will of the experimenter, and
the protliorax of the beetle will be seen to bend rapidly forwanl and backwards.
The sound is ])rodnced l>y the rulibing of a sharp angular ridge upon the prothorax
against a finely striated surface on the metathorax, a mode of sonifaction on a small
scale similar to that where a Iioy runs along a fence ]iuslun^* stick against tlie pickets.
H. Landois, who studied sound ]ivoduclnon by insects, asserts that all Ccrambycida?
large and small species alike, are provided with stridulating ap|iaratus, whether one
hears their tones or not, and he draws from this fact the conclusion that beetles pro-
duce sounds beyond the reach of the human car. In the grave-digger (X^(croj>/iorus)

308 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

sonifaction is tlio result of nibbiuo; striated surfaces on tlie fifth abcloiiiinal segment
against the posterior edge of the elytra. In a dung-beetle (Geotriqies) stridulation is
brought about by action of the hind edge of the third abdominal segment u])on corru-
gated surfaces on the coxse of the posterior pair of legs. Stridulating sounds are pro-
duced by many other beetles, among ^-hich may be mentioued the following : frionus,
by rubbing the rough inner side of the hind thighs against the lateral margin of the
elytra; Passcthis by rubbing the acute edge of the \entral segments against the inner
edge of the elytra; PohjplujJhi^ Anoinaki, Tro.i; Li(jijni.% and Anthotwmict by ruli-
bing together corrugated surfaces of the metathoi-ax and elytra. The three-striped
potato-beetle {Lema trilineata) and some other Chri/sotaelklw stridulate.

Luminous organs are found mostly in the family Lampyrid;e, but tlie larva of an
elaterid, jirobably of Melaiuictes, and the famous tire-Hy of tropical America, the imago
of Pi/rophorHS noctihicans, another species of Elateridae, are luminous, and will be
further noticed when treating of their respective families. The mode of production
of light by beetles has been the sul)ject of m.any exjieriments and researches. Pro-
fessor C. A. Young, the astronomer, has examined the spectrum of the light of a com-
mon fire-fly {PhotiuKS?) and found that it was continuous, without lines, and that it
exten<led from Frauenhofer's line C, in the scarlet, to about F, in the blue, indicating
ravs which affect the visual organs greatly without the production of much thermal or
actinic effect.

Beetles live sometimes singly, sometimes gregariously, and inhabit almost every
conceivable substance and locality ; few are found in the ocean, or in salt-springs ; the
deepest caves are the habitats of blind species, of which those from the caves of Ken-
tucky and of tlie Pyrenees have been most investigated ; certain beetles are found in
nests of ants and termites, and others even in mummies ; there are water-beetles which
inhabit hot springs ; larva' of certain Teleiihorida^ are often seen on snow ; a few beetles,
in their larval state, are parasitic in other animals, otliers inhabit galls on jilants.
The food of beetles is as diverse as .are their habitats. The rule has been considered
almost universal that Cicindelida?, Carabida^ Dytiscidw, Coccinellida?, and some other
families were carnivorous, while Hydroi)hilidfe, Chrysomelidae, and others were herbivo-
rous. Late researches, especially dissections by Professor S. A. Forbes, have shown
that species of some of these families eat much more diversified food than had Vjeen
suj)posed previou.sly. Of plants even the ]iiiis<in ivy and jioison sumac (sj)ecies of
Mhus) do not escape the attacks of insects.

Beetles are attacked or destroyed by other organi>iiis, chiefly skunks, birds, frogs,
toads, and many rej>tiles and fishes, among the vertebrates; parasitic flies, wasjis and
mites, and many predaceons arthropods, among the articulates ; numerous species of
internal parasitic worms, among which Gonllus and Mermis — so-called hair-snakes —
play important parts ; many sjiecies of Gregarina, protozoan forms, especially common
in the intestinal canal of Tenebrionida^ ; and finally, by parasitic fungi, which some-
times kill many beetles.

To avoid some of these enemies, beetles often mimic their surnuindings, 2)lants, or
other insects. A common tortoise-shaped potato-l)eetle (IM/oi/a/a cktrata), in IS'ew
England, looks so closely nke excrescences on the leaves of the potato that few birds
would notice it. Another common Xorth American chrysomelid ( Chlamys plicata)
often deceives collectors of insects by its close resemblance to a piece of c.aterj)illar's
dung on a leaf. II. W. Bates mentions that certain longicorns (Cerambycida^) mimic
closely the ill-tasting and disagreeably odorous fire-flies (Lampj-ridae), even carrying

BEETLES. 309

the mimicry so f;ir as tu have yellow sjxits mi the abdominal segments to oorrespond
with the luminous portions of the tire-tiy. Other lieetle.s imitate sticks, seeds, and
parts of plants. The cocoon of a European weevil {Vioims scrophulariw) resembles
very closely the seed-capsules of the species of /Scrophidaria on which the larva
feeds.

Other common means which beetles employ to escape from their enemies are
dropj)ing to the ground and feigning death, a practice of weevils; use of disagreeable
odors and secretions, as is general with lady-birds; appearing as if aljout to bite or to
sting, or rapid running and flying.

A few beetles liave been made directly useful to man ; indirectly a large number
of them benefit mankind. Perha2)S the blister-beetles (Meloidtv) are most evidently
useful to man, since from them are derived the various forms of vesicatory medicines,
known under the name of cantharides. In earlier times other beetles were used for
medicinal purposes. The larv:e of the palm-weevil of tropical America (lihi/ncho-
phonts 2M/''Mrum), or of other large ]ialm-weevils, are roasted and eaten as delicacies
by numerous tril)es in the tropics of both hemisiilieres. The Cossus, which Pliny
says lioman epicures fattened with flour, probably was tlie larva of Prionus coriurius,
a longicorn ; larv:e of Prtoniis, as well as those of other large longicorns, are still
eaten roasted in many jiarts of the woi'ld. Beetles of man}' species are used as orna-
ments: tire-flies, iini)risoned in gauze or otherwise conflned, end)ellisli the evening
coiffure of ladies, both in the East and West Indies ; the elytra or whole bodies of
brilliant tropical Coleoptera are formed into pictures, are used to trim dresses and
hats, are even set in jewelry ; and, in some cases, a beautiful chrysomelid {Chrysovhus
aiiratits), common in the eastern United States ui)on species of dogbane (Apoci/iiiaii),
has helped adorn ladies for evening parties in this part of the world. In China
the people sometimes derive amusement from beetles, which they conflne in order
to watch them tight, in the same way as they contine species of Mantis for like
purpose.

The indirect iienetit which man derives from Coleoptera is fully as important as
are the direct uses to which he puts them. Thousands of species of beetles prey
u]ion ]ilant-eating insects, others remove refuse and decaying animal and vegetable
matter, still others hel]) in fertilizing flowers ; many furnish food to useful birds and
fishes, — but it is futile to s|iecify further in this direction.

Few beetles are directly iujnrious to man; when they bite it is in self-defence; but
their injuries to crops, forests, fruits, lumber, liuildings, furniture, carpets, and books
are notorious, and can be Iiest noticed later.

Beetles are divide<l into four great groups (Cryptotetramera, Cryptopentamera,
Heteromera, and Pentamera), .according to the number of segments of their tarsi.
This classification is not ])erfect, in that a few families or genera fall into groups where
they would not belong on account of tlieir tarsal characters, but into grou])S in which
they must be included on account of other important characters. The late Dr. J. L.
LeConte, an eminent authority on Xorth American Ijeetles, divided tlie Coleo])tcra-
into two parts, the genuine Coleoptera and the Khynchonhora or weevils, but this
division lias not yet niet with general acceptance.

To the Heteromera are added, in the following pages, the Stylopida>, a family
wluch, according to some authors, forms an order of insects, the Strcpsiptera. The
Strepsiptera, for they are in all probability a separate order, have from two to four
tarsal joints, according' Xo the o-enus.

310 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.
SUB-Ol!DER I. CkYPTOTETKAMEBA.

This siil)-order includes beetles which liave tarsi of four joints, of whicli one joint
remains riulinientary. It contains two families, Coccinellid;« and Endouiychida'.

The first of tl)ese, Coccinellid^e, or lady-birds, ai-e apjn'oximately hemi-
spherical beetles, mostly with brilliant coloration, jrenerally red, yellow, black, and
white, and a pattern usually of spots. Their head and j)rothorax are short, the abdo-
men with five, rarely six, ventral segments. Their legs are short, and project but
little from beneath their bodies. Tiie antenna} are short, although of eight to eleven
joints, usually of eleven. Cocciuellid larv;e all iiave a similar general ajijiearanee, are
often quite prettily colored or clothed with warts and spines, and have three-jointed
antenntu. Their comparatively active life necessitates good vision, which is ])rovided
for by three or four ocelli on each side of the head. The mesothorat'ic and first eight
abdominal segments have stigmata. Pupation takes j)lace u])on fences, walls, trunks
of trees, and leaves, the pupa hanging by its abdomen. The
larvre of most species feeil ujjon other insects, chietly u]ion scale-
insects and plant-lice. The iinagos feed njion ]ilant-lice, other
insects and their eggs, jiollen and spores of plants, and a few
upon leaves of plants. fSome species of CoccineUidce are abun-
dant on special plants, but usually because those ])lants harbor
the sjjecies ujion which they preferaldy feed. While ])ollen and
sjjores often form a large proportion of the food of lady-birds,
the latter generally prefer animal food, and are conseqtientlj' to
^"'' ^Lumta!"'-''" be reckoned among useful insects. When rudel}- handled, lady-
birds emit from the joints of their legs a yellow, odorous fluid,
which is said to be the blood of the insect emitted through a j)ore in the joint.
The eggs of lady-binls are elongate-oval, yellowish; they are deposited in groups,
without covering, upon leaves and bark. Lady-birds, or lady-bugs, have received,
on account of their useful habits and the attention which their jileasant colora-
tion has attracted to them, nuiuerous conijilinientary names in different langua-
ges; the Germans generally term them Jfarieii/t-afcr, but sometimes Knyelkafe)\
MarienwilnncJieii, and like terms ; Ijy the J^rench they are called vac/ies a JJiei/, and
bStes d bo7i Dieu. Individual colorational variation within the species is carried to its
extreme in the Coccinellidas, Ilannonin picta, one of our native species, being so vari-
able in figuration as to appear oftentimes in the collections of beginners in entomology
as several distinct species.

Genera with numerous small species, which do not generally attract much atten-
tion, are Scymnus and Hj/peraspis. The larva? of a number of Eurojiean species of
Sci/nnius devour mites and their eggs, and one species is an enemy to the gall-inhabit-
ing form of the grape phylloxera {Phylloxera vastatiix), while two Americrm species
are said to destroy chinch-bugs (£lissus leuco})terus). Brachyacantha ^irsina is a
common small species in America, and is hemispherical, and black with reddish-yellow
spots. IFyperaspidius cocciclii'ori/s, one of our smallest SjH'cies, is said by II. G.
Ilubbai'd to coh.iniy.e ii]iou the truid<s of orange-trees which are thickly infcsteil with
certain scale-insects (Goccida"), and to entirely free them from these pests. There is
little doubt that these small species do as much good in destroying insects injurious
to plants as do the larger species, but their minuteness has prevented tlu'ir habils from
being carefully observed.

BEETLES.

311

whic

Of larger species, Chilocunts Inridntrioi is Mack, nearly hemispherical, with a siiio-k'
red spot upon each elytron. It is ut'ten to lie fdiiml aliout orchards, upnu the trunks
of the trees, and its spiny, dark-colored pujiiu are not rare, three or four in groups, in
crevices of the bark. This sjieeies, as well as C. cacti, found abundantly on the Pacific
coast, pri'v upon scale-insects, and are consequently among the most useful frieinls
of fruit-growers. In Europe ('. hipa.'italatus is abundant in all stages on a species of
huckleberry ( Vdrcinhiiii iin/rtilhi>:).

Cocci/ielht is hemisjjherical, hairless, and contains many pretty sjiecies,
have received oftentimes scientific names to indicate the minilier
or natui'e of their spots. Among them, ('. nurcuinotutu, the nine-
s|i(itted lady-bird, has a black .and white liead and jirothorax, and
reddish ehtra, on which are nine nmnil bhick spots. The figures
give :i good idea of the a]i]icarancc of this s]iccies. C. scptempmic-
tdta, the seven-spotted lady-bird, one of the largest and commonest
European species of this family, i-escmbUs in a general way C. noc-
onnotata, and was used in cailic-r tinu's, like some other sjiecies of
lady-birds, as a remedy for tontliaclic. I'^nrskal, lute as 1775, enu-
merates C'occineUa hi the mut'i-la nudh-a nf Cairo, Egypt. In the accompanying
figure are a few other comm(in Eurojiean lady-birds.

h;. .".47. — Coccitl-
clfa noremnotaia,
pup;i above.

- Lui upe in 1 1 h I 1 t / J f f I p I t I It I r ( I b j l t I U

(?, toccuiella septi^m punctata , and c, larva; J, Mtfirupm duodcctmpu/tctata.

Aihilid !iij,inirtiit(i is our most couniiou species, and is often called the two-spotted
lady-liird. Its head is black, with two yellow spots on each side above; jirothorax
black, with yellow later.al jiortions, and a few dorsal yellow spots; scntellum black;
elytra reddish-yellow, each with one central rouml black sjiot. lu'iieatli, the epiplcura'
are reddish-yellow; the margins of the prothorax yellow; all else black. This species
hibernates in large numbers under bark, in barns, and even in houses. Tn early sjiring
the two-spotted lady-birds come out of their hiding-jilaces and lay their oMoul;- yellow
eggs in little masses upon the bark of trees, choosing localities where there is a pros-
pect of an abundant supjily of plant-lice, ujiou which their larvw feed. A few of
these beetles brought indoors and jiut ujion house-jilants will seek out the plant-lice,
and the females, if they discover a colony of plant-lice, will dejjosit their eggs near

312 NATURAL IIISTOUY OF ARTHROPODS.

them, insuring their destruction as soon as tlie eggs hateli. Tlie full-grown hirvae
have a similar form to that of Ilipjiodainiu convevgens, are hlack, with a yellowish
spot on each side of the first, and another on the dorsum of the fourth abdominal
segment. When ready for pupation the larva attaches its abdomen to some ob-
ject, shortens and swells itself up so as to split its larval skin, and, thus freed from
it, appears as a jnijia in new colors and form. The spotted })uiia, for the most
part black and pink, is likewise similar to that of Ilippodamia convergens. The
imago, after it emerges from the pujja is, for the most l>art, very soft, and pale
yellow, but it becomes quickly harder and darker-colored. A. bijninctata is espe-
cially abundant duiing the latter ])art of sunnner and in autumn on birch trees,
probably attracted to these trees by the plant-lice which during that jiart of the
year abound on birches.

Another genus, Ilippodamia., contains sjiecies that are more elongated than those
of CoccineUa, and a inunber of them are common in the United
States. II. convergens and //. tredechnpunetata are known to
devour the eggs of the Colorado potato-l)eetle, while on the
Pacific coast H. ainhigua is also of economic value. Megilla
inacidata, which has a similar form and is often mentioned as
Fig. »i9. - Hippodamia ^ IUppodamia, besides eating plant-lice, preys extensively on the
conren/em; «, larv.a; ehiuch-bug, and also eats the eggs of the Colorado viotato-beetle.

Oj pupa. ^' ^^ 1

Its eggs are similar to, l)ut smaller than those of the jjotato-beetle
and might be mistaken for them.

Ejnlachna borealis, the northern lady-bird, which is honey yellow with black spots,
was supposed for a long time to be the sole North American species of this family
which was a vegetable-feeder. The larva; of this species feeds uj)on gourd, squash,
and pumpkin vines, and the imago eats the same food. The larva is yellow and is
clothed with black-tipped sj)ines. The corresponding Eurojiean s]jecies, E. glohosa
and E. wtdecinunaodata, are jihytophagous, the former often doing considerable
damage to lucern, and now and then eating other plants, while the latter attacks
bryony.

To the family Endumvchid.e belong nearly four hundred described species which
live, both as larva and imago, ujion fungi. The species are distinguished from the
lady-birds by their cylindrical pal])i and long antenna;, and often by their prothorax
having grooves at its base, and by their elongated head, the lady-birds having groove-
less prothora.\ and short head. The tarsi are manifestly four-jointed in some genera
of Endomychidae. The species are numerous in the trojjics, many species being found
in Brazil, where, according to H. W. Bates, they hold a sort of complementary rela-
tionship to the Erotylida', — another fungivorous family, the species of which closely
resemble Endomychida', although the sjiecies of the former family mostly have
cryptopentamerous tarsi, — in that the Endomychidre devour small fungi w'hile the
Erotylida^ live upon large ones. The species of both families are slow in -^^-
their motions and some of them are gregarious.

Mycetina vittata, one of our most common species of Endomychida',
is flattened, reddish-brown in ground coloration, with the sutural oi-
median ])ortion of the elytra black, and with a black stripe along the no. 350. — li/yce-
middle of the outer j>ortion of each elytron. This species is often found,
in grou])S of a few to a hundred scmi-torjiid sjjccimens, under half-decayed stumps,
or more rarely under boards, about mid-winter in New Enghnul.

BEETLES. 313

Sometimes the auteniut' of species of this family are rendered quite ornamental by
dilation of tlie last three joints, as in the male of Phymaphora indchella.

SuB-OkDEK II. — CkYPTOPEN'TAMEFvA.

This group includes beetles which in reality have live tarsal joints, one of which
is abortive and hidden, giving them the appearance of having four-jointed tarsi.

The Chkysomelid.e, the so-called leaf-eaters, includes over ten thousand described
sjjeeies, none of which reach a very large size They attain their highest dexelopment
in the tropics, although found in fair numljers in all jiarts of the world. They are
usually short-bodied, somewhat oval in outline, sometimes considerably flattened from
above, and often have their head more or less concealed in or beneath the forward end
of the prothorax. There are live abdominal segments; the trunk is generally covered
by the elytra and broader tlian the jirothorax, wliich latter is broader than the head.
Many of the species of Chi'ysonielida' are brilliantly colored, some with metallic or
iridescent lustre Tiie antenna' are rarely as long as the body, are eleven-jointed, as
a rule, but in some genera the number of joints is less. The mandibles are mostly
split at the tip. Tiie legs are seldom long, and consecjuently their walk is slow ; wings
fail ill a few cases, for example in Tbnarclia and in the females of Mttact/da.

The eggs of Chrysomelidiv are lai<l in many cases u])ou the leaves or stems of
plants without being covered. They are usually elongated .and yellowish. The first
brood of larvaj are mostly hatched from eggs laid in spring by beetles that have
hibernated under bark and leaves. The larvK of Chrysomelidw vary exceedingly in
form and habits ; the head is small ; the body ordiiuirily lias thirteen segments,
of which the three thoracic ones are always pu'ovided with legs, and are general! v
smaller than the abdominal segments ; the prothorax of many species is distinguishable
l)y its form, color, and firm consistence of its dorsum; the terminal segment of the
abdomen in many species is prolonged below to foi-iii a retractile simple or bifid
process which assists in locomotion, an<l Iiehind which is the anus. Lacordaire
classified tlie larvie of Chrysomelida' in a way to indicate mucli concerning their habits
as well as tlieir structure ; the following is an abstract of his divisions. First, elongated,
whitish, sul)-cylindrical larva', living at the base of aijnatic ]dants (Donacki). Second,
larva' which cover themselves with their excrement. Short, oblong, brownish larvae,
without special device for carrying their excrement (Zema, Crioctris). Oval, broad,
spiny larva?, bearing their excrement upon a fork attached to the aiuil segment (Cas-
sida and its allies). ■. Third, miners. Elongated, sub-cylindrical larvse ta])ered at both
extremities {Ihdtlea aixl other flea-1)eetles). Oblong larva', attenuated at the two
ends, and having lateral warts (Ilis/iu, Odontota). Fourth, short, thick, coloi-ed
larvre, generally ])rovided with a false anal foot, often warty, and living exposed on
plants {Chri/soiiicld, Doryjihora, Gastrophysa). Fifth, elongated, sub-cylindrical,
warty, whitish larva', curved upon themselves at their ])osterior end. an.l living in
cases on plants or in ants' nests (Clythni, Cryptoctjj/uilns).

The larva? move slowly, eat parts of jilants, usually the leaves, sometimes the roots,
and each species generally confines its attacks to one kind, or at most to one family
of plants, both larva and imago often eating the same plant. Xot only the larva but
often the imagos are in many sjiecies gregarious. Birds do very little to reduce the
number of these larva', many of which have disagreeable odors, while others are
protected by covering themselves with their own excrement, and still others are hidden

314 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

in cases ami mines, or not noticed hy birds on account of their minuteness; as a result
of tliis immnnity from attack species of Chrj'somelida' often become serious pests^as
is the case witii tlie Colorado potato-beetle.

The jiupal state is passed, as a rule, as follows: uudiTuround, often with sliuht
cocoon, by the first half of the larv;e mentioned in Laeordaire's second group, and bv
some of those of his third and fourtli grou])s ; under water in a cocoon attached \fi -
stems of water-]ilants, by species of his first group; in the leaf-mines by some species'*
in his third grouj) ; upon leaves by the second half of his second group, and by most
of his fourth group ; and in larval cases by the s]iecies of his Kfth group.

Entomologists usually divide the Chrysomelida; into tribes, divisions which, to a
certain extent, coincide with the groups of larvaa before mentioned, but forms of espe-
cial interest will be discussed liere in their systematic order, without further sub-
division of the family.

Sj)ecies of Cdnsida and allied forms are recognized by the e.vcessivelv wide margins
of the [irotliora.Y anil elytra, and by the head being partly or -wholly coi)ceale<l beneath
the forward margin of the jirothorax, the whole insect thus ])resenting a flattened,
roundish, scale-like asjiect. Among tropical .sjiecies very brilliant coloration is found.
Dcsmonota I'ariolosn is a round metallic-green siiecies from Soutli
America, not rarely seen set in jewelry ; its elytra are .so hard as to
resist the point of a slender jiin. J/esoit/jJialia co»sjtersa, another
Siiuth American sjiecies, which has an elevated jirotulierance formed
by the anterior ))art of the elytra, is dull metallic blackish green,
f with velvety black in round jiunctures, and with six hirger spots

Fig. 3o1. —Mesom- fjj.|j gj^o^y r^^ liurnished gold tlirough a downv ijubcscence. Many
of our own species which resemble (_'(it<xhlit, feed upon jilants of the
potato family (Sohmaren-), upon the swect-jiotato {IpoiiKea batatax), and others
of the morning-glory family (i'oiii'olrtilacen). Coptoci/c/a uiirlrlidlfcit, found on
the wild morning-glory, is ln-illiant gold-color, which is said lo vary in shade with
the emotions of the animal, and which disappears when the insect dies. The larva
of. this s|)ecies was long ago described by T. W. Harris, and later by Di\ C. V.
Tiilev ; the latter added a ilescri|iti()n of the egg. The egg is about (I.fl4 of an
incli long, of rather irregular angular form, flat, and nsuallj^ furnished with spine-like
ajijiendages. They are laid singly upon the leaves of the food-plant of tlie larva.
The lar\a is flat, oval, ilark brown, with a paler shade upon the liaek, and is margined
witli a row of branched sjiines ; while, by means of its anal fork, it carries over its
back, as protection from pre<laceous animals, a jiarasol made of it* own molted skins
and excrement. Pu]iation takes jdace in a sjiiny, flattened pupa which is attached to
the leaves of the f(»>d-]ilant bv a stickv secretion. Unlike the pu]i;e of most beetles,
this one iloes not ha\(' its legs free, althout;li it can raise itself u]i at will, ]ier|iendicu-
larly to the surface on which it !■< attached. I'lie tir>t brooil of beetles emerge from
their pu]i.-e about July, 1ki\ iii'^' underi;'one their metamorjilioses in a few weeks, and lay
the egus for a fall brood.

VopUx-ijcla clavaUi, a conmion ]>otato-beetle in Xew England, is very dark bi-own,
with thin j-ellow margin, the trans])nrcncy of which is interriij>led by a dark brown
])atcli at the anterior extremity of, and another just behind, the middle of each elytron,
giving the lieetle a curious tiu'tle-like appearance, in fact the resemblance of s])ecies of
CuKsida and ( 'tij/(oci/ch( to turtles has given them the common nanu' of 'tortoise-
beetles.'

BEETLES. 315

Vhelyinorpha cribmria, fouuil on inilkwi't'd [Asdepias), is not as iniicli Hatteiied
as Cassidu, is rudilish, with a number of i-ouml, bhu-li s])ots on the pronotuni and
elytra, giving it a slight roseniLlauce to a lady-hinl.

Odontuta has a somewhat quadrate, or wedge-shajied form, narrowed in front,
distinctly eleven-jointed aiitenn;e, ami ecjarsely jiunetured elytral stri;e.
Odontota ai'AtUJlnris, the flattened larva' of which mine in the leaves of
the locust, is a couum.in species, whose de\astation extends to a numlier
of trees besides the locust. It is ilull yellow, with a black strij)e ujjon
the suture between the elytra, a black head, and is black beneatli. The
larva> appear in New England in July, and transform to beetles in vu:.."ai.—odoii-
August, after a short p\ipation in the leaves of the locust.

Quite a number of Chrysomelida' have the hind femora much thickened, enabling
them to jump. Some of the smaller s|iecies jump with great activity, and on that
account have i)een termed Hea-beetles. Once the Hea-beetles were united in the genus
Haltka^i a name from a Greek word, meaning gooil at jumping, but they have been
divided since into nunier(Uis genera. Some of the tlca-beetles hibernate as larv;e, others
as imagos. 3Iany of them are seriously injurious to jilants, the leaves of which they
either mine or till witli small holes. In this way the hsives of tobacco are often rend-
ered unfit for cigar-making by a species of Cnpidodera.

Flea-beetles of the genera Ptti/Uiodcg and JHIxiUn bore', in the larval state, in the
stems and leaves of succulent iil.ants. /'. vlini^noi jilialn, in Europe, devastates turnip
fields, but ofti'u turns its attention to other cr(jps. ]>. area, a little, round blue-black
beetle, often swarms in this country from I\I:iy imtil the beginning of winter, on the
plantain (I'linifiti/o iituj(ir) tlie leaves of which it riddles.

The early stages of I'lii/llotreta striohitu, the turnip flea-beetle will suffice to give
an idea of the trimsformations of flea-beetles. The larva is linear, about 0.3.5 incli
long, has an anal ]ir(ip-leg; it is whitish, with head and jio^terior extrcMuitv light
brown. The white |uipa is enclosed in a little earthen cocoon beneath the ground.
Pu]iation lasts about two weeks. The lieetle is less than 0.1 inch long, black, with a
wavy yellow stripe on each elytron. The larva feeds u)ion roots of cabbages and t\n--
nips underground, causing death of the ]ilanls; the im;igo eats the leaves of the same
plants.

PhtjUotreta lu'inoridii, a European flea-beetle, devastates turniji-fields, while ils
orange-yellow larva bores the leaves of the young pl.ants ; like its American congener
it eats other sjiecies of cruciferous ))lants. Crepidodem cucicmeris, a black flea-beetle
about 0.00 inch long, which, as its name indicates, infests the cucumber, does not con-
fine itself to that jilant, Init mines the leaves of ])otat0es and of many other plants.
C. carinata, a green s[iecies, sometimes injures greeidiouse jilants, and seems especially
destructive to fuchsias. Graptodtm cJiah/hra, a flea-lieetle usually steel-blue, and
about 0.15 inch long, is a pest to grape-growers, for it not only eats the leaves, but it
destroys the buds of the grape. Its larva feeds exteinally on the leaves, descending
into the earth to pujiate. The imagos ]iil)crn:ite, l.-iying their orange-colored eggs in
clusters on the grajie leaves in the spring.

Among the large species of saltatorial Chrysomelida>, two genera, QSdionijehis and
Disonijclm, are represented by numerous species in the fauna of eastern North America,
and another genus, Blepharida, h\ a single species. The species of DlsonycJia are
often prettily colored. Z>. alternata, a comtnon species on willows, is about O.o inch
long and half as wide, has a reddish head with black eyes and autenme, a reddish i)ro-

316 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

thorax with two roiuul, bhick spots each side of the micldlc, ami dull yellow elytra
with siitural ami marginal l)lack line from their bases to their tips, and a blaek line
extending from the base to near the tip uj)on the middle of each elytron. This species
is dull red with black markings beneath. CEi7ioiii/chis diffei-s from Disonycha in hav-
ing the last joint of the posterior tarsi globosely inflated at the tip. CEJioiiycliis
</io«<t'tea has deep blue elytra, yellowish head and epipleurie; eyes and anleniue are
black, and the yellowish prothorax bears a few blaek spots. Jikpliarkia r/ioiti is a yel-
lowish beetle above with brown blotches on the elytra, which latter are also jiunctate
with dark brown dots. The eyes, antenn<e, legs, and umler side of the abdomen are
dark brown. Its length is about 0.25 inch ; its antenna- are set wider apart than in
most flea-beetles, resembling, in this respect, Chrygomi-Ja, from which it is readily dis-
tinguished by its thickened thighs. Its eggs are deposited, five or six together,
beneath pellets of its excrement. Its yellowish larva which is, like the beetles, abund-
ant on leaves of sumach (lihuti), covers itself with its own excrement by means of its
extensible anus. The larva is broader than the larvie of other saltatorial Chrysome-
lidffi, thus aj>jn-oaching the form of larva in the genus Chrysoinda.

Structurally sitiiilar to the larger flea-beetles, and like them having the antenna
set in close approximation between the eyes, but separated from them by their slender
femora, are the genera Dlabrotlca and GaJerucu ; the species of the former genus
have a carinate front, while those of the latter have a flat front with an impressed
median line.

Galeruca xanthomehena is a species introduced into America from Europe, accord-
ing to Townend Glover, as early as 1837, and does considerable damage to the elm in
both countries. The beetle is about 0.25 inch long, oblong, l)rownish yellow or vel-
low, marked with black as follows : one or two spots on the head, three on the pro-
notum, and, on the elytra, a very narrow sutural line, outside of which, on each side, is
a broad strijie not I'eaching tlie apices of the elytra. The yellow, oblong-oval eggs
are dejiosited on the under side of the leaves in groups of from three to twenty or
more. The egg state lasts about a week. The larva?, of which the first brood ap])ears
in IMay, are nearly cylindrical, yellowish black with black markings; they change their
skin three times after lea\ing the egg Itefore jiujiation, thus having four larval stages,
whicli last ordinarily about two weeks, but under especially favorable conditions only-
six or eight days. The ]nij)a is oval, with a few consj)ic>uius black bristles, and is
found in crevices of bark or of the ground, or on the ground beneath leaves. The
pupal state requires from six to ten days. There are three or four broods yearly,
according to climate. The beetles of the last In-ood hibernate, and the few survivors
of tlie winter lay the eggs for the first brood early the next sjiring. Both larv;e and
imagos feed ujton the elm, jiartly skeletonizing its leaves, Ijut of course tlie greater
part of the damage is done by the larviE. Each successive brood is usually larger and
more destructive than the jjreceding one, but the majority of the last T)rood each year
is killed by the frost of winter. In Austria the larva, as well as the imagos, are said
to hibernate. Dr. C. V. Riley, who has investigated this species in Washington, D. C,
writes of its enemies: "Among these there are Platymts punctiformis a.n<\. Quedius
molochiniis, which feed on the full-grown larva' when these retire for ])upation, and
also on the pupa?. The larva of a C/irysopa (probably C. rujilah-is) feeds u])on the
eggs of the Galeruca ; Beduvius novenarius sucks both beetles and larvae on the leaves,
while 3/antis Carolina ])reys U]wn the beetle. Of the numerous other insects found
among the jjupa^ under the trees, e. </., TachyporuK jocosus, sundry spiders, myria-

BEETLES. 317

po<lt;, etc., several are doubtless enemies of the Galeriica, though we have, as yet, no
proof of the fact. 3Iany hinls were observed on the trees infested by the beetles, but
tlie Enfrlish .spai-row, which was the most numerous, did not feed on the insect in any
stage of growth."'

Very closely related to the numerous species of Gahriwa is Trirhabda. T. tomen-
tosa, a common insect on species of golden-rod {SoJidago) in the eastern United States,
is about 0.4 inch long, and of a dingy yellowisli brown with three dull, black longi-
tudinal strijies on tlie elytra, three lilack spots on the jirothorax, anil one on the
head.

Priiliably few jierMins have failed to notice the small, yellow and black striped
beetles, J>iabrotica rittdtii, which swarm upon cucumber, squash, melon, and similar
vines, almost as soon as they apijiear aI)ove the ground. This beetle is
elongate-iival, about 0:1- inch long; the t'lytra are striate; the general
color is straw yellow with a l)lack strijie along the middle of each >»

elytron, reaching from its base nearly to its tip and a stri]ie covering y *
the elytral suture; head, knees, tips of tibi:c, and tarsi arc black. The ^''"(Jro;;^^; ~,/„'it
daniaue, often considerable, which this beetle does to }oung cucumber
vines aViove ground is slight compareil with that which its larva does to the roots below
the surface nf the sdil. At the time when these beetles are swarming about the young
vines, they lay their eggs at or just below the surface of the ground on tlie stems of
the plants. These egus soon hatich, ami the larv;e feed upon or liore into the roots
and stems of the plants for nearly a month, when thej- ]jupate in a little nval cavity
which tliey form in the ground. Tlie piqial state lasts about two weeks. The larvrn
are slender, cylindrical, abciut 0.4 inch long, ami nearly white; their head is brownish,
and they have a lirownisli si)ot on the <lorsuni of the })osterior segment. This species
hibernates as imago, and is said to do so as jmiia; the ra])id growth of its larv.-i enables
it to have from two ti) three brodils each year. In earlv sjirinu', before cucumber vines
are out of the ground, these beetles attack pear, peach, and other lilossoms ; and I
have found them especially abuii<lant f>n the flowers of the shad-bush {Amelanrhief
canadensis). While the beetles eat a few cucumber plants, confining their attacks
entirely to portions above ground, the larva a little later cause whole plants to wither
and die. It is the practice of many farmers to sow an extra number of seeds in each
hill, so that, after some are destroyed, enough will still remain ; others protect their
plants with muslin or other screens, both from the attack of the imagos and from their
ovipositing on the plants; still otliciN sprinkli' their young plants with lime, paris
green, hellebore jiowder, or similar insecticides. Dr. II. Shinier discovered the larva
of a small ])arasitic fly occupying the abdomen of females of this beetle, and, liavinn-
bred the fly, named it Tdchina diahn>ticir. The fly larva leaves its hosts when it is
full-grown, and pupates on the surface of the ground, emerging from the pupa in less
than two weeks. Parasitism of the imagos of Coleoptera by Dijitera, as in Diabrodca,
is not very common.

Another species of Diabroticu, of a greenish yellow ground color, with twelve larsre,
black spots — some of which are at times confluent — upon the elytra, is I>. duodnrim-
punctatu. The elytra of this species are not striate ; the abdomen and bases of the
femora are yellow. This species sometimes attacks cucumber, melon, and squash vines,
and is said to damage the leaves of the dahlia, but I have found it most abundantly on
the flowers of the golden-rod {SoUdaijo). The larvff of D. longicornis., another
species, bores in the roots of corn.

318

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

No chrysoineliil has attracted more attention or has been more extensively studied
than the Colorado potato-heetle, Dormihom deceiidineata. This species was lirst
described by Thiimas Say, an early American entomologist, in the year 1824, from
specimens taken a few years before, on the uiipn- ^Missonri River, near the base of the
Rocky Mountains. This insect, as was later discovered, fed upon sand-bur {Solaiiuin
rostratinn) in its native home, but as the cultivation of the potato was extended west-
ward in the northern United States, this beetle found the latter plant so well suited
to its tastes that about 1859 it began s])reading over the' northern United States at a
rate which, until it reached the Mississii)pi River, did not exceed fifty miles a year,
but at a steadily increasing rate, as it reached regions with denser population and
more railroails, luitil in 1874, it reache<l the Atlantic coast in many places ; a total
average annual rate, accordiu''- to Dr. V. \ . Riley's estimate, of about eiirhty-eiaht
miles. It is now so common in all the northern States and in Canada that the inhalii-
tants of these regions need no figures or descriptions to recognize it, but the people
of regions not yet infested may recognize the lieetle and its earlier stages by the
accompanying figures and a brief description. A figure is added of the nearly-related
Dorypliora juncta, a s]iecies which has Ijeen often mistaken, even liy entomologists.

Fig. 354. — nnrijpintra thamlineata, Colorado potato-beetle, eggs auil larva. On the right. />. juiicta.

for the Colorado i)otato-beetle, although it does not attack the jiotato, but lives u]>on
the horse-nettle {Solauum carolineuse).

Hoth I), decern! ineata and D. Jmictd h.-ive a l)rownish yellow ground color; the
prothorax is marked with black spots, usually eighteen in number, but which are sub-
ject to yariations of exactly the same nature in both species; ujion each elytron are
fiye longitudinal black stri]ies, two of which unile at the a]iical end of the elytron. In
D. Ji'cemUneata it is, however, always the third and fourth strijje, counting from the
outer edge of the elytron, that unite at their tijis; in TJ. jiincta it is always the .second
and third, counting in s.-ime way, that unite, while in the latter species the space
between the second and third stripes is generally brownish. The legs of I>. juncta
are pale, except a black spot on the femur, while the tarsi and knees of D. deccm-
lineata are black.

The female Colorado ]wtato-beetle lays from five hundred to one thousand eggs
during the season, from ten to forty at .-i time, in clusters on the under side of potato
leaves. These eggs are oblong, about 0.06 of an inch long, fastened by one end, and
are orange yellow. The eggs of D. juncta are lighter colored. The eggs hatcli in
about a week ; the convex larvw are at first dark reddish brown, becoming paler and
brighter in coloration as they increase in size. The full-grown larva is about 0.5 long,
with the abdomen much convex above. Along the sides of the abdomen are two rows

BEETLES. gjf)

of bkick spots, the head and feet are lilaek, and there is a ring of tlie same eolor iijioii
the second segment. The head ami legs of JJ. j((nct<i are, on tlic contrary, jiale, and
tliey have Imt one row o'l i.ilaek dots on each side. The larvre of the Coloraih_> |ii>tato-
beetle attain tlieir full growth in from fourteen to eigliteen days, and go nnder gnnmd
to jMipate, where they form a naked yellow pupa. The pupal state lasts ahout ten
days, so that only about a month is rei|uired for all stages together, from the eg<4 to
the perfect heelles. This enaliles these insects to have from two to four broods yearly,
and as the females do not lay their eggs all at one time a succession of larva' is ]iro-
duced, so that one may liud the species in every stage of growth at any tinu/ during
summer and autumn. JJoth I)eetles and larva' feed on the same [ilant. The beetles
hibernate umlergrouud and lay eggs the next spring.

Tiie iunnense armies of these beetles which have at times attacked potato-fields,
where they could be gathered by measure rather than by number, have rendered them
a serious pest to farmers, and their actual destruction of whole fields of a vegetable
almost necessary to human existence in some countries has caused Doniphora to be
the sulijcct of much careful investigation, and of some legislation. Eurojiean nations
have sometimes ]>rohibitcd the imjiortation of American potatoes, and fines have been
imposed in England for possessing living Colorado potato-beetles.

The sudden spreading of I). dereinHiieata over an area of about 1,5(10,000 s(juare
miles has not only been accom]ianied by a change of food-jilant from one sjiecies of
Solanacea' to others, Ijut even to plants of other f.-nnilies. It will eat, when potatoes
are not at hand, cabl^age, common thistle {Cirsiuui laiiceolatuin), pigweed {AinaraiUu.f
n'/niffe.rii.f), ]n-t^<^c-nmstnril (><l.si/ii//)n'u)n offirmalc), nnd numerous other jilants, and
when absolutely compelled by hunger it has been known to eat grass and the cultivated
oat. ^fost all widely distril)Uted insects are suliject to considerable variation; the
Colorado potat(j-beetle forms no exce[ition, and the fact of its extensive distribution
in so short a period as twenty-five years in |iortions of America having considerable
diversity of climate, together with the variations consequent upon difference of food-
plants to whi<'li it lias accommodated itself, makes these variatii.ms of pattern, color,
and size furnish, as Dr. lliley has observed, "interesting material for the close species
makers," and indicates a fertile field of investigation of the variations which twentv-
five years or less of changed environment can proiluce in a species the whole liistorv
of the s])read of wliich is comjiai'atively well reconled.

As Dori/p/iora itself spreail like a wave of destruction over the countrv, for the
first few years its depre(hitions in au}' region were scarcely hindered, but later, while
man was learning how to poison it, lower animals were develojiiuo- a taste for it. The
lady-birds attack the eggs and larvu' ; mnnerous species of IIemi])tera, sucli as T'oclisus
spinost/s and Haipactor cincf/ts, suck out tlu' juices of the larv;-e; a fly (LijcMla dory-
phoni') lives in its larval state as a parasite within the larv;p of Doryphora, and has
been found so abundant in jilaces as to nearly exterminate the beetle; and the eggs
and larva' are eaten by several beetles, among which Ldna grandis — once not verv
common — has apparently increased in numbers on account of the food-su]i|ily which
Doriiphora furnishes. The above-nicntioiicd iusecfs are selected from over two (hizen
species known to attack Doryphora. ,Vmong wild liirds the crow, quail, rose-1>reastcd
grosl)eak (Gouhqdica fii<7oriciain/), and cardinal grosbeak {Cardina/is viryinianus);
and, among domesticated birds, the duck, di-vour these beetles. In some cases chickens
have acquired the habit of feeding up(Ui tlicm, and the connnon toad does a'ood service
in eatinsi large numfiers of them.

320 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Among the many insecticides wliicli arc used to reduce tlie numbers of Doryphora,
Paris green and London purple are generally considered best. Paris green, or as it is
sometimes called Scheele's green, is an arseniate of copper often used as a pigment.
It is extremely poisonous, and is diluted with twenty times its weight of flour and
sprinkled with a sieve upon the potato-plants. London purjile, which is a waste
product of anilin manuf;icturc, contains al)Out forty per cent of arsenic, and although
very much cheajier than Paris green it is still more poisonous, and is used in the same
way, diluted with about thirty-six jiarts of flour. In all cases where these jioisons are
used cattle should be carefully excluded from the fields.

Severe cases of poisoning from handling the beetles themselves, in quantity, have
been reported: likewise the vapor arising when they are killed by scalding is said to
be jwisonous. While such cases of poisoning are apparently authentic and are not
improbable, yet the question of the poisonous nature of Dorijphora is one that requu'cs
much furtlier careful investigation than it has received.

Very closely related structurally to Doryphoru., which is itself sometimes retained
in the genus Chnjsomela, is C. divicollls and C. scalans. C. cUoicoUis, which is
often called ('. tn'macuhita, is about 0.4 inch long, with deep blue head,
l^l^X^ thorax_, antennre, legs, and under-side, while the elytra are reddish orange
y^gll with a few blotches of black ujion them. Its reddish larva, which re-
"O'^^T^ sembles in form that of JJoi-i/phora, feeds, like the imago, ujion species
,, ^... ,y< of milk-weed (Asckpias). C. scahifis is one of a o-rouii of chrvsomelids
snmeja ciiid- -\\lii(.]i bave the elytra covered with curious hieroglyphic stripes and mark-
ings, whence they have been given T)y some authors the generic name of
CalUijriipha. The greenish-black and white imago, which is about 0.3 inch long, after
jjassing the winter imder leaves and in rubbish, appears early in the sjiring upon elm
and linden trees and on the alder. Its eggs are deposited in May and June, and the
larvpe of the first brood reach full growth by the end of the latter month. The larvre
have similar form to those of Don/phora, but ai'e whitish, somewhat sjiotted with black.
Similar species of CalUyraplia are found on the hazel ( Cori/his), on Viburnum, and
on willow (Sali.v).

In southern Europe the larva of Chrysomcla (liluta is luicturnal, as is the case with
some lepidopterous larva?, and comes out of its hiding places where it spends the day
to feed upon a species of plantain {Flantayo coronopus) at night. The larvre of a few
chrysomelids have a habit, when disturbed, of forcing out upon the tips of s]iines which
are arranged in rows alonsj their bodies, little drops of a disagreeably odorous milky
fluid. These drops of a secretion, which is, of course, defensive in function, can be
again witli<lrawn into the spines when danger is past. Professor C. Claus found
salicylic acid in the larva of C. ^lopuli, the Euro]iean s])eeies in which this peculiar
secretion has been most studied. In America larva^ of Plac/iodera scripta, P. lap-
ponica, and P. trcimda have similar secretions.

Gasfrophysa 2}oIi/f/o?ii is an oblong beetle, about 0.1.5 inch long, of which the
prothorax, legs, and basal joints of the antennse are reddish Ijrown, the rest of the
insect shining blue, except in the case of females when they are much distended with
eggs; then the jiortions of the distended abdomen which the elytra cannot cover are
yellow or yellowish lirown. This beetle is very aljundant from April to September
upon common knotgrass {Polygonum ((vicidare) both in Europe and in America.
The groups of yellow eggs on the leaves of the knotgrass hatch in from eight to eleven
days. The yellow laiTse resort to the ground for ]iupation. There are two or three

BEETLES.

321

hroods yearly. J. A. Oshonie fouml that pavtlienogenesis sometimes occurreJ in
(t. rdphiini, a species fuuml in EnglanJ.

The must brilliant jjerhajis of the American species of Chrysomeli(la> belong to the
genns ('hnjisochus. This genus, and a few others associated with it, differ from
Clirysomela and the forms just described in that they have the third tarsal joints
bilobed. Chrysochus auratuK, from the eastern United States, is oblong-oval, about
0.4 inch l')ng, of a brilliant metallic green, which, viewed in different directions, changes
to deep red or bright bine shades. During Jidy and Atigust this species is very
conmion on dog-bane {Apoc;/nuju). In the Pacific States C. cobaUinns, of a change-
able cobalt-blue, is very ccunnion.

Belonging in tlie group with C/a-i/soc/ius, but less brilliantly colored, are Adoxiis,
J^idia, Colaspis, Faria., Scrlodonta, and Purhnephorus. The larva? of Ado.r/is rifis
— a little jmliescent lilack species with liniwnisli-yellnu- elytra and legs, and with the
first four joints of the antennre pale — does much damage to the
grape in Europe and is foiuid in America. It is about 0.1 inch
long. I'^idUi viticida, a chestnut In-own sj)ecics with short whit-
ish hairs, injures the grapes in the Western Stales by riddling
their leaves. The beetle is about 0.3 inch long. Colaspns
^/favida, a clay-yellow species aliont 0.25 inch long, attacks the
grape, upon the roots of whicli its larvfe feed. ('. briaaiea., a
brown species of which C. flavida has been considereil a variety;
Paria aterrima, a Ijlack species of about the same size as Colas-
pis ,' and Scelodonta nebulosits., an ashy gray species of like size,
all feed as larvse upon strawberry roots, the larva3 of three species
lieing very much alike. Paclintp/ionis ci//uidrieits, which is fig-
ured, is from Europe and northein Africa.

The species of Cn/2>toc'/i/ia?Ks are short, eylinilrical, and generally small. They
resemble those of Pac/ii/brav/it/s, but in the latter genus the prothorax is margined at
the base and not crenulate, while in Crtjpttoc<p>halus it is not margined at the base and
is crenulate. In both genera the prothorax is nearly as wide as the elytra are, and the
perpendicular head is set deeply into the prothorax ; the autennfe are filiform. The
larvae iuhaljit little cases upon leaves of different trees. Beetles and larva' alike have
a liaViit of falling to the ground when <listurbed, tlius escaping observation. The
number of species of Cri/ptoaqdiains and Pachybrachj/s is large, there being in the
United States about forty described species of each genus. The species are usually
prettily marked with colored strijies or spots. Cri/ptoccp/icdus con-
Jfiiois, which is figured, will give a good idea of the form and of one
type of figuration in these genera. It is a jtretty North American
s]iecies, in which the general coloration is yellow, that of the thorax
being tinged with brick-red, while three black longitudinal Hues adorn
each elytron. Two of these lines are confluent u]H>n tlic elvtral
suture, whence the specific scientific name. Westwood mentions
that the larval cases of a species of Ziamprosoma, a genus near
Cryp>tocep>halus in classification, mimic with remarkable accuracy
the buds upon the bark of the trees on which the larvae feed.
In Europe there are numerous species of a genus resembling, in general, Crypto-
w/*/(rt/(^s,bitt of larger insects; this is Clythra. In rY//</(ra, however, the antenna? are
serrate and the anterior coxal cavities are confluent, not as in Cryptocephalus separated

VOL. II. — 21

356. — Parfinijjl{urti6
cijUndrU-u^i.

Fin. 3.)7. — Cri/plo-
cepliulus cotiftiL-
ens.

322 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

by the prosternum. Xo species of Ch/thra, jiropeily sjieakiuj;-, have been found in the
Unitecl States, but a nearly relateil genus, C'uscinoptera, is rej)resented liy sevei-al spe-
cies. The hirvie of Clijthra and UosciJioptera are case-bearers, and the hirvie of Cli/thra
quadrisignata, a coininou European species, althougli normally feeding on willow, has
been often found in ants' nests. A jiart of the life-history of our most abundant species,
Coscinoptera dominicanu has been described by Dr. C. V. Kiley. The beetle is about
Q.2'1 inch long, and is, with the e.xception of the yellowish brown labrum, entirely
black; the upper surface is densely punctate, the under side covered with ashy grav
pubescence. The eggs are attached in groups to plants, and each egg is borne upon
the end of a delicate silk-like stalk, thus resembling somewhat the eggs of the lace-
wing (Chri/sojM). The egg is covered, as is also the case with, the eggs of most
species of Cryptocephalus and of t'h/thnt, with marliings formed by the excrement or
by a secretion of the beetle. The eggs hatch in from fourteen to eighteen days, and
each egg-shell serves the newly hatched larva for a case, into which it withdraws on
the slightest disturbance. The young larva feeds on dead .-nid decaying leaves of many
kinds of trees. When its case becomes too small to accommodate its increased size, it
cements pieces of earth ujxju the margins of the egg-shell, using .saliva to make the
materials adhere. Thus a ridged case is formed, in which the larva passes its life,
probably requiring two years for full growth, and pupating finally in its case, after the
entrance of the latter is sealed uji and the whole case firmly secured to .some .surface.
Chlami/s, of which the larvae are also case-bearers, differs from Cfi/ptocephdhfs and
Coscinopteni in being covered with large tuberosities, and in having grooves in the
flanks of the prothorax to receive the antenna;. The sjiecies generally have metallic
coloration, sometimes didl; some of them, including our commonest species, C/ihvni/s
plicata, so closely resemble a jiiece of caterpillar's dung that birds wonld not
pick them from a leaf. The eggs of C ]jlicata are borne upon short jieduneles, and it
has been discoveivd that, before they are protected by a coating of excrement or of
secretion liy the female, they are greedily sought for and devoured Iiy the males. The
larva feeds on oak, sycamore, blackberry, and sweet-fern, and inhabits a nearly smooth
sub-glol)idar case, which is formed, as in Coscinopfent, by additions to the egg-shell.
Pupation takes jilace in the case, previously secured to a leaf by its oral end, and the
imago, when about to emerge, cuts a lid from the aboral end of the case.

Two genera, JLrma and Cn'occn'.'^, the latter introduced from Europe, rejiresent in
North America another group of Chrysomelida;. The ch.araeters of this group maybe
summed up as follows : prothorax narrower than the elytra, not margined ; middle ventral
segment not narrowed, and last dorsal segment covered by the punctato-striate elj-tra;
prosternum very nari'ow ; first ventral segment scarcely longer than the second.

Lema has the prothorax constricted at the middle. The liest known North Amer-
ican species is L. triliiteata, a common potato-beetle. It lias a reddish yellow head and
prothorax, and three longitudinal black stri])es on the elyptra. Its
yellow eggs are attached to the under side of potato leaves ; they hatch
in about a fortnight. The yellowish larvre have their anal o]iening on
the upjier side of their terminal segment, and they cover themselves
with their soft, greenish excrement. At the end of about two weeks
Fig. .3.i.s. — /,/.»!« the larva; descend into the ground, free themselves of their excrement,

trUineata. .,,.-» I'l- i

form an earthern cocoon with the aid oi gummy matter trom I heir moutli,
and pupate. Pujiation lasts aliout a fortnight.

Crioceris has a cylindrical prothorax. C. asparagi, the common asparagus-beetle

BEETLES. 32^

of Europe, was introduced into America, near New York city, about ]85(i, ami since
then has been slowly spreading over Long Island and New Jersey. The beetles that
have hibernated appear iu early spring, and lay their blackish-brown eggs upon shoots
of asparagus as soon as the hitter come out of the ground. The full-o-rown larvoe are
about O.-J.i inch long, ashy gray or oliscure olive green, with shining black head
and legs, and a row of small warts of the same color along each side. The pupa is
enclosed in a slight cocoon, just undergrciund or beneath leaves and rubbish upon the
surface. The egg state lasts about eight daj-s, the larval stage about twelve days, and
pupation about ten days. The beetle is about O.'io inch long, and the arrangement
of its colin-s — lilack, yellow, and red — is somewhat variable. The head is black;
the jirothorax reddish, often with two lilack spots above; the elytra are yellow, with a
sutural strijie of black, from which strijie extends two black bands dividing the yellow
part of each elytron into three juirtions, which vary from three dots to three broad
bands, according to the width of the lilack sutural strijje and its branches. Beneath
the beetle is nearly or entirely shining black. Recently a second Euro]iean species of
asparagus-beetle, Cn'oceris duodecimpnncUita, has been introduced into Maryland.
The upper surface is orange red, each elytron ha\ ing six black dots

Differing structurally from Cn'oceris by their very long first ventral segment, are
the numerous species of Doiiacia, found u]ion water-plants. JDonacia resembles, in
general appearance, the longicorns (Cerambyci<he) ; the antennte being inserted on the
front, and filiform, while the prothorax is narrow and not margined. These beetles
fly quickly fron\ one jilant to another. Their coloration is generally metallic, often
bronze-green abo\-e, and they are clothed with water-repelling hairs beneath. A
noticeable peculiarity of species of this genus is that they are full of some corroding
acid that rusts and destroys the pins on which they are mounted in collections. On
this account some collectors mount them on slips of jiajier, as is otherwise done onlv
with minute insects.

E. Heeger writes of I), dacijjes, a European species, that the females, having passed
the winter in water and under decaying vegetation, deposit their eggs one by one, in
the daytime, u]ion the thick roots of the water ]ilantain (Alisma plantago). Each
female has only from forty to fifty eggs, which are deposited in from fourteen to
eighteen days. In from ten to twenty days the larvae appear, and feed upon the roots
of the water-]ilantain. At the end of five or six weeks pupation takes pLace in a sub-
merged, parchnuMit-like cocoon, which is fastened to the stem of the water-plantain,
and which the larvie know how to Hll with air. Pupation lasts from twenty to tAventy-
five days. Professor C. T. E. von Siebold states that the larvfe of D. simplex, fasten
themselves by the end of their abdomen in a hole which they gnaw out of the root-
stalk of the bur-reed {Span((iaiiium .sfO/^jfe)'), while they feed upon the diatoms and
alga3 of the slime aliout them. The lioring into the l)ur-reed is for respiratory purposes,
the Larvie breathing the air of the intercellular sjiaces of the ])lant by means of its single
pair of stigmata, which are in the hooks at the tip of the abdomen.

The Cee.\.mi!ycid,e, the so-called longicorn family, contains nearly as many species
as does the family of Chrysomelid.a?, and it is difficult to give any scientific ch.aracters
by which to separate absolutely the two families, although collectors would rarely be
in doubt as to which family to assign any given specimen. The species of Ceramby-
cidse are generally somewhat elongated, often cylindrical. The anteruue are usually
very long, sometimes much longer than the rest of the insect — whence the name
longicorn. They are mostly filiform, in some cases serrate, imbricate, or pectinate.

Mi

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

rarely kiiol)l)eil; they are inserted in various ways, and generally have eleven joints —
sometimes more, rarely fewer ; they are often much better developed in the males than
in the females. The elytra usually eover the entire abdomen; a few genera, however,
have very short elytra. The wings are a))sent in a few species, and the elytra connate.
The mandibles are very stout, but of \arial)le forms. The species are often be.-mtifuUv
colored, metallic or velvety, and are oftentimes of consideraltle size, the Cerambyeidie
probably contaiuiug the longest species of beetles. Many longieorns are more or less
spiny, some species closely resembling twigs, and, according to Mr. 11. W. Bates,
.^St/io/uerus lacurdairei, a Brazilian sj)ecies, mimics a butterfly's pupa grown over with
fungus. A curious habit of Jlef/adcfus hifasciatus, a species found in Texas, is to eat
out the printed portions of posters. Certain species are odorous, those of Prioiais
using their odor as a sexual attraction. CnHic/iroma moschafa, a large European spe-
cies, derives its specific name from the pleasant musky odor which it exhales, and which
is noticeable at considerable distance from the insect. Sonorific organs are possessed
by nearly all, probably by all, si)ecies of Ceraiuliycidie.

The eggs are laid in ere^ ices of bark and of wood ; the larvre feed in both living
and decayed wood. The feniales of a few sjiecies girdle twigs and lay their eggs in
the portion beyond the girdling; the twigs thus girdled ilie and are broken off by
winds, thus furnishing fresh but deail wood for the lar\a'. The females of certain
species are said to cut off or girdle twigs by seizing them in their mandibles and flying
rapidly around tlie twig as a centre; this mode of girdling is exceptional, if jjractiscd
by any species, since longieorns mostly girdle twigs while resting on the brancli below
the point to be girdled. Some species lay a large number of eggs; Prionus laticolUs
has been found, upon dissection, to contain from three hundred to six hundred eggs.
The metamorplioses of some species of longieorns are supposed to require as long as
twenty years, but if this is the case it is excejitional, for many sjieeies attain full
growth in from one to three years.

The larva' of Cerambycida- are long, cylindrical, or flattened whitish
grubs, with distinct labial palpi, elli])tie;d or circular stigmata, and
Y-shajied anal opening. They bore, for the most iiart, in woody jior-
tions of trees; some, however, attack herliaceous plants. The head or
the larvaj is partly retractile into the flrst thoracic segment, the an-
tennaj are very small and concealed in a fold of the head, ocelli ;ire
usually absent The larv;e are mostly legless, and when legs are present
they are small, with only one claw, but tlie larva assist their jieristaltic
motion through their mines by means of wart-like processes ujion their
dorsal and ventral surfaces. The form and mode of plication of these
processes are of importance in distinguishing the species of longicorn
larvse. Most of tlie damage done by these larvse is in destroying timber
or by killing shade trees, no less than a dozen different species being
known to attack hickory. In Europe damage is said to have been done
to grain by the larvse of longieorns boring in tlie ears, and to vegetables
sueli as carrots. The fleshy larva of Macrotoma corticimim, cooked
with rice, are eaten Viy natives of ^Madagascar; and the natives about
King George's Sound, in West Australia, eat both larva and iniagos
of Bardistus cibarms.
Cerambycida are among the more difficult Ijeetles to classify satisfactorily, because
.structural chaiacters, which are usually generic, often become only of specific value in

^

Fig. 359. — I.arva
of Afonoham
mus.

BEETLES.

325

tliis family. Thiei' sub-tMiuilies art easily iccugiiizalile ; the highest, the Prioiiinse,
Iiave the prothorax margined ami the labviun connate; the other two sub-families, the
Cerambycirue and Lamiina', have the labriim free and the jirothorax without margin.
The Lamiin* have, liowevei-, an oblique groove on the inner side of the front tibiae,
while the front tibia' of the Cerambycina> are not grooved.

Of tlie T.amiina', the genus Sapenlu is ]ierha]is Ix'St known. The species are
nearly cylindrii'al ; tlie prothorax is cylindrical with no spines .at sides. The elytra
are a little wider than the jirdtliorax, distinctly sli(Uildered, and cover the entire
abdomen ami the well-develojied wings. The legs are of moderate length, and are
armed with claws wliicli point outward at right angles to the tarsus. The claws
are simple, except sumetimes the outer one of the .-interior and middle tarsi of males
of certain s)iecies.

Fig. aGO. — Loiigicorii heeties. a, Saptrda carcliarinii ; It, S. pojmiineaf- c, Acauthocinus ferfi/is, male;

d, female; c, Linnia tuxtor.

Saperda hivittnto is from (I. .5;"! to O.To of an inch long, is wldte beneath, with white
face and antemue, ami with t w<i u bite longitudinal strijies al)ove ; tlie rest is light brown.
It is fiiunil, in June and .luly, about .apple, quince, mountain ash, (horn, shadduish, and
other rosaceous trees, in the wood of which its larvie feed. The beetle is nocturnal,
remaining concealed by day and feeding liy night, as is the case with .all s]iecies of
Saperda. The imago eats tlie leaves of the same kinds of trees of which the larv;v
eat the wood. The egg of S. hlrUtiita is laid in a cleft made by the female in the
bark of the tree ; after depositing it the female fills the cleft with a cement like secre-
tion. The young larvae bore into the trees, and where numerous tlie\ do much damage
to apple-trees. The larva' are legless, nearly cylindrical, the first segment behind the
head being largest, the succeeding ones gradual! \ narrower; the head is small, horny,
and brownish. T. W. H.arris writes that the Larval slate lasts two or three years, and
that the larva penetrates during that time "eight or ten inches upwards in the trunk
of the tree, its burrow at the end .iiiproaching to, and being only covered by the bark.
Here its transformaticjn takes place." Pupation lasts a month or two.

326

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

S. vesiita, a species whose larva liores in lindeu and poplar, is from 0.5 to 0.8 of an
inch long, is greenish yellow, with three black spots on the middle of each elytron. The
beetles arc found about the linden from May to the end of summer ; they eat the
bark and petioles of the leaves. In Philadelphia their larva" have been at times so
common as to do serious damage to the linden trees by penetrating the wood and
undermining the bark. The larvie are slender, of nearly the same lireadth from the
prothoracic region to the penultimate abdominal segment, and have tliree jiairs of .small
thoracic feet. S. tridentata, sometimes called Co7npsidea tridentata,
) is from 0.4 to 0.6 of an inch long, dark brown or gray in ground col-
oration, with dull red markings, as follows : a curved line behind the
/^l |r\ eyes, two stri]ies on the prothorax and a marginal, three-toothed, red

•f /ip'irv'^ stripe on each elytron. The legless larva, which feeds on the elm,
is, according to Prof. A. S. Packard, "a little flattened, with the
^'"'(ridcmiam'"'" '"teral fold of the body rather iironiincnt; end of the body flattened,
obtuse, and nearly as wide as at the first abdominal ring." The pro-
thoracic segment is wider than the rest of the larva. The whole larva is covered with
scattered hairs. Oviposition takes place in June ; the larvre, after channelling- beneath
the bark, and furrowing the surface of the wood during one or more years, pupate in
the spring. Not only do these insects attack dead trees, but they prove very destruc-
tive to living elms. In some cases the death of elms has been attributed to leakage of
illuminating gas from the street mains, when in reality the cause of death
was the boring of tliis destructive beetle. S. lateralis, which somewliat
resembles S. tridentata, but in which the lateral line does not have three
teeth, also mines the inner bark of elms. Its larva is smiilar to that of
S. tridentata.. Of other American species, *S'. mmsta, /S. calcarata, S.
concolor attack poi)lais. The last species is gray, with darker antenna^.
S. calcarata is a large gray species, irregularly striped and spotted «ith
yellow; it is sometimes 1.25 inches long. Its elytra end in a spur,
whence its specific name. /S. imvsta, a black species, about 0.35 of an
inch long, is the only North American species found on the Pacific
slope, being distributed from Canada to Oregon. In Europe two com-
mon species, Ijoth living on species of poplar, are <S'. carcharias and aS.
%)opulinea. S.populinea is about 0.5 of an inch long, S. carcharias about
double as long. The male of the latter species is grayish yellow, the
female is ochre 3'ellow. S. iwindineu is greenish or yellowish gray, with three longitudi-
nal yellow lines on the prothora.x. and a longitudinid row of yellow siiots upon each
elytron.

Differing from the species of Superda, in having cleft or appen<liculate claws, are
the species of the genera Oberea, Tetraojjes, ami I'/ii/td'cia. The sptecies of Oberea
are very slender, nearly cylindrical, and have the episterna of the metathorax wide, the
ejnpleurie distinct, and the claws broadly appendiculate. O. tripunctata, a species
about 0.5 of an inch long, feeds as larva upon the stems of the raspberry. The beetle
is black, W'ith a yellow prothora.x, on which are three black dots arranged in a triangle.
It girdles the raspberry twigs in which it lays its eggs, pi-obably in order to check the
growth of the [tlant.

Tetraojies has a less slender form than Oberea, the claws are cleft, the eyes broadly
divided, the j)rothorax dilated at the sides ; the species are all bright red, marked with
black spots, and all feed upon milkweed (Asclepias). The larvie probably devour the

Fu). 31)'.;.— Larva
of Saptrthi cal-
carata.

Acrocums lonylmaniis, Loug-armed beetle.

BEETLES.

327

:;i;:'.. — r.tm-

im's ; above, front
view of head.

roots of the same plants. T. /(//■'(njihl/ia/iiuiii lias bhu'k legs and anteiuite, four lilark
dots arranged in a siiiiai-(.- on the )a-othorax, and four spots of varialile size on each
elytron. In Europe sjieeies of related genera, P/u/t'Xciii and A(/a-
paiit/iici. damage various wild and cultivated phuits.

Onculeres has moderately divergent claws, angulated anterior and
open middle cox.a% and large front. O. cingulatus, a grayish-brown
species, girdles and ])artly cuts off the twigs of hickory, pear, and other
trees, in August and September, after having deposited eggs in the
portion of the twig beyond the girdling. The winds of autumn break
the twig from the trees, and the jiortion containing the eggs falls to
the ground. The larva; feed upon the wood of the fallen twig, — -often
when numerous reducing it to a mere shell of bark, — attain full
growth the next .summer, pu])ate and jiroduce iniagos the following
autunni, the whole transfoi'nuitions reijuiring only a year.

I'oijoiiocherus is a genus of small longicorns, in which the front coxa' are angulated,
tiie middle coxa? ojieii, and the claws divaricate. The body and legs bear long hairs,
and tufts of hair are found on the elytra. P. mixtus is one of the more common
species, and feeds ujion willow. It is about 0.3 of an inch long, and is mottled light
and dark gray in color. .Sepai-atcd from I'oijonocherus by the rounded anterior coxffi
are the species of Acanthocimis, of which A. asdilis, from Eurojje, is figured. It a]>pears
early in spring, and oviposits on many kinds of trees, A obsoletus, a mottled gray
and black species, about 0.5 of .■ui inch long, is not uncommon in the United States.

Acrocbms longimanus^ whicli is common in tropical America, is a very curious and
striking s]>ecies of longicoru. The beetle is from 1 to 1.5 inches in length of body.
It is remarkable both for its excessively long anterior legs, of which the femora and
the tiljire are each ei|ual to or longer than the body, and for having a large movable
spine articulateil u])on e.ach side of its ]irothorax. In coloration it is j'ellow, gray, and
black, arranged in stri]>es of irregLilar pattern. It feeds upon the milky juice of Flrus
(jlahnitu., in the W(,>od of which its large fleshy lar\'a liores.

The species of Jlonohatnvms are large lieetles having extremely long antennai,
especially in the males. The fore-legs of the males are much elongated. The pro-
thorax bears a strong lateral spine and the ventral segments are nearly equal in
length. M. confiisoi; which is broAvnish gray with the elytra sjiotted with black and
white, often reaches a length, exclusive of the antennre, of 1.4 inches. Its larva', as
Well as those of J/. Kciift'llafi/s and 3/. marmoratus, bore in pine wood, tlius doing
considerable damage to tindier. Pmf. .V. S. Packard says of tlie footless larva of ]ff.
co/ifusor. "Boring a hole, in outline rouml and regular, deep in the wood of sound,
though usually in decaying, trees, and doing much injury to pine timber; a large,
soft, white, fleshy, nearly cylindrit'al grub, the segment next the head larger than the
others, flattened, horny, and inclined obli(piely downward and forward, the succeeding
rings very slKU't, with a transverse oval rough space on the middle above and below,
pui)ating insi<le in the wood, the beetle emerging from a round hole half an inch in
diameter." Jf. scutellutiis, mentioned above, is shining black spotted with white, and
is very abundan't about midsummer in the northern United States and in British
America. It is somewhat smaller than J/! confusor, measuring from 0.5 to 1 inch
in length. •

Closelj' related to Moiio/kuiii/ius arc the genera Plectrodera and Ptychodes.
Pleclrodera scalator is about 1.5 inches long, of robust form, and is shining black

328

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

mottled \\\\\\ cream white. Ptychodes viUatun is slender, about an inch long, with
very long antenna? and legs, and is of a rich Ijrown ground color, with sutural and
marginal strijies of white. Both the above-mentioned species are found in the south-
western United States. In Europe a closely allied longicorn. Lamia textor, bores, in
its larval state, in willow twigs. The beetle is from 1 to l.'io inches long and nearlv
half as broad, of a dark brown color, with fine yellowish pubescence, through which
glimmer little black points ; its antennte are about tvvo-tliirds as long as its body.

Pseiiocerits svpernotutus is a beetle only about 0.25 of an inch long, whose larva bores
in the twigs of different kinds of currants. Its front coxal cavities are angulated, its
prothorax is constricted behind and the liumeral angles are distinct. The ground color
of the beetle is black, the prothorax and margins of the elytra are jiale brown, and
there are a few white or gray spots on the elytra. Mr. William Saunders has well
described the life-history of this species as follows: "Early in June the parent beetle
of the native currant borer deposits her eggs upon the currant stalks, where they soon
hatch into tiny grubs, which burrow into the heart of the stem and, feeding on its pith,
reach full growth before the close of the season. They are footless grulis, which
measure when full grown about half an inch in length. The iiead is scarcely half as
broad as the body, is of a dark lirown color, with black jaws. The Ixxly is whitish
with some Virown dots along each side, and is slightly clothed with very tine short
hairs. When full grown and about to cli.ange to a chrysalis, the larva gnaws a channel
through the ^\•(_1ody fibre to tlie outer bark, so that wlien changed to a beetle it can
make its escajie by merely ru]ituring the bark. The ea^■ity thus made is filled with
little chips to ])revent the liark from being lu'enuiturely broken, and below this stuffing
the insect constructs a becl of short woody fibres, packing the passage below with a
finer material resembling sawdust. Within this enclosure, which is about half an inch
in length, the Larva changes to a chrysalis and reposes until the fully formed beetle is
ready to emerge; then, gradually drawing away the obstacles to its egress, it finds its
way to the end of the ]iassage, and gnawing a small round hole through the bark,
effects its escajie." As the larvae remain in the twigs during the \\inter, an easy mode
of desti'oying these longicorns is to break off the dead twigs in early spring and

burn them.

Dorcadion is a well-represented genus in south-
ern Euro))e. The humeral angles are not prominent,
and wings ai-e alisent ; the palpi are slender, the
support of tlie laliium distinctly visible, the an-
tennaj not surpassing the body in length, and the
jjrothorax with a s])ine on each side. I), crux is
velvety black, with silvery white markings in a
cruciform arrangement as seen in tlie figure.

Turning our attention now fi-om the Lamiinw
to the Cerambycinre, we have to deal with longi-
corns whicli have marginless prothorax, jialjii never
at'utely pointed, and the anterior tibia? without
grooves on the inner side.

The genus Leptura and some genera associated
W'ith it have the head distinctly narrowed behind
the eyes to form a sort of neck ; their front coxa? are conical ; their eyes ai'c nearly
or quite round, not, as in many Cerambycida', more or less enveloping the base of the

Fig. 304. — (I, Chjtiis nrhl'ts; h, A'a-ytlalis
major i c, Dorcadimi crux.

BEETLES. 329

antenna'; the stridulating plate on the iiiesonotuni is divicleil by a smooth iiortioii
or by a furrow. These insects frecjuent fiowors, seeniino- to prefer small flowers whidi
grow in clusters, such as those of Spinca.

According to Le Conte and Horn's Classification of the Coleoptera of North
America, from which work many of the anatomical characters of genera mentioned in
this pajier have been taken, the gcuus Lcjifiint itself has acute mandibles fringed on
the inner margin, long elytra, oblinue or horizontal front, first joint of hind tarsi
without brush-like sole, last \cutral segment of the male not excavated, antennie with-
out poriferous spaces, and hind coxa3 not contiguous. There are over seventy-five
species of Leptura in North America, north of Mexico. 'J'heir larva- feed upon
decaj'ing wood. L. caiKidensU is dull brownish black with the .anterior part of the
elytra dull red, and the antenna' yellow and Iilack. It is .■il)out 0.(j of an inch long.

Tiipocerus differs from Lepttuui in having large poriferous sjiaces on the antenn;c.
T.fuga.i-^ a common species in the United States, lias reddish brown elytra, each of
whicli has four more or less ]>rominent triangular yellow spots. The prothorax and
body beneath are neai-ly Iilack, densely clothed with yellow pubescence; the antenna'
are dull black, the legs reddish brown. Length about 0.5 of an inch.

lihaijiiun has the first joint of the posterior tarsi hairy beneath, and the prosternum
prominent between the cnxa'. 7?. Uiteatinii,X\w only North American species, is from
0.4 to 0.7 of an inch long, and is rusty gray, finely mottled with black. Each elytron
has three slightly elevated longituilinal ridges, whence the name lineatuin. The larva
of R. Uneatum is a flattened, yellowish-white, somewhat hairy grub, about an inch
long. Its head is as large and as wide as its prothoracic segment ; the mesothoraeic
and metathoracic segments equal in width the prothoracic segment, l)ut are slightly
wider than the abdnminal segments. Tiiis larva is very common under the bark of
pine logs, where it burrows abi.nit, and finally constructs a nest or cell in which to
pup.ate. These cells, in which pujiation takes place, are liuilt of woody threads or
fibres arranged in an oval ring between the wood anil the loosened bark; the cell,
which is usually a little over an inch in longest diameter, is lined with reddish bark-
dust. The beetle emerges from the pupal state in auluuni. but i-emains in its cell
until the following s]iring, when it gnaws its way out ; this is a somewhat exce|itional
mode of hibernation for Cerambycida^, most of which spend the winter as larv;e.
R. ))U)r<J<i.i\ in Eurojie, co]iul:iti- in April .and ;\Iay ; the ego-s are deposited in clefts of
bark, the larva' reaching full growth and ]iu]iating the same year. Some of the
European sjjecies of Rhagiinti attack, besides pine, the bark of birch arid oak ; R.
Uneatum thus far has been recorded only from conifers — from pine, spruce, fir, and
hemlock. Remaining torjiid as these beetles do throughout the winter, in their cells
beneath the bark, they are particularly susceptible to the attacks of parasites: fungi
kill a large number of them ; others succumb to the attacks of mites ( Gariuts)/.-.
cofeoptratorum), and specimens are not rarely found which are clothed with these
))arasites so as to hide the beetle entirely from view; and three species of Ichneu-
monidie and one of Braconida; are known to attack R. iiidiffator, of Europe, a rather
large number of hymenopterous jiarasites for a single species of beetle.

The genus Neci/dnlis is characterized sutHciently by its very short elytra, fnmi
beneath which the long wings always project, never being folded beneath the elytra,
as is the case in the Stajihylinidte, and in a few other genera of brachelytrous longi-
corns. Only three species are- found in the United States, and their life history is not
known, y. major, the sjiecies figured, is European.

330

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHRUPODS.

Fig. 3G5. — IJesmoctms
palliatus.

Differiiitf from the foregoing genera in having simple mandibles witliout fringes is
the semis Di'smocenm. ZK palliatini is found about elder (Sarnbucus) when it is in
blossom. This beetle is about 0.8 of an inch long, of a deej)
Frussian-lilue color, except the anterior portion of the elytra, whicli
is orange yellow. It is one of the most brilliant of our longicorn
Coleoptera. Its larva bores in the jiith of the elder. The females
of D. anripeiudg, a species found on the Pacific coast, are dimor-
phic, the two forms being distinguished liy different size of mark-
ings and by different fineness of punetation.

Passing uow to genera of tiie suli-family Cerambycinffi that
have the base of the antenna' jiartly surrounded by the ey^es,
Clytus and related genera have long legs, finely granulated eyes,
a rounded or broadly triangular seutellum, tibia- not carinated
and with large spurs, prothorax never s]iiny or tuberculated,
elytra not sinuate, and iutercoxal process ai-ute. The si>ecies
are generally banded with yellow, «lnte, or black, and are
active both at flight and in running. < '/i/fim in its limited
sense, as defined by Drs. Le Conte and Horn, is confined in
North America to two species, of which the life histories are
unknown. (Jlj/tui wietis, a common yellow, lilack, and red
European species which is figured on page 328, is found in its
larval state in the dead wood of mulberry and sycamore trees,
and in the living wood of some other trees. ('. sexguttatus,
also figured, is from Algiers.

CyUe)tc differs from Cli/tus in having the head ]iroportionally
smaller, the front short, the intercoxal jirocess rounded, and the
pronotnm hollowed out at the :<ides of its l>ase. Cijllene rohinim
is very abumlant upon locust trees, the wood of which is seri-
ously damaged 1)v its larvae The beetle is brownish black, figured beneath and trans-
versely striped aliove with yellow, and has reddish legs. Almost all the figuration is
produced by a coating of hnir-like scales, the beetle being mostly black
when these scales are I'emoved. This beetle is quite common in autumn
u|ion the blossoms of golden-rod {Solidago), the pollen of which it eats.
In September the beetles may be seen, often in considerable number,
rnnnino- over the bark on the trunks of locust trees, copulating and
ovi])ositin2. The egas are white, and are laid in crevices of the bark,
five or six in a place. They hatch in a short time and the young larva-
cat a slight distance beneath the Ijnrk bef(n-e ■« inter comes on. The next
s]iring they burrow about in the wood, throwing their refuse out of holes which they
have made in the Viark. Pujiation takes place the latter jiart of July, and the beetles
emerge in August and September; the entire metamorphosis of this species thus lasts
only one year. Ci/llote picius is so nearly like C. robiiini; that it has been confounded
with it, oftentimes by good observers. C. 2'>ictus lives as larva, however, in hickory
(Carya), the imago ai)pears in .June, .nnd it has slenderer ami shorter anteninv than
are those of C. robinicf?.

Playionotus speciosiis has a form and style of marking similar to C. robinia', but
is larger and does not have the pronotum hollowed out at the sides. Its colors are
deep black, and yellow. The beetle is found in .July, when it lays its eggs in the

Fig. ZIX.— Clytus sex-
guttatus.

Fir..

(■;//-

(enc rohiniw.

BEETLES.

331

Fig. 3(i8. — Plfiffionutus
sjitciosus.

The genus Elaphidion contains

crevices of the bark of sugar maples, in which the hirvro bore. This species is not
very abundant, and, althouuh it now and then, perhaj)S, liills a very younti' ma]jle, its
ravages are not much to tie feared. Arliopcdus differs structurally
from Plaijionotus in ha\ iug tiliforni instead of compressed antenna>.
A.fulminans, the only North Aiiieriran s]iecies, is In-mvuish black
with fine grayish markings and dark brown legs ; it lias a con-
spicuous black spot on the pronotum, and the elytra are crossed by
four tine iiulistinct zigzag lines of gray. Its larva bores in oak and
chestnut wood.

In CaUichroiivi the scutelluni is acute at the ti}i, the anterior
coxal cavities are closed behind, and the jirothorax has a spine on
each side. A common European species, C. moscliuta, of which
the odor has been already alluded to, is al)out an inch long, bronze
green with bluish green legs and antenna;. Its larva lives in willow. C. sjjlendi-
dum, a red-bronze si)ecies from 1 to l.:25 inches long, has been found in the southern
United States.

longicorns of medium or large size, with rounded
thorax, moderately long, spiny antenna?, coarsely
]junrtured eyes and often of clouded or rusty
ajipearance on account of the tmequal distribu-
tion of their pubescence. E. jMrallehan is one of
the commoner species in the northeastern United
States. It is about 0.6 of an inch long, and of an
ashy brown color. The larva is a common borer
in oak, and according to Prof. A. S. Packard,
"nniy lie recognized l)y the stout, thick thoracic
feet, by the rather small jirothoracic segment
compared with the two hinder ones, by the ab-
sence of the ligula, by the large well-developed
pal]ii and autennse, and liy the shape of the cal-
losities." I have found the larva of this sjiecies
to be very injurious to the
hickory in nortliern Connec-
ticut, where it eats away the
wood beneath the bark of twigs up to an inch in diameter, causing
the twigs to fall in winter, when the larva continues feeding in the
fallen portion. The larva of Catoiienus riifmi., a lieetle belonging
to the Cucujidff and common in the same region, devours pupre of
E. parallelum. Chion cinctus resembles .■in Elaphklion in general
asjiect, except that the prothorax of C/iinii has a siiort spine on
each side, and its seutellum is trianguhir instead <if nnnided behind.
In C. ductus the seutellum is whitish, and tliere is an irregular
yellowish banil partly across each elytron just forward of the
middle. The larva fee<ls in hickorv.

Fig. .%9. — Chion cinctus.

Ceramhu.i' heros, a not unconnnon brownish-black beetle in Fi"

370. ■

■ Larva and

pupa of Vhion cinctus.

Europe, is from 1 to 1.6 inches long, with antenna- aVwut equal

in length to the bodv. Its juuthorax is jilicate above, and armed on ea<-h side with a

spine. Its large tieshy white larva feeds in the wood of oaks, the beetle re(juiriug two

332

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

years for its metamorphoses. The beetles frequent the leaves of oaks, ajipeariug
diirino- June in France.

To the genus Callklium., in its less restricted sense, belong liattened species of
longieorns with ]irothorax and elytra spineless, with eyes not embracing the base of
the antenna?, and having the femora usually much thickenecl. Some of the s|iecies of
this genus are very variable ; ('. >Hiriabtli', :\ s])ecies common lioth in Europe and
America, has over twenty well-deiined varieties. It is often entirely brownish yellow,
sometimes the ])rothorax only is brownish or reddislt yellow, while the rest of the
beetle is deep blue. Its larva feeds in oak. C. nnteimatum, of the United States,
and C. violaceum, of Eurojie, are both entirely of n very deeji metallic-blue color.

Ijotli feed, as larvie, n])on
conifers.

Hylotrupes bajulns is
similar in form to Callid-
iimi, but has a broader ])ro-
sternum. Its prothorax is
nearly round. Tlie entire
Iteetle is usually black,
(d<_illied in jilaces, esjiecially
on the jinithorax and elytra,
with .■ishy jnibescence, but
sometimes the elytra are
brownish yellow. Its length
is about (t.Tft ot an inch.
The larvie eat the wood nf
conifers, and, according to
Kirbv and Spence, have d(me much damage to rafters and roofs in London ; when the
beetles arrive at maturity they even pierce sheets of lead to escape from the wood.
This species is found near the coast in North and South America, where it lias been
introduced from Eui-ope. Asemuni mrcstvm, an American species, is similar in form
to H. bajuhis, but is somewhat smaller
and of a dull, dark brown color. Its larv:i
bores in pine wood.

The last sub-family of the longieorns,
the Prionime, which have a margined
]irothorax, are mostly insects of consider-
able size, with strong jaws. In some
species, of which Macrotomu htliif<r is
an example, the males are eight or ten
times mure numerous than the females,
and liglit among themselves for the )ios-
session of the females. In these lights
the males liite off one another's antenna'
and legs. In PHonus sexual activity
is very great, the male being attracted to

the female by lier odoi', and apparently, im the other hand, the males are attractive
to the females by the same means. CV>pulation, as observed in P. coriaru/s, lasts
scarcely two minutes.

Fig. 371. — n, CiUhlinm riolacctmi; b, C \'ariabile; c, lli/lotrapcs hujalus.

Fig. 372. — Prioims Inticollin auil |.iira.

BEETLES.

333

The species of friont/f: have three teeth upon each side of the pvothorax, the
anteniiffi are imliricated ; in /'. iml/ricornis the imbrication is beautifully exhibited.
The aiitennse have, iu .Vinerican sjiecies of /■'n'onii.i, from twelve to tweutv-scven
joints. P. laticol/is, one of the c<.>mnioii North ^Vmerican species, is from (1.75 to 1
inch in length, brownish black in color, and both male and female have twelve-jointed
antenniB. In P. imbricornis tlie joints of tlie antennas of the male vary from eighteen

Fig. .373. — (7, Prioiius coriarms, and b, Ergatis faber,

to twenty, wliile those of tiie temale Ikuc fi'oni sixteen to seventeen joints. The
males sometimes have a dit'fcrcnt number of joints iu the right and left antenna'. The
fleshy white Larv;e of P. latkoUis \h)w \n the roots of various [)laiits, among which
may be especially mentioned grape, apple, popl.ir, .and pine. Tu Europe, P. corkirius
is the common species; its larva feeds in the wood of
oak, birch, beech, and pine. Its egg.s, which are <le-
posited, two to eight or more in the same phu'C, are fusi-
form cylindrical, from 0.1(1 to 0.-2(l of an inch long, and
0.04 to 0.05 of an inch in <liameter. The eggs hatch
in about thirty-seven ilays, the young lar\;e eating
the bark of the tree on which the eggs are laid.

Oftliosoina brunncum (sometimes called O. cijlin-
drictun), a more elongated species than those of
Prioirns, is found in the eastern United States. It
is from 1.25 to 1.75 inches long, of light-brown color,
and has eleven-jointed antenmw Its large fleshy
larva, which resembles that of PHo/ius, Ijores in
rotten stumps of pine, oak, and hemlock.

A large pitch-brown Eurojiean species of Prioninte, Ergates fabci; from 1.25 to 2
inches long, feeds, in the larval state, ujion pine wood.

Or til osoma hrun iicuin.

334

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Parandra hnmnea, the fleshy, oerambj-eid-liko larva of whieh is an inhabitant of
dead oak, ash, and beech wood, is from 0.50 to 0.75 of an inch long, of a shining
mahogany-brown color, and elongate form. It has antenn;e less than 0.20 of an incli
long, and adult structure otherwise anomalous for a longieorn, and has consequently
been put by some authors, with other .anomalous .allies, into the family Spoiidylida'.

A large number of beetles of which the head is more or less prolonged anteriorlv
into a lieak, and of wliicli the lar\a- have considerable resemblance to one another,
Avere, for a long time, included in one hn-ge family, the Curculionidie ; the popular
name for these insects is "weevils."' Later tiie C'urculioni(he were divided liy different
authors in various ways into families, the name t"arculionid;e Ijeing retained for the
forms having the most typically beak-formed head, while the families Bruchida?,
Anthribida^, Rrenthida', and Scolj"tidfe were si^parated from the rest. Later still,
about 1874, Dr. J. L. Le Conte constituted of the weevils, excluding the Bruchida% a
separate group of Coleoptera, the Rhynchophora, which was sub-divided into families.
Dr. Le Conte's definition reads .as follows: "Rhynchojihorous Coleoptera are those in

Fig. 375. — a, Bintchus pisi ; b, B. ruHitmnus : c, B. granarius

which the posterior lateral elements of the head an<l prothorax coalesce on the median
line of the under surface of the body, so as to unite by a single suture." The Bru-
chidie, a group of seed-inhal)iting weevils, were excluded from the Rhynchophora and
placed near the Chrysomelidre.

In the following pages the weevils, or old family Curculionida>, will be treated
under the families Bruchida^ Anthriliida', Brenthida% Scolytidte, and Curculionidne.

The Bi;rrHiD.E consist of rather small, numdish or suliquadrate lieetles, having the
anterior ]>art of the head slightly extended, tlie nientum pedunculate, the prosternum
reaching the posterior margin of the thorax beneath, the antennte eleven-jointed and
thickened toward the tip, and the maxillary paljii four-jointed. The larva» of Bru-
chid£e do miich dam.age to the seeds of leguminous jilants. The perfect beetles appear
when the plants are in bloom, lay their eggs, gener.ally one by one, in the tender seeds
or upon the young pod. The l.arvie, as soon as they hatch from the eggs, bore in the
seed, jiot, however, preventing its growth. Pupation takes place in the seed, and the
perfect insect emerges in autumn or the succeeding spring, according to climate and
circumstances. Dr. .J. L. Le Conte has well said that "as the function of the Ceram-
bycidiB is to hold the vegetable world in check by destroying woody tilire, the Bru-

BEETLES. 335

chkljE effect a similar result l>y attacking the seeds, and the Chrysonielida' hy
destroying the leaves."

One of the most widely known spei-les of Rrucliida' is liruclum pUi, the ])ea-weevil,
found both iu EurojJe and in America. This beetle is about O.'JO of an inch long and
0.1:2 of an inch wide, is dai'k In'own with a few wliite spots on the elytra and a slightly
more jironiinent white sjiot just in front of the white scutellum. The ti]i of the abdo-
men, which projects beyond the apices (if the elytra bears a T-shaped white mark.
The females fasten their lemon-yellow, sub-cylindrical eggs with a gummy secretion
upon the outer surface of the newly formed jiod of the pea. The white, footless
larva', when they liatch, bore thniugh the pod into the develojiing seed within, where
they continue to grow with the pea itself. In eating green peas we eat, oftentimes,
large numbers of these young larva', a very minute dot on the surface of a pea being
the only external evidence of the )iresence of a weevil larva within. The ]ieas that
are collected one season for ne.\t year's seed often contain a large number of these
insects, which escajje as imagos the next spring, when the peas are )ilanted, and
deposit eggs for a succeeding gener.itlcm. I'uited effort on the part of those who cul-
tivate peas would do mucli to lessen the luimber and destructiveness of these weevils.
Seed peas should be kept iu bags made of tiglitly woven cloth from which the weevils
cannot escape, and the beetles should be killed before the peas .are jjlanted b_v innuers-
ing the bags for a moment in hot water, wliich process will not impair the germinating
power of the seeds; or weevils may be ilestroyed by piutting seed peas into a close box
and adding a little carbon disul])hide. On account of the explosiveness of the vapor
of carbon disulphide this moile of treatment should be used only in the absence of fire
or lighted lamps. .Some persons keep seed peas, after they have di'ied sufficiently to
jjrevent mouhliug, in close vessels for two years, at the end of which time the picas will
have lost very little of their germinative vitality, while the weevils will have emerged
and died during the first year. Peas sown late in the season are not attacked by
these weevils, because they blossom after the time during which these insects ovi-
posit. The Baltimore oriole (Icterus hidtiinnri) sjilits open the jiods of peas to get
at the larvaj of the pea-weevil, and the crow-blackbird {Quiscalus pui-pin-eiis) is said
to eat the imagos in the spring, but these weevils mostly escape the attention of other
birds.

Jii-i/r/zus /(.ib'P i^ ■.mitthi'v connnon American species, much smaller than Jt. p>si,
which attacks different kinds of beans, several beetles sometimes emerging fi-om a
single bean, while eacli JJ. jiisi usually (iccu]iies a ]iea by itself. In Europe two similar
species, U. granurins and Ji. mpjuiij/xs, are destructive lioth to beans and to peas.

Differing from Uriichns in having tlie anterior coxa' sejiarated by the prosternum
are the species of ('(iri/ohor//s. ('. irr//in't>c>i.s is nu ashy-brown S]iecies, about 0.4 of
an inch long, from the southern United States, wliere its l.u'va.^ develop in the seeds of
the palmetto {tSahal pd/metfo).

The Anthribidjs are wee\ils, char.acterized, according to Dr. J. L. Le Conte, by
having the abdomen of the male and female alike ; /. c, composed of the s.ame number
of segments, tiie elytra with a distinct lateral fold on the imier surface, a vertical
pygidiuni, — or distal end of the abdonu-n, — and straight antenna^.

Cratojviris hinfitus, the commonest s|)ecies of Authribida' in the eastern United
States, is. about 0.8 of an inch long; its ground color is (.lark brown; tlie u]iper
half of the head and forward part of the jirothorax are cream-white, and .an irregular
spot near the middle of each elytron is of the same color ; the rest of the insect is

336 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

finely spotted with cream-white :iiiil witli hl:ick. Tliis heetle is found in species of
fungus whicli grow tipon trunks of dead trees.

Larvae of species of Urac/ii/Uast/s, another aiithrihid genus, are parasitic in the
females of different kinds of Cocci<l;e, where thej- eat the eggs of the scale-insects.
This is an exceptional nioile of life for weevil larva' ; the majority of thein feed upon
vegetable matter.

The Brexthid^e are very elongated weevils, probably the most elongated, propor-
tionately, of all beetles Hrenthus unchordgo., of tropical America as far north as
Florida, is about 1.40 inches long and only 0.1'J of an inch wide at its broadest part.
Still more pecvdiar than their extreme attenuation is the secondary sexual characters
of their mouth-p;n-ts to accord with their functions. In Eupnalis, which differs from
Jirenthus in having a convex thorax without grooves, the female has a prolonged
I^roboscis, with the mandibles at its tip, as is common among weevils; with this
proboscis she bores holes into the bark of the trees wliich are to furnish food for
the larv£e, and in each hole she dejiosits an egg. The male, having no such work to
perform, has no proboscis, but is provided with strong, curved mandibles of the
ordinary type found in beetles. The males have comljats for the possession of the
females; and, although they cannot injure one another on account of their hard chili-
nous shells, .sooner or later one of the combatants withdraws, tired of the liattle, leaving
the other in possession of the female. While tlie female is occu])ied in lioring a hole
for an egg, an operation which takes aliout a day, the male ^\larlls her and strives to
drive away any other males that apjiroach. Mr. A. K. Wallace says of the Brentliidne,
that it is interesting, " as bearing on the question of sexual selection, that in this case,
as in the stag-beetles, where the unties fight together, they should be not onlv lietter
armed, but also much larger than the females."

EupsaHs imntita\ii([\iiiYi\}-oXQi\ throughout the eastern United States
and Canada, although most of the Brenthidas are confined to the tropics.
It is shining mahoganj'-brown, with fine yellow spots on the elytra, and
is very variable in size, males sometimes measuring over 0.75 of an inch
long, while females are now and then found that are not over 0.25 of
an inch long. Tiie elongated larva of E. •tniuKta, which lias been
Fig. nw. — Eup- described Ijy Dr. C. V. IJiley, inhabits decaying oak wood, around

satis minuta. i • i 4.1 i *-! i.

which the beetles are not rare.

The ScoLVTiD.E are small Ijcetles, some of them almost microscopic, all ha\ing a
similar general aspect and a nearly cylindrical form, and are, for the most ])art, of a
brown color. The head is usually short, and imbedded in the anterior end of the
protliorax ; tlie proboscis is .short, often not ajiparent ; the antenn;e are small, genicu-
late, clubbed; the tibia' .are usually serrate; the horizontal pygidium is undivided in
both sexes, and is surroundeil at its edge l)y the elytra. Both the mature beetles and
their larva3 bore in plants, usually trees, on which they feed, often between the bark
and wood, — more accurately speaking in the liber, — and their channels, revealed by
pulling off the bark, exhibit many curious forms characteristic of the species or genei-a
of SeolytidjE to which they jiertain. These beetles are especially destructive to Coni-
fene ; some species attack other trees, and a few injure herbaceous plants.

The peculiar forms taken by the mines of these beetles in wood and bai-k are
dependent upon the mode of oviposition of the diffei-ent species. The malrs form
chambers (" Rammelkammer " of K. Lindemann) in the bark, in which they await the
females. After pairing, the females enlarge and prolong this cojnilation-chamber,

BEETLES. 337

making passages out fnim it. The eggs are laid singly in separate niehes, whii'li the
females gnaw out at regular intervals along the sides of these radiating j)assages.
According to Liudemann, if only one female comes to the male in his copulation-
chamber, then only one radiating passage is made along which to lay eggs, but if more
than one female comes to the same male, then each female makes a radiating passage
from the single copulation-chamber. Each larva, when it hatches, eats out more or
less at right angles to the radiating passages, increasing the size of its mine to accom-
modate its increased growth. The different larvae, all boring out from a» common
centre or ch.annel, each sjiecies in a way jieculiar to itself, produce remarkable foliate
or dendriform figures, which ww nu'ditied by the number of radiating channels, a
number dependent npun the iiundjcr of females that came to the male which origin-
ally established the colcmy.

Tiie larv.T of Scolytidn? are legless, cylindrical grubs ; locomotion is effected by
Heshy warts which re]ilace the legs. These larv;e have no ocelli, and very short con-
cealed antcnuK' ; thev jnijiate beneath bark or concealed in plants, and thus their
whole transformations are undergone nut of reach of all birds except woodpeckers.
The beetles themselves are nocturnal, thus escajjing insectivorous birds. Besides the
wood-boring habits of the Scolytida?, which render them especially destructive to
forests, the imao-os of some species eat the luids of conifers to such an extent as to
kill the trees. Some entomological writers, however, claim that the Scolytida? attack
only dead or dj-ing trees. The North American Scolytida^ number about one hundred
and forty described species, of which the sjiecitic characters are minute,
and of which only a few of the best-known s])ecies need be mentioned
iiere.

The species of Dendroctonus are rather large, cylindrical, with
five joints in the funicle of the antenna?, that is, in the portion be-
tween the basal joint, — often called the scape, — and the club or
dilated end of the antenmv. I>. tti-ehruns, a species about 0.3 of an ^^^. g.. _^g,,.
inch lono-, and common throughout the United States and Canada, <h-octonus lere-

■^' •- ^ brans.

feeds in jiine. ITi/hu-f/us j^imperda, a nearly allied species, attack-
ing all kinds of pine in Europe, possesses, in both sexes, sonorific ajiparatus, consist-
ing of two corrugated organs on the abdominal segments, which produce noise by
rubbing against corresponding portions of the elytra.

Ilyhsinus includes species in which the funicle of the antennae is composed of
seven joints, and nearly or quite equals the club in length. Most of the species are
clothed with flat scales. 11. trifolii, a species that, in Europe, has done much damage
by boring in the roots of clover and medic {Jfedicar/o sativa), has been found in the
eastern United States seriously injuring the clover crops. The beetles are about 0.1
of an inch long. They pair in early spring, and, after pairing, the female gnaws a
cavity in the top of roots of two-years-old clover, wherein she deposits from four to
six white elliptical eggs. The larvw, as soon as they are hatched, bore along the axes
of the roots of the clover, causing the jjlants to weaken, and often to die. Sometimes
as many as sixteen specimens are taken in a single clover root. Hybernation takes
place as larva, pupa, or imago. Xo mode of successfully combating this enemy of
clover crops has been devised. A number of European species of Jli/Iesimis attack
pine, others, ash, poplai-, or ivy (Hedera heU:/-). H. aculeatus, of North America,
depredates on ash.

In Scolytvs, " the side margin of the prothorax is distinctly defined, a very rare

VOL. II. — 2i

338

NATURAL III STORY OF ARTHROPODS.

character in Rhynchophora," ami "the first joint of the funicle rounded, the remain-
ing joints (five in number) closely united, forming a i)edicel to the club." ^S'. quadri-
sj'x'tiosus, having deeji stri;e, and the male of M-hich has a spiny abdomen, has hcen
bred by Dr. C. V. Riley from hickory ( Cari/a) ; its length is about (I.2 of an inch.
S.fagi, another deeply striate species, of which neither males or females liave a spiny
abdomen, is about 0.2 of an inch long, and was bred by Mr. B. D. Walsh from beech
{Fagus). S. rugulosxis, a species lately introduced from Europe into the eastern
United States, attacks cherry, peacli, and plum trees ; and, as is so often the case with
imported insects, does more damage in its adopted country than it did in its native
land.

The CuECULioxiDiE, the true weevils, are generally compact licetles, of firm struc-
ture, often having elytra so hard as to be penetrated with difficulty by an insect pin,
and are jirovided with a proboscis pointing forward and down-
ward, produced, as in other weevils, by the anterior prolonga-
tion of tlie head, and bearing u])on its sides the antenna, which
are straight in some sub-families, geniculate in others. The
mouth-jiarts, mostly somewhat abortive, are at the end of the
proboscis ; the labrum is wanting in many species. The ventral
segments are five in number, although tlie first and second ai-e
often more or less united, frequently to such an extent as to
])artly obliterate the suture. In some sub-families the sexes are
distinguished by the presence in the males of an additional anal
segment ; in certain species the females have a longer jiroboscis
than the males, the proboscis being used in boring holes in
which to lay eggs. Many sjiecies can produce creaking sounds,
by rubbing the abdominal segments against the inner surface
of the elytra.

The Curculionidie are remarkable for the great diversity of
mode in their ornamentation ; pubescence, j^unctate and striate
surfaces, alone or in combination, highly polished or excessively
warty surfaces, s\n-faces clothed with pollen-like waxy secretions
(as in IJ;rus), all modes of ornamentation common to most
families of Colcoptera, are aided in many sjiecies of Curcu-
lionidfe by scales, which often surpass in brilliancy those that furnish material for the
color-patterns on the wings of Lepidoptera. Especially resplendent under the micro-
scope are the scales of the diamond-weevils ('s]>ecies of Entinms) from South America;
of species of ChlorojJhanus and Pohjiirosvs from Europe, and of sjiecies of Exoplithal-
mus and Eudiagogus from warmer parts of Xorth America. The larvfe of Curcu-
lionidne are short, cylindrical grubs, mostly legless or with very rudimentary legs.
A few have ocelli.

With very few exceptions, species of Curculionidfe are phytophagic ; one species,
Erirhimis infirmns, is said to have been reared from the bodies of dead insects.
Scarcely any portion of plants escapes injury by larvre of weevils; many species live
in seeds, in grain, in nuts, in rolled-np leaves, in catkins, in fruit; others bore in wood
or pith ; others feed exposed upon leaves or mine in their parenchyma ; a few make
galls or gall-like excrescences upon stems or roots, while a number have been observed
to feed in plant-galls made by hymenopterous insects; a few breed in fungi. Weevils
are found in all kinds of situations ; eyeless species live in caverns or subterraneously ;

Fig. 37B.—BalaHiniis nv-
cum ; side of head beiieatli.

BEETLES. 339

one species, at least, PJn/tohlus vchtirt<, rarely seen on water plants botli in Europe
and America, can swhn fairly well. Of another species, Lissorhojjtrus simj^lex, which
attacks rice in the eastern United States, Dr. C. V. Riley writes, "The beetle is just
as much at home under water as out of it, tiiough not surrounded by an air-liublile, as
in Hydrophilida?, Elmida', Pgrphc/tits, and others."

A lari^'e number of adult weevils imitate their usual surroundings, bark, leaf-buds,
and other parts of plants, so successfully that they arc well protected fr<im attacks of
birds. In their earlier stages most of them are hidden, and the puj)a.i of some (e. g.
Cionus) that pupate in ex]iosed situations so closely resemble secd-j)ods of the plant
on which the larvae feed that they are not molested by birds.

Guibourt, in 1858, called attention to a sugar which figures in the materia medica
of Persia, under a name meaning nest-sugar, which is obtained from swellings, as
large as olives, that are pro(lu(i'd 1]\- a species of Ixirinus upiui a jilant of the genus
Ecliinops^ in Syria. According to Ilanbury, another species of Larlnxs from the
same region makes a cocoon cuntaining saccharine matter.

The number of described speeies iif Curculiouidaj exceeds ten thousand. This
family is here divided into sub-fairiilies, which correspond in limitations and charac-
ters to the similarly designated families in Le Conte and Horn's Rhynehophora of
Ameri<'a north of Mexico.

To the sub-family Ajiiduina' behing those species which have straight antennas, the
abd<imen of the male and female alike, horizontal pygidium, and the elytra with a
lateral fold on the inner surface. JMost of the sjiecies are quite .^mall.

Apion, the typical genus of this sub-family, is well represented in North America,
Imt the species are not yet careftdly studied. Many of these little weevils feed in
seeds. In America A. rostrum feeds in seeds of liapti^ia leucantha ; A. ser/nipes
in seeds of Tephrosia rir(/i/iira and of Attlragahi.s. In Europe, Heeger found the
larva^ of A. rin->'irostre in the stem of nudlow (Muh-a). The females, after pairing
several days with ditYerent males, lay their eggs, to the number of lifty or sixty, in
holes which they liore into the stem of the mallow. The larva? attain full growth in
from thirty to forty days, the Iteetles develnp in fnuu ten to fourteen days more, and
gnaw their way out of the stems.

The sub-family Calandrinne contains s]iecies which have a steep or vertical pygid-
ium, and geniculate, clubbed antenna'. The sjiecies range from very large to very
small weevils.

Three species of the genus Cdhindva are distriliuteil in North America, two of
which liave been introduced from Eurojic. They are small, and have an oval antenna!
club. ^ '. yn/»«;'/« is a pitchy red weevil about 0.12 of an inch long. The striate
elytra do not reach the tip of the abdomen; the coarsely punctured thorax is nearly
half as long as the whole insect. The females lay their eggs on stored grain, in which
the larvre feed. By rapid multiplication and immense numbers they sometimes do
great damage to grain in store. C. ori/::<i\ a l)eetle similar in form to the preceding
species, liut a trifle smaller, being generally about 0.1 of an inch long, differs from it
also in having one or two large red spots on each elytron. It attacks rice, wheat, and
corn {Zea mays), ovipositing on rice while growing. This beetle is said to have been
distributed by commerce to nearly every part of the world. The other North Ameri-
can species of CaJandra, C. remotfipvnctafa, resembles C. granarkt, but has much
more coarsely striated elytra. Like the introduced speeies of the genus, C. remote-
punctata feeds on grain.

uo

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

SjJecies of tSpheno23horus are larger than those of ('aland ra, n\v\ liavc a wedge-
shaped antennal club. Their general form is simihir to that of Calaialra, althongh
the prothorax is not quite as large jiroportionally. The species of SpJtenopliorux are
not easily distinguished. Several of tliein have been found to injure corn 1)y eating
into the voung j)lants and leaves just after they come up out of the ground, and Mr.
L. O. Howard found the larvaj of S. robiisUus boring in the ])ith of cornstalks uear the
ground.

Jihi/>ir/to]j/iorHS is the genus in which are included tlie large palm--weevils ; its
species are distinguished from the other Calandriiue by having wide side-pieces of the
metathorax. Ti'. ffrrugineus, which is figured, is the well-known Javan palm-liorer,
found throughout the East Indies. Ji. cruentntus is common in the southern United
States, where it feeds upon the palmetto. It is aliout 1.2r> inches long, of a dcej)
sliining black, marked with mahogany-red. Its form is similar to ILferrugineus. Ji,

pa//jinni>ii, of similar general ap])earance to li.fenmgineus,
has Ijeen taken in southern California, although its regular
liabitat is further to the south in tropical America. The
Large, fleshy, white larvfP of the three abcivc-mentioned
species of jRhg>ichop/ion(s bore in the stems of palms;
and Kirby and Spence write as follows of them: —
" ^Elian sjx'aks of an Indian king, who, for a dessert,
instead of fruit set before his Grecian guests a roasted
worm taki'u from a plant, jirobably the lar\ie of this in-
sect, which he says the Indians esteem very delicious, — a
character that was confirmed by some of the Greeks who
tasted it. Madame Merian li.as figured one of these larvae,
and says that the nati\es of Surinam roast and eat them
as something exquisite. A friend of mine, who has re-
sided a good deal in the West Indies, where the palm-
grub is called gi-//i/rii, informs me that the hite Sir John
La Forey, who was somewhat of an epicure, was extremely
fond of it when jiroperly cooked." In Demarara a species of jR/u/nc/ioj>horus attacks
the sugar-cane.

The largest sub-family of the Curculicnnda' is the Curculioninie, which contains
weevils in which tlie male h.as an appended anal segment more than the female
possesses; in which each elytron has an acute lateral fold on the inner
surface; in which the antenna^ have a solid or annulated club, the tarsi
are dilated, and the usually pincer-shaped mandibles are without a scar,
that, in the next sub-family, Otiorhynchime, is caused by the falling off
of an appended mandibular piece.

Halaniims is readily distinguished from all other weevils, in fact
from all other Coleoptera, by having mandibles that move vertically ;
each of these mandibles, which are at the tip of a slender proboscis,
has it.'? condyle and consequently its axis of motion on its upper side.
Sometimes the ju'oboscis is longer than the body, not rarely twice as
long as the body in females, since they use it to liore holes in which
to oviposit. As these holes are bored in nuts having very tliick husks
of the female must be corresjiondinglv long. Few jiersons have failed to notice the so-
called worms in chestnuts. These worms, when in American chestnuts, are the footless

Fig. 370. — Wnjiirhopliorus fcr-

Fig. SHO.— Bala-
niiius nasicus*

the ])roboscis

BEETLES.

341

Flu. 381. — Balantnus nitcutn.

The lar\;i of _B. villosiis, another European

larv«, or grubs, of Ji. caryatripes. They reach full growth when the chestnut rijjens,
and then gnaw their way out of the nut in order to jjupate in the ground. Some of
the beetles appear the same autumn, and
hibernate as imagos ; others, ju'obably the
larger number, ajipear the succeeding
spring. The beetle itself is dark brown,
densely covered with yellow compressed
hairs, which -aw somewhat irregularly
distributed in spots upon the elytra. Its
length is about 0.8 of an inch. I>. nas-
icHS lives in liickoiy nuts, and 1>. rectus
in acorns; both species have a close re-
semblance to JJ. curijatripes, and also to
-B. tmctim, the Eurojjean species figured,
which attacks both acorns and hazel nuts,
species, feeds upon the inner portions of tlie apple-formed galls of Ci/nips temiinalis,
on oak.

TrichuJiari.-i t/'i/nitata, a black weevil about U.2 of an inch long, receives its specific
name from three impressed, shining black spots near the base of tiie ])rothorax. It is
connuon in the middle and western United States, where its larva is a serious potato-
pest. The female weevil oviposits in oblong slits which she bores in the stems of
the pcjtato, and tlie larva', upon hatching, penetrate downward toward tlu." root of the
plant, causing its death. The larva is a legless white grub. It pupates in the stem
of the potato, the beetle emerging about the l)eginning of September.

A small weevil that causes considerable injuiy to gra])es is Craponlus iituqualis.
This insect is only abt)ut 0.1 of an inch long, of broad, almost circular, outline, grayish
black, the elytra striate with large punctures; the legs reddish. In ,Iune and July
this species lays its eggs in grapes, causing a change of color of the berry near the
point of puncture. In August the larva' dro]i ti) the ground, in which they pupate,
the beetle emerging the next month.'

Analcis fnigarin' is about 0.15 of an iuch long, of a deeji chestnut brown, with
the elytra slightly lighter colored; the thorax is deeply punctured. The female
oviposits in the crown of strawberry jilants, and the larva' bore down into the straw-
berry root. A. fiM-eohitiiin, a black species with vellowish spot.s, is abundant upon
the evening-primrose ((Eiiothvra hiennlit).

Probably the wi'cvil m<.)st injurious to agricultural in-
terests in America is the so-called jilum-weevil, or ]iluni-
curculio, Coiiotntchdiis: iicmiphar. This lieetle is oblong-
oval, about 0.1S (if .■111 inch long; dark brown, s|)otted in
jilaces with black, yellow, and white. The head is small,
and when at rest is drawn back so that tlie eyes are iiearl}-
hidden by the forw.-u'd edge of the jirolhorax, and the
proboscis is reeeiveil into a groove on the chest. The
elytra bear interrujited ridges, and cover th(> entire ab-
domen. Beneath, the sutures arc curved, the coxie are contiguous, the thighs
bideiitate, and the claws divergent and toothed. This species is distributed through-
out the Atlantic slope of North America. It hil)ernates as imago, and when the
plums, cherries, and other stone-fruit Ijegin to ilevelop in the spring, the female

Fig. 'ifl. — ('(in<tlravkiUis
utnitjtiiai:

342 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

makes puiictui'es with her proboscis, — which, as in most weevils, is functionally an
ovi])Ositor, — just beneath the skin of the fruit, and deposits an egg in each puncture.
When the female has thus oviposited, she makes a crescent-formed cut in the surface
of the fruit about the egg, so that the egg itself remains in a sort of flap. The foot-
less, fleshy, white larvre, -which hatch from the white eggs in from four to eight days,
bore into the fruit, where they eat the fleshy portion just ai'ound the stone. The
lar\al state lasts from three to five weeks. The disturbance made by the larva gener-
ally causes stone-fruit to fall to the ground; there the larva, as soon as full-grown,
deserts the fruit in order to pujiate a few inches beneath the surface of the ground.
The full-grown larva is about 0.4 of an inch in length, yellowish-white with a light
brown head, and is legless. Pujiation lasts about three weeks, when the beetles
emero-e, hibernating later beneath leaves, under bark, and in other secluded nooks.
This weevil is said by Dr. C. V. Kiley to attack the fruit of *■' the nectarine, plum,
apricot, peach, cherry, apjile, pear, and t(uince, preferring them in the order of their
naming." Tlie remedies that thus far seem best in order to lessen the numbers of the
jilum-weevil arc to destroy the fruit that has fallen td the ground, and to capture the
beetles by jarring the trees. Of course an ajiplication of the lirst remedy will
not give any visible result the tirst year, because only larv.T will be destroyed, but
the beetles will be less numerous succeeding years, and if all fniit-eulturists would
unite in thus destroying these weevil-larv;e in the fruit, their injuries would rapidly
decrease. Fallen fruit, containing these and dtlier larvaj, cau be gathered, carted
from the orchards, and destroyed ; but often a much more convenient and profitable
way is to let hogs into the orchards, where they can eat the fruit promptly as it drops
from the trees. The capture of the beetles by jarring them from the trees depends
upon the habit which nearly all weevils, in common with many other insects, have of
dropping to the ground when suddenly disturbed. Dr. Hull, an Illinois fruit-grower,
has contrived an apparatus for capturing the weevils by jarring. This ajiparatus is,
essentiallv, a large white umbrella inverted over a wheelbarrow. Into that side of the
umbrella which is directly opposite the person pushing the barrow a slot extends
nearlv to the niidille, where, upon the front end of the wheelbarrow, a pad is fastened
to ]irevenl bruising the trees. The wheelliarrow is jiushed suddenly against the trunk
of each tree, the slot admitting the trunk, and allowing the umbrella to pass beneath
the tree, and the jar which the tree receives from the jiadded barrow shakes the
weevils into the inverted umbrella below.

Passing now from a species especially noteworthy for the agriculturist, the next
species to be considered, C'iomts scrojj/iularicr, attacks plants of little value to man,
but is interesting to naturalists on account of its peculiar mode of life. The beetle
itself, which is common in Europe, and has liecii taken in America, is nearly globular
in form, and about 0.15 of an inch long. Its elytra are dark gray, sjiotted with black
and white, its prothorax yellowish-white; beneath, the abdomen is black, the legs and
anterior portions gray; on the elytral stiture, a little in front of the middle, is a black
spot. The species commonly inhabits Scrophuhiria nodosa, although often feeding
on other ])lants. Its larva feeds exjioscd upon the leaves of the plant, and covers
itself with a sticky secretion wliich is discharged from a wart u]ion the basis of the
twelfth segment, and which enaliles it to adhere lo the leaves. "When ready for pulia-
tion, the larva s]iins a parchment-like cocoon with i(s secretion. This cocoon is won-
derfully similar to the seed-capsules of tlie Scrophtilaria, and is generally attaclied to
pedicels of these seed-pods. This is a most striking case where a cocoon mimics, for

BEETLES.

34^

- Phsoiles strnhi ; larva, pupa,
ami adult.

protuotion, :i i>:irt of :x plant. The larva- and coeoous of Plu/tonomiis, of Fh^/tohuis^
and of a few other genera of weevils are not greatly unlike those of Cioiuis. C.
scroplud'.trin remains in the inqial state only from six to eight days; it eseajies from
its chrysalis by cutting a round lid out of one end of the cocoon.

Anthoiio/iius qiiadriijibbus is a reddish-brown weevil, from 0.12 to 0.20 of an inch
long, having a jiroboscis in the female longer and in the male shorter than the body ;
this species, which is found in the eastern United States, is easily recognized by its
having two protuberances, one behind the other, near the tiji of each elytron. Its
larvie feed in apples, pupation taking jilace within the fruit.

Tlie genus Lixus includes rather elongated weevils, in .some of which the tijis of
the elytra are prolonged into a sjune. The species
are usually covered with a yellow or reddish j)ollen-
like powder, which is easily rubbed off. L. voitcai'us,
a common species in parts of the eastei'ii United
States, is found upon a kind of dock (liiimex- orbir-
nlatiin) ; its length is U.ti of an inch, and it has s]iine-
less elytra.

I'issodes strubi, the three states of which are
surticieiitly recognizable from the illustrations, is

aliout (l.o of an inch long, and is dark brown, spotted with white. It
inhabits the eastern Ignited States, where its larva attacks the leading
shoots of young jiines. In Eurojie five species oi Pissodes am known
to attack ])ine. Quite closely related, systematically, to Pissodes, but
larger (0.27 to 0.40 of .an inch), and dark brown, with a few scattered
yellowish dots, is Ili/lobixs pales ; this species is found in the same re-
oions as P. sfrobi, and, like it, attacks pines.

P/ii//uJiiiiii'-itt jiuncUtttis, proliably introduced into America from
Europe, where its food habits and life history had not been carefully
recorded, has become, in ])arts of Xew York state, an imjiortant
It is an (i\al beetle, about (1.4 of an inch long, with short jiro-
boscis; its ground color is dark brown; the sides of the elytra, and often the
elytral suture, are lighter lirown, as are also three longitudinal lines on the smooth
thorax. The elytra are jnmctate in lines. The eggs of tliis s|iccies are oblong,
yellow, and are deposited in clustt-rs in the hollow stems or other parts of clover
plants. The larvw hatch in about ten d.ays ; they are yellowish white at hatch-
ing, but become greenish as they approach full growth. They are legless, but travel
upon the stems and leaves of the clovei' by means of fleshy tubercles u]ioii tlieir
ventral side, aided by a gl.'ind in the anal region, which secretes a sticky fluid. ^lany
of the larva; cease feeding during the day-time, remaining concealed near the jilants,
and all except very young larv:e drop to the ground when disturbed, so that one
cannot readily observe them upc.m the jilaufs. When ready to pupate, the larva spins
a loose cocoon just below the surface of the ground, or in rulibish uj)On the ground.
The duration of the pujial state apjiareiitly varies from ten to thirty days, according
to climate.

Lepi/rus is similar in form to PJii/totioiitus. Z. colon, an ashy-gray Euro])ean
species, about 0.4;i of an inch long, is found in Hudson's Bay Territory, and is very
common on the stunteil willows near the summits of tin- White ^Jlountains in Xew
Hampshire.

Vl(i.2»i. — iIi]lo-
bius pali'S.

I'lov

er insect.

344

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Ithycerus noveboracensis is a gray weevil, dotted witli lil:u-l<, and lias a yellow
scutelhira; its auteniine are straight, not geniculate; its length is about 0.5 of aii inch.
Although the larva' breed in the tender twigs of bur-oak (Quercus ma-
croccaya), the adult beetles eat the tender shoots and bark of the apple.
It is found from Canada to Texas.

In the United States JBrurhus pifii, of the Bruehida', is generally

termed the pea-weevil, but in England >'iifones lineatus, the mystery

of whose life history has been lately solved by Mr. T. H. Hart, is the

Imisnoveboi-cC- pea-weevil. It is a brownish-gray beetle, rather slender, and only about

'^"""' 0.15 of an inch long. As imago it has been long known to eat the

leaves and stems of beans, peas, and other leguminous jilants, often totally ruining

fields of young peas ; lately tlie hirvs have been discovered to attack the roots of

the same plants.

The weevils of the sub-family Otiorhynchina; differ from those of the Cureulion-
inoe in having mandibles that are provided in the pupal state with a piece which is
regularly deciduous in the early part of the imagn state, and which, consequently,
leaves a scar upon the mandibles.

Many species of Otiorhynchinaj are beautifully ornamented with scales. The most
brilliant s]iecies lielong to the South American genera J^ordups and Entimus. E.
iinjjerialis, the diamond-beetle, is from 1 to 1.25 inches long, really of a black ground
color, but its surface is deeply ])unctate, and the jiunctures
are lined with bi-illiant scales, the jiredoniinant color of
which, as seen against the black background, is bright green.
These scales are so numerous that the beetle a]ipears green
instead of black. If some of these scales be scraped off with
a fine-pointed knife and examined under the microscope,
most of them will be found to be oval, about O.OOG of an
inch long; by transmitted light the scales are red, blue, and
yellow, — chiefly red ; by reflected light they have colors
complimentary to those seen by transmitted light, conse-
cpiently nrostly green, thus ex]>laining why the scales on the
black background furnished by the beetle appear green.
The peculiar, changeable nature of the colors indicates that
the coloration of these scales may be only optical, not i>ro-
duced by pigment within them. That the color is produced by interference of lumin-
ous waves is easily shown l)y putting a drop of chloroform on the scales upon a micro-
scope-slide, when the colors will vanish only to reapjjear when the chloroform has
eYa])orated, an experiment that may be repeated an indefinite number of tiiiH's with
the same scales.

Arandgusi fullcrL an ii\al lihick weevil, lightly covered with ilark brown scales,
and about 0.25 of an ini'h long, does much chunage, both as lar\ a and imago, to roses
in greenhouses. The larvte devour the roots; the imagos disfigure the leaves and
flowers, and even eat into the nnopened buds. This species is distributed from New
England to California, and in the hitter locality attacks several kinds of out-dooi-
shrubs.

The suli-family Attelabinre includes weevils which have the abdomen alike in the
male and female, the elytra without lateral fold on their innei' surface, the labium
wanting, and the mandibles stout and pincer-shaped.

Fig. 380. — Entimus iwj/tnalis

BEETLES.

345

A.ttelabus r/ioU; a reddish jnibescent wet'vil, quite robust, and about 0.2 of an inch
long, with short proboscis, is quite common on tlie hazel (Cori/liis) in the northeastern
United States. Tlie species of Attelabus roll up the edges of the
leaves of tlieir food ])lant to form a ])rotecting cell for their eggs
and larvie.

The \vee\ils belonging to the sub-fauiily Ivhynchitinie differ
from the Attelabiu;e in having flat mandibles, which are toothed
on both outer and inner edges.

Ji/ii/nc/i/'tes hicolur is about 0.:i of an incli long, and is shining
black and red. In New Engl.and specimens the elytra, prothorax
above, and head as far as the eyes, are red. Sj)ecimeus from other
localities vary in the distribution of the red, but the jirothorax
above and tlie ehtra are alwavs red. This sjiecies is abundant

^* ^ * , ^ rlu. 3K(. — Apoaerus

throuuhiiut the United States, on wild roses. loiujkoUis.

SuB-()i:i)Ei; III. — Hetekomera.

The Heteromera have the anterior and middle tarsi tive-joiuted, while the posterior
tarsi have only four joints. Besides some anomalous families containing but few
species, this group of beetles includes the Meloidte, Stylopid;e, Mordellidie, Anthicida,
and Tenebrionida?.

The Meloid.e, oil-beetles or l)lister-beetles, have been used in oriental medicine as
early as history gives any account of the mode of treating diseases, but, however
curious medical properties tliey have, they ai-e, to the naturalist, still more curious on
account of their remarkal)le life history, and tile strange modifications which parasitism
has produced in the larval stages of m.any of tliem. The beetles themselves are gener-
ally of medimn or large size ; the vertical lu-ad is abruptly narrowed Ijeliind into a neck,
aiul is not set into the prothorax; the antennie are generally eleven-jointed, and not
long; the thorax has no lateral suture, and is narrower than the elytra; the hind coxii'
are large and prominent; the coxal cavities are o])cn behind ; the claws are cleft or
toothed; the elytra are sometimes small, ami overlaj) each other at the suture,
althougli they often fail to cover tlie abdomen.

Species of Mcloe exude a yellow fluid from tlie knee-joints when disturbed. This
fluid is of a disagreeable odoi-, and cimtains, according to P. jNIagretti, uric acid.
Leydig states that, as in the similar fluid from Coccinellida', this is only the blood oi
the insect. Among the curiosities of tlie anatomy of ]Meloida=, mav be mentioned
the eyeless genus Jli/oefi/ji/ilt/.'^, from Peru, and the proboscis wliich is jiresent in some
species of Xeiiiofiiiathu. Dr. Hermann Aliiller has described the jiroboscis of one
South American jVeir/oi/nitf/ia which is as long as the insect itself, and is made u]i of
the two maxillas hollowed out on their insides and ]iressed together laterallv, foi-ming
a tube for sucking honey, exactly as is the case with the jiroboscis of the Le]iiiloptera.

Tlie blistering properties of cantharides, which gives them their value as a
medicine, is due to the presence in all ]iarts of the insect of a substance called can-
tharidiii. Ordinarily, cantharides are u^ed for making blister-plasters in the form of a
]iowder, made by simply grinding the ilried beetles, but as the cantharides, both before
and after grinding, gradually lose their strength, on account of the action of other
substances in them upon their cantharldin, ami as they are likewise suliject to destruc-
tion by museum-pests (^4/(<A/-( ////,s) ami by other insects, it is better to extract the

346 NATURAL HISTURY OF ARTHROPODS.

pure oantbaridiu for use in preparing medk-ines. Pure eanthariiliu (C'H'^O-) is insolu-
ble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, and readily soluble iu ether ; with the latter
tluid it can be extracted from eantharides, and then purified by separation from the
accompanying oils and by crystallization. Cantliaridin crystallizes in colorless, four-
sided prisms or lamiiue. Although Lijtta vesicatoria (the so-called Spanish fly) is the
species generally used in medicine, other Meloid;e — among whicli may be mentioned
species of Jli/labris, Epicauta, nnd Mticroliasis — have been used, and give a larger
percentage of cantharidin than is obtained from Lijtta ctsicatoria. Probably all
species of Meloidie are vesicant to a greater or less degree. In ])reparing Spanish
flies for the market, they are killed by heat, and then rapidly dried. The extent to
which these insects were used in early times is indicated by the eighty-five citations,
giveu by Jordens iu 1801, of works in which considerable mention of
eantharides is made.

Species of Meloidie are injurious as well as useful; a number of
species devour potato-leaves, both in this and in other countries. In
Italj' Lytla enjthrocephala sometimes devastates potato-fields ; in this
country Eplcauta cinerea, E. pensylcanica., E. vittata, and JIacrobasis
unicolor attack potatoes in addition to other plants. E. vittata and
Fig. 388. — £■/);- 31. unicolor are, however, known to iirev at times upon the larvie of

cauta vittata. i ^i i -i

the Colorado potato-beetle.
The mode by whicli the Meloidie dcveloji ivtnw the egg to the imago has been
termed liypermetamorphosis. In brief, it is as follows : The egg, which is laid in the
ground, hatches into an active larva, called the triungnlin, from the name triungulinus
given to it by Dufour in 1828. These triungulins, or first larvfe, run actively abotit;
some of them ascend plants, others live in sand, their mode of life varying according
to what their subsequent history will be. The triungulins which climb plants, as do
those of Mdoe, remain about the flowers, attaching themselves to flies, bees, and wasps
that visit the flowers for honey, and were described by several early naturalists as bee-
lice. The triungulins of Meloe are sometimes so abundant, according to Dr. C. V.
Riley, on hive-bees, as to worry them to death, although he believes these triungulins
" cannot well, in the nature of the case, breed in the cells of any social bee whose
young are fed by nurses in open cells." Tliose triungulins that attach themselves
to such wild bees and wasps as are fitted to further their development are carried by
these Hymenoptera to tjieir nests, wherein they go from the bee to its egg in a cell,
and devour the egg, after which a moult takes place, and the triungulin, fornu'riy so
active, is converted into a clumsy second Larva, which feeds upon the honey ju-ovided
for the young hymenopteron. The second larva then partially moults, remaining, how-
ever, within its skin, and becomes a pseuilo-]iui)a. A third larva follows by similar
l)artial moulting of the jiseudo-pupal skin, and finally a triu- j)ui)a and imago. Certain
triungulins, or first larva% which wander about the ground, as do those of Epicauta
and Macrohdiih, have been found by Dr. C. V. Riley to feed ujion the eggs of the
Rocky jNIountain locusts {Caloptenus sjiretus) and upon eggs of C. differentiulis. The
triungulin which devours locust eggs moults to enter what Dr. Riley has called, on
account of its resemblance to larvse of Carabid;^^, the " carabidoid stage of the second
larva> ;" another moult transforms it to what the before-mentioned author has termed,
because of resemblance to larvae of Scarabieidaa, the " scarabjeidoid stage of the
second larva;" still another moult*]irodnces what, following Dr. Riley's nomenclature,
is the " ultimate staoe of the second larva." Leaving now, for the first time, the

BEETLES.

547

egg-mass of the locust, this hirva forms a cavity in tlic yrouiid, |iai-tially moults, ami
enters the jiscuilo-pupal (sometimes termed coarctate larval) stage. Usually hiberna-
tion takes [ilace in this stage. The third larva is ix'vealed in the spring by a shedding
of the pseudo-pupal skin. The third larva burrows about the ground, without feed-
ing, soon pujKites, and tlu' imago emerges shortly after. The stages of the Meloidie
parasitic upon bees, anil uf those uliieh are devouri-rs of locust eggs, can be more
easily understood ajid eumpared with the ordinary metamorphoses of Coleoptei-a I>v a
glance at the following' tabular arrangement : —

UEE-rAI'.AsITKS.

Triungnlbt (1st larva): Active, often a planl-
cliniber; bee-parasite, and egg-eater.

Second larva: Sluggisl), ami a liouey-eater;
usually with two moults.

Pseudo-pupa : Coarctate larva, is a resting

stage.
Third larca : Again active, but does not teed.
Pupa.
Imaijo.

DEVOlIilXG EGGS OF ORTUOl'TEliA.

Ti-iuiKjiiUn (1st larva): Active, running about

Second lu.n:a : An i

carabidoid stage.

egg-eater. i s«»-ilj:"^loia stage.

( ultimate stage.

Ptseudo-pupa ; Coarctate larva, is a resting

stage.
Third l(in:(i : Again active, but does not feed.
Pupa.
Iinii'jo.

Lijttu vesirutorki^ tiie Spanish tly, is a brtmze green species, about 0.75 of an inch
long, and is found in middle and southern Europe and in southwestern Asia, where it
feeds upon ash {Fraxinus excelsior), lilac, and other trees. Curiously enough, the

Fig. 389. — £2/«a vesicatoria, Spanish fly.

life history of this insect, which was so long used for medicinal ]iurposes, remained
almost unknown until 1879, when J. Lichtenstein ]niblished an account of rearing
the imago from the triungulin, which latter fed u])on eggs of Ccmtiiia chakiies, a
hymenopteron. The triungulin. which is, of course, very small, has strongly ]irotu-
berant eyes, and two long caudal a])])endages. In five or six days the triunn-ulin
changes to the second larva, a little white grub, with si.x feet. The mandibles, sharp
in the triungulin, are short and blunt in the second larva, whicii feeds on hoiu'y.
After five days the second larva moults, the mamlililes are still tnore blunt, and the
eyes less prominent. At the end of a second five days' period another moulting takes
place, the eyes entirely disajiijcar, and the larva becomes scarabieidoid. The larva
now descends into the ground, where, in a snndl cavity, it pupates in about five days.
The pseudo-iuipa is simihu- to the well-known i)upa' of :Muscida=, but has four little
protidjerances or warts ujion the head and three j)air of warts in place of feet. The
color is yellowish white ; :md from time to time a clear fluid is e.vuded from jiores of

348 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

this pseudu-jaijiu. Jii this pseuJu-]>iij):il state hiljeruation takes jihiee, and the next
spi'ing the pseiido-piiija bursts oj)en, and the third larva apijears. This larva, which
otherwise closely resembles the scarab.eidoid form before mentioned, has rudimentary
mouth-parts and poorly developed, two-jointed feet. After about two weeks, durins^-
which time this third lar\a dties not leave the cavity in which it emerged from the
pseudo-pupa, it changes into a normally formed beetle-])ujia, and in about twenty days
more the beetle apjiears.

JIj)icauta cirierea, E. peitsijlcunlua, and ^fucrobasis tDikolor eat potato-leaves as
imagos, but as larvaj they are useful to man by destroying locusts. Tlie Rockj- Mountain
locust lays its egg-masses just beneath the surface of the ground, and these sjaecies of
Ejytcauta oviposit near the locust eggs, in a hole which the female Ei/lcauta digs for the
purpose, afterwards covering her egu's by scratcliing dirt over them with her feet. The
eggs hatch in about ten days, and the light brown triungulins, if the
weather is warm, soon Ijegin searcliing out locust eggs f(_)r foo<l ; if it is
cold Aveather they remain closely huddled together until warmth induces
acti\ity. Dr. C V. Riley observes: " Should two or more triungulins
enter the same egg-pod, a deadly conflict sooner or laler ensues until
one alone remains the victorious possessor." ^Vftcr devouring about
two eggs, that is, at the end of ab(.jut eight days after beginning to
feed, a moult takes ]ilace, and the second larval form ap|)ears, the /oi-m
Fig. 390. — £7);- desio-nated as carabidoid. The carabidoid form lasts about a week, the
succeeding scaraba'idt)id form about a week ; after reaching the ultimate
Stage of the second larva, it feeds about a week, then leaves the renniants of the
locust's egg-mass, and ri)un<ls out for itself a smooth cavity in the ground. After
being in this cavity about tV)ur days, a moult takes place, but the skin is not entirely
shed. The soft skin <juickly hardens, and the insect is now a pseudo-j)upa. After
hibernating as pseudo-jjujia, the skin again luirsts, and the thinl lar\ a ajipears. This
third larva burrows about in the ground, and in a few days the true jiujia is formed,
from which, in live or six days, the imago appears. The functional significance of the
third larva, wliieh, in these insects as in J^ytta reslcatorin, e.ats notliiiig, is not Net
understood.

The genus Mi/hibr!s includes over two hundred and fifty beetles in which the
elytra cover the entire abdomen, the mandibles are short, the antenna^, are gradually
enlarged toward the apex. The species are often black or blue-black, banded with yellow,
and of consideralile size. Xo true JL/labri.s is found in the United States. Con7i//os-
2Jasta fullei-i from Xe\'uda, with eight-jointed antenn;e, is an allied form to JLyhtbris.

tSitaris differs from Jfi/liibris in having wings jjartly exj)osed, and the rudimentary
elytra narrowecl rapidly beliind, and not reaching the tip of tlu' abilomen. The
first to describe all the different stages of any .species of Meloidic was J. H. Fabre,
who, in 1857, published his account of the metamorphoses of t^itdi-in /i)/i/ieriilis, a
French species, whicli is j)arasitic on bees of the genera AiithopJiont and Jjonihus.
Fabre's account of the life history of S. Inavemlis is briefly given as follows: The
males and females, as soon as they have emerged from the ]iu]i;e, ]iair in the subter-
ranean nests of the bees upon which tlicv are jiarasitic, and the female lays soon
after about two thousand eggs, near llie entrance of the nest. Tlie triungulins, which
hatch in about a month, hibernate, without feeding, among their egg-shells, and the
next spring attach themselves to the hairs u])on the thorax of the male liees, fi'om
which they jirobably pass over to the females during the ])airinL; of the bees. Thus

BEETLES.

349

f:ii- tla' liistorv of tlieir life is sutHcii'iitiy straiiuc, liut the next eliaiine of haliilat i>
still more curious. At tlir luoinent uiini tlu' female liee dejiosits her eg'j; u|)(>u the
surface of the honey in her c'ell, the aetive youn^- triuiigulin passes from the liee to
the egg, upon whieh the lar\a rides, as uihju a lioat, thus avoiding drowning in the
honey about it. The liee's cell is seale(l, and then the triuugulin liegins eating into
the ego- of the hee ; the contents of this eg'4 just suffices as food for the larva ahout
eight days, when it moults and apiieai-s as the second larva. This second Larva, unlike
the triuugulin, is not in danger of ilrowniug in the honey about it, and feeds upon it.
In the latter part of summer the second larva attains full growth, and enters the
pseudo-|nipal state. Most of these insei'ts hibeiaiate as pseudo-pup;e, although a few
a]i]iear as innigos .about the beginning of ^September. The pseudo-])up;B which hiber-
nate go through the third larval and tlie ]iu]ial stages from June to August of the
next year, appearing as beetles about the middle of Anuust.

llitridii hiliiutlintoiis, an American sjiecies allied to Sitaris, was found by Dr. C.
V. Ifiley to lie parasitic upon Anthoji/iora s2yonsa, but its life history is still incom-
plete. The imago is about 0.5 of an inch long, with no winu's.
and the elytra are so extremely rudimentary as ti> Vie scarcely
noticeable.

Among other genera of ]\reloida' of which more or less is
known concerning their life history is ZoiiUis tni/tica, a French
sjiecies, whose hypermetamorphosis takes place in cells of Osmia
tridentata.

Jfe/oe inchicles wingless beetles, which have very short, im-
bricated elyti-a. that do not nearly cover the abdomen. JI.
(nigu!<tirollls is a steel-blue species common in the eastern
Ignited States. Its length is from 0.40 to 0.75 of an inch.
The fem.ales of Jrdoe are very prolific, ami sometimes lay as many as from three to
four thousand egos. Tlie life history of Melue has not been as well studied as has that
of Sit(irL% Ijut there is no doubt that its earlier stages are passed, in analogous mode
to those of iSitari.s, in the nests of bees.

The Stylopid^ are insects of very abnormal structure and habits, and are reaarded
by some naturalists to be a separate ortler, Strepsijitera, and by others are assinned to
this position next the Meloidae. The males have rather peculiar form, small, partially
rolled up elytra, and very large wings which fold like a fan. Their eyes are large,

coarsely facetted, and, in Sti/Iops and Xenos, are
mounted upon jiedicels. In the adults of both sexes
the mouth-jiarts are rudimentary. Prothorax and
mesothorax are short; the metathorax is, on the
contrary, greatly developed. Sexual dimoriihism is
carried to its extreme degree among the Stjdopidre,
and although tlie males are capable of locomotion
and possess good eyes, the adult females are wing-
less, eyeless, and legless parasites, remaining buried
between the abdominal segments of wasps, bees, and
ants, there enclosed in their pupal-skin which thev
never shed, and jmshing out info open air only their anterior end between the seo-
ments of their host. Their eggs, which drop directly from the ovaries into the bodv-
cavity, develop in the latter place, possibly parthenogenetically at times, although

Fig. 'inl. — iliAne nnr/usti-
coUis.

Fig. 392. —Xenos pecki : tr. Eljtr.i.

350 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

pairing lias been often obscrvoil. The larv;L' are liatehed in tlie body-cavity; the
Stylopidse are consequently vivij)arous. These liexapodous larvie, whieh are very
active and have eyes, escape by a dorsal opcnini;- from their mother, and, running
about on the female bees, are transported to the nest, v.here they quickly bore into
and bury themselves in bee-larvse. Onee inside a bee-larva, the larva
of the 8tylo2)s moults in about a week, and appears as a footless grub
which feeds upon the fatty portions of the bee-larva. When the bee-
larva pupates, its parasite pupates within it. In beeomiiig an imago, the
female Styloj^s only bores out through the end of her own pupal skin.

Fig. 393. — A'oios and through one of the soft folds of the abdomen of the bee, protnidino-

rossl, female. , , , t , , ,• , , , '^

lier head and thorax between two segments oi her liost, but never

leaving her ]nii)al skin. The males leave the pujial skins, search out females, pair, and

die, usually in a few hours. Each female is supposed to bear about two thousand

young larva', nmny of which, on account of their strange mode of life, die without

finding a suitable place for further development.

There are but few genera and species of Stylopida>, among which the folloAving
genera are j)erha] IS best known, — A'ewo^, with four-jointed antennas and four-jointed
tarsi; Stylop.% with six-jointed antcnniT and four-jointed tarsi; and Hi(lictophar/HS,
with seven-jointed antennae and three-jointed tarsi.

Westwood has described a pupa, which he regards as belonging to the Stylopidse
and which was found in the abdomen of a hemipteron, under the name of Colacina
ihsidkitor ; and the same author has also described a species, imder tlie generic name
Mi/rmecolu.)\ which is ])arasitic on ants in Ceylon.

The RiiiPiPHORiD.E, a family containing only aliout a hundred descril)ed species,
includes insects, like so many other heteronierous Coleoptera, remarkable both for
abnormal adult structure and for parasitical earlier stages. The larv;e of some are
parasitic on lIymenD]itera, of others on Ortho]itera. The beetles are all comparatively
small and generally we<lge-shaiied, the anterior ]iortion of the prothorax and the
posterior portion of the abdomen usually diminishing gradualh- in size. The head is
vertical, and has large eyes; the mouth-parts are well-develo])ed, and the antennre
liave usually ten, in some females eleven joints, and are pectinate or flabellate in the
males, and often serrate in the females. The elytra are usually shorter than the
abdomen, often acutely pointed behind and dehiscent, sometimes very minute; a
few females resemble larvre, and want both wings and elytra. The beetles inhabit
flowers.

Some discussion has arisen as to the actual food and moile of life of the larvfe of
Rhipiphorida^ in wasps' nests, but the following brief abstract of statements made by
Mr. A. Chapman in an account of the life history of H/upiphorus (Metcecus) paradoxus,
a common European species which develops in the nests of Vesjm germanica and
V. vulgaris, are probably the facts of its mode of life. The female beetle probably
lays its eggs outside the wasps' nests; the young larva, which has ocelli and is not
unlike the triungulin of the Meloida^ comes into the nest, possibly without help, and
enters the cell of a wasp-larva. Before the cell of the wasp-larva is closed up the
Hhipiphori/s-lnrvn liores in lietween the second and third dorsal rings of the wasp-larva.
Later the I^/iiptp/iorxs-lnrya, after feeding a while in the wasp-larva, breaks out through
the fourth ring of its host, moidts immediately, and becomes a grub with poorly
developed legs. The ]i;n-asitio larva now fastens itself firmly upon the fourth ring
of the wasp-larva, where it later moults again ; soon after this moult the ])arasite has

BEETLES.

351

Fig. 3!I4. — Mnrriella
ornata.

Fig. 305. — .Unr
della octnpuuc-
lata.

sucked the juices entirely out of tlie wa.<p-l:irva, and pupates in its cell. The wliole

process requires from twelve to fourteen days, and the beetle emern-es two days later

than the wasjis in the same row of cells. ^Ljoditeii suhdlpferus,

another Eurojican species, has been reared from nests of Ilalliius

sexcinctus. Ji/iiji/iidins, a Eurojiean genus, has lar\iform females

without wings or elytra; its larva^ are parasitic in the abdomen

of cockroaches.

The MoEDELLin.E are beetles similar in general appearance to
those of the last-described family, but they differ from those of that
family in having a distinct lateral suture of the thorax, and in having
filiform antennae The larva> of the Mordcllida» arc nut jiarasitic
as are those of the three preceding families, but live in fungi or
twigs; the larvaOiavc sliort legs, on which the joints are nut dis-
tinctly indicated. The beetles themselves are of small size, and,
like the IJhipiphoridi'e, are found on flowers.

Very tVw of the American species of this family have been reared.
"Sir. X. T. Chambers has reared a species of Murdclla from a larva
feeding in pith of Te)wio)ii((, and mentions the occurrence of similar
larva' in the galls of Gelcrliia (/<iU(r>solklagiiiis on fiioUJago.

The AxTHUiD.E, a family of beetles mostly of snmll size, are gen-
erally found on flowers, although some species are inhaliitants of sandy
places near the water. These beetles have the head constricted behind
the eyes, the lateral suture of the narrow prothorax is wanting, the
rounded <Oytra cover the entire alxlouuMi. In JVofrwiis and Anthiciis, two genera
with numerous species, the head is deflexed and narrowed behind the oval, coarsely-
gramdated eyes. In Kotoxvs the prothorax extends out over the head in a sort of
horn; in Ant/iicus there is no pmthor.acic licirn; and in the ant-like genus Formico-
mus, which is closely related to Anthiats, wings are absent. But little is known of
the life history of the Antliieida>. Tanarthvus sa/inus, from the Colorado desert-
lands, and from T'tah, runs and flies along the salt mud much in tlir same way as do
species of Cicindc/ii.

The family of the Texkukioxiilb, as usually limited, includes between four and
five thousand kinds of beetles, mostly of rather somln-e coloration, although a few
species are marked with red or are bronzed. Le Conte and Horn say that, "This
family contains a large numljer of genera, possessing in common very few cliaracters,
yet linked together by such gradual changes in structure that their classification pre-
sents almost insuperable difficulties." The beetles of this family have, according to
the above-named authors, simi)le claws, anterior coxal cavities closed behind, five
ventral segments which are in part connate, and the penultimate joint of the tarsi not
spongy beneath. They may be divided into three sub-families. These are the Tene-
bi-ioniua?, having the thinl and fourth ventral segments with a coriaceous posterior
margin; the Asidiuji?, having the ventral segments entirely corneous and the middle
coxa? with a distinct trochantin ; and the Tentyriina?, having the ventral segments
entirely corneous, as in the Asidina^ but the middle coxa? without trochantin.

The larva^ of Tenebriouida^ are elongated, often resembling, in a general way, the
so-called 'wire-worms,' the larvae of Elaterida\ The larva^ have four-jointed anteun.-p,
five-jointed legs, are ]U-ovi<led with from two to five ocelli on each side of the lu'ad,
and often have a pair of anal a|ipcuilages to aid in locomotion. The larva? feed upon

352 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

fungi, upon dead auiniiil :iiicl vegetable matter, u]><iu dung, and njion jilant-galls ; the
larvfB of Hijpoiihheus ferrHf/ineus devour the Larvre of Tomicus stenoi/n/jj/ius., and
the larvfe of TriboUum ferrnriineum and of T. castaiietim are museum pests. The
larviB as well as the imagos of the Tenelirionidre are usually abundantly parasited by
intestinal Gregarina; of some species of Tenebrionidaj one cannot find an individual,
upon dissection of large numbers, that does not harbor one or more sjieeies of these
parasites.

The geogra]>liical distrilmtion of the Tencbrioniche is somewhat remarkalile. On
the eastern coast of Xorth .Vmerica the family is poorly represented, but the number
of o-enera and species in the fauna increases toward the west, until, u)>on reaeliing
California, tliev are among the most aliundant C'oleoptera. They are especially
aliuudant also along the western coast of South America, and in Europe.

The uses to which Tenebrionid:e have been ]nit arc comparatively few. The larvre
of BJaps viortisaga are said to be roasted and eaten by Egyptian women, and the
larvfe of Tenehrio and AlphitohiKS have been reared in zoological gardens as food for
amphibians and insectivorous birds.

Amono- the beetles belonging to the sub-family Tenebrionina' are those of the genus
Helops. In Helopjs the tarsi are slender, the abdomen not jiedunculate, and there is a
coriaceous band above the labrum ; some of the species are wingless, and their form
varies from oljlong to oval. Some of the species of ' Ildops are beautifully striped
longitudinally with changeal)le lironze lines. This is especially the case with H. mkans,
found in the northeastern United States. The larva of 11. striutiM, a Euro])ean species,
has been fouml living in decayed coniferous ■rt'ood, feeding not only u]>on the wood
but upon the excrement of wood-boring longicorn larva'. II. pi<lJiis\\i\f. l)een found in
Illinois about ajiple and peach trees that had been attacked by borers.

BoUtothefKS bifurcus is a curious rough lieetle not uncommon in the northeastern
iiart of the United States and in Canada about species of Pohjporus and other fungi
u]ion trunks of trees. It is from 0.4 to 0.5 of an inch long, and dull
brown, the lateral margins of the jirothorax are flattened and extend
forward each side of the head ; two protuberances upon the dorsum
of the ])rothorax are short in females, but in males extend upward
and forward to form veritaljle horns, which are of variable length, are
flattened out from above and below, and are fringed with light brown
hairs around their margins. The antennas are short and ten-jointed.
The larvtB feed in holes whirh they liurrow in fungi. They are about
^^titrv^WmcusT 0.75 of an inch long when full grown, long and nari-ow, with the
abdomen ending in two sjiines. Pupation takes place within the
fungus. Eledona agaricola, a European species closely related to Boh'tothents, has
similar habits.

Diapjeris has a short, oval form, smooth surface, and the first joint of the hind tarsi
not exceeding the second in length. D. lu/diii is about 0.25 of an inch long, the elytra
are red spotted with black, the rest of the insect is black ; it is very common upon Pohj-
poms betuHmis, a large fungus that attacks dead white-birch trees, and in which the
larva of the beetle feeds. D. boleti, from Euro]5e, is a trifle larger than B. hydni, and
has a broad, irregular black band across the middle, and a similar band near the apex
of the elytra; its habits are like those of B. /v/dni. Hoplocephala differs generlcally
from Bicqxris in having the first joint of the posterioi- tarsi as long as the second and
third joints. H. bicornis, a smooth beetle, only about 0.15 of an inch long, and of a

BEETLES.

353

Fu;. :iU7.— Tene-
hrio ohst'urus.

metallie-ijreen coloi- witli bvowiiisli leys, is very roinmon on various l<iiiils of small
fungi growing on bark of dead trcrs ami ^tuIn|l^. The male is distinguislieil from tiie
female l)y two slender horns that surmount the head; the female has the general
aspect of a small siieeies of Chrysomelida'. The species of Platijdema are oval, some-
what flattened beetles, and have the first joint of tlie posterior tarsi Ioniser tlian the
second and third joints. Their lar\a' feed uiion fungi under liark.

In the n'enus 2\ii(Jjr!o are included hlack, elongated, winged beetles, in which the
antenna' are gradually thickeneil toward the tip, the epipleurte entire, the legs slender,
and the entire insect of a dnll-lilack color. The larva of T. molitor is
the well-known uieal-worm, and .•ill ^tages of the insect are found al)0ut
ffranaries and Ijake-houses, where they are v<'ry destructive to stoi'ed
grain and all farinaceous matter. Some of the s|)ecies of I'eiitbrio aw
found about decaving woo<l, and t'hapuis .md Candeze write that these,
as well as other larva' of Tenebrionida', may be distinguished fr(.)m the
larva' of Elaterida' — the wiri'-wonns — which thev so closely resemlile,
"by the structure of their moutli-parts, tliat is liy the attachment of
the lobe to the liasal piece of the niaxillas ami by their \ isil)le clyjieus and labrum."

Uplx cennnboides, a black beetle \\ itii slender legs, common in the eastern United
States, is about 0.7-') of an inch lon._;-. Its tlior.-ix is tinely punctate when examined
with a lens, although it appears sniiiolh to the naked eye; its elytra are deeply and
irregidarly indeuteil. It is found under b.ark, as is also fyhthiinus opacus, a beetle of
about the same size, which has Ixith thorax and elytra coarsely punctured. Al/cfobates
pi'/nisi//ra}iic'i, found in the same regions as [^pi.<: cerctmboides, resembles the latter in
form and size, but li.as elytra upon whii'h tine punctures are arranged in very regular
stria?.

In Californi.-i .lud Arizon.-i are three genera — S/eiiofric/ius, Crat!di/.<, and Am-
pliklura — which, contrary to the geiu'ral rule in Teuebrionida', are densely pubescent
with long, erect hair; the species are .all wingless. One of the largest of these pubes-
cent species is Cratidiis oscidan.f, which is about O.ii of an. inch lonir, black, densely
punctate, and out of each minute depression arises an erect brown hair.

Ships and J^leodi^s, two well-known genera of the Tenebrionidje, lielong to a group
in which the <-oiiu:ite elytra ]iartly embrace the body, and in
which the tarsi are spinose or setose beneath. Blaps is a genus
containing numerous species distributed over Europe, northern
Africa, and western Asia. £. hiorfismjii, a common European
species, has been introduced into America, and is abundant at Alex-
andria, Va. It is about an inch long, entirely black, and is found
in cellars, c;iverns, and other obscure places, where it feeds upon
animal refuse. The larva of Blaps is similar to that of l^enebrio,
but larger, and Ii\-cs in obscure nooks. Eleodes contains about
fifty species, which are all found iti the western United States,
where they devotir excrement and dead matter, and seem to fill
the ])lace occu]iied in the eastern hemisphere by Blaps. Some of
the species of Eleodes are quite large, E. obscura., a robust species, and E. (jigantea^
a slenderer species with long legs, being about 1 ."25 inches long.

Dr. (t. H. Horn stated in 18G7 that certain Californian species of Eleodes, when
disturbed, elevate the abdomen nearly vertically, and if seized discharge an oily fluid
from the aljdomen. An analogous disagreeably odorous secretion is used as a defence

VOL. II. — 23

Fig. 39S. — Blap.< mor-
fistuia.

354 NATURAL IIISTOUY OF ARTHROPODS.

]>y IUkjis ntortisaga, Ji. ohtx.su, and others of tlie same genus. The odorous fluid,
both <if Bhqis and of Eleodes, is secreted by two ghands, one on each side, near tljc
anus, from wliich it is ejected, sometimes in the case of Eleodes loJigicolUs to a dis-
tance of three or four inches. Mr. C. F. Gissler, who has examined the secretion of
JEleodes, states that it has an acid reaction, stains the skin brown and causes lachryma-
tion ; has a very jienetrating, indescribable odor; is sohible in water, alcohol, and
ether ; and sometimes crystallizes on a glass, forming an orange-colored magma of
minute crystals. JJktps ubtusa, accoi'ding to Ilornung and Bley, contains a red pig-
ment, volatile and fatty oil, resin, formic and uric acids, and wax, besides chit in and
other substances. Kii-by and Sjience wi'ite that, "Pliny tells us of a Blatta, which,
from his descri|ition, is evidently the darkling-beetle (libips mortisaga), and which he
recommends as an infallible nostrum, when applied with oil extracted from the cedai-,
in otherwise incurable ulcers, that was an object of general disgust on account of its
ill scent, a character which it still maintains."

The sub-family Asidin;e contains numerous genera, auKjng which Asida is well
known since it is rei^resented by numerous species in the European fauna and by over
thirty s])ecies, all from west of tlie Mississip])i River, in the United States. The species
of Asida iidial)it desert regions. They are ajiterous and have an ovate body.

The sub-family Tentyriina; contains, with few excejations, apterous species. The
only species of the Tentyi'iiniB found in the northeastern United States is Phello2isis
ohcordata, which is found from Maryland to Canada. It is about 0.55 of an inch long
and one-third as wide, is dark l)rown, is roughened liy deep punctures and prominent
elevations, and has the anterior portion of the prothorax winged laterally. It is found
u])on fungi in localities similar to those freijuented l)y Solitotherus bifurczcs, which its
color and rugosity recall.

Sub-Order IV. — Pentamera.

The Pentamera, the group of beetles normally having tarsi with five joints, includes
all the Coleoptera to be described hereafter in this work, and probably contains about
one half the known species of Coleoptera. Omission is made of some of the smaller
and less interesting families in order to allow more space for those families which are
of most importance.

The family LymexyloxidvE contains but four genera and a limited number of
species, but the destruction of ship-timlier in western Eurojie by Lymexylon navale,
and Linna>us' application of a remedy by immersing the timber during the time of
ovi])osition of the beetle, early called the attention of naturalists to this species. The
species of this family have a deflexed head, which is narrowed behind ; the eleven-
jointed serrate antcnnie are inserted on the sides of the head ; the coxa? are all con-
tiguous in the three American genera, but in Atractoccri/s the anterior coxa? are
separate; the legs are. slender. Jyi/ine.r>/loii has entire elytra and the abdomen with
five ventral segments. The species generally resemble those of certain Elateridiv, or
spring-beetles, later to bo described. The larva- of Z. namde are slender, six-legged
grubs; the head is small, the first segment enlarged, and the last segment bears a leaf-
like ajipendage above. These larvre make long cylindrical l)nrrows in oak wood.
None of the Lymexylonidm are sufficiently abundant in America to cause damage.
Micromcdthus dehdis, a minute but interesting species, has been reared by Mr. II. G.
Hubbard, from decayed wood found in Detroit, Mich.

BEETLES. 35;-)

The species of Ptiniiu-: are generally small ; tiieir antciiiia> are vari.-iliii' in form
and ])laee of inscrti.in, mh.I have from nine to eleven joints; the hiad is ([uite retrac-
tile, so uiiicii so as to lie often [irotected by the jirothorax ; the elytra are entire. Tlie
food-haliits of this family are very diversified; both larva' and imaLjos show a jirefer-
ence for dead animal or vcuetable matter, although living plants do not escape their
attacks. The larva' eat drugs, even devouring cajisicum, tobacco, allspice, and other
material not generally acci'ptible to insects; they .also bore in both living and dead
fun^'i, bai'k, twies, roots, and wood of many kinils; and (jne species, Cntoixuna zem
from the Harbadoes, lives somewhat after tlie m.aimer of JJi'iic/iiihc, in maize.

.V common beetle lielonging to this family, that attacks ajiple trees in the middle
L'nited States, is AiiijihiccrtiS biciiudatioi, which is abo\it O.o of an inch long, of a
cylindrical, slender form, and of a dark-brown color. Its specific name is tlerived
from the fact that the males have two small thorns projecting from the posterior end
of tile body. This species (b]es not, in all probability, breed in young twigs of apple,
althougii it niav often be found in fheui, head (hiwnwai'd, in burrows which occupy
one or two indies of the pith of the twii;'^, and extend ilownw.ai'd fi'om an opening by
which the Ijcetle li.as entered the twig. These buri'ows are used only for hibernation,
and the larval history of tliis beetle is not yet known. Similar injuries to those which
A. hicai'iJiitnK cause in apple twigs are also produced by the same sjiecies of beetle in
]iear, peach, and grape twigs. In Eurojie lieetles of the genera ^l^:)«<c' and Linoxylon,
closely related forms to Aiiiphicvvus, attack grape twigs, as well as the bark an<l wood
of numermis trees. ,

.Liisioderi/ia neniconw, a small species of this family, eats, as larva, capsicum and
drii'(l tobacco, i. hrrc attacks stems and leaves of dried tobacco, often doing much
damage to them. The former is found in Imth Europe and ^Vmerica; the latter is
Eurojiean. ('atonima, of which <iik' species has been mentioned as eating maize,
differs from Lasioilermn in not having serrate antenn;e. ( '. tahaci attacks cigars in
Cuba, and (_\ sdHi/i, from the West Indies, undergoes its metamorphoses in the pods
of a plant closely like Saint-.Tohn's-bread.

In Aiiobiinn. the f^irm is elongate<l, somewhat cylindrical; the eleven-jointed
antenna' are inserted just in front of the eyes, and the metasternnm is deejily excavated
in front. These little lieetlcs, \\ liich are generally black or brown in coloration, and
about O.2.") of an im-li long, have received the name of death-watch on account of a
])eculiar ticking sound which they j)roduce in the wood of houses, a sound which was
supposed, by superstitious peojile, to ]iresage death to some member of the household
where it was heard. The sound itself consists of from six to twelve sharp, distinct
ticks, at nearly as regular intervals as the ticks of a clock ; then a jiause of a mimite
or mf)re occurs, and the sound is repeated, often in another locality from that where
it w.-is first he;n-(L ^Vs this tirking is generally emitted when there is no other dis-
turbing noise, often in the stillest part of the night, one can scarcely wonder that
])eople wiio d(5 not know its cause should listen to it, perhaps while watching at the
sick-bed of a friend, with hushed breath, and sliould associate its sounds with death.
The sounds are really, however, only signals by one beetle to discover another of its
species; probably, as in many other insect-noises, they liave a sexual significance, and
serve to guide one sex to the other. At any rate, by deftly imitating their call by
snap]iing with the finger-nail upon a piece of hard wood, the beetles can be deceived
into repeatedly answering your telegrajihic message. The mode by which the beetle
proihtces its S(.)und was first observed by Swaminenhmi, the distinguished Dutcli

356

NATURAL IIlSTdliY OF AliTUHOPODS.

anatdinist, over tw.i liuiidri'il years auvi, .-111(1 lias since heen ilescrilied In- several
naturalists. The ra]i|iint;- is caiiseii l)_y a loi-rilile iKmiinerinu- of the lianl wnoil with the
head (if the beetle, anil it is noticeable that the beetle selects places wliere the -vvtinil
will act as a soiinilinii--l>oar(l for its curious sonifaction.

The iar\ a of Aiiohli(m is cylimli-ieal, short, often sliiihtly dilated toward ihe
posterior extremity, and has six legs; it has no ocelli, short antennw, a labrnm which
reac-hes ne.-irlv t" llic extremity of the short, stout mandibles; its anal ojiening is
lonaitudiii.-il. The lai-\:e sometimes de\'elii|i in ime year, and sometimes require
lonn-er. liulli beetles and lai-\-a' often do iiiuc-li damaf;-e tci furniture, books, drugs,
and pro\isi(iiis. f.iniKeus fomid that A. juiiijnix destroyed his chairs; Kirby and
Spencc coni]ilain that A. striatum has the same haliit, and also injures ]iicture-frames
and the boards nf flours. Both of tliese species of Auvhtum attack liooks, not only
for the leath(-r with which they are bound, but also fur the ]iaste used in their binding.
Spencc mentions wholesale destruction of oaken beams \ised to sujiport tlooi-s in the
old mode of building houses in Belgium, necessitating renewal of these beams at great
ex]>ensc.

SifoiJirjiK jHdiicca, a cosmojiolitan species often mentioned under the name of
Aiiobi'inii jiiini'-r>i)/i. differs from Aiioliiuni. by not having the metasternum excavated
in front. It is .-i bi-o-vvn lieetle densely covered with light brown pubescence, and
aliout 0.1 -J ol' an inch long. The earlier stages of this lieetle were described in 1721
by Fris(-li, w lio found the larvie d<'youriug the inside of a piece of rye-bread. Later
the sami- author writes that this inse(-t injures books, and attacks many kinds of dead
animal matter. Prof. A. S. Packard mentions linding this species in wasjis' nests
jireserveil in museunis, where it ]irobably ate the iliieil wasps left in the nests. Dr.
H. Shimer h.-is raised this species from larva' feeding in red beads " m;ide of sonu'
kind of colored pa.ste."

The genus PtluKC, of w hii-h /'. fur is a widely ilift'used re|iresentative, differs from
Anohiiiin both in form and in having tlie long filiform anteinia»
inserted closely together iijion the fi-ont. Pthiint fur is of an
uniform brown color, .-uid is jnibesc-ent ; it is only about tM of
an inch long. De (ieer desi-ribed and figured tlie jireparatory
stages of this species in 1774. This species is known as a
museum pe.st, att.-ickiiig inse(-ts .-ind other animals preserved in
collections. I have found it swarming in barrels of wool which
had been i-li]i]icd off the fleece and thrown aside because it was
full of sheejis' dung and other dirt. According to E. Perris
the female of P. diililiis^ a Kreiu-h species, oviposits in tlie male
blossoms of PiiixK tiKiriliiiKi. The larva grows rapidly, feeding
upon the ]iollen of the pine, and forms its cocoon of pollen-grains cemented too-ether
by a nnu-ilaginous secretion. /■*. lirunncus, a species found in
Eurojie and in the Ignited States, sometimes attacks the binding
of books.

The diversity of habits of the larv;e of I'tiuida- i-an be e.-isijy
seen by the above selections from what is known of tlieir life
history. They are generally easily destroyed by subjecting the
materials in which tliey feed to heat, or to the action of benzine vapor in .-i (-losed tin
box. A convenient way of destroying these and other insects in books, in such drugs
as are not injured liy subjecting them to a dry heat of 1(M»° C\ in (-lotliing, and in

J'tiinis fur

Fi(^ 400. —Larva Of
Pfinus fur.

BEETLES.

l-'iii. 4U1. — (ori/-
lu tcs ntjicollit!.

many other s\ilistaiK'e!S, irs to [lUt tliv ^oods i-oiita'miii!;' inseets into a loosi-ly coveretl
tin box iir pail ami to set this for a time into lioiliny water, takini;- eare that the
water does not boil over into the box containing the goods.

The taniiiy of Cj.ekid.k inehides over seven luunh-ed species of beetles, of which
nianv have lieautiful (•"Idrati'iii, and a gcMU'i'al asjiect somewhat ant-like. This ant-like
appearance is due to their pii'ininenl eyes, their short anteume, their generally long
legs, and their elongated prdtlmiax, which is often nuich mirrower than the elytra and
slightly narrower than the head. Tin- .-inlcnna', which are nsually eleven-
jointed, have the apical joints enlarged, fonniuL;' a more or less comiiact
serrate cluli. The posterior cox;e arc Hat, and the tarsi have membran-
ons lobes. The larvie of Cleridie are mostly predaceous, inhabiting the
bnrrows (jf xylo]ilKigons coleopter;i, or the nests of bees, and feeding
up(in the li\ ing Iar\;e which they liml In these >ltn.-il ions ; a few (('0/7/-
iittea and Xccruhhi) eat decaying animal m:itter. Many species of
Cleridie, as inuigos, freqnent flowers, bnt a large nnmlter of them, espe-
cially species of 'riiiiii.(A.<:iiiKis, c.an lie fnund rnnning ipiickly over dead jjinc bark, and
piles of freshly-cnt |)ine wood fnrnish the aiiile instu-t-collector luimerons sjiecies.

The species oi \ecr<ih!(i which ha\c bcin introdnced into America from Eiirojje,
are small pnbi'scent carrion beetles of which llie imter three joints of the antenna'
form a club. 'I'he last joint of the palpi is long and trnncate. ^\'. civlacvu is about
O.l.'i of an inch long and deep vtecl IjIuc, rai'cly greenish, in color. X. i-uficoUi.i is a
trifle larger than tlie hist-nicnlioncd s|iccie>, and its legs, ju'othorax and the anterioi'
portion of its elytra arc didl red. X. nifj"" differs from X. ciolacca in ha\ ing brown
ff o legs. The larva of Xccrnhiu freipients the same places as does llie

"N 9^ y innigd ; it is of a light, brownish-red color, and its
.•didominal se'4inents increase in size ]n)steriorly, so
that the tenth segment is o\ cr one-fourth wider than
the fourth segment.

Tli(iiii:rofli:nis .•:iiiii/iiiiii:ii.i is a ]irctt\ red s|iecies

cro,-7«n(.< s,(«- in which the liLilit icil chira are densch" iiunctate,
iltiineu.t. . ■ • _

:uul tile brownish-red ])rothora\ i> covered with lonit

pubescence. Its life history is unknown. ^ 'A /v^s- rl/■«(^?»^^■ is a beau-
tiful species from the wotiaii coast of Xorth .\meric.-i. It> length
is about 0.4 of an inch i its elytra are yellow, m.arked with \cry
dark shiniu'^- blue, its pr(]thora\ is blue, clotlieil with long yellipw
hairs, and its legs are bhn'.

In Tricho(h:,t the club of the anteniuc is somewhat triangular, the
Last joint of the labial palpi is dilated, that of the maxillary jialpi
only slightlv laigei- than the pcnultinnite joiut. 'P. npuirinx.-A well-
known Eni'opcan species, is about 0.(1 (.f
an inch liinn'. It-~ '_:'i'ound colru' is deep
Ijlue, but three broad bands of yellow ex-
tend fi'i>m the o\iter nearly to ■the inner
edge of the clvtr.i: the heail, prothorax.
and legs are clothed with long [pubescence.
The larva of this species lives in the nests
of wasps and wild bees, and at linus in ill-ke]it hives of honey bees, where it eats not
onlv such half-dead bees as come w ilhiii it^ reach, but nests in the honev-comb and

Flci. Wl.~ T/iiiii-

FlG. VH. — Penlijpu
carbonarius.

Vm. 40"). — Tricho(fes apiarius.

358

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 406.—

liero.

■iulicmf

devours the larvie and }iu]ire of the bees. Tlie iiiingo is found from May to Jul)- ; tlie
hirva remains from July until the next year in the bees' nests. In America Triv/iodcs
nuttalU is not rare in August ujion flowers of Spirtna alba, but its
larval liabits have not been studied. It is about 0.4 of an inch long,
and somewhat resembles T. apiurius in color and markings. The
genus AuKciis, which has the apex of lioth labial and maxillary
\ jialpi dilated, is fminil on the western coast of North America, as is
also the very slender Pen7i//)/is carbonari us, in wliicli the jiosterior
thighs are elongated.

The larv;e of TiUiis uiiifa-'^rhitus, a European species, li\e in dried
grape twigs, jireying upon larvaj of Auaspis maculata and Apate
se.cde/itata ; and finally ])upating in the twigs. It is ])robable that
T. collaris, from Georgia, has analogous habits.

The faniilv of Malachid.e is often united with the next succeeding family (Lani-
pvi-idie) from the species of which the members of this family differ in having only six
free venti'al segments, and in the insertion of a sejiarate piece between the front and
the labruin.

The genus MalacJdus, and a few of its allies, has excited the attention of many
observers on account of its protrusion of two evaginable ]irci-
cesses from each side. In 3/a/achitis aneus each anterior
process is trilobed, and is pushed out on each side from
lieneath the anterior angles of the prothorax ; each posterior
process is bilobed and originates between the metathorax
and first abdominal segment. These jirocesses are of a deli-
cate red or reddish-yellow tissue ; they were shown by Dr.
H. Liegel to be evaginated by tilling with the blood or liody-
fluid of the insect, and to be retracted by muscles within
them. The function of these organs is unknown.

3fa1arliius aneus, the beetle just mentioned, is about

0.2 of an inch long ; the anterior angles of its prothorax

and the outer jiortion of its elytra are dull red, the rest of

the insect is bronze green. It is found both in Europe and

in the United States, having been

introduced into the latter country.

The beetle eats the pollen of grass and other plants, and is
possibly sometimes carnivorous ; the larva lives beneath the
bark of trees, where it hunts out and devours the larvae of
other insects.

The LA'MPVRni.E are beetles of soft texture and medium
or small size ; the head is sometimes hidden l>y the front of
the jirothorax, an<l sometimes prominent and exiiosed; the
antenna' are generally serrate, and usually eleven-jointed ;
the elytr.T, usually (pute soft and yielding, may be short or
even wanting in tlie females of certain genera. Tlie larvre
are flattened, often dark-colored and velvety, and have an
ocellus on each side the retractile head ; they are generally
carnivorous, living under stones and bark, or u])oii ihf giduiul, where they devour
snails and larvae of insects. Sometimes tin- vthety lar\a' of certain species of

Fig. 407. — Afaheclnus mar-
(luiicoUis.

Pig. 4118. — M,fl,irli!ns fi^liiiL

BEETLES.

359

Fig. 4iia. —ci,aull-
nfpiatkus i}enn-
sylcanicus.

Telephorus wander about ujioii tlie snow, giving rise to stories of showers of
worms.

Tliis family is often iliviiled into three sub-families. The species that have the
miildle eoxa» contigucuis, the e|)i|ileur;u narrow at the base, and the e]iisterna of tlie
mesotlKU'ax not sinuate on tlic inner si<le, lielong to the sub-faniilv 'relephorinaj ;
the sjieeies of the sub-family Lampyrina' differ from those of the Telejiliorina> in hav-
ing the corresponding episterna sinuate and the epipleura usually wide at their bases;
while the species of Lyciua^ have mi e]ii|ileura' and have the middle coxa^ distant.

Of the sub-family Telepliorina' the genus 7'e/ephorus, wliich has an exposed head,
is well represented in Xorth America. T. Iillliieatns., a species of which the elvtra are
blackish brown, finely margined with light brnwii, and the jjrothorax brownish red
with a longitudinal black spot each side of the median line above, has been reared.
The larva is found early in the spring under sti^mes whei-e it pupates in time to dis-
close the imago in 3Iay ; the larva is about 0.5 of an inch long, the imago about tln-ee-
fifths as long. The imago is said to feed on liirch leaves.

The genus Chauliognatlm.-i differs from all other North American Lam]ivrida' in
having an extensible fleshy fllament attached to each maxillary lolie.
The function of these filaments is pnibably to laj) the honey and pollen
from the liowers lui which the bettles feed. C jjeintsi/lcaiilcus is
common in the eastern United States; it is about 0.5 of an inch long,
and is yellow and black, as follows : the head, antennae and legs are
black, and there is a black patch u]Min the yellow prothorax, and an
elongated black spot occujiies tlie midtlle of the apical portion of each
yellow elytron. Although these beetles eat jiollen and honey, fre-
quenting flowers of thistles and golden-rods {SoUdaijo) for the purpose, during late
sunnner, their larva; are carnivorous and aid the farmers in the suppression of many
noxious insects. The larva' (if '". ju'iuisi/liHoiicus are known to devour the hu-va; of
the jilum-weevil {Conotfuclidag iit'iuip/iar).

The sub-family of Lampyi-ina> is noted for the luminosity of most of its species.
The sjiectrum nf the fire-fly w:is alluded to in the general remarks concerning the
Coleoptera, but the results which numerous exjierimenters and investigators have
obtained in wo]-l;Jng upon the lunnnous organs of beetles are worthy of further notice
here.

These luminous organs differ in distribution on the altdominal segments of differ-
ent kinds of Lampyrida', and Motschulsky, in 1858, used the position of the luminous
spelts, wliicli are yellow on the beetles, in the seji;n-ation of genera. In finer anatomy
the luminous organs, which are liomologically parts of the fat-liody of the insect,
consist of the luminiferons cells wrapjied about liy cajiillary anastomoses of the
trachea'. Tlie larva% as well as the imagos of Lain]iyrid:ie, are luminous, and it has
been asserted further that the eggs emit light. As Wielowiejsky, who has lately
studied the histology of these luminous organs, rightly says, the eggs can be luminous
only on account of some external sulistance which thej- derived from their mother, or
on account of light-giving power of the develo]iihg larvw within them. ^latteucci,
Jousset de Bellesme, and others have exjicrimented on the conditions which favor or
hinder light-jiroduction in Lampi/rix. Decajiitated specimens retain their power of
giving off light, either Avitli or without being subjected to electrical excitement, for
four days. High temperature f.-iils to stimulati' the action of the hnuinous organs.
In )iure oxygen the light is increased in iiitcn^itN, while no light is emitted in inn-e

360

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

hyclrogen, cju-bonic dioxide, or nitrogen, proving tliut, whatever is the form of com-
bustion, it is an oxydation. Crushing tlie luminous organs, as is generallv known,
temporarily increases the intensity of their light l)y admitting more oxvsen to them ;
ordinarily their oxygen supply is brought to them by their tracheal capillaries. Entire
destruction of the cells of these organs l)y ]mlverizing them in a mortar, however,
results in producing no light, because the supj>ly of luminifcrous matter ordinarilv
formed by the cells ceases upon their death. In beetles killed by suljihuretted hvdro-
gen the cells ai'e likewise kilji-d. and no fiirtlicr light can be obtained fmni them.

Fia. JUL — Glow worms. «, Lampyris siilinir«lula,UM\i-; h, feiiiale; c, liirva. ''. L, nocliUica, mule;

e, female; /, larvu.

Apparently, then, the living cells of the luminoua organs secrete, under direct control
of the nervous system, a substance, possibly phosphuretted hydrogen, which is lumin-
ous when acted upon by the oxygen that reaches these cells through their envelojiing
tracheal anastomoses. In some species the light is continuous for a considerable
time; in otlier species the light is often interruj>tcd. Mr. A. E. Eaton has observed
tliat, in Luciola lusitcuiica, the flashes are rejieated as often as thirty-six times a
minute, the duration of each flash being from one-fourth to one-lhird of a second.
When one sex of any species of Lani]iyrida' emits intenser light tlian the other
sex, the less luminous sex has, as a rule, the liest develuped eyes; this is espe-
cially marked in the case of tlie large eves of males of .sjiecies in which tlie female
is lumiiKius, iiut apterous.

A common species of fire-flv in the eastern United States is
Photarls jioinaj/lvanlca. It is ;ibout 0.5 of an inch long, and
both sexes have wings and long elytra. I'lie color is yellowish,
.stri])ed with a few ill-detiiu'd lines of black or brown. Its
luminous larva has a biaish-like anal leg. In Europe the com-
mon species of fire-flies are Lampyris noctiluca and Z,. spleit-
'lidulu. The females of these species are wingless, each elytron
being replaced by a small scale, aiul these females, as well as
tlie larva-, are termed glow-worms. The larva> devour snails.
In ]iarts of the Mississij>])i valley the common flre-fly is Plioti-
ims 2Ji/ntIis, which has brownish-black elytra margined with
pale vellow, and a yellow ]irotlior:ix with ,-i black spot on its
centre. The larva of I', pi/ralis lives in the ground, where
it feeds u])on soft-bodied insects and upon earth-worms {Lum-
brictis). Photinits corruscus, a species vai-ying from 0.35 to 0.60 of an inch long,
dull black in color, except two curved rid lines extending fiom each side of the

FiG. n\. — I'lu.liiris jnniiit/l-
vaiticus.

BEETLES.

361

Fia. 412.— Calup-
teron reticii-
latum.

rniterior jiroji^rtiim of tlu' jn-dtlinrrix, wlj'ich sliit'lds tbe Lead, back to near the pos-
terior angles of the prdthnrax.

Ainoiii; the iiiseets of tlie sufi-fauiily Lyciiue, of whieh the si)ecies are diurnal in
habits, and wander about plants in search of insect food, Calojiteron retictilatinn may
be chosen as a representative. Tins s]iecies has the elytra gradually
widening from the base to near the tij), and covered with a fine net-work
or reticulate surface ; its flat serrate antenna; and its under surface are
black, as well as the nnddle of the jnotlinrax, and the apical end of the
elvtra. In the form whii-h was dtice knnw u as ('. tenninalt, Init which
is now regardeil to lie a variety of ('. rrli'-iilatiun, the anterior two-thirds
of the elytra are yellow, while in (jtlier sjieciniens there is a patch of
black near the base of each elylnai. These insects vary from (1.40 to
0.75 of an ini'h in length. Their hirv;e are clay-yellow, Jirettily marked
witli black, and are found under logs and stones, where they eat other insect larvie.

The Elateiud-E, includinir with them the Eucxe.miu.e and Ceukionid-E, which
are often regarded as dist inct f.innlies, <'om]irise consideralilv nmre than three thou-
sand species of desci-ibed coleojitera, which are ijuite distinctly separated by a few
marked characters, of which the following is an abstract from Drs. Le Conte and
Ib.irn's work, til which reference has been so often made: The antenna' are usually
serrate, sometimes jiectiiiate or flabellate. and are often inserted in grooves upon or
under the front; the five (rarely six) M'utral segments are free, and the first of them
is not elongate ; the hind coxa- are (■(jutiguous, and silicate for the reception of the
thighs; tiie front coxa' glolmsi', and contained entirely within the prosternum ; the
]irothorax loosely articitlated to the mesuthorax, and the prosternum prolonged behind.
The greater jiart of the Elaterida- are |)opularly kudwn in America as snapjiing-
beetles and spring-l)eetles, and in Englaml as click-beetles and skipjacks, because of
tlieir jiower <jf jumping up into the air when ]ilaced upon the liack. Dr. Le Conte
says this jumping " is effected by extending the prothorax so as to bring the jirosternal
spine to the anterior part of the mesosternal cavity, then suddenly rel.'ixing tile muscles
so that the sjiine descends violently into the i-ax itv, the force given bv this sudilen
movement causes the base of the elytra to strike the supporting surface, and by their
elasticity the liody is jiropelled upward." Without the aid of this mechanism, these
short-legged beetles would find difficulty in icgaining their foothold when they had
fallen on their backs, which might often occur, because of their habit of drojiping to
the ground, with legs retracted and feigning death, u|)on the slightest disturbance.
If a beetle fails to regain his jiroper jicisition by the first jump, the springs are repeated
until success residts, each spring, esjiecially if upnu a liai'd surface, is accomjianied by
a distinctly amlible click.

The habits of the Elaterida' are (juite diverse, many sit upon leaves of jilants and
upon grass, others are .'ibundant under bark, and many species live concealed beneath
stones. 'I'he lar\a' U'-ually live in decaying wood; some of them, however, do not
confine their attacks to dead vcgetal:ile matter, but are known as seriously injurious to
li\ ing Jilants and to cultivateil crops ; a few of these larva' are carnivorous, the larva- of
Drasterais aiiiii/n7i.-<. in the I'nited States, beiie^- kimwn to <levour locusts' eggs. !Many
elaterid larva-, liecause of their cylindrical lV)rm and very firm, smooth, chitinous
exterior, are knowir as wire-worms. The larva^ have si.x legs, no ocelli, and their
antennffi are very short and three-jointed. Wire-worms have sometimes destroyed
potatoes and ealiliage roots by riddling them with their bin-i'ows. Some of these larvte

362

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

develo]! muler favorable circumstances in a year, l)ut many of them require several
years to attain full gi-o\vth.

The Elateriihe not only show their relationshij) to the LampyriJaj by anatomical
characters, but also by the ]iossession of luminous organs in a few species, these lumi-
nous organs being found in the larvre of a number of species, aud being long since
observed on the images of jPi/rophorus.

Fig. 413. —Stages of an ElateriJ (Almis'i.

The true Elatcriil;v have the posterior coxa- laminate, and tlie labrum visilile and
free. JMelanactcs piceiis is a very shining, black species, about one inch long, found
upon the Atlantic coast of North America as far north as Massachusetts. 31. niorio,
a somewhat smaller species with striate elytra, is found in the same regions. Larva',
suppo.sed to belong to J/clanactcs, are quite brilliantly lunnnous.

It is, liowevei', to the genus Pi/rophorus, which contains aliout a hundred s]ieciesof
Elateridif, all from troiiical America, that we must turn for the most brilliant forms
of luminous insects. ]^i/rophoru.v noctiliiof.^, common in the West Indies and Brazil,
and in connnon with a few allied species called tlie cxciujo by the West Indians, is
from 1.50 to l.To inches long. Its color is a rusty brown, approaching black. Upon
each side of the prothora.v, near its basal angles, is a convex, oval lantern, which.

BEETLES.

na.—J'i/yopl,„nis
noctlhifus.

when not illunihiiiti'il, is yellowish white in color; Init which, when illuminated, gives
out a light exceeding in ln-illiancv that of the Lani]iyri<l;e. The species of J^i/rop/iorus
fly ill much more direct lines and give out their light longer an<l more constantly
than do the Lampyriche. IJuring flight a luminous organ situated
beneath, between the metathorax and first alxlominal segment, emits
even m'ore light than do the [irothoracic lanterns. In ^'era t'ruz
these beetles are so much used as toilet ornaments that they arc an
article of trade. The Indians cajiture them by waving
about in the air a stick, to which they have attached
a burning coal, the light of the Coal attracting the
bi't'llcs in the same way as they are attracted to each
other by their own buuinosity. They are preserved
Fig. 4U. — 7.iiiniis in boxes made of wire netting, arc fe<l each evening
With pieces oi cruslietl sugar-cane, and are l)allied
twice a day in tepid water to kee]) them in good health. The emis-
sion of ]ii;ht bv J'ljrophitriis seems, liki' that of Lanipyrida', to be
entirely dejiendent \\\>o\\ the will of the insect; when feeding, and
during sleep, no light is given off, the greatest intensity of the
light being reached during flight .and activity.

Corymhites is a large genus, numliering in the United .States over seventy specie.s,
and the s]>ecies vary greatly in form, size, and coloration. C. 7'espletulcns, common in
northern New England, is shinini;' bron/.e green with ledilish reflections, :md is about
0.5 of .an inch long. (J. cj/Undrifnrinis, a brown sjjccies which is quite ekmgated,
varies in length from tt.45 to 0.80 of an inch.

The genera At/ioiis, J^imonintt, J/dd/iotits, Elater, and Cryptohi/pmis ,are all
represented by numerous species in tlie United States, but many of these sjiccies are
diflieult to distinguisli without elabcjrate descriptions or flgures, and little is known of
their life history. Mditiiotiis coinnuoris is one of the most common s]iecies of snaj)-
ping beetles in the northeastern Ignited States; it is Ijrown,
]iubescent, and about (1. 5 of an inch long.

Alaus ocii/fitns, not only on account of lieing one of the largest
sjiecics of North American Elateridu.% 1)ut also on account of its
jiccadiar markings, has attv.acted the .attention of almost eveiy
beginner in entomology. Its length is a tiitle over one and a
lialf inelies, and its coloration lilack .and white. The two velvety
black s])Ots u])on tlie jirothorax, the white rings arouml these
sp(.its, and all the white (bits scattered over tliis insect are jiro-
iluceil liy scaphoid scales densely set upon the surface. The
larva' of ,1. oci//i/fiis live in decaying wood, often in that of
apple or pine, .and are much ln'oader ]iro[iortionally th.au sua|i-
ping-beetle larvae usually are. The length of the l.arva of this
species is 2S) inches; its width about 0.4 of an inch across the
middle of the body. The liead is brownish, the rest of the larva reddish yellow.

The species of ChulcolepiiJius, another genus (if large snapping beetles closely
allied to Alans, are partly clothed with scales, as the generic name indicates. ('.
rubrlpeiutis, from southern California, is 1.5 inches long, the striate elytra reddish
brown, the black ]irotlKU'ax converted to bronze gre(.'n bv .a coating of microscopic
scales.

Fig. 416. — .-1 tans
ocalatna.

364

NATURAL msTUHY UF ARTUUUPODS.

F].^ 417.

Eui'lifiJina ijiijiutttii.

The faniilv of Bupkestid.*; iiK-hides a large iiuiuber of beetles which .somewhat
i-esemble the Elatei-icl;e, but differ from them in not possessing the power of springing

when j)lac'ed iijion the back, and couseqtieiitly
they do not li:ive the prothorax very freely mov-
able upon the mesothorax. They also differ from
the Elateriihe in having tlie first and second ven-
tral seuinents connate. The eleven-jciinted an-
tennie of the Ihipri'stida' are almost invariably
serrate ; the head is small atid retractile to the
eves in tlie protliDra.x ; the jxisterior end of tlie
l)odv is t.ipered off to a ])oint ; the ornamentation
is usijally with metallic colors, anil the surface is
often highly polished. In Poli/bothrh, a genus

\ found in Aladagascai', the coloration during life

!*»Y is glistening metallic, which, as in (A(fsi(/(( of the
Chrysonielidte, disappears upon the death of the
insect. The tropical species of Bujirestidie are
often large, EurliCdiiKi <ji</aiite(i from Brazil
reaching a length nf •!.''' inches, an<l a bivadth
yf over an inch ; the si/.e of the sjiecies becomes
graduallv less ii, apprnaching the tem])erate and
colder regions. These insects freipient flowers c.r sit upon bark, and are most active
in bright sunlight ; upon approach, many kinds fly away with great ra])idit3', others
retract their short legs and drojj to the ground, feigning death.

The larv:e of Buprestidie usually bore ellijitical jiassages in living and dead wood ;
a few, like those of TrarJii/f:, mine in leaves, and still fewer (e. //. /h'ji/tiia-ania
aarijjua) live in galls, 'i'lie l:ir\a' lia\c a \ cry characteristic form diU' to excessive
enlargement and ])artial chitinization of the [irothoracic segnu'nt, into which the liead
is retractile. There are \w ocelli and no feet, the latter organs being represente.1 in a
few species by little fleshy tnbci'clcs; the autenine are M'ry short and fornu'cl of two
or three joints. Lai'val life x.iries in duration ; in I'mrhys iiiiiiiitn. \\\\\v\\ mines wil-
low loaves, liudow found two generations yearly; Ferris found th.it many species
comjih'teil their metamorpln.scs in :\ year, while Katzeburg states that
two years are occujiied in the cycle uf nu't.-nunrphoscs. Pupation
takes place in the Imrrows nnulc by tlie larva.

The small, flattened, ovate, somewhat angular sjiecies of Jirarhi/K
are fouml upon leavi's of different jilauts, and their larvic are leaf-
miners, like those of the related genus, Tnichijs. B. tess('l/iif<( is only
about 0.15 of an inch long, and nearly black in cok>r;ition ; it is found
in the eastern United States. B. n rii//i/io.s(U :i species of about the
same size, and found in the same region, mines in the leaves of the
beech.

The numerous s]iecics of Ai/rilns are elongated, and li.ave tlu' antenna' free, not
received in grooves as in L'nir/ii/s and Ti-dclnjs. Agrihis nificolUs is (piite injurious
to ras].berry and blackberry ])alches in the eastern United States. The beetle is
narrow, about O.'io of an inch long; its head and thorax is a beautiful coppery bronze,
the elytra are black. The larva', which .-u-e about lt..'i of an iiu-h long, .'uid jiale yellow,
with a brownish head and black mauilibles, liore about in tin' sap-wood of the black-

. 41». — Bntcltt/s
Irsxillaltl.

BEETLES.

Sflo

Fig. 4l'I1. — Chru-
sobothris femor-
ata.

berry and rasjilicrry stalks, iiulil tlicy reach full i^rnwtli, uhcn tlicv [iiipfito hi the pith

Their presenoo in stems of tlie plants can lie readily detected 1)V the '4a

that they jn'uduce. On account of the sjiiral course of the liurrows of

the larvjo, the part (if the stalk almve these "alls ^-enerallv dies. The

best iinide of destroy inn' these insects is to liurn, durine- earlv s|irine-, th"

stalks wliieli have nails ujion them.

The species of Arimi-oih ni are not as elongate .as tliose of Ai\rilii^^
and their scutellum is indistinct. Aciniiodcra ctdtn^ a black species
with yellow sjiots on the elyti'a, and only O.'J") of an inch lono-, is common
in eastern Xortli .\meric.a, on the ti<.)Wers of star-grass {Ifi/poxi/s erecta). vni.^v^. — Acmm-
.-1. r//M,,/„ is .a, western form. ' ' ' n.irra),ii.,a,,a.

A large number of species of niedimu-si/.ed IJnprestiihe which are of a dark green,
coppery, oi' lilack-shining bronze coloi-, .and .are covereil with imjiressed dull spots, are
groniied ill the genus C/iri/sobofhris. ()f these sjiecies (.'._/(;•?»())•«<«, a greenish-black
species that varies from (1.4 to 11. (i of an inch in length, and two-thirds
.as wide, besiiles being, as l,ar\ a, injurious to oaks and other forest trees,
damages peach ,and pear trees, .and often causes serious f.at.alitv to apple
trees. These beetles are found from May until the laid of sunnner.
Tlieir pale yellow, thin->helled. ribbed eggs are Laid, sini:l\- or .a few, in
gr(ni|is, in (a-cvices of b.ai-k. The. young larva^, njion hatching, bore into
the liark .and li\(' liiaieatli it, in tl.itt(aied ch.annels, soon girdling sniall trees. Later,
as its jaws become .stronger, it attacks the solid wood, but always again comes to the
surface before pupation. After cutting a. ]iassage almost tlu-inigh the bark it retreats,
packs its (U'bris and e\-<a'emeut aliout it, and piijiates. Upon enua-eeiicc, the beetle,
which has feebler jaws than its larva, has no dithculty in reaching the open aii-. C.
luirrisli. one of the snndlest beetles of this genus, beine; onlv aliotit (l.o of an inch long,
is a sonu'wh.at r.are but livilliant species. Its larva lives in )iine twigs, and the brilliant
metallic-green licet le nniy lie fouml, iluring June and July in Xew England, s)iarklina"
in tlie hot sunlight mi the ti|is of white-]iine boughs; on account of its
sh^'ness and r.apid tJiLjiit it is not e.asilv c.i|itiired.

Similar in foiaii to C/iri/snhotliris, hut h:i\ ing a broader front, is
Mdanopliiht. M. f(ih-,></i(tt<(t<i. of a brassy black color from 0.30 to 0.4ft
of an inch long, has three yellow dots upon each tdvtron. Tin's s|iecies
frequents pines throughout the northern I'liiti'd St.ates.

In Biiprestis, a genus numbering, as at prestait limited, over Hftv
specie.s, many of «hich are beantifidly colored, the lieetles are ratlier larijer than in the
preceding gema'a. />'. rufpe.-i is a Xorth Ann-rican species, of which the earlier stao-es
.are unknown. />'. fdariiitu is one of the most brilliant species of this
genus. It is from D.tiO to D.T.'i of an in(di long, of a brilliant metallic-
green with golden reflections, with a snnill yellow spot near the tip of
each elytron, and a band of yellow nearly across each elvtron just in
front of the apical .s]iot. The larva probably feeds in willow or jiine
wood, and it inhabits the imrthern Fnited States.

Dicerca iJlrarlcjifa, which is of a coppery-bronze cailor ami about
11.7ft of an inch long, is easily recognized by tlie prolono-ed and divero-ent
tips of its elytra; it is eoninion in the eastern United States. Its larva
attacks jieaeh, majile, cherry, and beecli trees.

The species of Chalcophnra resemble, in form and mode of indentation of the

.\1\..—M,:lan-
> I ill tin fiifro-
■iiilliilit'.

Flii. 422.— Bl(;n

366

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 423. — C/irt/ro
Xihora virfiiniensis

elytra, the species of Chi-i/sohothrys, but are generally larger ami have a distinct sixth
ventral segment. C. liberta, from the eastern United States, is light copjier-bronze in
color, the elevated portions of the surface being polished while the
depressed parts are dull. It feeds, as larva, in pine woods, as does
also ('. virginiensis, which is generally a little darker colored and
somewhat larger; the former species is from 0.75 to 1.10 inches long.
The larvae of both species inhabit pine wood. Gi/ascutus and J'silop-
tera are genera only rej)resented by a few large species, from western
North America, of which the earlier stages are unknown ; they are
sejiarated from Chulcophora by their having the mentum rounded in
front ; they are distinguished from one another by the first joint of
the posterior tarsi lieing elongated in Gi/asciitus, and not elon-
gated in Psiloptera. Near these genera in classification are the ^„
giant South American s]iecies of i'«c/«'OH/«, of which J'J.f/i;i<(ntC((
has been already mentioned, and the brilliant oriental and African
species of C/tri/sochroa, the latter generic name being conqxiundcd /"
from two Greek words meaning " gold " and " skin." C/iri/soc/iroa i^
ocelltitii, a large species from the East Indies, is beautiful shining
green, with elytra marked with golden and yellow spots, and three-
toothed at the apex. Sternocei-a, another Asiatic and African
genus, contains large and brilliant species, in which the sternum fig. 42i. — G;insciiti(s

? . ° ' pliinicosta.

IS prolonged forward and downwaiTl as a liorn. tSteriiocera chri/ni.s

^^ large species with chestnut-brown elytra, lays ellijitical white eggs

^ #f{(% / ''''^'^ ^^*^' ^'^^ "^^ ^" ™'^^ \ox\s, and 0.24 of an inch in shorter diameter,
and from which the larvir at hatching are about 0.-1:') of an inch
long.

The dcscrilied sjiecies of Scauab^id.e number over seven
thousand. They are readily separ.'ited from all other Coleojitera
by the fonn of their antenna?, in which the outer joints — usually
three, sometimes as many as seven in number — are flattened
amellaj capable of close a))proximation to form a club, an<l by
their fossorial legs. The antenna', wliich are inserted beneath
the sides of the front, have from seven to eleven jciiuts; the
first joint is always elongated, and the second thicker th:m the
thinl. On .account of the form of their antenme, beetles of this family are often called
lamellicorns. There are no very minute species of Scaraba^idaj ; the family, on the
other hand, contains some extremely large insects, the. veritable ele])hants among
Coleoptera. The lamellicorns, of course, reach their greatest development, both as to
numl)er and size of species, in the tropics, but species of considerable size are not
wanting in the temjierate zone. These beetles attract the attention of people not
generally interested in natural history, not only on account of their large size, but
also liecause of their curious habits, sometimes useful to man, as are those of the
dung-beetles, one of which {Ateuchus sacer) was long recognized as sacred by the
-Egyptians.

Quite a numlier of genera are wingless, although the greater part can fly. A large
number produce sounds, either by stridulation, by the motions of the wings, or in some
cases by the ra]iid passage (jf air in or out of the stigmata. Sonifaction is not confined
to imagos, for many lamellicorn l:u-v» stridulate by rubbing the maxilhc .against the

Fig. 425. — rlirii.virliroa
ocellafa.

BEETLES. 367

niaiicIiliK's. Tlie inintios of one jiortimi of tliis fmnily arc iiioslly vo^-ptablo fecrlers,
often livinj;' U)i(in leaves; those of anotlier jiortiou feed u]]on the exerenieiit of liin'her
animals; a few eat fruit, flowers, or honey, even, exeejitionally, entering bee-hives to
steal honey; eertain speeies also lick the sap from woumleil j)laees on trees; and a
very few {e.g., 7Whr) feed upon decayini;- animal matter. In their sexual rehltions,
some species of hunellieorns havti strange habits. J^hiplinccru bedeaui, a eommon
speeies iu the sand dunes of tin- Bay of Cadiz, copulates oidy during storms; at oilier
times the beetles remain eoiu/ealed in the sand. In JBolbuceras r/aUicus, a Frenidi
species, the two sexes inhabit neighboring burrows a foot dei'p in the gronnd, and the
male digs a passage out from his own burrow to that of the female. 1'he males of
I'ohjpliijlhi rariolosii, from the eastern United States, have been seen vigorously
scratching the ground above places where females were about to emerge from their
pupa% presmnably guided to them l>y the sense of smell, a sense whicli has reached a
high degree of develojiment in the laniellicorns. The aid which certain male dung-
beetles give the females in tlieir maternal duties will lie more fully noticed further on.
The males of lamellicorns are usually much larger than Ihc females, and are often
easily distinguishable from the latter by horns upon the prothorax or head, bv Ijetter-
develojied antenna^ or by modifications of the legs.

The larvaj of the Scaraba'id;e .-ire rather robust, white grul.is. Their anal end is
curved around under their body so that tliey cannot walk on a flat surface, but are
only able to use their six well-develojied legs in locomotion when surrounded by the
sul)stances Sn which (hey li\c. The head is corneous and resistant, with four-jointed
antennae and without ocelli. The rest of the larva is covered with a somewliat tough
skin, and widens posteriorly so that the ajiical half of the abdonu'u is broader than its
base. All lamellicorn larva live concealed, some in the ground, feeding ujion roots,
others in decaying wood, in excrement, or in otln^r substances which they devour.
The cojirophagous species undergo their nietannirphoses rapidly, but the other lamelli-
corns ofteu re(iuire two or three years to pass from the egg to the imago. Several
nematode worms iidiabit the cajiacious digestive tract of certain lamellicorn larva?;
but, besides these, the larval stage of Er/i!ii<ir/ii/it<-liii.!< 'jinKs, an .■ic.anthocephalons
worm which lives as adult in the intestinal canal of swiiu', has been fcnind in the gruljs
of the E"uropean May-beetle (Meht!ont/ia ruJgarls). The swine eat tlio May-beetle
grubs, thus infecting themselves with worms, .and the dung of the swine furnishes the
May-beetle grubs the egn-s of (he worm — a curious in(ern'lationship between hog,
worm, and insect. The larva' of certain lamellicorns are subject also to fungus para-
sitism V)y species of I'on-ubia, of which the fructitication stems grow out from the
grubs killed by the fungus, often to the height of several inches, giving rise to stories
of grubs changing into plants.

Dr. Le Conte has divided the Scaraltaidro into three sub-families, according to the
position of the abdominal stigmata. In the lowest sub-family, the Scarabaida^ pleu-
rosticti, the abiloniinal stigmata (exce]it the anteri<ir ones) are "situated in the dorsal
portion of the ventral segments, forming rows which diverge strougly;" the last jiair
of stigmata is visible l)ehind tlie elvtra.

Osmodenna has the thorax considerably narrower than the elytra and usually
rounded at the sides; the posterior coxa are contiguous, and the outer lobe of the
maxilla is corneons. O. scabra is about 0.1) of an inch long, with a roughened but
shining eojijiery or l)rownisli-black surface. Its lai'v.-i lives in decaying i-osaceous
wood, and jmpates in an oval cocoon made by cementing t(igether fragments of the

368

NATrRAL HISTORY OF ARTIIROTODS.

wood in \vhich it foeds. 0. I'reuncola, :\ sli^litly hirger, smootli, d.-irk-lirowu species,
has habits similar to those of O. .scabra: Xot far from Osmoderma in classitieatioii is
Inca, the species of wliicli arc tVmiKl in tropical ^Vmcrica, ami are large and bronze
colored.

In the species which belong to the old genus Cvtonia, which is now subdivided
into numerous genera, the scutellum is \isible, the mandibles are feeble and often
membranous, the e])imera of the mcsothorax is visible frnui above, and the anteriov
coxre ]iromincut. During flight the elytra of these beetles remain closed, the wings
extending out from beneath the base of the elytra. Some of the species eat honey,
others soft fruits, still others lick sap from wounds of trees. Thiis the mandibles, having
no hard work to do, are feelile. Tropinota hirtdht, a small fhiropean sjiecics which is
bhick, somewhat marked with white, and densely jinliescent with bi-ownish hairs,
injures fruit-blossoms by eating away their anthers and styles.

Edrijotida inda is the most abundant species of cetonian in the niu'theastern
United States. It is about half an inch long, light brown, marked with irregular black
spots. Its thorax is covered with yellowish juibescence. This beetle
lias been found fee<ling u]ion the kernels of young corn ; but it is doubt-
ful if the beetles, with their soft mouth-])arts, are really guilty of attack-
ing the coi-n. It >eems iiku'c ]irobab]e that tlicv only eat the juices of
kernels which have been already bittia; intu b\- liivds or bv other insects.
Vic. &\ — i:urij- These beetles are, however, known to eat intu riiic iicai-hi's, and to feed
Upon the sap from corn-stalks and from cotton-liolls. I have found the
same species very abundant, devouring saji which exiuh'd from wounds in the liark of oak
trees; and I presume that, in their repoi'tcd attacks ujion apple-trcc bark, they are only
eating the saj) flowing from wounds caused by other anim.als. This species is found in
early spring, before the snow is all melted from the ground, making as much noise as
bees and buzzini;' about in w.-irni sunny sjiots. This beetle has a jiecnliar acid odor,
resembling vinegar, wlien handled. This acid is probably readily volatile, as it does not
rust, to any great extent, the pins used in inomiting these insects in collections.
Cetonia aurata, a common metallic-green European sjiccies, is also ipiite odorous.
The larvaj of E. inda are not yet known.

AUorhina nitidn is nearlv an inch lonu', \elvety gret'n usually with a yellowish
margin along the sides of the jn-othorax and elytra, and is abundant in the southern
part of the Atlantic slope of the United States. Its larva, according to Dr. C. V.
Riley, attacks strawberry roots; and, because its curved body would cause it to travel
clnrasily on its legs, it turns over
upon its back and moves along as
rapidlv as an ordinary caterpillar.

The cetonians attain their max-
imum size in the genus Goliatliuri
from western Africa. <t. f/H/dn-
teus measures aliout four inches in
length and two inches in width,
and is one of the largest beetles
known. This species is subject to considerable variation, and several varieties have
been described as species. It is usually chalky white, marked with velvety black,
prominent among the black parts l)eing six black lines radiating from near the anterior
part of the prothorax towards its posterior jiart. These giant beetles live upon the
sap of trees.

- J III, I

Di/iiaslcs litre ulcs, Hercules beetle, male and female.

BEETLES.

369

The genus Dynastes includes, in another group of beetles, even larger species
than are those of Goliathus among the cetonians. In Dynastes the tarsal claws are
equal and the anterior tarsi elongated, the anterior coxa? transverse and not prominent,
the prnthorax and head armed with horns or tuhercles. I), tityus is one of the largest,
possibly the largest, species of Coleoptera found in the United States, and occurs in the
southern part of the country as far north as Philadelphia. It is al)out two inches long
and one inch wide; is of a general greenish-wliite colur, with black legs and brownish
black spots upon the elytra. In the males the anterior portion of the prothorax is
provided with a downward-curved black horn that approaches at its tip a similar
upward curved horn from the head. The larva3 of this and other species of Dynastes

Fig. 428. — Mtgasoma elephas.

live in decaying wood. Dynastes hercides, from tro])ieal America, I'cachcs a length
of six inches, of which the curved prothoracic horn makes nearly one-half. The
elytra are light olive green, spotted with black; the rest of the beetle is shining black.
The prothoracic horn is lined with yellow hairs beneath ; and below it, as in D. tityus,
is a shorter upturned horn from the head. The articulation between the prothorax and
head allows these horns to be separated and brought toward each other like the two
halves of a j)air of forceps. D. neptumts, a species of about the same size as is D.her-
cnles, also inhabits tropical America. Closely allied to Dynastes, bnt sejiarated from
it by its glabrous prosternal jirocess, is Mcgasonia. M. elephas, M. typhon, and 31.
eictceon are all large species from Ccntial and South America. M. thersites is a Cali-
fornian species.
VOL. II. — 24

370

NATURAL HISrORV OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 4l'1). — Oryctes nas

The genera Strategus, JTi/lori/ctcs, and Oryctes comprise species iiot quite as large
as those of tlie foregoing genera, having horns or tubercles on Ijotli sexes, and with
the anterior feet not elongated. In Strategus, the jii-othorax usually has three horns
in the males and three tubercles in the females, .s'. a/itceus, a shining dark-brown
species about an inch in length, is found near the Atlantic coast of the United States
as far north as Massachusetts. In Xglorgctes, the head is horned in the males and

tuberculate in the females. A' satgrus, which is
deep brown, has striate elytra, and is a little over
an inch in length, resembles Oryctes nasicoriiis, a
common European species. AT satyrus is found in
the same regions as is Strategus antrpus. O. nasi-
rornis frequents tanners' refuse used to surround
hot-be<ls in northern Germany.

< 'otalpa hixs the claws of the tarsi unequal, the
elytra witliout a membranous margin, the thorax
margined at the base, the clypeus separated from
the front liy a suture, and ten-jointed antennre. C.
lanigera, the so-called goldsmith beetle from eastern
North America, is nearly an inch long, and light yellow in coloration. The female
lays her eggs singly in the ground. The eggs are waxy white, semi-transparent, and
oval, and measure about 0.1 of an inch in length. The larva, upon hatching, is about
0.3 of an inch long. It probably requires two or three years to reach full growth,
feeding, meanwhile, upon roots of plants. Pupation finally takes place in an oval sub-
terranean cavity. Tiie imago frequents many kinds of trees, but is especially fond of
willows, among the leaves of which it nestles during the day, since it is nocturnal in
habits.

In Pelidnota there is no suture between the clypens and the front. P. pimctctta
is a well-known beetle about grape-vines in the eastern United
States. It is bro'miish yellow above, marked with black as fol-
lows : the jwsterior and lateral portions of the head, the scutel-
lum, a dot ujion each side of the prothorax, and three dots near
the outer margin of each elytron. Beneath, the body and the legs
are shining greenish black. The larva of this species lives in the
decavint; roots of trees, but is with difficulty distinguished from
other lamellicorn larva\ These beetles fiy mostly at night, re-
maining concealed about grajje-vmes during the day. They eat
grape-leaves and those of A}7ipeIopsis, but are rarely abundant enough to do real
damage.

Se])arated from Cotalpa and Pelidnota by the possession of nine-
jointed antennae and by having elytra with a membranous margin are
the species of Anomala, of which A. lucicola is a serious foe to grape-
culture in some ])arts of the United States. Its colors are somewhat
variable, some specimens being yellowish brown, othei-s black, and still
other combinations of these two colors. The l;irv;e of Anomala have
not been carefully studied. The beetles often eat away the flower-buds
and lilossoms of the gra])e, and also are very abundant \ipon flowers of
species of sumac (lihus). In Europe A. ritis and other species damage grapes.

Hexodon montandoni is a curious oval species, about 0.6 of an iui'h long, which

Vu;. i:.n. — rduluuta
punctata.

Fig. 4:il. --.■/«.
ala lucicnfa

BEETLES. 371

inhabits Madagascar. Its form and the pattern of its coloration, the elytra being black
striped with white, recall those of the Chrysonielidaj. Its life history is unknown.

The second sub-family of the Scaraba'idie, the Melolonthina?, have the abdominal
stigmata " in part situated on the superior portions of the ventral segments, the last
one usually visible behind the elytra." The rows of spiracles diverge slightly.

In PohjphiiUa the club of the antennjB is many-jointed, and in the males is very
large, the third anteiinal joint is long, the lateral pieces of the metathora.v are wide,
the anterior coxa3 are not jirominent, the last j)air of stigmata open in the suture be-
tween the fifth ventral segment and the propygidiuni. P. I'oriolosa, found abun-
dantly in parts of the United States, is nearly an inch long, and is brown covered with
small irregular patches of white. P.fuUo, the largest European May-beetle, frequents
sandy plains covered with conifers. Its length is from 1.25 to 1.50 inches, its color
chocolate Ijrown, spotted with irregular j>atches ijf white scales and hairs.

Melolontlia closely resembles PoIi/j^Jn/Ua and is represented by quite a number of
species in the eastern hemisj)liere. 3f. vulgaris, the common May-beetle of Europe,
is about an inch long, and the antemial club of the niales is composed of seven lam-
ella?, while that of the females has only six shorter lamelhe. The pygidium is pro-
longed into a sharp point. In the common form the antennie, legs, and elytra are
brown, the rest of the insect being black, and different parts are more or less densely
clothed with fine white scales or hairs. On the lateral parts of the abdominal segments
these hairs are so dense as to produce a white triangular spot upon the side of each
segment. Varieties are numerous. Tlie metamorphoses of M. vulgaris require three
or four years, according to climate, and their .'ipiicarance in large numbers is periodi-
cal. Reiset writes that in 1805 the lieetles defoliated the oaks and other trees in parts
of France. The next year the yoinig larvae hatched from these beetles devoured the
roots of ganlon vegetables so extensively that the loss in the department of the Lowei'
Seine was estimated at over five million dollars. These larva; passed the winter of
1866-7 at about sixteen inches beneath the surface of the ground. A thermometer
kept in the ground at the same depth indicated that the larv;e must have been frozen
during the winter, thawing out again in the spring. In June, 1867, the full-fed larvje
pupated about a foot below the surface, emerging as beetles during October and
November of the same year. These beetles, however, remained in the ground until
April and May of the succeeding year (1868), thus, in France, comjileting their meta-
moriihoses in three years. The tufted lark {Alaurla cristata) is said to feed its young
almost exclusively with larvie of this and of related lamellicorns, thus doing good ser-
vice to agriculturists.

Lachnostfrna differs from Poli/phgna in having the lateral pieces of the metathorax
narrow and the third anti'unal joint not elongated. There are many species of this genus
on the Atlantic slope of iSTorth xVmerica, while only two species are known from the
Pacific slope. L. fusca (often mentioned as X. quercina) is very common in parts of
the United States and Canada ; it is about 0.9 of an inch long, and of a dark-brown
color. The beetle, which is often called the June-bug, attacks the leaves of various
trees, having a preference for those of plum and cherry. The larva, known as the
white grub, lives upon roots, and has habits quite similar to those of IMolontha vul-
garis in Europe. Turf is often ruined by larva? of L. fusca associated with other
larvje of the genus, and they sometimes cut off strawberry roots. Tiphia inornata, a
hymenopterous parasite, has been reared from these larvie. In Europe numerous
sjiecies of Rhizotrogus, a genus very similar to Lachnosterna, are termed June-bugs.

372 NATURAL Hisrony OF ARTHROPODS.

One of the bcst-kiiown species of lamelliconis in the eastern United States is
3Iacrodactj/his sitbsjjinosiis, erroneously called the "rose-bug." It is about a third of
an inch long, of a dull yellow color, and has long brown legs. These beetles appear
in June, often suddenly and in immense numbers, and devour roses, and the flowers
and young fruit of grapes, apples, pears, cherries, and many rosaceous trees. Thev
are also abundant u]wn flowers of sumac {li/ius), elder, ox-eye daisy {Lcxcat/ieimim.
vulyare), and sjiecies of Sjurau ; but when the aliove-mentioned plants fail, they will
eat almost any kind of green vegetation. Tlieir most serious injuries to agriculture
consist in their eating fruit-blossoms and young fruit, although thoy have been known
to strip the leaves from fruit-trees and grape-vines. In 1825 the iNIassachusetts State
Board of Agriculture offered a premium for the best essay on this insect, its natural
history, and efficient means of destroying it. Dr. T. W. Harris, the well-known ento-
mological writer, was awanled the premium for an essay, from which the follow-
ing account of the life history of this insect is condensed : Each female deposits
about thirty nearly globular whitish eggs from one to four inches beneath the surface
of the groimd. The larva; hatch in about twenty days, and immediately begin to feed
upon tender roots. They attain full size in autumn, being then nearly 0.75 of an inch
long, and about 0.12 of an inch in diameter. They are of a yellowish-white color,
with a tinge of blue towards the hinder extremity, which is thick, and obtuse or
rounded. In October they descend below the reach of frost, and pass the winter in a
torpid state. In the spring they again come near the surface of the ground, where, in
May, they pupate in little oval cells, the beetles emerging in June. The most pi-ac-
ticaV)le mode of ca])tnring these beetles, when they attack fruit-trees, is to shake or jar
the trees, after s])reading sheets beneath them. This should be done, as suggested by
Mr. J. A. Lintner, in the cooler parts of the day when the beetles,
which are always clumsy, are quite inactive. The captured beetles
may be killed by scalding, and fed to chickens.

The genus Serica contains quite a number of rolnist brownish
sjiecies, with striate, often iridescent, elytra. The last pair of ab-
<lominal stigmata are in the fifth ventral segment, which is sep-
arated by a suture from propygidium. The labrum is connate
with the clypeus. S. vespertina is common, during June, in Xew
England, upon the sweet-briar rose. It is light brown in color,
and from 0.3 to 0.4 of an inch long. With it may be found
Fig. 432. — .Sciicu usually S. sericeci, a verv dark-brown iridescent species, of about

vespertina. " .

the same size.

In Hoplia the last pair of stigmata is between the fifth ventral segment and the
propygidium which are connate, the middle coxa? are contiguous, and the tibias have
but one spur. The species are usually found on flowers, and the sexes often differ
greatly. Most of the species are more or less clothed with scales ; and the IT. ccei'idea,
a European species, is of a beautiful metallic blue, due to shining scales covering its
otherwise brown surface.

The species of IJchnanthe are hairy insects, with poorly developed elytra, which
are divergent at the tijis, and do not reach the tip of the abdomen. L. vulpina, distri-
buted throughout the United States, is about 0.5 of an inch long, dark brown, and neai-ly
the entire surface excejit the elytra is densely clothed with long, light-brown hair.

In the third sub-family of the Scarabreidre, the Scarabreida? laji.arosticti, the abdom-
inal stigmata are situated in the membrane which connects the dorsal and ventral

BEETLES.

373

Fig. 433. — Gi;

segments, the posterior }):iir of stigmata being covered by the elytra. Tlie antenna;
have from nine to eleven joints, of which the outer three only, in all genera except
Pleocoma, form a compact club. The species of this sub-family mostly live in excre-
ment, a few in other decomposing matter.

Tlie species of Tfox have tive ventral segments visible, and the epimera. of the
mesothorax do not reach the rounded coxa.'. The numerous
Xorth American species of this genus are oval beetles, mostly
with rough surface. They feed upon dried decomposing animal
matter, and many sj)ecies are found about the refuse of tanneries,
and upon the hoofs and hair of decaying animals.

The species of Geotrupes have the antenme eleven-jointed
with lamellate club, the mandibles well develojied, and the ab-
domen exposing six ventral segments to view. Most of the /■'
species are black, some with a bluish or greenish tinge ; a few
species liave brilliant metallic coloration. The elytra are usually
striate, the jirothorax sometimes armed with horns or tubercles, as in G. t)jp}aeus, a
species common in Euro])e. The larva; of Geotriipts develop in masses of excrement
which the parents bury in the ground, and in each of which the female dejiosits an
^'g'g. Seven s]iecies of tliis genus have been described from !N"in'th America. Several
of them are quite common, and can be found by digging in the earth about cow-dung
during late summer and autumn.

The large genus ApjJiodius numbers o\er tifty described species in North America.
Their antennas are nine-jointed, the posterior tibia; have two spurs, the front tibite are
strongly toothed on the i inter margin, the ejiimera of the mctathorax are not visible,

and tlie elytra are striate. The sjjecies of this genus are
mostly <if small size, A. j'ossor being one of the largest
sjiecies. 'I'JK'ir l.arvie feed in excrement and develop rapidly.
Ileeger fnund that the larva; of A./'ceteiis, a common Euro-
|iean sjjeeies, hatched from the egg in from ten to twenty
days; the larva- moulted three times, attaining full growth
in from four to tive weeks ; and pupation lasted from four-
teen to twenty days. Chapnum observed that A. 2'orcus,
anotlier European species, destroys the eggs of Geotrupes sterrordviiis, and uses the
passages of the latter insect for its own oviposition. Species of Ap!io<J!us have been
found near the crater of Vesuvius, where the sandy lava had a tem]ierature of 1S2° F.
Six of the species of ^Iji/iodius that .-ii-e found in the United States were introchiced
from Euriipe. Among these ^i. /ii.s'.so?- is large and entirely black; A. Jimetarius is
about (I.;! (if an inch long, and black with red elytra; and A. inquiuutns is about O.l!
of an inch Imig, black, with portions of the elytra yellowish.

Anidug the dung-beetles of robust form and moderate or small size, the genus
Onthopha</i(s includes a large nnmlier, of whicli but a few are found in North America.
They have nine-jointed antenna and lu) scutellum, the third joint of the labial ])al]ii
is obsolete, anil the distal end of the mi(hlle and of the jiosterior tiljia' is dilated. One
of the commonest kinds in the eastern United States is O. /<(teb)-osus, a brownish black
species about ((."ia of an incli long and nearly (1. 20 of an inch wide. From the posterior
end of the ]irotliorax to the front of the head is over onedudf the total leneth of this
insect. In the males a broail, almost lii-lobed, horn extends out from the fore part of
the protliorax and shelters the head.

Fl(i. 4;!4. — Apliodiiis fostior aiRl

.■iphodiUi
larva.

374

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

The species of Phaiueus are sometimes of considerable size, and are often of metallic
or bronzed coloration. They have V)road three-jointed labial palpi, the anterior coxw
short Init prominent, and the first joint of the antennal club is hollowed out to receive
the other two joints. P. carnifex, from eastern North America, frequents human
excrement, especially when left in sandy ])laces. Its jn'othorax is coj)pery bronze, its
elytra metallic green ; both are roughened, the latter being also striate. In the males
the head supports a horn, which curves gently backwards, and, when long, rests be-
tween two slight elevations on each side of the prothorax. In P. damon, from Mexico,
these elevations on the prothorax are prolonged into wing-like processes, while the
cephalic horn is largely develoj)ed.

Copris differs from Phanmus in having the lamellse of the antennal club alike.

Fig. 435. — Atcachus variulostts, surrounded by Hcaraba'i.

The species are black, with densely punctate prothorax and striate elytra, and the cly-
peus is broadly exj)anded and covers the mouth-parts. The males generally have a horn
upon the head and tubercles upon tlie ])rothorax. C. caroHiid, a sjiecies aliout an inch
long and 0.7 of an incli wide, is found alung tlu' Atlantic coast of the United States as
far north as Massachusetts. (_'. a/iiiff/i/ptieus, a species aljout 0.(3 of an inch long, and
0. minutns, about 0.4 of an inch long, are found in the eastern United States.

Species of Canthon, Atenchus, and allied genera are remarkable for their peculiar
mode of rolling about a globular mass of dung, in which they finally dejiosit an egg,
and then bury in the ground. Canthon is distinguished from Cojjris by its having
slender curved middle and hindtibine; the head and prothorax are hornless in both
sexes ; the e])i]3leura3 are narrow. C. Icevis is a common species in parts of the United
States. It is from 0.5 to 0.6 of an inch long, nearly smooth when examined only with
the nakt'd eve, and of a ilull-bla<'k color.

SCARAB^ID BEETLES.

1. Hexodon montandoni. 2. Canikon Imdsoniu^. .3. Osmoderma scahra. i. Phyllophaga fusca. 5. Onthophagus
mauriis. 6. Inca clathratus. 7. Lichiianthe vulpina. S. Cotalpa lanigtra. 9. Attuchus sacer, 10. Pfianoius
carnifex. 11. Cojjris Carolina.

BEETLES.

At the liL'ad of the .Sc;ir.-ilKBi(.l;e stmids Atvi'chus (or tSciaxdKeus) sacer, the scara-
bcBUS of the ancients, of which figures are found carved in stone on the monuments of
aueient Egypt, and which is often termed the sacred beetle of the Egyptians. It is a
soniewliat flattened, dull-black beetle, a little over an incji in length. Its elytra are
scarcely striate, although some of tin- lieetles carved by the early Egyptians had ely-
tral stria', and may have been made with Atetichxs laticoHls, an allied species, for a
model. The species of beetle which tlie Egyj>tians intended to rejiresent is known niH
only from their representations, but from specimens preserved witii mununies. Those
beetles dig out pieces of the excrement of various mammals, using their sliovel-forme<l
head for the work. With their legs they fVinu these masses of e.xci-ement into a ball,
which they gradually increase in size until it is nearly two inches in diameter. Now
begins the curious i)rocess of rolling this ball to a hole, a foot or more in deptli, which
has been made for its reception. One of the beetles pushes the ball from behind, seiz-
ing it in his hind legs, which are fitted for the purpose by their curved tibire, and, with
lowered head, moving backwards. Another beetle aids by ])ulling at the opposite side
of the ball, using the fore-legs as hands. Thus rolled along, the ball, at first plastic and
irregular, is covered with jiarticles of earth, and acquires solidity and an almost perfectly
spherical form. This ball, which contains a single egg and excrement just snfKcient to
feed the larva during its growth, is put into the hole in the ground, and the hole filled
with earth, after which the ])arent insects go about repeating the process of making more
l)alls. As each ball is the nest for oidy one of their offspring, the industry with which
these beetles labor for the propagation of tlieir kind is remarkable. They are not rare
near the coast around the whole ^Mediterranean, and their value as scavengers is con-
siderable. But what happens within the balls which they bury V The egg hatches,
the lar\-a eats the food-sujijily so carefully stored away by its jiareiits, pupates, and the
ne.Yt season emerges as inuigo.

All the subterranean metamoriihoses of these sacred beetles remained unknown to
the Egyptians, who considered them as generated by males alone, for they supposed
that all these beetles were males. With the
Egyptians, as Kirby and Spence write, tlii>
beetle was a symbol "of the world, as P. \'al-
erianus supposes, on account of the orbicular
form of its pellets of dung, and the notion of
their being rolled from sunrise to sunset ; of the
sun, because of the angidar projections from
its head resembling I'ays, and the thirty joints
of the six tarsi of its feet answering to the days
of the mouth; and of a warrior, from the iilea
of manly courage being connected with its sup-
(josed birth from a male only. It was as syni-
Ijolical of this last that its image was worn
npon the signets of the Roman soldiers : and
as typical of the sun, tlu' source of fertility, it
is yet, as Dr. Clarke informs us, eaten by the
women to render them prolific."

The LtrcANiD.*; differ from the ScarabaMchu
but little in structure. They are lamellicorn Coleoptera, in which the lamella' of the
antennal club are not capable of being l)rought compactly together. The ])ygidiuni

Flc. 43G. — Lucanus titamts.

376 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

is ahvnvs coveretl by the elytra, aiitl the beetles are usually somewhat elongate.
Althouiih the si)ecies belonging to this family are generally nearly monocolorous —
usually shatles of brown in temperate regions — in tropical species the colors are often
o-reater in number. Some of the species have stridtilating organs. The larvie of the
Lucanida* resemble closely those .of the SearabiTjidiv ; they live in decaying wood, on
the juices of which the imagos also feed.

In Lucanus the mentum is entire, and covers the ligula and maxillse, the antennse
are sjeniculate, the eyes emarginate, the anterior tibise toothed on the outer edge. X.
duma, from the eastern part of Xorth America, varies from 0.9 to 1.5 inches in length.
It is of a dark chestnut-brown in color, and the mandibles of the male, as is usual in
species of L\icanus, are much enlarged, and have a single tooth on the inner side.
L. elaphus, whose mandibles are branched in the male, and often 0.75 of an inch long,
is called, on account of its antler-like mandibles, the stag-beetle. It closely resem-
bles L. cerims, the European stag-beetle, which latter is, however, somewhat larger.
The larvae of Lucanus , which inhabit dead wood, have six well-developed legs, an-
tenna of four joints, and the anus in a longitudhial cleft.

Differing from Lucanus, in having an emarginate mentum, are the species of Pas-
sahis, which are numerous in some tropical regions, but of
which only one is found in the United States. This species,
P. comutus, is flattened, cylindrical in form, about 1.25
inches long, and of a very dark-brown color. Its surface
is highly jiolished, the prothorax being smooth, the elytra
striate. Tliese beetles, with their M'hite larvae, are often
found in great numbers in half-decayed logs, and when taken
between the fingers emit a peculiarly delicate squeaking
sound. Their larvae arc readily recognized by their very
poorly developed jiosterior legs. They further differ from
those of Liicamis in having a slenderer form, thi'ee-jointed
antennae, and the anus in a transversal cleft. The intestines

Fig. 437. — Lucanus dama. ' . . -r« r

of P. comutus furnish a rich field for the microscopist. Prof.
Joseph Leidy has described protophyta, protozoa, and nematode ^\'orms from this
insect.

The Parxid.e include a small number of beetles which are united in one family
more by their resemblance as larva? than by the structure of their imagos. The
beetles have in common the following characters : the dorsal segments of the abdomen
are partly membranous, the first to the third ventral segments are connate, the last
joint of the tarsi is long and the claws large. The body is very finely pubescent, and
a film of air adheij^-s to this pubescence when the beetles are beneath the surface of
water, for they are all aquatic in habits.

The \arvte of the Parnidae are, according to Friedenreich, flattened oval in form,
and most of tliem adhere to stones under water by using their entire ventral surface as
a sucker. They consist of twelve segments, of which the first one later forms the
head and prothorax of the imago. The aquatic species have closed stigmata, and
respire by gills, from which air is distributed through a closed tracheal system. The
gills are tubular, and consist of a motile trunk, to which are attached filamentous
branches. These gills are beneath the fourth to the ninth or the fifth to the tenth
segment,?, and have no relation to the stigmata. The internal trachea3 are moulted
througli the closed stigmata. One species which lives in moist air lias eight pair:

BEETLES.

377

of perforate stigmata. Pinialiou takes place beneath the tlat oval shell of the
larva.

In Pscpheniis the abdomen lias more than live ventral segments. P. lecontei has
a wide distribution over the eastern United States. Mr. II. G. Hubbard writes of
this species: "The males and unimpregnated females are very active, and in the lieat
of the day collect upon stones in mid-stream, which barely break the surface of the
water, and are occasionally washed by a ripple. Over these stones they
run ill ceaseless activity, chasing each other like flies at pla}', and making
occasional short flights over the surface of the water, but never jihiiiging
lienoath it, nor suffering themselves to be submerged even for an instant.
They are at such times exceedingly wary, and, unless approached very
cautiouslv, thev vanish before the observer can get near enough to use
his net. They leave the stone with a flight so swift that it cannot be
followed with the eye, but they will invarial)ly be found all together and
at play upon another stone at no great distance. The gra\id females are found in July
or August engaged in laying their eggs on the underside of submerged stones in shallow
brooks. When so engaged they are very sluggish, and never attemi^t to escajie. The
eggs are of a bright orange color, and are deposited in irregular clusters." The larva
of this species, which is very aluindant in some streams, is especially conimou in the
rapids above Niagara Falls. This l;ir\a was originally described as a crustacean
under the generic name of Fliwlcola.

Ebnis has only Ave ventral segments and rounded anterior coxk. E, condi/ne/tt-
arius is said to be used in Peru for flavoring food.

Fig. 438. — J'sr-
phenus Ieco7iteu

■r, A7itkrenus wusceonim ; b, Ptiim.'i fur (see page 3.">0); <■, Attagcnus pclfio , il, Denncslcs lardariits.

The Dermestid^ are small oval or elongate beetles, some of which are the most
troublesome insects of liouses and storerooms. Systematically they are recognized,
according to Le Conte and Horn, by their having the dorsal segments of the abdomen
partly membranous, the ventral segments free, the mentiim moderate or small, the
]ialpi ajiproximate at the liase, the j)osterior coxre not prominent, the aiitenn*
moderate in length and cajiitate, the bod\' usually scaly or pubescent. Most of the

378 y AT URAL HISTuny OF AHTHUUPUDi;.

genera (exceitt Dermestes) have an ocellus on the front. These beetles, together with
their larvie, feed upon a variety of substances, both animal and vegetable. Some of the
species are the most dangerous of museum-iX'Sts ; others attack food in the pantrv,
store, or warehouse; drugs do not escajie tlieir attaclc, species devouriug even can-
tharides and tobacco ; woollen and silk goods, feathers, and furs are ruined if left long
exjioscd to their depredations; and one species is accused of biting young doves.
The Derniestidie feign ileatli, and do it so skilfully and for so long a time that thev
are sometimes left for dead, only to escape and renew their dejiredations. Their oval
larvffi, which do more injury tlian the beetles, are usually covered with long brown
luiir, and in some cases these hairs are beautiful spear-like objects for microscojjieal
examination. The larva^ moult a larger number of times than is commonly the case
with ficelle larv;e, probably eight or more times.

Dennesies lardarius, the bacon-beetle, which is about (t.o of an inch long, is
brownish black, except the anterior half of the elytra, which are gray, spotted with
black. This beetle has become eosmoiiolitan. It cats wool, silk, hair, horn, hoofs, and
other substances, and often attacks neglected collections of insects. Its larva is about
0.45 of an inch long, and tapers somewhat from the anterior toward the posterior end.
This larva was first described by Goedart, in 1667, and has been reclescribed since that
time by many entomologists.

The species of Attagenus are generally smaller and less elongated than those of
Dermestes. They ha\-e an ocellus on the front, the middle coxae are near together, the
prosternum is not lobed anteriorly, and the antennre are eleven-jointed. A. 2}eIlio is
about O.li of an inch long, and dark brown with a white dot near the middle of each
elytron. The abdomen of its larva cuds in a piMicil of long hairs. A. megatoma, and
])ossibly at times other species of the genus, are the cause of a kind of felting of
pillows and bed-ticks that is often a jnizzle for housewives. These insects, having
gained access to tlie inside of a bed-tick, breed in it, and bite off pieces of the feathers.
These jiieces, on account of the rolling and tumbling to which tliey are subjected in
the Ix'd, are driven, basal end first, into the ticking, where they are retained by the
barbed nature of their tip, all of the liranchlets pointing backwards. What is curious
about this felting, which resembles mole-skin, is its remarkable evenness and beauty.
A piece, from winch I saw a samjile several years ago, was made \x\i into a lady's
cloak, and suggested the jiossibility of iiroducing this kind of dress-goods by using
Hock-cutters and fulling-mills to replace the slow processes by which this piece was
made.

Anthreiiiis has been long well known to most collectors of jilauts and animals, and
has lately introduced itself in America to the unwilling recognition of housewives.
Two species, A. vdrtiis and A. miisreorum, ncitlier of tlu-m much larger than a good-
sized pin-head, arc the best-known museum-pests. They
are gray spotted with light brown. The beetles gain
access to collections, and dc])Osit their eggs tipon in-
sects, stuffcil anim.-ils, and other dried animal matter.
The larva when hatched bores into the sjiecimens, often-
times completely riddling or ruining them, and finally
TiG.im.—Anthrenut^miisunrum. pupatcs witliiu them. Their presence in collections
''"''"■ of insects is betrayed by the debris which falls from

the sjiecimens attacked. To keep museum-] lests from collections, resort is made
to camphor, carbolic acid, naphthalin, and many other substances, which are kept

BEETLES.

379

in the boxes with the spec-iiiieiis. These generally jn-event the females from en-
tering the boxes for the purjiose of oviposition, but are not always to be relied npon
as remedies when museum-pests are introilueed. My own collection of insects is kept
free from musetim-jiests by observing the following precautions. The collection is
ke])t in closely shutting boxes, in a room which is not carpeted and which is solely
devoted to the collection. No new inset-ts are introduced into this room until they
have been subjected to a disinfecting-box. This disinfecting-box is made of tin and
is sixteen inches square and twelve inches deep. The perpendicular edges of its tin
cover dip into a deeji water-channel which surrounds the top of the box, a mode of
water-sealing employed in gas-works purifiers which suggested the plan of this box.
Whole boxes of specimens, when suspected or foruid to be infested with museum-pests,
arc put into this box, a little benzine poured into the bottom of the disinfecting-box,
and the whole covered and left for a day or two.

Ant/irenHs scrojjhiilaria', probably lately introduced into America from Europe,
has received the name of carpet-beetle and buffalo-bug in the eastern United States,
on account of its habit, Viotli as larva and imago, of destroying carpets. This beetle is
somewhat larger than the last-mentioned s])ecies, measuring about 0.08 of an inch in
leiigth. Its colors are black, brick-red, and white, which are easily seen, with a lens of
moderate ]iower, to be scales ari-angeil in nu)saic-like patterns over a brownish-black
surface. This insect, like the
other species of ^inthrenus,
feeds, out-of-doors, upon tlie pol-
len of plants, and often swarms
upon flowers of different kinds
of iSpiraa, and upon those of
the shad bush ( Ainthmchicr can-
adensis). In-doors it .attacks
not only carpets antl all kinds
of woollen goods, but also col-
lections of objects of natural
history, jilants, furs, hair, raw-
hides, and like materials. Its lai-va, which, as usual with insects, does more dam-
age than the jierfect insect, is oval, about 0."2.') of an inch long, and covered with
long, brown hairs. In some j)arts of this country these insects have already become
so abundant that carpets are a costly luxury, requiring constant care, and rejilace-
meut every few years. A few people have adopted what seems at jiresent the
only practical remedy, the use of oiled flooi-s covered with rugs, which latter, because
thej' can be often removed and sliaken, are not very subject to destruction by carpet-
beetles and moths. The waxed hanl-wood floors, often of pretty patterns, which are
admired by American travellers in Europe, are the results of the solution of the )irob-
lem of how to get rid of carpet-destroying insects by our artistic transatlantic brethren.
To keep carpet-beetles out of clothing requires frequent examination and shaking of the
goods. I have found that clothing can be freed from insects by a few days treatment
in the disinfecting-box, in the same way as described for removing niuseum-pests from
specimens. After such treatment, clotliing can be safely packed away in closely shut-
ting tin boxes in dry places.

Trof/oderma differs from Ant/irenits in having the mandibles and lalirinn not cov-
ered by the presternum. T. tai-salc is a connnon inuseum-iK-st in jiarts of the United
States.

■tntl>reitu)i scrnphitfafift'. carpet-lieetle, pupa aiul larva.

380 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

The Ceyptophagid^ are beetles of small size, and usually of short, convex form.
On account of their minuteness, these beetles attract little popular attention. Some
of the species feed on fungi, some live in ants' nests, and others eat plants. Tiie larvae
of Cryptoj>hagus cellaris, a European sjiecies, live in the cells of wild bees (Atitho^jhora
retusu) upon the excrement of the youna; bee-larvai. ( '. querciiinn, also a European
species, lives in the nests of ants in oak trees. Professor A. S. Packard -writes that lie
has found the larva? oi Anther ojj/uiff us ocJtraceiis in the nests of liumble-bees (Botnbus)
during July and August. It is likely that the species of Anthtro^jlM'jus, which are
frequenters of flowers, are carried into bees' nests by the bees themselves, since Perris
has observed a £ombus inontanus, to the antenna of which an A. nigricornis firmly
clung. The genus Atomaria is made up of extremely small beetles, as its name
indicates; these are oval, convex, and pubescent. Several species of ^•iio;««)'j« are
myrmecophilous, others are destructive to plants. A. linearis has been known to ruin
young beet-]ilants.

The family Clutjid^e includes a small number of Coleoptera which are remarkable
for their excessively flattened, usually elongate form. Their abdomen has five free
ventral segments which are equal in length ; the antennte are eleven-jointed and often
enlarged apically ; the prothorax is usually narrower than the elytra. The larvie are
elongated and depressed ; ,sonie have five ocelli upon each side of the liead, others
none. The feet have each a simple claw. The ti]) of the abdomen is armed with a
pair of curved horns. . Both larvte and beetles are found beneath the bark of decaying
trees; some of them (I^rustoniis) live in society with ants; the larva of one species, at
least, is carnivorous.

The sj)ecies of Brontes have striate elytra, the siiles of the prothorax serrate, and
its anterior angles jirolonged, the antenna^ witji the first joint elongated, the anterior
coxal cavities open behind, and the maxilla? exposed. B. ilnbius is
about 0.25 of an inch long, dark brown in color, and is not rare under
bark of dead chestnut trees in the northeastern United States. In
Europe B. 2}lanatus is found under bark of dead oaks.

In the genus (Jacvjus the hind-tarsi are only foui-jointed in the
males ; the prosternum is narrow, and the hind-angles of the head are
]irominent. C. clavipes is scarlet alxive, with black antennae and eyes;
FIG. «2.-c«™;hs its upper surface is finely punctate. I have found this species under
decaying butternut liark, where its larva probably lives.
Catoijenus differs from Ciioijus in having its maxillie covered by corneous plates,
which are broad and rounded in front; the first tarsal joint is short. C. ruf/ts, wliich
varies fronr 0.25 to 0.50 of an inch long, is deep brown, and is found in the eastern
United St.ates. In )iarts of Connecticut it is common lieneath the loose bark of tlie
t)-unks of hickory trees, and I have reared its larva, which fed upon a puj)a of £la-
jihidion purcdkliini, a borer in hickory.

In tSylvani's the anterior coxal cavities are closed behind, the tarsi without lobes
beneath, the outer three joints of the antenna? are enlarged. A', siirijiamensis breeds
in grain, and, like most grain insects, has become widely distributed over the globe.
It is dark brown, marked with yellowish iniljescencc, and is only about 0.1 of an inch
long.

The family Colydiid.e comprises quite a number of very small, elongate, mostly
cylindrical beetles, of little jiopular interest on account of their small size. Some of
them live in fungi in the ground, or under bark of trees ; a few are myrmecophilous.

BEETLES.

381

mill, accnnlino; to ^loufflct, tho larva of a species of Bothrideres, fotuid in Guadaloupe,
is an intoriia! parasite of larva3 of Lagochirus araneiformis, a ceranibycid beetle.

The usually fattened sjiecies of Nitidulid-E have antenna^ of eleven joints; these
antenna^ are inserted under the front, aud Iiavo au apical clulj of three (rarely two)
joints; the tarsi are variable, l)ut more or loss dilated, and their first joint is not short;
the anterior coxre are transverse and not jirominent, the posterior ones flat and not
sulcati'; the Labial jialpi are .approximate at the base ; the ventral seo-nients are free,
and the legs short. These beetles and their larva3 feed in decomposini;- aninuil or
vegetable matter, in fungi and higher plants of soft texture, under Ijark of decayini;
trees, on pollen, and an Australian species, JJnichi/pepl//^ auriUis, eats the wax in nests
of bees of the genus Tru/ona.

The species of i/.w have tlie antennal club made u)i of three joints, tlie Ial)ruui
connate with the epistoma, tlie anterior coxie open, and the thorax not
margined at the base. I. f(i.<ri.(it)is. common throughout the TTnited
States, is shining black, witli a liaiul or spot of yellow across the base,
and another just beliind tin' middle of eacii elytron. It eats decompos-
ing animal ami vegetable matter, being especially common in autumn
ujioii decaying pmmpkius or cabbage-stalks which have been left in the
fields. Ijys ferriiginea, of P^urope is said to feed upon larvK of IL/lesi-
nus pimperda. Species of Tps, and of otlicr Xitidulida?, also frecpient
stumps of freshly-cut lurch .and iiia]ile trees e.arly in tlie spring, in tinier to eat the
sap which oozes from them.

In O^iO.s^Y'/ the labrum is enlire and free, the head horizontal, the jirothorax not
margined at the base, the tarsi moderately dilated, and the front not lobed over the
antenna.'. O. colon is found iu the eastern United States and
ill Euro]ie. It is about 0.1 "2 of an inch long, much flattened,
is dee] I brown, sjiotted n]ion the elytra with light brown; it
frequents decomposing animal and vegetable matter. O. dis-
cold<:a, a slightly more elongate form than (>. colon, inhabits
Eurojie and the western United States.

Of similar form to Oniosita, but differing from it structurally
in ha\in'4' stron^lv dil:ited tarsi and feebly emarginate labruni,
are the species of Isitidula, of which iV^ bijnistidata is found
ill Euro])e and the eastern United States.- This sjiccics is
about 0.'2 of an inch long, and dark brown with a light-brown
spot near the mi<ldle of each elytron. Its
habits are similar to those of Omosita.

Dr. G. H. Horn writes of Ccapop/n/ns, "Labrum bilobed.
Antennfe eleven-jointed, terminated by a flattened-oval, three-
jointed club, grooves moderately deep, convergent. Legs mod-
erately robust, tibire slightly broader at tip, spurs moderate.
T.arsi dilated, claws siinjilc. Two, sometimes three, dorsal seg-
ments visible beyond the elytra ; abdomen beneath with segments
2-3 short, 1— t-.') longer." C. hemipterus, a species about 0.1.5
of an inch long, distributed over most ]iarts of the globe. It
is dark brown, with jiale spots ujion the elytra.

In Conoteliis the abiloniiual segments are greatly prolonged, so that the abdomen
projects far beyond the elytra, as it does in the Staphylinidas. C obscu7-us, a black

Fig. AH. — Xilidiiln bijiiis-
tiilata.

Fig. 445. — Crirpnpldlus
?ii 7iiip/rnfs.

382

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

species with brownish legs an<l antenna?, and about 0.2 of an inch long, is often very
abundant in flowers of the wild morning-glory ( ('alijstegia sejnum) in the northeastern
United States.

Separated from the sjjecies of tlie preceding family by their slender tarsi, of which
the first joint is sliort, are the Trogositir.e. Of this family there arc two groups
readily distinguished by their form. The species of the first group are elongate insects
with the jirothorax narrowed behind. Trogosita muwUamca is a cosmoi)olitan
species of this group. It is deep l)rown, flattened, and about 0.4 of an inch long. The
species of Trof/osita are often found under decaying bark, but certain of them have
proved to be very injurious to grain, and to other articles of commerce. Thymahis
fulgidus is a common representative of the second grouji of tlie Tro-
gositidas, which contains oval species. This is a nearly round, some-
what flattened specie.s, about 0.2 of an inch long, which abounds on
Poli/ponrs hefultniis, a large, white fungus that is pai-asitic on trunks
of dead birch trees. The beetle is a slightly shining bronze c(jlor, and
is both ])unctate and pubescent. Its larva is <l.3 to 0.4 of an inch long,
somewhat flattened, and has the anal extremity armed with two parallel,
acute, corneous processes, along the sides of which are a few sharji, short
branches. The larva, which is of a liyaline white with a yellowish head, has five ocelli
on each side of the head. Tlie larv» generally destroy the tough tissue of the above-
mentioned fungus during the early spring, in the eastern United States, and pujiate in
the remnants of their food-plant, the beetles emerging during the summer.

A considerable number of small beetles that are, for the most part, round, haixl,
and seed-like in appearance, and generally live upon decaying animal or vegetable
matter, are united in the family Histeeid.e. They differ systematically from the Ni-

FlG. 446. — Tio-
gosita maiirl-
tanica.

Fill. 447. — //istvr n.iriiutai.

Fig. 448. — Histt r bimacuhitus. FiG. 449. — Onfhrophilus atterjiatus.

tidulidre in having geniculate antenna'. Most of the Histerida? are black, a few liave
red spots, and a small number are metallic in coloration; all their tibia? are usually
dilated ; the elytra are truncate behind, leaving two abdominal segments exposed ; the
upper surface is striate, tlie position and naiure of the striiB being generally of value
as specific characters. The larva? of the Histerid;e are elongated, with corneous head
and prothorax, .and have no ocelli. Some species of tliis family inhabit ants' nests, a
few live under bark. Ilisfcr lielluo is known to eat larvse of Agelastica alni, and //.
pustulosiis drags the larva? of Agrotis, a noctuid moth, from their holes and devours
them, in comjiany with others of its species that hasten to the repast.

In the species of Saprimis the head is bent downward and retracted ; the jirotho-
rax is truncate anteriorly, and has cavities at its side for the reception of the antennae,
which are inserted beneath the front. There are nearly sixty North American species

BEETLES.

383

i''n;. 4")!), — Sa/>rin(fs malt'
ritauicus.

Fui. KA. — HijluUpta
/osstdaris.

of this genus ; most of tlicm .tvo found aliout onrcasses ; the species are difficult to
(listinguisli.

In JIiste)\ anolliei- large gi'ntis, well n^presented in Xorth
America, the prostermim is lolied anteriorly, the antennal elnh
is broadly oval and distinctly annulnted, the lahrinu trapezoidal,
and the cavities for the reception of the antenna' are anteriorly
situated, and open in front. IT. arcuutit)^ is one of the largest
North American species, licing alxnit O.oo of an inch long, and
marked with a cnr\ed red sfripe upon each elytruni. IL hi-
maculatus is found Imth in Kur(>|>e and Xorth America.
Closely relateil to Il/sftr, but Inning a truncate antennal
cluV), and a transverse laliruni, is 'rrihuliis. T. scuphklifornus

is found in Algiers and Portugal. In Onthophihis the antennal
cavities, wliicli are lieiieath the angle of the jirothorax, are ojien
lielow .and closed in front, and the prosteriium is scarcely IoIkmI
in front. <>. ttlUvnutus, a snniU sjiecies. not over 0.1 of an inch
long, is from the eastern United States.
I The sj)eeies of ILiloIepta are quite different, in general

^ \ appearance, from all the other Ilisterida:'. They are very much
flattened, the head .and ni.indibles are jn-omincnt. H. fos.vihiriif
is about 0.4 of an inch long, shining bl.ack, and is found in the
eastern United States beneath the bark of decaying trees.

The ScAPHiiD.E contain a small number of very .shiny
beetles of similar form and coloration to the IIisterid;e, but easily
distinguished from the latter by their clavate antennie, which are
not geniculate, and by other structural characters. The larvre are
said to h.ave long antenna'.

The family of Phalackih.e is small, and c(nisists of only foui'
genera of little convex sjiining beetles, that live upon flowers or
under bark. Pliahirrus, OlIhrKs, and Litocltrus are represented
in the Xorth American f.auna. Tah/phns i/ranuJatus, which is
here figured, belongs to the only other genus, and is from south-
ern France and northern Africa.

The TRlcnoPTEEV(iiD.-E are llie smallest known lieetles. The antenna" arc verti-
cillate with long h.air, and the wings are fringed with hair. A
few are a|iterous. 'I'lie larva' are active and carnivorous, those of
some s]ieeies feeding on I'odurid;c. Pupation lasts but a few
days. Quite a number of the Ti'ichojiterygidte are myrmccophil-
ous, others live uniler bark. Tricho2)teri/x atoinariu is found
lioth in Europe and in America.

The typical carrion-beetles belong to the family Silpiiid.e.
These beetles are often of considerable size, and liave clavate an-
tennae. Tlie char.ictei's which Drs. Le Conte .and Horn give to
separate the beetles of this family from othei-s having clavate
antenna' are as follows : dorsal segments of the abdomen partly
membranous, ventral segments free, mentutn moderate or small,
palpi approximate at tlieir bases ; anterior coxa' large, conical, and ])rominent ; ]io,s-
terior coxae more or less conical and prominent; eyes finely granulated, sometimes

V

Fl<f. 4.52. — Tnhjphuii
granutatus.

Fig. 453. — Trichopteryj:
atomaria.

384

NATURAL HrSTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

absent. While most nf these beetles live upon earrion, attaekincj by preference decay-
ing; animal matter, a few liave mixed habits and attack decomposing and even living
vegetation, while some are l;nown, when pressed by hniiger, to eat
living insects, not sparing their own species. Leptinus testaceus has
been found in Normandy by Mi-. A. Fauvel in the nests of mice,
where it is supposed to feed on fungi. Mr. M. (-iirard has descriljed
an eyeless species, Scotocri/ptus indiponn, from the nests of bees
(Melipona scutellaris) in Brazil. Other eyeless forms (species of
Leptoderus), together with others (A(Mops) that have very small
eyes, inhabit caves. In Ariinimelus lebioides, from Japan, there is
;in ocellus behind each compound eye. Some species of C'alops in-
FiG.iH.- A-ecrnpiii- ],,iiiit ants' nests. Siiecies of Necrop/wriis stridulate. Many kinds

tits subtcrraneus. ^ ^ ^ *'

of !Sil]ihid^ emit nauseous fluids, and their odor remains disagree-
able after years of drying in the collection. Tlie species of this family, even in
tiie lai'val state, are very sensitive to odoi's, and are guided by their olfactory organs
to tlieir food.

The larva' of Siljihichi? have si.v legs, fdur-jointed antenn;e, strong bidentate mandi-
bles, three-jointed maxillary and two-jointed libial ]ial]ii, and generally a two-jointed
appendage each side of the anus. The ocelli vary in number, there being none in
Adelopis and Anisotoma, two pairs in A</(it/iidiiim, and si.x pairs in Silpha and most
other genera. The larvre generally inhabit flu- same jilaces and devour the same food
as do the imagos.

Among some of the smaller species, which have the posterior coxffi simple and the
anterior coxal cavities closed behind, those of Aidstoma and Agathidium live in
fungi.

Adelopiti^ :i wonl which signifies inciiiis|iicuous-eyed, is the name of a genus of
beetles which have been erroneously .said to Ije eyeless. The species have slender
antennae, which are longer than the head and thorax, and a prominently carinate me-
sosternum. A. hirtus was first described froni a .specimen taken under a stone in
Mammoth Cave, Kenttu-ky, and has since been found in other eaves of the same
region. It is oval in form, grayish brown, and al)out 0.1 of an inch long. Its larva
and pu]ia have been described by jNIr. H. G. Iliibbai-d.

The genera Silpha and J\eci-op/(orii.i include the largest and best-known species
of this family. In Silpha the form is flat, oval, or nearly so ; the antennre are eleven-
jointed, and gradually increase in size from the middle toward the
apex, or are slender and scarcely clubbed. A. aincricana (sometimes
called S. peltata) is about 0.7 of an inch long. Its ]ii-othorax is yel-
low with a dull black median spot, its elytra arc brownish lilack and
rough. S. atrata, which is said to have been introduced into America
from Europe, is about 0.4 of an inch long, Idaek, densely punctured, .
and with elevated elytral ridges, between which the punctures are
irregularly arranged. Its antennae are nearly filiform. Another
species, found both in Europe and Xorth America, is /S". Z«»»o«icc/, FiG.iSo. — siipha

.... . , ajiuricana.

which IS about the same size as A. atrata, liut has a gray pubescent
))rothorax and dull-lilac-k elytra, the latter roughened by ridges with single rows of
irregular ]irotuberances between them. In New England S. incequalis and S. nove-
horacensis are common species. Both are a little larger than *S'. atrata, and have
the prothorax and elytra longitudinally wavy ; the former is entirely l)lack, the

BEETLES.

385

latter has the siilt's (if the prothorax light reil. As was noticed by Frisfh, in 1740, in
describing the larva of the European aS. obscura, these larvre are sometimes phyto-
phagoiis, and in the last few years numerous notices have been published of injury to
crojjs, especially to young sugar-beets, by larvae and imagos of the last-
mentioned species and of .S'. opaca and <S'. reticuhita. Late experiinenis
have shown that some of these species jirefer vegetalde to animal food.
Sexual activity is great in Sllpha ; and Dr. C F. (xissler has written
of S. ramosd, a sjiecies from the western United States: "They copu-
late every few hours, the male constantly pursues and annoys the female, r i
often snapping at the latter and biting into tips of elytra, for which
reason these (in collections) are so often found lacerated. The female /
is often found burrowed into the soil to escape the caressings of the F"- ws- — -S'i'iJAa
male, and also for oviposition, which takes place there." The oval
eggs of this species, as Dr. Gissler has observed, are very large in comjiarison with
the insects' size, measuring about 0.1 of an inch in length, while the beetle is only
from 0.6 to 0.7 of an inch long. 'I'lie larva' of jSilpha are dark colored and flat, having
the characters already given for larva- of this family.

The species of N^'cnqjhorus have ten-jointed anteima^ with a four-jointed round
club, and are of an ehjiigated form, with red-s])otted elytra, which are truncated at
their tips. On account of their habit of burying small dead vertebrate animals, in

i<'i(

. 4r»7. — Xecvnpkoriis ve^pillio, grave-tiigger.s at worlt.

which they lay their eggs, these beetles are often called sextons or gTavc-diggers. This
habit makes tliese beetles useful scavengers. The largest North American species of
this genus is JV. americanus. It is 1.25 to 1.50 inclies long, the top of the head is
red, the pronotum is of the same color margined laterally and behind with black, and
there are two red spots on the outer side of each elytron, one just anterior to its
middle and one near its tip. iV. tomeniosus is a common species in the northeastern
Fnited States, and is about 0.75 of an inch long. Its prothorax is clothed with dense
yellow pubescences, and the red spots extend nearly across the elytra. Somewhat
resembling the last-mentioned species is JV. vespillio from Europe. JST. germanicus, a
nearly black Eui-opean species a little over an inch long, captures and devours Geo-
fnipes stercorarius.

The ScYDM.EXiD^ differs from the Silphida> in having coarsely gi'anulated eyes.

VOL. II. — 25

38(5 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Dr. Le Conte says of the hoetles of this family: "These are small, shining, usuallv
ovate, sometimes slender insects of a brown color, more or less clothed witli erect
hairs. They are found variously near water, under stones, in ants' nests, and under
bark, and are frequently seen tlying in the twilight."

A small jiortion of the Coleoptera with claviform antennte have the dorsal seg-
ments of the abdomen entirely corneous and the elytra very short, not covering the
abdomen. Of this jiortion the Pselaphtd.e have tlie abdomen rigid and the ventral
segments live or six in number. The anteiiiue have from one to eleven joints, the
labial palpi are very short, the maxillary palpi are usually long and four-jointed, eyes
are sometimes absent, claws simple .-nid frequently single, wings often wanting. The
species of this family are all very small and many are myrmecophilous, living on
friendly terms with ants. As cause for this friendly relationshiji, it is said that eei-
tain species of Pselaphidie secrete, as do the Aphida', fluids which the ants eat. This
kind of life has been so long participated in l)y these l)eetles that many species are
blind, and are fed, carried about, and j)rotected by the ants exactly as they care for
their own larviv; this is the case with Clarifjer fci'*tac'e«.<t, a Eurojiean sjjecies whicli
has connate elytra and is a])terous. Certain species of tliis family live in caves, .md
one of them, Jifachcrn'tex ■■iiihtefraneun, is jieculiar in liaving males with eves and
females without these organs. In Artirerics, of which several species are found in
Australia, the anteniup are one-jointed. In the North American genera, Adirmes
and J^ustiffei; the antenna' have but two joints, and in the former geinis, eyes are
wanting.

The Stai'IIVLIMD.e, which, like the Psclajihida', have short elytra, differ from the
latter family in having the abdomen flexible and consisting of eight ventral segments.
While including many minute forms, tliis family also includes some species that are
an inch or more in length. The antennae are generally eleven-jointed, but are variable
in form and insertion, the labial palpi are usually three-jointed, the maxillary pal]ii
generally four-jointed. The short tiaincate elytra usually leave most of the abdomen
exposed ; and when these beetles are disturbed, many of them turn the tip of the abdo-
men over the bodv as if intending to sting. Some of them discharge odorous defensive
fluids from the U\> of the abdomen when tiiey have assumed this threatening ]iosition.
The wings, when present, can be closely packed away beneath the short elytra. In
Pachycorinvs dimorphus from New Zealand, Mr. A. Tauvel has noticed that the
females are dimorphic, the form that has normal eyes has longer elytra and wings,
while the partly-blind form lias very short elytra and no wings — a curious correlation
of locomotion .and sight. Some species of Sta]ihylinid;e have, in addition to the com-
pound eyes, a pair of ocelli.

The larvae of Staphylinida> resemlile the imagos more than is usual

with Coleopterous larvae, chiefly on account of the larval-like apjiearance

of the imagos themselves. The antenna' are always four-jointed,

although apparently five-jointed in some genera. The mouth-parts

are well developed, the maxillary palpi are of three or four joints, the

ocelli vary according to genera from one to six on each side, the body

is elongate and is usually armed at the anal end with a pair of append-

^'''o/of^'Ms^'*" ^S^^ which are mostly two-joiuted. These agile larva:" are of a firm

texture, of a brownish black or yellowish color, and they pu]iate, for

the most jiart, underground or beneath rubbish on the ground. In many forms tlie

metamorphosis lasts but one year.

BEETLES. 387

The larvw of this family usunlly livi' in similar places to those frequented by the
images; ami, wiiile iheir haliits ami life history have been little studied in com]>arison
with other families of e([ual size, there is great and interesting variety in their habits.
Some of the S])eeies live under l)ark, othei-s eat fungi, many live about decaying plants
and the excrements of higher animals. C^uite a number are found in the nests of ants,
but the exact relations which they hold to the ants are not yet determined. Mr. E. A.
■Schwarz has found si)ecies of Stajihyliuiihe in Texas in the nests of white ants {'I'er-
mes), which, as will be recollected, are not Hymenoptera, as are the true ants. Qnedius
dilatatus breeds in hornets' nests in Europe, and will also eat honey. Microglotla
nidlcola frequents the nests of bank-swallows in Fi'ance, and Mr. F. S. Sprague dis-
covered that Aleorliui-'i iiiitln>ii)i/iii\ in the eastern United States, was parasitic in the
cnI)l)a<j;e-niaggot (larva of ^{ntJioiDi/la l/rassicu). Heeger found that (Ti/riiphmna
manca oviposits on leaves of plants. The larva-, wlien first hatched, eat the eggs of
mites, and later devour the larval niitcs themselves, thially pupating in moist earth.
In .1 termitophilous South American genus the abdomen is soft, very much enlarged,
and thrown upwanls and forwards so as to hide the thorax. The eogs of these curious
insects deveIo]i into larva-, while still in the abdomen of the female, a fact first discov-
ered by the late Professor Schicidte of Copeuliagen, who, on account of its viviparous
habits, named the genus Corotoca.

The I'ather robust species of O.iu/poriis are found in fungi. The head is large, the
eyes small, the long mandibles are not dentate, and the abdomen is strongly margined.
O. vittatiis is about 0.25 of an inch long, ami black above with a light-brown longitu-
dinal stripe covering nearly the whole of each elytron, and the margin of the abdo-
men is brown. It is counnou in the northeastern United States on species of Ar/aricus.
The species of Puderi's .are combinations of red and deep metallic blue in coloration,
and are fomid under chips and stoiu-s in moist places. In P. riparius the head, elytra,
and tij) of the abdomen are blue, the rest of the insect for the most ]iart red. It is
about 0.3 of an inch long, ami iidirdiits both Europe and America. In similar moist
localities, as those in which Pathrits is foun<l, live numerous s]iecies of Sfows, a
genus of small Staphylinida', which have very ]u-ominent eves, a broad head, narrow
prothorax, and wide sub(|uadr.ate elytra.

The largest s])ecies of this family are members of the tribe Sta])hvlinini. The
genus Staphi/liiinK contains species often of considerable size. <S'. r/>acido,iHs, common
in the eastern ]iart of Xorth American, is from 0.7 to 1 inch long, is dull brown,
densely punctatt-, and the tip of the pubescent abdomen is lighter lirown. Of about the
same size, and found iji the same localities, is Leistntrophux cingtdatiis. This species
is brown, speckled witli brownish-black spots, and the apical portion of its abdomen is
clothed with golden pubescence. It differs generically from Sfapln/linns in having
the fourth joint of the maxillary palpi shorter than the third. Differing from the
last-mentioned geuer.a, in having the thorax without punctures, are the tjenera Creo-
p/iihis and Tliiuopiniif!. ('. r!Uo.vis. the only North American species, is widely dis-
tributed o\er the comilry. It is from 0.5 to 0.9 of an inch lone, of a black ground
color marked with gray pubescence, especially upon the margins of the abdo-
men and in a band across the elytra. (I ma.rillosu.K, from Euro]ie, is a very similar
species to C. vidosus. T/ii!70]nnu..<; pictiix, which lives below high-water mark on
the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to southern California, is from 0.55
to 0.75 of an inch long, of a yellowish-brown color, spotted above with dark brown
and lilack.

388

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Numerous species of the genera Uledius^ Cn/ptuhium, LatJirohium, P/}ilo)ithus,
Quedius, Aleochant, and Jlonialota are found in the United States, but their specific
and even their generic determination is often difficult. Aleochara
braclii/pterus, which is figured, occurs both in Europe
and in Xortl> America.

The family Flatvi'svlijd.e consists of a single
species, I-'lati/jisi/I/a canton'ii, an ovate, elongate,
much-tlattened parasite of the beaver ( Castor p'l>cr).
The beetle is only U.16 of an inch long, and has
neither eyes nor wings ; the elytra are short, leav-
ing five abdominal segments exposed. This insect was first
described by Kitsema in 1809 as a new genus and sjiecies of
Aphani])tera, but its coleopterous nature was pointed out in 187l'
by Dr. ,T. L. Le Conte. Professor J. <). Westwood considers it to represent a distinct
order of insects, the Achreioptera.

With the family Hydkuphilidj: begins a series of several families of Coleo2Jtera
which inhabit water, or, in a few cases, extremely moist places. Of these families only

Fig. 45'J. — Aleo-
chara bracht/p-
terus.

Flu. iea.~f latijpsylla
castoris.

i,aj^fU\if;,'i|y'^f^

ll,l,tr,,piiiin^ I

;illil egtl-Iiesl.

the Hydro]ihilida> have clavate antenna*. The antenna' have from six to nine joints,
the outer joints forming a distinct club, the palpi are long, the middle and posterior
legs are sometimes flattened and fitted for swimming. The images of this family are
said to eat vegetable matter, either decom]iosed or living, and this is probably true of
many species; but certain kinds of Hi/fh-nphUns prefer animal matter when they can
obtain it. Robert writes that H. piceus feeds upon snails {Limnri-us), and I found that
this species ate gr(>edily fresh meat or fish in preference to vegetable matter in an
aquarium. Westwood asserts, however, that H. /en?iicus eats turnip leaves in the

BEETLES. 389

fields during thf iiight. The insects of tliis family respire under water from a supply
of air wbieh tbey earry abmit attached to the puliescence of the under surface of their
bodies ; and tliis air, which appears like a sheet of silver beneath the beetle when in the
water, is often renewed by the insect comint;- to the surface.

The life history and habits of some of the Hydro)ihilidiB are interesting in the
extreme because of the nest which the females construct and in which they deposit
their eggs. This cocoon-like nest is produced by the hardening of .a gelatinous secre-
tion from accessoiy glands of the sexual organs of the females, and in it are de|)osited
from twenty to over tnw liundr<'(l eggs, according to the species. 'I'lie cocoon is fast-
ened by some of these beetles to submerged vegetation, by others it is left to float on
the surface of the water, and tlie females of still other si)ecies carry their cocoon about
beneath them, fastened between the posterior coxa; aiul steadied by the hind legs, until
the young larva' have hatched. The larv;e are recognized, according to Professor
J. C. Schi()dte, by their " claw-formed tarsi, which are sometimes wanting, the ter-
minal pair of stigmata, the free jirojecting niouth-jiarts, the very short joint membrane
of the maxilhe, the connate clypeus and absence of the labrum, the sharji, sickle-formed,
imperforate mandibles, the absent or sharp ligula, the want of a neck on the extended
head, and the \ cry short, uii.-Lruu'd anal segment." The larva' when first hatched often
prey upon one another in the same cocoon; later they feed upon insects which fall
into the water, and u])on sii.iils. In the case of the larva* of Jli/drophilns picens, which
eat common house-flies with avidity, the nu)de of feeding is curious. Seizing the fly
in its jaws, the swiftly swimming larva seeks some place where it can eat it in quiet
and security. Having foun<l a suitable place, it rests upon a piece of grass or leaf and
projects the head aliove the surface of the watei-, holding it perjiendicularly. In this
position it chews the fly into a pulp, using the antenna' as mouth-parts <lin-ing the pro-
cess, and sucking the juices of the fly down its throat, which, during the mastication,
acts as a tunnel to catch the juices crushed from the fly. The he.ad is ap])arently held
above the stirface of the w.ater in order that the juices of the prey shall not be diluted
by the water. Aftei- the juices have been sucked from the fly its chitinous parts are
rejected, at least by young ffi/ifrnphi/'is larvie, in tiie same way as like innutritious
parts of its prey are rejected Iiy scorpions after they have drawn the
juices from it. Pujiation takes ]ilace in the ground.

Among the small species of Hydrophilida; are a number of very
convex form, terrestrial habits, and having the middle and hind tarsi
with the first joint elongated. Of these small forms s|)eeiesof >Sj)ha ri-
diuni have a narrow mesosterniim ami elongated scutellum. S. .tcarti-
bceoides is black, with yellow le^s, :i yellow s]iot on the tip of each

elytron, and just in front of this yellow spot a larger blood-red one. ¥10.' i&i. — Sphm-i.
^^^^ ' 1 • T^ 1-1 • 1 • ilium scarabwoides.

It lives ni cow-dung m Kurojie, and a single specnnen, perhaps acci-
dental in occairrence, has bi'eu reported from Canada. The larv:e of Sjj/ueridium
and of Cerci/on, related gcuei'a. live in moist earth and in dunu', and pirey upon
dipterous larvie.

Ilydrohius and Phylliydrux include closely related atpiatic s])ecies which have the
middle and hind tarsi not com]iresscd and with the first joint short, and in which the
prothorax at the base is as wide as are the elytra. The last of the five exposed ventral
segments is entire, and the antennae are nine-joiiited. In Ili/Jrohius the last joint of
the maxillary paljii is longer than the third joint. In /'/ii/lhi/dnis the last joint is
shorter than the third. JI. ylobosus and P. rotundatus are similar appearing, smooth,

390

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 463. — UudroiihUus
iriangutari.s.

shining black species, tuund in the northeastern United Slates. The form is nearly
hemispherical, the length from 0.8 to 0.4 of an inch.

The genus JL/drophihis contains the largest species of this family. They differ
from Hijdrobiaii and genera associated with it in having compressed tarsi, and in hav-
ing the metasternuni prolonged posteriorly into a long sjiine.
H. trktuguluris, a common North American species, is 1.5 inches
long, and shining black in color. The egg-case of this species
has been carefully described by Dr. C. V. Riley. It consists
of three parts, a floater surmounted by a horn-shaped process,
au egg-case projjer, attached to the basal end of the floater, and
an outer bag or covering. The larvae remain a day or two in
the outer bag after they hatch ; and Dr. Riley concludes " that
the curious contrivance in JL/drophilKs is intended not only to
secure an anijile supjily of air to tlie eggs and to protect them,
but also to ]irotect the newly hatclied young from their nu-
merous enemies until their jaws have strengthened and they are
better able to begin the struggle for existence." The eggs are
white, cylindroid, and aViout 0.15 of an inch long and .04 of an
inch in diameter. In Euro|ie the corresponding large s]iecies of
this genus is II. iiircas, both se.xes of which are figured above,
with nest and larva. The sexes of these insects are easily dis-
tinguished, because the male has the anterior tarsi much en-
lai'ged, to form an organ, common among water beetles, by which
he clings firmly to the female during copulation. Notwithstanding the rejjuted phyto-
phagous habits of the imago of H. ji ictus, this beetle sometimes captures and eats Tri-
t07i punctatus, when confined in an aquarium.

Nearly related to Ili^/drophilus, but having a short metasternal spine, is Hydro-
charis. II. obtasatus, an oval black sj)ecies, about 0.7 of an inch long,
is common in the eastern United St.ates. Several smaller species are
united in the genus IVopliiternus, of which T. ijlahtr is an abundant
species in New England.

The remaining families of lieetles are often termed Adephaga, and
are characterized by Drs. Le Conte and Horn as having the first three
ventral segments connate; the first divided by the hind coxal cavities,
so tliat the sides are separated from the \ery small medial part. I'lie
Adephaga are pre-eminently predaceous Coleojiti'ra, ;ihhough, as v.'ill fig. 464. — Ti-opi-
be seen "later, a few jjartake of vegetable food. "" st.mus giahcv.

The Gyrinid.e includes a small number of Coleo])tera which swim rapidly about in
groups upon the water, unless distui-bed, when they dive beneath the sur-
face. They are noticeable for their having a pair of eyes upon the upper
surface of the head, with which to look out into the air, and a pair u])on llie
inider side for sight under water. Their flattened oval form and bluish-
black color, together with their four eyes, serve to distinguish them
from all other Coleoptera. Wiien seized they emit an odorous milky
fluid. In Gi/rinus the scutellum is distinct, while in Uineutus it is
wanting. The only other North .\niei-ican genus is Gi/retes, oi which a
species is found in Illinois, Ai'izona, and Texas, and which differs from Diiteutus \\\
having the last ventral segment of the abdomen elongated and conical. Uijieutus

Fig. 465.— /JiiiM/-
tus vittatHS.

BEETLES.

391

Flo. -JCti. — Hjiilrojivru
(iriscoatriatua.

clttutus is the largest species from tlie I'uited States, where it is common in the
Atlantic region. It is al)out <).:');') of an inch long, and the elytra have roumled ti[>s.

The larv;i3 of Gyi'inid;c resjiire I>y means of ciliate gills and a closed tracheal
system. These gills are situated one on each side of every alidominal segment, ami an
additional pair upon each side of the anus, — in all, ten ])airs of gills. These ciliate
branchiai serve as swimming organs, enabling the larvie to swim rajiidly. Notwith-
standing their active aquatic lifi' these larvie are subject to parasitism by three or four
species of Hymenoptera.

The flattened water-fieetles beloii<4ing to the family Dytisi iijj: live in the water as
do the Hydrophilidre, rather than upon it like the Gyrinidie, from all of which insects
they a.re readily distinguished l)y their filiform eleven-jointed an-
tenn;v. The Dytiscida- ha\ e but two eyes, their metasternum has
no antecoxal ]>iece, and is prolonged in a triangular process pos-
teriorly, their abdomen has six segments. The legs of tliese beetles,
especialh' the postei'ior pair, are oar-shaped and clothed with long
hair, being consecjuently well fitted for natation; but these insects
are not contined to swimming as a mode of locomotion, for they are
pro\ idecl with serviceable wings, and during the night fly from pond
to pon<l. These beetles ai'e apparently guided to water by sight,
for they often fly against green-luuises, the glass of which they mis-
take for the surface of water. Many Dytiscida; emit between the
head and prothorax, a milky secretion, arid between the mesothorax and metathorax a
yellowish fluid ; the function of both these odorless fluids is not determined with cer-
tainty. At each side of the anal end of the intestine are two glands which furnish a
strong odorous, acid fluid, said to contain butyric acid ; these anal glands, which are
not rare in adephagous Coleoptera, are defi'usive in function.
3Iany species of Dytiscidie stridulate ; thai is, produce more or
less musical siiunds, both un<ler water and in air. Species of
Aciliii.i, />i/ti.sc>i{<, and f/(i/i/iii//cf' s produce sound b\ rubbini;'
the aljdominal segments upon the elytra; the males of ('i/lilMei\
\>\ action of tlie ]iosteri<.)r femora upon a corru!.;;ited spot behind
the hind (Mixa- ; and /'t7(;////^s, a geims placi'il liv some authors
in another family, by friction of the stout margin of the wings
against the under side of tlu> elytra. The anterior and often
the middle tarsi of nniles, in certain genera of this famih', have
:i jiart of their joints widened, and provided with ]ieduiiculatt
suckers l)eiieath. These suckers enable thi' males to adhere
firmly to the females during copulation. In the males of TJi/fi.s-
cun and of sonu' allied genera the three liasal joints of the an-
terior tarsi, which are the oiu-s most strikingly nioditieil, are so
widely expanded as to form unitedly a saucer-sha]ied disc, which bears on its under sur-
face two large and numerous small chitiiwus suckers mounted on stems. These some-
what toadstool-formed suckers are altered tarsal hairs. The females of some s]ieciesof
Dytiscida' exhibit an interesting dimorphism in that some of the imliviiluals have the
elytra striate, while others of the same sjiecies h.ave them snnjoth. Different species of
Dytiscus have been known to i'o|mIate with each other, and Kraatz has ]>iiblished a
notice of a bastard between two sjiecies of this genus. Dytiscidie are rarely found in
salt water, and their occurrence there is ajjpareutly accidental and temporary. Species

C^

Fic:. 4(>7. — Dytiscus
rcrtlfdlis.

392

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

occur, however, in hot springs, and Hooker writes of a Himalayan species that was
found abundantly in springs which had a temperature of 112° F. Insects of this family

respire, when under water, a sujiply of air which they
carry beneath their elytra, and which they renew, from
time to time, by coming to the surface, and resting
with the head hanging and the tij) of the abdomen just
at the surface of tlie water. Some of them remain
submerged an hour and a half, before renewing their
supjjly of air. The larger sj)ecies of Dytiscidie often
attack small fishes.

The larvffi of the Dytiscidie, wliich are aquatic in
habits, and have free mouth-jiarts, five-jointed thoracic
legs, four-jointed antennje, and six pairs of ocelli, are
especially noticeable because their mandibles are hol-
low, and are consequently ada])ted both for seizing
their prey and for sucking out its juices. The mouth
cavity between the mandibles is not, as is often as-
serted, entirely closed. The larv.e resjiii-e by means of
two stigmata at the posterior end of the abdomen.

Cybister has the suckers on the under side of the
tarsal disc alike, and arranged in four rows. C. fim-
briolatus, from the eastern United States, is greenish black, margined with yellow,
and is about 1.25 inches long. In Dytisais the suckers of the tarsal disc are of
different sizes, and the posterior stigmata are larger than in ('i/bisier ; the species are
all large. D. fasciventris, a species about 1.1 inches long, is common in Xew England,
and D. verticalis, about 1.3 inches long, is not very rare in the same region. Both are
black, with yellow lateral margins of the prothorax and elytra. In Europe D. viar-
ginalis, a species about the size of D. fasciventris, is the common one, and its larvje
attack young frogs, tritons, and fishes.

The species of Acilius are of medium size, and have the posterior tarsi ciliate, the
claws of the same tarsi equal or nearly so. Many of the species have a yellowish band
across the posterior half of the elytra, and tranverse yellowish lines on the prothorax.

Fig. 4C8. — Larva of Di/tisci(S.

Fig. 469. — J/a(Ms

bicarinatu^.

. 470. — Rkmttus
)iotaHts.

Kli;. 471.— //v''i".«

Fig. 472. — Coptotomus
inten-of/atus.

The tarsal discs of the males are round. A. fraternus is ^•ery common in New Eng-
land. Its length is about 0.6 of an inch, and the black portions of its elytra have a
yellowish tinge, due to the black consisting of very dense ]>unctures upon a yellow
surface. A. sulcatus is the common representative of this genus in Eurojie.

In Hhantus the discs of the anterior tarsi of the males are oblong, and the elytra
smooth. Rhantus notatus, a species about 0.4 of an inch long, is found in Europe

CARABID BEETLES.

1. Calosonta sijcophanta. 2. Casnonia. 3. Tarlmnporns ruijosus. 4. Elephnts riparius. 5. Ciichnis rostrahis.
6. Catadronms tcnehrinUhs. 7. Callistus yuailrijiustulatus. ' S. Panaqtus lomentosus. 9. icarites goudotii.
10. Oniiptcrigia J'u/yeii.i. 11. Pnicrustes coriaceus.

BEETLES.

393

r,:,.~ll!ldm-
poruif rotundatus.

ma. 474. —Hiili-
plusfasctfifas.

and North America. The species of Ai/nhiis, Mutus, and Ilybius are all soniewliat
similar ill appearance to 7^/irt«<««', and most of the species are about the same size.
Coptotomiis Interroyatus is very common in the eastern United States. It is about
(1.35 of an inch lony, the elytra are somewhat irregularly striped longi-
tudinally with yellow, and the ))rothorax is banded transversely with
the same color.

In Ili/drajjuriis, a genus which contains over seventy-five described
North American .species, the prosternum is deflexed between the front f
coxte, the anterior and middle tarsi are apparently four-jointed, the

scutellum is not visible, and the metasternum attains the mesosternum.
The s)iecies are all of comparatively small size.

The faniilv IIai.iim.ii>.k, often united with the Dytiscidre, includes a
small number of minute, sub-a(|uatic C'oleojitera, which are oval and
very convex, and whicli swim ])oorly. They are yellow, S])otted with
black. Their jnetasterniirii has an aute-coxal jiiece separated by a dis-
tinct suture, and their antenna' :nr ten-jointed.
The Cakabid.e nuudter j>robably (]\-er ten thousand descril)ed species, \arying in
size from very minute forms up to beetles from twu to three inches in length. Drs.
Le Conte and Horn give the following characters by which species of this family can
be readily distinguished from other adephagous coleoptera : Metasternum with an
ante-eoxal [liece, gejiarated by a well-marked suture, reaching from one side to the
other, and extending in a triangular pi-occss lietween the hind cox;e ; eleven-jointed
antenna' arising at the side of the lii.'ad, betwi'en tlie l)ase of the m.-nuiibles and the
eyes; hind coxie mobile and sim]ile; and habits terrestrial. These beetles have
slender legs, and run rapidly ; the wings are often poorly developed. On account of
their rajiid running haliits, the (4erm:nis ti'rni tliest' ('oleojitera " Laufkafer." Sonoritic
organs are not common in insects of this family, l)ut species of lilethi.'ia and of
]£liijjjirus stridulate. Luminous organs liav<' been re)iorted in tjie case of Phi/soderu
noctilucu from .I.ava.

A large numlier of Caraljida- li:i\i' .'inal gl.-mds, which have been mistaken by some
writers for urinary organs, but which aic il(fensi\ e in function. The muscular bladder-
like receptacles of these glands ai-e two in number, one on each side of the terminal
portion of the intestine, and each opens just above the rectal opening. Into these
receptacles, which serve to store the defensive fluid until needed, ojien the ducts of the
glands which prejtare the secrt'tion. In most cases the secretion is an odorous acid
liquid, which can be s))urteil out (juite a distance, and Pelouze lias shown that, in cer-
tain s])ecies of ('(indni.'i, this secretion contained liutyric acid, the sanu' aci<l that
imparts its indescribable oilor to rancid butter. In Jirachinus and a feu-
other genera the secretion of the anal glands is either ji.'U'tly gaseous on
emission, or becomes a ])ennanent gas inuuediately afterwards, as can
be readily jiroved by comjielling one of the insects to <lischarge its secre-
tion underwater beneatli an inverted test-tube filled with the same licpiid.
In this way I liave collected, in a few monu'Uts, from Aptinus disploaor, ^^^^. 4-, _/j,.„^.;„
a Pyrenean species related to JJnit:hiniit<, an amount of gas equal to sc

iiusfiimnits, iKiiu-
bnrUitjr beetle.

eral times the space occupied by the beetle itself. The discharge of the
anal glands of lirachinas, often rapidly re|>eated when the beetle is held between the
fingers, is accompanied by a smoke-like vapor and a popping sound, whence insects of
that genus are pojiiilarly termeil bombardier-beetles.

394

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 476. — Anophthalmus
tiUkamjijii,

Beetles of this lamily live, for the ino.^^t |iart, on or near the ground, remaining
concealed beneath lioards and stones during the day, and wandering out at night in
search of their prey. A [)artieularly favorable place to collect
many sjiecies is beneath the dehn's left by the overflowing of
rivers. Another situation not uuich h'ss ])roduetive is under
stones along the banks of larger streams and rivers ; a few are
found along the sea-coast, under stones; and a species of ^^)^m.*-
live between the high and low water mark ujion the shores of
the ocean, where they are covered by the salt-water the greater
part of the day. Tliey respire air which surrounds and ad-
heres to them while they are submerged. On account of their
predaceous habits, few Carabidaj live in nests of ants or of
other insects ; but Bates states that Solenogenys foeda, from
the upper Amazon, lives on the nests of termites. A number
of species of this family inhabit caverns; among them those
of the genus Anophthalmus are best known and are eyeless,
or at least liliud, both as larvie and imagos. llkqyhanus, an
Australi.'ui genus, is, as its name indicates, eyeless, while
Rcicheia liicifiajd. which is found along river banks in south-
ern France, has the eyes aborted.
The larva' of Carabid;e are elongated, often partly corneous. They liave four-
jointed antenme, and somewhat long five-jointed legs. 'J'hc manilil>les are falciform
and prominent, the maxillary palpi are four-jointed, the labial paljii two-jointed, and
the ocelli are aenerally from four to si.\ on each side. In the larv£e of IScMrilct; and
Anophthalmus, and of a few other genera, ocelli are absent. It is usually stated that
carabid larvw, like those of the Cicindelida'. Dytiscidw, and Gyrinidie, and unlike
those of most other families, have two claws on each foot ; but this character is not
without exception in the carabid lar\a', for the larva? of u^pus, a genus already men-
tioned, and of CiUenniii, are stated to have but one claw on each foot. Chapuis and
Candeze write: "The color of these larva' varies from a light brown to a dee]) black,
and, exceptionally, to yellowish white. They are very active, and wander about ujion
the ground. The <>'reater jiart of them live upon jirey which they get possession of in
various ways. Thus insects, caterpillars, ami molluscs form their ordinary food.
They do not tear this jjrey to pieces, but limit themselves to extracting its juices, a cir-
cumstance that explains the smallness of their liuccal ajjerture. Some live on vegetable
substances. This fact, proved for Zahriis ijihhus, j)robably will lie the s.ame with the
greater part of the larva' of Harjialini and of Amara." This prediction as to the
phytopliagic habits of Carabidre has since proved true, and quite a large number of
these insects are known to feed upon pollen and other jiartsof plants, while the Zabriis
mentioned above has ]iroved at times destructive to young turnip plants and to other
crops. In jiarts of California Plati/inis maadicoUis has become so abundant as to be
a nuisance, swarming in every corner, and entering food and clothing in masses. The
popular name given this beetle is " oveiflow-bug." With the exception of Zubrus gib-
bus and Platymis maculicollis, the iiisects of this family may be regarded as generally
beneficial, for the phytojihagous S])ecies mostly devour the pollen and seed of weeds,
while the great majority of Carabidie attack the larv» of noxious insects.

Among curious food habits of Carabidte it may l)e mentioned that D'Aumont
observed that lirachinus cripitd/is, in company with cari'ion beetles, hel|ied devour a

BEETLES.

395

Fig. 47'

Mormnli/cc phiflhdes.

dead snake. Accordiny; tn -.i statcniciit lately made liy .1. Fiivaldsky, a Hunnariau
entoniiiloyist, Acinojuis <ii/ihioj///;//ut>, a s|it'cies from smithuni IJiissia, feeds upon pods
and seeds of medic (JkiUanja .■ia/ica), wliicli the Ijeetles coileet during;- the ni^lit and
heap iiji about their burrows in tlie ground.

Of the extreme ^.■ll'i(•ty (if forms whieli species of Carabidffi present, none is more
remark;di]e than that nf J/nr/i/n/i/c,/. Tlie commonest species is 3L j^hyllodes, a beetle
often reaeliint;' three inches in h^n^th,
and found in tlie forests uiion the moun-
tains of Ja\a, where its remarkalile form,
best shown by the figure, has attracted
the attention of the natives, iiy wiiom it
I'i iiaWn'X hihUolaJi an. Its antenna' and
leiis are black; the rest of the beetle is
pitch-brown, a little lighter in shade
upon tlic iiKU'iiins of the elytra. 'I'hese
beetles, as well as their larva-, are found
about J-'o/i/purtifi j'onn/itKri'is, a fungus
upon the truidcs of trees. Thi' lai-vie,
which exhibit no remarkalile structural
peculiarities, and resendile those cif ( \iri(-
liiis, li\-c within the fungus, feeding, it is
sii]i]iosed, ujiou the larwa? of otlier insects. Pu|.)ation takes place within the fungus, and
the form of the elytra in the pupa indicates, to a certain extent, the remarkable form of
the beetle that is to emerge fnun it. Lar\'al life requires from eight to nine months ; ])upal
life from eight to ten weeks. Tiie im.-igos are found mostly from August to November.
A large sub-family, the Ilarpaliiue, includes such Carabida' as have the " middle
coxal cavities entirely enclosed bv the stern:i, the ejiiineron not reaching the coxa;
head without antennal grooves beneath, ami sujiraorbital distinct set;e ; ainbulatorial
seta> of abdomen usually well-developed."

The genus lldrimhis includes a large numlierof flattened usually
black beetles, of which it is often ilithcult to determine the species.
Most of them li.-ive ne.iriy S(iu:ire prothoi'ax. Of the s]iecies of this
genus II. calif/ i /I ('.■< II. ■< is \ cry common in the eastern Tnited States,
often feeding upon the pollen and seeds of the common ragweed
(AMhro.tia artemisiaj'iiliii). It is about an inch in
length. A muuber of slightly smaller sjiecies .are
equally common, and have similar habits to the one
Last mentioned. Not very different from IlarjMfiig
in structure ami habits .are the many species of ^1/;/-
soJarti/Zii.-;. Still snniller tli.an insects of the last-
menlioneil genera is < 1 i/iiaiiiJrii/nis Iii/lihia, fmnid in the eastern United
Stilles. This beetle is about (i.:! of an inch long. It is black abo\e,
and has brownish legs :md month-parts; the elytra are striate. This
beetle often abounds under the loose bark of hickorv trees. .\mon'j /
other snuill carabids, which aie not far from /Jar/ia!ii.-< in svstematic i'"'- -i":!-— ';//"<"'-

-^ • ilrojius ItifUlctti.

position, are the species of .[ijiuiodi m,^. A. Ihico/a, a \a'ry connnon

little beetle about CSfi of .ni im-li long, which tbes into the open windows in the

evening, attracted by the lights within, is yellowish-brown, with black dots upon

Fig. 47s. — llarimlus
caliginofitis.

396

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 480. — Chlmdus
" scricaLs.

the prothorax, aiul a stripe of the same color along the middle of each elytron. Much
larger (about ().(j of an iueli), but of siniilar form, and pale-bvown coloration, without
distinct black markings, is Geopinus incrassatits, a common New England species.
In Geopinus, Agonoderus, and other genera of the group to which they belong, the
left mandible is longer than the right one, and overlaps it distinctly in the first-named
genus.

The genus ('hlti)tius includes beetles of meclium size, which usually are of a si'reen-
ish or purplish bronze color above. Sometimes the margin of the
elytra or a few spots ui)on them are yellow. They fre(]uent moist
pl:ices l)eneath stones, and attain their maximum size and beautv
in Africa. Most of the species have an odor somewhat like that of
-Morocco leather. V. scriceus, a bright green .sjiecies, with brown
.antennie and legs, is coniMuni ahnig the banks of the larger rivers in
the north-eastern United .States. C. tome}ito/ii(,% from the same
region, is of a deep juirplish bri)uze color.

The genus Bruchinus, already mentioned on account of its habits,
consists of over loU species distributed throughout temperate and troj)ical parts of the
world. The beetles of this genus are mostly red, with blue or green elytra, and are
found often in numbers together beneath stones. The species are very difficult to
distinguish, but the genus is readily distinguished by its form, colors, and hal)its. The
specific names uriniyei; hellicosus, Jxtuilxirda, crepitans, exhalans, ex-
plodens, J'>i)>ia?is, senator, and the like, have reference to the habits of
the bomb:irdier-beetles.

Numerous small species of Carabidie, which are much flattened, often
ornamented with bright colors, and many of which frequent liower.s,
belong to the genus Lcbia, in its older and less-restricted sense. J^.
gj'andis, one of the larger sjiecies of this genus, measuring about (i.4
of an inch in length, is yellowish-lirown, with dark-blue elytra. This
insect has proveil useful l)y eating the eggs of the Colorado potato-beetle

{Doryphora decemlineaUi). Tlie genus Coptodera, of which C ernar-
ginata, from Brazil, is figured, does not differ greatly structurally from
Lebia. Dromins, another genus closely related to Lebia, has a heart-
shaped prothorax. D. ina-iis, a common North American species, is
shining black and about rt.o of an inch long. D. quadrinotatns, found
^/£- ^^2- ■" P^^'"" in Euroiie, feed.s, as larva, under the bark of i)iues,

aera emarqinata. 1 ' ' ^ i '

upon the larv;e of Pissodes notatiis, a weevil.

Of the genus Gakrita there are five North American species.
In the northeastern Unitetl States, G. janiis is common under
stones in early summer. Its length is about 0.75 oi
an inch; its antenna', ]irothorax, ;nnl legs are red,
and the rest of the beetle is bluisli-bl.ack. The head
is much elongated, and the jirothorax is not half as
wide as are the elytra, which latti'i- are truncate at tin-
tip. In Casnonia, which includes small beetles, the
structure is quite similar to that of Galerita, but
the thorax is very much more elongate. ('. pennsgl-
ounica is not rare under stones. Its length is about 0.25 of an inch, and its color is
brown and black, the head, prothorax, and spots upon the elytra being of the latter color.

(frandis.

Ltbia

Fig. 484. — Cas-
naniapenniiifl-
vanica.

Fig. 4S3. —GaleritK Janus.

BEETLES.

397

Fig. 4«S. — Dirirliix
purpuratua.

About eighty-five Xoith American species of rlescriiied Carabida', which are con-
siderably flattened, and resemlile, to a certain extent, tliose of Lehin, but are not
usually as vividly colored, and are o-enerally somewhat larger, are
included in the genus Plafynus. Tlie entire coloration of P. ciqyri-
pennis, a North American species about 0.3 of an inch long, is metallic
green with reddish reflections. P. octopunctatus, which is ccnnmon
in New England, although not as common as P. ci(pripiiu(is, is simi-
lar in size and coloration to the latter sjiecics, but has four deeply im-
jiressed punctures arranged hjngitudiiially near the iinier margin of
each elytron. Many of the sjiecics of this genus are black. Dift'erinii-
systematically from Plati/nns, in having the claws more or less serrate, fio. 4S5. —Cainthus
IS talaflius. In tlie last two genera tlie elytra are obiKjucly suiuate :

liut in LiirliitiijiJionis. iti which L. rinjotius from Urazij is figured,
the elytra arc round at the tip.

Durp/tfs comprises about twenty species of C'olcoptci-a, ail of
which are North American. These beetles have the pronotum flat-
tened, with a few slight wrinkles and an upturned margin ; the elytra
are striate. D. sjilendi'diig, from the southern United States, is over
an incli long, and bhick with cop]iery-bronze elytra. D. purpuratus^
•X ]iurplish-black sjieeies about an inch long; ]). tlongatus and Z*.
i/lh(tattu% both black, and 0.7 and 0.8 of an inch long respectively,
are all found on the .\tl;nitic slope as far north as Massachusetts.
Dr. G. II. Horn has dcscrilied the larva of a species of DicceluSjpos-
siblv of Z*. diliitiitKx. The bodv of the larva is dark greenisli lilue and
semi-opaque, its head being reddish yellow. Tiie larva is narrowed to-
ward both ends ; and the anal segment is armed with two slender inward-
curved jn'ocesses, between wliich tlie .anus extends as a corneous tube
equal in length to an ali<l<)min.al segment. Its antenna', although, as is
usual in this family, four-jointed, are about one-tliird the length of the
body. The legs increase in" lengtii from the first to the third pair.
Pupation, which takes place beneath logs or in the ground, lasts but a ^'ni-^sT.—

^ ^ ^ r- ' if^j- btpustufaius.

week. Nearly related, systematically, to Dica^bis is Badififer. P.

hipiustulcttus^ from Europe, is about O.-J of an inch long, brown, with black head and

two curved black lines on each elytron. Its larva has lieen described by Schiodtc.

Tiie genera Pterostichus, A/i/nni, PJrarf/i )■//■■<, and Po.raiidrus, each
contain numerous sjiecies; lint tlu'y are separated with ditficulty, and
lint little is known of their life history. IMost of the species of these
genera arc black. A few have metallic colors, or vary from brown to
red. Allied to these genera is Zahnis, of wliich Z. gibbvs has already
been mentioned on account of its destructiveness to crops. A)nara
■nitiilata, another European species, is said to eat both flowers and leaves
of the shephevd's-pnrse {Capsella biirsa-paMoris). To this same group
of genera belong Catadrotnns, of which the Javanese C. tenehrioides is
figured on the plate.

Anophthalmi/t!, already mentioned as a genus of lilind cave beetles, contains about
fifty species, of which seven are North American, lieing foimd in the caves of the
Ohio Valley, and the rest Eurojiean. The first North Aniei-ican species described was
A. tellkampifi i , from Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky. It is about 0.3 of an inch long,

\

Fig. 48S. —Ptcros-
tichus htcuhjan-
fhts.

398

XATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 401. — Btm-
bidium IcBvif/a-
lum.

slender and with long legs. Its coloi- is light brown. This species is eyeless, although
Grenier states that A.jiubertis, from southern France, has minute non-pigmented eye-
spots, and that these spots are black in A. iiiilleri, from Hungary. The'
larva of an Aiiophtli<iliiius from Mammoth Cave has been carefulh-
described by 3Ir. H. (4. Hubbard. The larva has no
ocelli, and 3Ir. Hubbard writes of it that, ''except in
its very elongate form, \ can lind no striking differences
)et:Ween this and other Carabid larva' allied to IVechusy
Trech'us and Patrohus are genera which are closely re-
ated, systematically, to Anojjhthalmus, but which have
eyes. /

A laru-e nimiber of small beetles, which scarcely ever exceed 0.25 '''"*• ■'^.^,;7,fj'"™''"-'
of an inch in length, and many species of which arc fiuind running

about in the sunlight upon the sand of river banks and of the shores
of lakes, are included in the genus Hembidiwn in its wider sense. In
projjortion to their size these beetles are among the quickest running-
insects, and considerable dexterity is necessary to capture them. The
species of Tuchys are even smaller than those of the last-mentioned
genus, which they resemble in habits.

Morio ijnoryi'M, which is black and aliout (I. .5 of an inch
single re])resentative in the United States of the tribe of insects to
which it belongs, of which a few species are fuund in most parts of the
world. It is found in the southern States.

The sub-family Carabina', which includes the larger and more beau-
tiful species of Carabidaj, are characterized as follows: "Middle coxal
cavities not entirely enclosed by the sterna, the epinieron of the meso-
stermim reaching the co.xa." The genera are more easily recognized
in this snb-fnmily than they are in the ]u-eceding one, and tiieir charac-
ters will be given, following, as usual, the authoritative work for Nort
Coleoptera, Drs. Le Conte and Horn's classification.

In the tribe of which ScariUjs is tlic tyjiical genus, the posterior
coxa; do not attain the side margin of the body, the anterior coxal cav-
ities are closed liehind, the prosternum does not conceal the mesoster-
uum, the antenna^ arise either under a distinct frontal plate or a ridge
which extends backward over the eyes, the Ijody is pedunculate, and
the posterior coxa' are contiguous. In >Sc(tritcs itself the hind angles
of the thorax are wanting, the elytra are without a
humeral carina, the maxillae are slightly hooked at the
tip, and the basal joint of the antennfe is long. *S'.
mibterraneus is a very common species in New Eng-
land, and is from 0.7 to 1 inch in length, with large mandibles. It is
said to live in the burrows of Ckqyris, a scarabreid, and probalily de-
vours coprophagous larvae. Monhotia f/hriosa, a species from southern
Europe, which is similar to ^Semites, attains a length of over two inches.
Pasimachiis differs from Scarites in havinsr the hind ano-les of the Fiq.494.— /'asima-

■- ' ciius aepressus.

thorax distinct, the elytra with a humeral carina of variable length,
and the maxillie very oT)tuse at the tip. The species, which are usually mai-giiu^d with
blue, are all North American. P. deprcssus is of a dull black color, without strife or
p>unctures, and is foimil in the southern Unite(l States.

Fig. 401;. — .l/bno
penryi(e.

American

Fig. iSS. — Hcai-iUs
subterraneus.

BEETLES.

399

Klfi. 495. — Metritis contrac-
tus, enlargeii.

4 tl — Elnphiu\ I pi lut

Metritis contrnrtns, fi-om Cnlifuniia, is the siiinlc s|iccics iv)irpseiitiiin' a trihe which
differs from Sulfites in liaviiiy the Ixuly iicit |ii'(luiiciilatc ancl the posterior coxae sepa-
rated. Tliis beetle is found under stones in forests.

The genus Khiplirtis differs from the genera nf Caralpina'
ah'eady mentioned in h;i\ing the antenna' free at the liase. In
this genus the form is roKnst, tlie mandililes iiave a setigerous
puncture, and tlie elytra are m.arked with iinjiressed spots. Tlie
species of this tienus are found I'unning .■iliout in tlie sunlight on

the snrf.-icc of tli(^ mud .arouml the
Imrdersof ponds and pimls. The
color of m.any of the species is a
par[ilish (U- ureenisli hronze. E. ri-
pariits, which is figured, is about
(l."i;') of an inch long, an<f is com-
mon in parts of Europe. In Hh-

tlilsK the elytr.'i have stria' between the impressed spots.
/)'. tiiidtiji/n/ciatii is a European species that has been
founil in ^Vmerica. According to Laudoit, E. riparius and £. iiiidtiprin<i(ita stridulate
by rubbingr the upper side of the jn'iiultimate ab(huninal segment
against the inside of the elytra, both the parts rubbed together beim;
provided with surfaces suitable for sonifaction.

The typical gemis of this family is ('urtthus, which is represented in
North America by only aliout ten species, reaches its highest develo]>-
ment in Euro|ie, where a laigc number of s]iecies are found. In this
gentis tlie anterior coxal cavities afe o|)eii behiiul, the posterior coxie
are contiguous, the labrum not bifurcate, the mandibles williout a
setigerous ])uncturc
cylindrical

.ind many ha\e beautiful coloration. Their food consists of earth-
worms, caterpillars, and other insects. The species of Carafius, and
those of the allied genera (\ih>s<>mii and Ci/c/iri/s, haye well-deyel-
oped anal glands, and throvy a strong acid fluid. '". serrafus is the
most abundant species in the northeastern T'nited States. It is fi'om
II. (id to (I.T."i of an iiudi long, is black, with the upturned mari^ins of
the protliora\ .and elytra bluish, and its elytra are punctate. C.
.■ii/li-osits, from the same region, is similar to C serrnfiis. but larger,
being about an inch long. One of the prettiest of tlu' common
European species is <\ unratus, \;\\\c\\ is nearly .an in<-h in lennth,
:nnl has the entire ujijier surface greenish bronze with a reddish re-
■/Iitlieatiis, another European species, the elytra, which are often con-
nate in this genus, are so firmly united that the suture between them is scarcely
noticeable. <\ hispanits, from Sjiain and southern France, is about 1.4 inches long;
and the elytra are coarsely punctured, and reddish bron/.e margined with blue, while
the head .and the prothorax are metallic blue. Procrustes differs but little from
Ciirabus. P. coriaceiis, a black s)iccies, nearly 1.5 inches long, is found throuoliout
southern Eurojie.

(' V/M.'srt/^rt iliffers generieally from Carahus in having the third antemial joint
compressed. The habits of the species of this genus .are very similar to those of

'xfernally, and the thinl joint of the .antenna' Vi^'-i'-n.—isuihisa

' . niallipuncfata.

Most ot the spei'ies are ot medium, some of large size.

Fig. 4a8. — ( ■imihus
sfirratus.

flection. In ( '

400

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 499. — ( 'alosoma
calidum.

■ Cnlnsnmn arrnttltor.

Carabus. In the United States Calosoma calidum and C. srrtitator have been
observed to eat canker-worms (larvae of A}ii«opteri/a-), and the larvaj of C. externum
])rey upon arniy-wonns (hirvsfi of Leiicania unijiuncta) ; in Aus-
ti-alia tlie larva' of C. oirtisii live beneath covtf-dung, where they
probably feed on noctnid larvoe ; and the larvte of several species
of Calosoma devour snails. The commonest species of this genus
in the eastern United States is C.
calidum., which is about an inch long.
Its elytra are covered with large
bronze-coloreil punctures, the rest
of the insect being black. Professor
A. S. Packanl states that he has
seen this species attack the Jnne-l)Ug
{Lachuostvriia /i/.sca) and tear its sides open. The
larva of C calidinii is black. The most brilliant spe-
cies of this genus that, inhabits the eastern United
States is ('. scrutator, which measures a little over an
inch in length. The clyna are metallic green, margined
with a narrow line of riMldish bronze;- the protliora.x is
deep shining blue with tlu' channel formed by its up-
turned edges paved with reddish bronze. This species is said to climb trees in search
of larvfe. In Europe (J. sj/coj^hiuita resembles (juite closely C. scrutator, but lacks the
reddish-bronze margins of the prothorax and elytra.

The species of (_'i/chrus, which are distributeil by some authors into several genera,
differ from those of f'arabus and (_'o/osoma m hnvmg the posterior coxre separated
and the labrum bifurcate. The antcmup have four basal joints glabrous. The larvae
of Ci/c/iriis are said to be (bstinguished from those f>f Carabus by their brown color
and by the four teeth with which the last abdominal segment is armed in ]>lace of the
two horns so common in caraliiil larviv. The generallj^ elongated antei'ior parts of
these beetles well fit them for their mode of life, enabling them to reach deeply into
the shells of snails, on which they feed. The flattened, often
broadly triangular apical joints of the j)al]ii of these insects appar-
ently co-o])erate with their elongated mandibles in extracting the
soft tissues of snails from their shi'Us. ('. stenostomus, of which
C. lecontei is a variety, is found in the eastern United States, and
is of a bluish-l)lack color. C. clcratus has the ]iosterior angles of
the black thorax margined, and the margins elevated to meet the
elevated margin of the anterior ]>art of the coppery-bronze elytra.
This beautiful species is rare in New England, but more common to
the southward and westwai-d. Its length varies from 0.6 to 1.1
inches. The oidy sjiecimen tjiat I have taken in New England
was found in northein Connecticut, eating a species of freshly
killed Helix albolabris. The larm'st s])ecies of Cijchrus found in New England is C.
mdu us, -which varies from (i.7(i to l.lfi inches in lengtli. C. rostrntus is found in
many jjarts of Europe.

The genus Omojihron includes a small number of flattened, nearly round beetles,
which live in moist places. The anterior coxal cavities are closed behind, the proster-
num is prolonged and dilated so that it entirely conceals the mesosternum, and the

Fig. 501. — Cychrus
elevatiis.

BEETLES.

401

Fig. 502. — Manticoni maxiilosa.

Fig. 503. — M<:(iaftphala Sfiu

scutelluiu is eonipli^tely concealed. The species are usually marked with dark brown

and yelliiw.

The last family nt' liielks to he considered is the CieiNDEMiiJi, which, not only on

account of its structural peculiaritie.'^, Imt also because

of the exclusively predaceous habits of its species, is

generally considered the highest family of Coleo[)tera.

The special character by which they are separated fmni

the Carabidte is the place of insertiou of the antenu*.

In the Cicindelidie, these organs are inserted on the

front above the base of the mandibles. The general
form .Hid UMial pattern of col-
oration of the insects of this
family serve to make them
easily recognized. In a few
forms the elytra are connate
and the wings absent, but most
of these insects both run and
tiy rapidly. Many of the spe-
cies live on the sandy banks of
rivers and of the ocean, some

tropical species live in trees, and a few abound in open places
in the \\-oods. Couuerel states that Cicindela trilimaris, from
^Madagascar, has the power of running upon water. Species
of ^TeijarejiJuda are crepuscular, remaining in their holes dur-
inu' tlie day, and riuming about on the sand just before and

after sunset. Bates states that Tctracha }iovturnu .and T. palUpes are nocturnal in

habits. The former species is of the color of the sand u[ion which it runs, and is thus

protected from insectivorous birds. T. pitUipes is, on the contrary, brilliantly colored,

and owes its protection from insect-eating animals to its very strong, disagreeable odor.
The larva' of Ciciiulelidie live in holes in the ground, the lioles being, in some spe-
cies, a foot and a half in de])th. Tiie larv;e have four-jointed

anteiuia% three-jiiintc(I maxillary palpi, and two-jninted labi.al

palpi. U]>on cacli side nf the head are the ocelli, which ;ire

two in number in Ainhli/chila. and eight in sjiecies of T<:tr(icha,

Omiis, and CicimMa. These larva; are assisted in their motions

up and down their burrows by a pair of jirotuberances which

are armed with hooks. When waiting for prey these lar\;e

rest at the top of their burrows — their metallic-colored head

and prothorax serving as operculum for the entrance to their

burrow — with their sickle-shaped mandibles wiile open. When

the larva has made a capture of some insect that incautiously

attempted to run over its head, it retires into its burrow to eat

its prey at its leisure. It is said that the larvse of Cicindela

i'amp>estris, a European specie.s, leave their lioles at night to

search for prey.

Of the group of Manticorini, those Cicindelid.c that have

the posterior co.xffi separated, the eyes small, and wings absent, oidy two genera are

found in this country, both of which are confined to North America. In Amblychila
VOL. n. — 26

Kk:. 504. — Ambhfchila cijlin-
drit'ormis.

402

NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS.

Fig. 505.
iltjeanL

the elytra are widely inflexeil, the jnotliurax !<c'arcely margined, and the terminal
joint of the maxillary palpi shorter than the third joint. A. cyUmlriformis, the only
species, is found in Kansas, New ^lexieo, and Arizona. It is the largest
species of this family found in the I'nited States, and is brownish-black
in color. Its habits are nocturnal. In Omits the elytra are narrowly
inflexed, the prothorax distinctly margined, and the last two joints of
the maxillary paljii subecjual. The nine described species are all from
the Pacific slojie of North America, and are nocturnal.

In Tetracha, the only representative of the Megacephalini found
in the United States, the eyes are large and prominent, the jiosterior
Otrnis coxa^ contiguous, and the third joint of the maxillary palpi longer
than the fourth. 2\ virr/inica is dark metallic green abo^e, with light
brown lesrs and antenuffi. Its length is about 0.75 of an inch. It
is found in the southern Atlantic states concealed mider logs
and bark by day, for its habits are crepuscular. T. <xtrolino,
which has a yellow spot near the apex of each elytron, and is
about 0.6 of an inch long, is widely distributed o\er America, from
the middle United States to Chili and Peru.

The Cicindelini are represented by about sixty Xorth American
species of Cicindela. In these insects, the tliird joint of the max-
illary palpi is shorter than the fourth. The ii\e species of Cicin-
dela figured are all common in tlie northeastern United States.
Their size and figuration are well illustrated in the cuts. C. sex-
(jattuta is very bright metallic green, often with a Ijluish lustre,
and the yellow spots upon its elytra are subject to some variation.
This species, like the next, frequents sunny roads in the woods, where the grass is woni
down quite short. ('. lyiojmrea is purplish-bronze color, with the lateral margin of the
elytra metallic green, and the markings ujion the elytra yellow. C. (/enerasa is cop-
pery bronze color, with the yellow elyti-al markings extending as an outer margin

>

Fig. 506. — Tetrachn,
Carolina.

Fig. 507.— Tiger beetles, a, Ciciniiela generona ; b, C. tranquebarlca ; c, Cpurpurm; d, C. hirtlcnlUs;

e, C. sex-gnttata.

around the elytra, and C. tranquebarica and C. Iiirticollis are of dark bronze color,
sometimes almost T)lack, vdxh yellow markings on the elytra. C. generosa, C. tran-
quebarica, and C. hirticollis frequent s.mdy liver banks. In C dorsalis, which swarms
along the south coast of Long Island, the elytra are nearly white, and the ]iuri)lish
prothorax is clothed with white scale-like hairs. This coloration is evidently pro-
tective ; for these beetles are very dilficult to see upon the white sand of the sea-
shore, and still more diflieidt to capture, as they fly, without the slightest hesitation,

directly out over the surf.

George DrsrMOCK.

4