16 



TIGER-BEETLES. 



The illustrations (Fig's. 3 and 4) give both upper and under sur- 

 face of one 1 >i these beetles, dissected in part to show the details ; 

 Fig. 1 i shows the earlier stages of this beetle. The larvae of 

 tiger-beetles are as ugly as the mature insects are beautiful; they 

 live in vertical holes in the ground, usually in places similar to 

 those in which the adults display themselves. Such burrows are 

 often a foot or more deep, and are not infrequently found in 

 sunn}- spots in an orchard. Such larva?, with large and dirty col- 

 ored heads and equipped with immense jaws and long and 

 sprawling legs, usually watch at the mouths of their burrows for 

 any approaching insect, and thev are always ready to seize it when 

 it walks over such living traps, hidden by the watchful larvae, 

 which almost entirely fill the entrances with their formidable heads. 

 In addition to its six legs the larva possesses another peculiar 

 organ, which assists it in climbing up and down in its burrow. 

 This is a hump on the fifth abdominal segment, upon which are 



Fig. 12, — Tiger-beetle, adult, larva and pupa. After Brelim. 



two hooks curving backwards (Fig. 12). The larva thus 

 anchored ran not readily be drawn out of its trap by the contor- 

 tions even of large caterpillars that it may have caught. If cap- 

 tured the caterpillar is dragged into the burrow and is eaten at 

 leisure. When we thrust a straw into one of these traps, and 

 then dig it out with a spade or trowel, we usually find the fero- 

 cious hermit at the lower end of the burrow, biting savagely at 

 the straw. Sometimes by introducing a straw we can even pull 

 the vicious larva to the surface, since it is so tenaciously fastened 

 to it that it will act like a bulldog tearing at the throat of another 

 dog. By singing into the holes the larvae are sometimes induced to 



