BEETLES. 



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tins family. Three sub-families are easily recognizable; the highest, the Prionina3, 

 have the prothorax margined and the labrum connate; the other two sub-families, the 

 Cerambycina? and Lamiina 1 , have the labrum free and the prothorax without margin. 

 The Lamiina? have, however, an oblique groove on the inner side of the front tibiae, 

 while the front tibia? of the Cerambycina? are not grooved. 



Of the Lamiina?, the genus Sapercla is perhaps best known. The species are 

 nearly cylindrical ; the prothorax is cylindrical with no spines at sides. The elytra 

 are a little wider than the prothorax, distinctly shouldered, and cover the entire 

 abdomen and the well-developed wings. The legs are of moderate length, and are 

 armed with claws which point outward at right angles to the tarsus. The claws 

 are simple, except sometimes the outer one of the anterior and middle tarsi of males 

 of certain species. 



FIG. 360. Loiigicorn beetles, a, Sapercla carcharias ; b, S. populinea; c, Acanthocinus cedilis, male; 



d, female; e, Lamia textor. 



Sapercla bivittata is from 0.55 to 0.75 of an inch long, is white beneath, with white 

 face and antenna?, and with two white longitudinal stripes above ; the rest is light brown. 

 It is found, in June and July, about apple, quince, mountain ash, thorn, shad-bush, and 

 other rosaceous trees, in the wood of which its larva? feed. The beetle is nocturnal, 

 remaining concealed by day and feeding by night, as is the case with all species of 

 Sapercla. The imago eats the leaves of the same kinds of trees of which the larvae 

 eat the wood. The egs of 8. bivittata is laid in a cleft made by the female in the 



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bark of the tree ; after depositing it the female fills the cleft with a cement-like secre- 

 tion. The young larva? bore into the trees, and where numerous they do much damage 

 to apple-trees. The larva? are legless, nearly cylindrical, the first segment behind the 

 head being largest, the succeeding ones gradually narrower ; the head is small, horny, 

 and brownish. T. W. Harris writes that the larval state 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 approaching to, and being only covered by the bark. 

 Here its transformation takes place." Pupation lasts a month or two. 



