Supplementary Report on Insects Affecting the Strawberry. 249 



Fig. 14. Larval and pupal structures of Paria aferrhna, Oliv.: A, tip of abdomen of pupa, side 

 view; B, mandible of larva. 



DIFFERENTIAL CHARACTERS. 



As may be inferred from the fact that these root-worms all belong to the 

 same tribe, the characters which distinguish them in their immature stages 

 are few and trivial. The adult beetles may be described without difficulty, 

 but the larv;e of Scelodonta and Paria are almost indistinguishable. 



Hoping to avoid the necessity for long and minute descriptions, I have 

 drawn up the following tables for the determination of larv;e and pupaj : 



SYNOPSIS OF LARV.^. 



1. Mandibles bifid at tip. 



a. Inner edge of mandibles excavated before tip, anal segments shorter 



than preceding, ventral tubercles not prominent. Paria. 



b. Inner edge of mandibles not excavated, anal segment more devel- 



oped than preceding, ventral tubercles prominent, with long 

 hairs. Colaspis. 



2. Mandibles entire at tij), inner edge excavated, anal segment short, ventral 



• tubercles not prominent. Scelodonta. 



SYNOPSIS OF PVPJE. 



1. Anal hooks simple, incurved. Colaspis. 



2. Anal hooks recurved. 



a. Hooks short and stout with strong erect tooth at upper side of biise, 



and two long hairs on posterior margin. Scelodonta. 



b. Hooks slighter, simple, or with slender hairs at upper side of base, 



no hairs on margin. Ptiria. 



The beetles may be very easily distinguished, the Colaspis being usually of 

 a pale clay-yellow, ranging to a yellowish brown, smooth but not shining, 

 concolorous throughout, or occasionally with the head and thorax green ; 

 while Paria is shining black above, varying to brown with four black blotches 

 upon the wing covers, but always with pale legs; and Scelodonta is purple or 

 green, with a bronzed metallic lustre, and covered with a gray pubescence, 

 of which both the other species are destitute. 



The life histories of these insects, as far as known, are curiously diflerent 

 in respect to the times and periods of development. The larva of Cohispis 



17 



