ENTOMOLOGY IN OUTLINE — COLEOPTERA. 



107 



The family Meloidse are called blister-beetles, because their 

 when dried and pulverized are used therapeutically as blisters, 

 adult stage they feed on plant tissue, and are sometimes 

 injurious. In the larval stage many are, however, mark- 

 edly beneficial, such as the larvae of Epicauta vittatn, 

 which live on the egg pods of grasshoppers. The life 

 cycle of many species has reached a highly specialized 

 development and their study is exceedingly interesting. 



The Stylopidse is an obscure family, most of its forms 

 being parasites on wasps. 



bodies 

 In the 



Suborder RHYNCOPHORA. 



The suborder Rhyncophora, or snout-beetles, consists of beetles 

 characterized by the peculiar prolongation of the front of the head into 

 a beak or snout, at the end of which the 

 mouth parts are situated. The curculios, 

 bill-bugs, and most of the weevils belong 



to this suborder, and are 



great pests, living as they 



do on vegetable matter, 



stored products, and the ^^iB^^ L 



like. 



FIG. 102. Fuller's 

 rose - beetle 

 {Aramigus ful- 

 ler i). 



C b 



FIG. 103. Plum curculio(C'o«o^^ac/ie^^^s 

 nenuphar), a, larva; b, pupa; c, 

 adult; d, curculio at work. 



The family Otiorhynehi- 



dse are the beetles which 



have a scar on the front of 



the upper side of each man- 

 dible. Fuller's rose-beetle, a species attacking roses and orange trees, is 

 a familiar type. 



The family Cupeulionidse lack the scar, and are the typical curculios 

 and weevils. The cotton-boll weevil, strawberry weevil, and the plum- 

 curculio are well-known pests belonging to this family. 



The Calandpidse include the bill-bugs and rice and 

 granary weevils. The latter two forms, Calandria oryze>i 

 and C. granaria, are world-wide in distribution and do 

 immense damage to stored grain. 



The Seolytidse are the engraver-beetles. According to 

 Pinchot, the annual losses caused by these insects total 

 nearly $100,000,000. The Monterey pines of California 

 are attacked by two species, Dendroctonus valens and Tomicus pJasto- 

 graphus, to such an extent that entire forests have been killed by them. 

 Others, such as the fruit-bark beetle, attack and kill peach and plum trees. 



FIG. 104. Pine- 

 tree scolytus 

 (Scolytus jryri). 



