i58 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



Y. The flower-beetles. — The flower-beetles are so called because many 

 o! them are often seen feeding upon pollen and flying from flower to 

 flower. These beetles are somewhat flattened, or nearly level on the 

 back; the claws of the tarsi are of equal size and the 

 tore coxa' are conical and prominent. More than one 

 hundred species occur in this country. 



The hermit flower-beetle, Osmoderma eremicola. — 

 This is one of the larger of our flower-beetles (Fig. 

 273). It is of a deep mahogany-brown color, nearly 

 smooth, and highly polished. It is supposed that the 

 larva lives on decaying wood in forest trees. 



The genus Euphoria represents well the form of 

 the more typical flower-beetles, which are distinguished 

 by the margin of each wing-cover having a large, wavy 

 indentation near its base, which renders the side 

 pieces of the mesothorax visible from above. This 

 indentation makes it unnecessary for these insects to 

 fig. 273. raise or expand their wing-covers when flving, as 



most beetles do, as they are able to pass the wings out from the sides. 



The bumble flower-beetle, Euphoria inda. — The most 

 common of our flower-beetles, at least in the North, is a 

 yellowish-brown one, with the wing-covers sprinkled all over 

 with small, irregular, black spots (Fig. 274). It is one of the 

 first insects to appear in the spring. It flies near the sur- 

 face of the ground with a loud humming sound, like that of a 

 bumblebee, for which it is often mistaken. During the 

 summer months it is not seen; but a new brood appears 

 about the middle of September. The adult is a general feeder 

 occurring upon flowers, eating the pollen, upon corn-stalks 

 and green corn in the milk, sucking the juices, and upon peaches, 

 grapes, and apples. Occasionally the ravages are very serious. 



The green June-beetle or "fig-eater, Cotinus nitida. — This species 

 extends over the Atlantic slope, and is very common in the South. It is 

 a green, velvety insect, measuring about one inch in length. It is some- 

 what pointed in front, and usually has the sides of the thorax and elytra 

 brownish-yellow. These beetles often fly in great numbers at night, 

 making a loud buzzing noise similar to that of the May-beetles. In fact, 

 in the South the term June-bug is often applied to this insect. The 

 larvae feed upon the vegetable mold of rich soils; sometimes they injure 

 growing vegetables by severing the roots and growing stalks; but the 

 chief injury is due to the upheaval of the soil around the plants, which 

 disturbs the roots; the larvae are also often troublesome on lawns and 

 golf greens by making little mounds of earth on the surface. Sometimes 

 they leave the ground and crawl from one place to another. When they 

 do so, they, strangely enough, crawl upon their backs, making no use of 

 their short legs. On one occasion we saw them crawling over the pave- 

 ments on the Capitol grounds at Washington in such numbers that 

 bushels of _ them were swept up and carted away. The adults frequently 

 attack fruit, especially figs, grapes, and peaches. 



A closely related beetle, Cotinus mutabilis, occurs in the Southwest and 

 attacks fruits in a similar manner. So far as known, its habits and life his- 

 tory arc much like those of the fig-eater. 



Fig. 274. 



