THEIR RELATION TO PLANTS 



59 



caying animal and vegetable material of all kinds. 

 A very few, comparatively, are predatory and yet a 

 smaller number are feeders upon living vegetation; 

 none of them in any very characteristic way nor so as 

 to threaten the existence of the plant attacked; but 

 still giving variety to the series. 



These are followed by the Serricornia, in which the 

 antennae have the joints more or less trigonate, or 



-Antennal structure of Colcoptera. a, filiform; b, clavate; c, serrate; 

 d, lamellate; e, moniliform. 



saw-toothed, and the feet 5-jointed as a rule; always 

 with the same number on all feet. Among these the 

 vast majority are vegetable feeders, but this vegeta- 

 tion may be dead or alive, and most of the feeding is 

 on woody tissue rather than foliage. The " click beetles, " 

 "snapping Ijcetles" or Elatcridcc are characteristic 

 members of this series, and as wire- worms their larvs 

 are ver\' often feeders on root tissue. The beetles gain 

 their common names by the loose-jointed structure 



