COLEOPTERA. 



519 



longitudinal 



ridges 



and 



almost always ornamented with 

 rows of punctures. 



Most members of this family are predaceous, feeding 

 upon other insects, which they spring upon or capture by 

 chase. A few species use vegetable food ; but their depre- 

 dations are rarely of economic importance. As there are 

 more than eleven hundred described North American 

 species, and as many of the species are very common, this 

 family may be considered the most important family of 

 predaceous insects. 



The larvae of ground-beetles are generally long, with the 

 body of nearly equal breadth throughout (Fig. 622.) They 

 have sharp projecting mandibles ; and the 

 caudal end of the body is usually fur- 

 nished with a pair of conical bristly ap- FIG - 622 - 

 pendages. They live in the same obscure situations as the 

 adult insects, but are more shy, and are consequently less 

 frequently seen. Like the adults, they are predaceous. 



Among the more common ground-beetles are the fol- 

 lowing : 



The Searcher, Calosonia scrutator (Cal-o-so'ma scru-ta'- 

 tor). This is one of the larger and more beautiful of our 



ground-beetles ; it has green or 

 violet wing-covers margined 

 with reddish, and the rest of the 

 body is marked with violet-blue, 

 gold, green, and copper (Fig. 

 623). This beetle and the follow- 

 ing have been known to climb 

 trees in search of caterpillars. 



The Fiery Hunter, Calosoma 

 caliduin (C. cal'i-dum), is some- 

 what smaller than the preced- 

 ing, and is easily recognized by 

 the rows of reddish or copper- 



FIG. 623. 



colored pits on the wing-covers (Fig. 624). 



