394 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



FIG. 476. Anophthalmus 

 tellkampfii. 



Beetles of this family live, for the most part, on or near the ground, remaining 

 concealed beneath boards and stones during the day, and wandering out at night in 



search of their prey. A particularly favorable place to collect 

 many species is beneath the debris left by the overflowing of 

 rivers. Another situation not much less productive 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 ^Epus 

 live between the high and low water mark upon the shores of 

 the ocean, where they are covered by the salt-water the greater 

 part of the day. They respire air which surrounds and ad- 

 heres to them while they are submerged. On account of their 

 predaceous habits, few CarabidaB live in nests of ants or of 

 other insects ; but Bates states that Solenogenys fceda, 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 blind, both as larvae and imagos. Illaphanus, an 

 Australian genus, is, as its name indicates, eyeless, while 

 JKeicheia lucifuga, which is found along river banks in south- 

 ern France, has the eyes aborted. 

 The larvae of Carabidae are elongated, often partly corneous. They have four- 

 jointed antennae, and somewhat long five-jointed legs. The mandibles are falciform 

 and prominent, the maxillary palpi are four-jointed, the labial palpi two-jointed, and 

 the ocelli are generally from four to six on each side. In the larvae of Scarites and 

 Anophthalmus, and of a few other genera, ocelli are absent. It is usually stated that 

 carabid larvae, like those of the Cicindelidae, Dytiscidae, and Gyrinidse, and unlike 

 those of most other families, have two claws on each foot ; but this character is not 

 without exception in the carabid larvae, for the larvae of ^Epus, a genus already men- 

 tioned, and of Cillenwn, are stated to have but one claw on each foot. Chapuis and 

 Candeze write : " The color of these larvae varies from a light brown to a deep black, 

 and, exceptionally, to yellowish white. They are very active, and wander about upon 

 the ground. The greater part of them live upon prey which they get possession of in 

 various ways. Thus insects, caterpillars, and molluscs form their ordinary food. 

 They do not tear this prey to pieces, but limit themselves to extracting its juices, a cir- 

 cumstance that explains the smallness of their buccal aperture. Some live on vegetable 

 substances. This fact, proved for Zabrus gibbus, probably will be the same with the 

 greater part of the larvae of Harpalini and of Amara" This prediction as to the 

 phytophagic habits of Carabidse has since proved true, and quite a large number of 

 these insects are known to feed upon pollen and other parts of plants, while the Zabrus 

 mentioned above has proved at times destructive to young turnip plants and to other 

 crops. In parts of California Platynus maculicollis 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 " overflow-bug." With the exception of Zabrus gib- 

 bus and Platynus maculicollis^ the insects of this family may be regarded as generally 

 beneficial, for the phytophagous species mostly devour the pollen and seed of weeds, 

 while the great majority of Carabidae attack the larvae of noxious insects. 



Among curious food habits of Carabidae it may be mentioned that D'Aumont 

 observed that Brachinus crepitans, in company with carrion beetles, helped devour a 



