C|e dtanaton l&tomolopL 



vol. xr. 



LONDON, ONT., FEBRUARY, 1879. 



No. 2 



THE GOLDSMITH BEETLE (Cotalpa lanigera). 



BY THE EDITOR. 



Fis 



This is, without doubt, the most beautiful of our leaf-eating beetles. It 

 is nearly an inch in length (fig. 9), of a broad oval form, with the wing 

 cases of a rich yellow color, with a pale metallic lustre, while the top of 

 the head and thorax gleams like burnished gold of a brilliant reddish 

 cast. The under surface has a polished coppery hue, and 

 is thickly covered with whitish wool ; this latter char- 

 acteristic having suggested its specific name lanigera 

 (wool-bearer). 



This insect appears late in May and during the month 

 of June. It is distributed over a very wide area, embracing 

 most of the northern United States and Canada, and 

 although seldom very abundant, it is rarely that a season 

 passes without more or less of them being seen. During 

 the day they are inactive and may be found clinging to the under side 

 of the leaves of trees, often drawing together two or three leaves — which 

 they hold with their sharp claws — for the purpose of concealing them- 

 selves. At dusk they issue from their hiding places and fly about with a 

 buzzing sound among the branches of trees, the tender leaves of which 

 they devour ; the Pear tree, the Oak, Poplar, Hickory, Silver Abele and 

 Sweet Gum all suffer more or less from their attacks. Like the May Bug, 

 this beautiful creature is often attracted by light, and flies into open win- 

 dows on summer evenings, dashing in a bewildered sort of way against 

 everything it meets with, to the great alarm of nervous inmates. In some 

 seasons they occur in considerable abundance, and may then be readily 

 captured by shaking the trees on which they are lodged in the day-time, 

 when they do not attempt to fly, but fall at once to the ground. 



