176 TUANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The larvae of the stag-beetles (Lucanidce) and leaf-chafers {Melolon- 

 thidce, Rutelida, and Cetoniida), are thick fleshy grubs with a distinct head^ 

 which is usually dark or brown, with strong jaws. As a general rule they 

 are more or less enlarged toward the hinder extremity, the last segment 

 usually being the largest ; the back is generally wrinkled transeversely. 

 They have but six feet, situated two on each of the first three segments 

 behind the head ; the body is generally more or less curved, and they 

 usually lie on one side, in which position they feed. As a matter of 

 course they and all other larvae vary in size according to the species and 

 the age at which they are observed. Some, as those of the stag-beetles, 

 are found in rotten or decayed wood and are seldom injurious ; others, as 

 those of the May-beetles, June-bugs, vine-chafers and leaf-chafers gen- 

 erally, reside in the ground, living upon the roots of grasses and other 

 plants. The common "white grub" is an example of this group. 



Here I must warn the reader against making a mistake in supposing 

 no other larvae except these have this form ; but the foregoing is given 

 simply to inform him that, when he finds a larva of the character named, 

 feeding upon the roots of grass, strawberries, etc., in all probability it 

 belongs to this group, and thus assist him in his search for the species. 



The larvae of the saw-horned wood-beetles (^Btiprcstidce) are some- 

 times called hammer-headed larvae, from the great development of a 

 segment immediately behind the head. The whole body is usually 

 slightly flattened, especially the large segment. They are footless grubs, 

 and are found boring into timber, canes, vines, etc. The flat-headed 

 borer of the apple tree {Chrysobothris fcmoratd) is a familiar example. 

 There are other wood-boring larvae which somewhat closely resemble the 

 Buprestian larvae. These belong chiefly to the Lmniides, a sub-family of 

 the long-horned wood-borers {Cerajnbyddce). They are rather more 

 cylindrical than the Buprestian larvae, and the front segment, although 

 often somewhat enlarged, is not so much larger in proportion to the 

 other segments as in the flat-headed borers; and they are also generally 

 nearly cylindrical in form, that is, not flattened. The round-headed 

 apple-tree borer {Saperda ca7idida or bivittata) is an example of this sub- 

 family. The larvae of the other long-horned wood-borers, at least those 

 of the sub-families Prionidis and Ccravibycides, are similar in form, but 

 have six minute legs situated on the first three segments. Belonging to 

 the latter is the locust-borer {Ciytus [Cyllene] robimcR). In all these 

 wood-boring larvae the head is smaller than the first segment. 



The larvae of the elaters, snap-jacks or snapping-beetles are elongated 

 cylindrical worms, generally quite slender, with the divisions between the 

 segments not strongly marked — with six small legs. They are usually 

 brownish, or marked above with brownish. Somofof the larger ones are 

 found in rotten logs and -stumps, but the larger portion, including the 

 injurious species, -reside in the earth, eating the small and tender roots 

 of plants, especially of the grapes, cereals, etc. They are generally 

 known as "wire-worms," and belong to the family Elatcridce. 



There are certain very small larvae, found sometimes boring into 

 wood, especially the hickory, in oak and hickory furniture, etc., while 



