ON THE WIREWORM, 1 05 



As the drawing is from the accurate pencil of Mr. Sow- 

 crby, no description of the insect is necessary. 



Explanation of the Figures, 



Plate JV. Fig. 1. The insect, natural size. 

 2. The same, magnified. 

 3. a. The same, deftroying the wheat. 

 •— b. Hole in the husk, into which the insect 

 ran upon being disturbed, 



4dditional Note, by Mr. Marsham. 



The above described larva is quite new to me, nor can I True ***** 

 find any thing like it in the various authors I have con- 

 sulted, who have written on the larvae of insects. 1 am 

 therefore ignorant to which order it belongs. The name of 

 wireworm seems to be gives to various species of larvae, but 

 what I consider to be the true wireworm was bent to me 

 some time ago jby the right honourable Sir Joseph Banks. 

 A figure of this I have added to the plate (PI. IV, Fig. 4.). 

 The history of this animal I found fully detailed in the * n Swedea 

 Stockholm Transactions for the year 1777, by Mr. Clas 

 Bierkander, vicar of Gothene, near Skarra, under the ap- 

 pellation of root-worm. This larva, when full grown, is a larva 

 about seven lines long, very narrow, of a yellow colour, 

 shining, and very hard : the head is brown, with the extre- 

 mities of the jaws black. The body is composed of twelve 

 joints, on the last of which are two black indented specks. 

 Jt has six scaly feet on the fore part of the body. Mr. Bier- f a species of 

 kander observes, that it remains five years in this state be- s P rin S in ? bee - 

 fore it changes into a pupa, whence issues e/ater segetis of ' ° rS ipi> 

 jLinnaus. I have frequently found it both in fields and 



as many of the flies have not deposited their eggs till the latter end of 

 September, and fho.se that are deposited earlier are few of them hatched 

 before the spring, as was proved by Mr. Strickney, whose pamphlet, 

 entitled u Observation; respecting the Grub" is now before me : there- 

 fore the depredations of the grub cannot be greatly prior to that time ; 

 besides, they are most plentiful in the fly state at the end of Septenv. 

 iwr and beginning of October. 



garden 



