260 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



teeth. The prothoracic ring is about the same width as the 

 fifth abdominal ring, being narrower than the mesothoracic 

 ring and having the sides somewhat sharply pointed, while 

 those of the succeeding (metothoracic) segment are rounded. 

 The eighth abdominal segment, or one next to the last, is 

 transversely oblong, and about two-thirds as wide as the 

 seventh. The ninth and last is a little over one-half as wide 

 as the eighth. It gives rise to a minute projection at the end. 

 The prothoracic segment and head are closely soldered togeth- 

 er ; the two together are transversely ovate elliptical, full con- 

 vex on the front edge, the separation between the head and 

 the succeeding ring being indicated by a slight notch. The 

 anterior surface of the head is somewhat flattened, with a 

 small, squarish, pale, horny area. The horny portion of the 

 front of the head is very minute compared with the similar 

 part in the Brachys larva, and is scarcely perceptible except 

 under high magnifying powers. The bod}'' is uniformlj^ pale 

 greenish, and the skin is smooth. The differences between 

 the two larvce are most remarkal)le, when we consider how 

 closely the beetles resemble each other. 



The Spotted-necked Languria. — This beetle is allied to 

 Trogosita, an insect which is known to be injurious to housed 

 grain, though the grub is still more intimately related to the 

 European Nemosoma elongatum, which is found under the 

 bark of elms in burrows inhabited by Hylesinus, a wood-bor- 

 ing beetle. Having received the Languria in all its stages 

 of growth, from Mr. Belfrage of Texas, though the insect 

 occurs in the IMiddle States, it is thought that a description 

 of it will not be out of place in a report on economic ento- 

 mology, as some members of the group to which it belongs 

 are known to be destructive. The adult beetle was first de- 

 scribed by Say (under the name of Languria puncticolUs) 

 from Ohio. It is pale reddish, with the forelegs, wing-covers 

 and end of the body black, with a large distinct black spot 

 in the middle of the neck (prothorax) . It is said by Mr. 

 Say to frequent flowers. 



The larva (fig. 14) is unusually long and slender, cylindri- 

 cal, the body being of uniform thickness throughout, whitish, 

 with smooth segments. The head is but little narrower than 

 the rest of the body ; the eighth ring of the abdomen is as 



