Beetles 



275 



A. oblongus, ^ inch long, wholly black; and A. terminalis, 1 inch long, black 

 with reddish legs and tips of elytra. The earth-boring dung-beetles, 

 Geotrupes, have n -segmented antennae, and the upper lip and mandibles 

 can be seen from above. "The females bore holes into the earth either 

 beneath dung or near it: this is to serve as food for the larvae, an egg being laid 

 in each hole." G. splendidus (PI. II, Fig. 6), f inch long, dark metallic 

 green to purple; G. excrementi, \ inch long, is bronze-black; G. opacus, \ inch, 

 is deep black. Common on dried decaying animal matter, especially skins, 

 and on the hooves and hair of decaying animals are small (^ to inch long) 

 rough convex beetles, often with a crest of dirt on their elytra, belonging 

 to the genus Trox. They have the thighs of the front legs greatly dilated. 

 The Scarabaeid leaf-chafers are many and various in color and marking; 

 they feed, when adult, on leaves, pollen, and flower-petals. They have the 

 abdomen usually projecting beyond the wing-covers. The thick, fat, white, 

 horny-headed larvae live either in rotten wood or underground, feeding on 

 the roots of grasses and other plants, often doing much damage in this 

 way. The June-bugs or May-beetles (Fig. 378), familiar big brown or 

 blackish buzzing creatures, belong to the genus 

 Lachnosterna, of which sixty or more species are 

 found in this country. They are but few, however, 

 on the Pacific coast. The larvae are familiar white 

 grubs that live underground and feed on the roots 

 of grasses, strawberries, etc. They often do much 

 damage to lawns. They live as larvae 

 for two or three years, and pupate in 

 an underground cell. The adult 

 beetles fly and feed at night, often 

 injuring the foliage of cherry, plum, 

 and other trees. The familiar rose- 

 chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus 

 (Fig. 379), f inch long, a slender 



p IG 37 g. FIG. 379. yellowish beetle with pale red legs, 



FIG. 378. The June-beetle, Lachnosterna does great damage to roses and grapes, 

 fusca (One and one-half times natural appear j n g j n e arly summer and eat- 



FIG. 379. The rose-beetle, Macrodactylus ing flowers and foliage. The larvae 

 subspinosus. (Twice natural size.) live underground, feeding on the roots 

 of various plants, but especially grasses. The spotted vine-chafer, Pelidnota 

 punctata (PI. II, Fig. i^), i inch long, stout, convex, polished reddish or 

 yellowish brown, with three large black dots on each elytron, with under 

 side of body metallic greenish black, flies during July and August by day, 

 feeding on grape-leaves. The larva lives in rotten wood, especially the 

 decaying roots of apple, pear, hickory, and other trees. It pupates in a 



