FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



Cassidini 



On account of their form, these are often called Tortoise 

 Beetles. Many of them are beautifully colored in life, 

 but the golden hues rapidly fade after death. The oval, 

 flattened, prickly larvae feed upon the surface of leaves. 

 "The larvae are almost as disagreeable as the adult beetles 

 are attractive, but are nevertheless very interesting crea- 

 tures. Each of them is provided with a tail-like fork at 

 the end of the body which is almost as long as the body, 

 . . . Upon this fork are heaped the excrement and cast 

 skins of the larva, and when covered by this 'umbrella' 

 it is with great difficulty that the larva is distinguished 

 from a bit of mud or a bird-dropping. The manner in 

 which this fork increases with the size of the larva is rather 

 interesting. At each molt, the fasci-fork of the last stage 

 is held upon the new fasci-fork, and in this way those of 

 the different stages are telescoped, the one inside the other, 

 and the stage of growth of the larva may be readily deter- 

 mined by the number of cast skins held on the fork. 

 From the likeness of this burden to a pack, the larvae are 

 often known as 'peddlers.' In order to more firmly bind 

 the excrement and cast skins to the fork, the larvae fasten 

 them together by a fine network of silken threads, which 

 are attached to the spines at the sides of the body. 

 When fully grown the larva fastens itself to a leaf, its skin 

 splits open along the back, and from it comes the pupa, 

 which is held to the leaf by its caudal fork, which is securely 

 incased in the faeci-fork of the larval skin" (Sanderson). 

 The adult hibernates. Unless otherwise stated, the 

 following feed chiefly on sweet-potatoes and other Con- 

 volvulaceae. 



This has also been called argus. The 

 Chelymorpha 

 cassidea front of the pronotum is incurved, partially 



exposing the head; upper surface red or 

 yellow, with four or six black dots on pronotum, and six 

 on each elytron in addition to a sutural one near the base; 

 under surface black; length, about .4 in. The eggs are 

 laid in bunches, each egg being supported by a long stalk 

 or pedicle. When full-grown, the larva is about .5 in. long 



376 



