LADY-BEETLES. 



37 



and is not as shiny as the other lady-bugs of equal size, but is 

 covered with a fine pubescence. The larva is yellow, and clothed 

 with forked spines, as may be seen in the illustration (Fig. 40). 

 There is no doubt that in case of necessity, or for lack of proper 

 animal food, some of the lady-bug's will also eat pollen, but their 

 usual food consists of plant-lice, scale insects, and the eggs and 

 soft bodies of other insects. 



Pig. 41. — Lanffuria Mozardi, Lat. After Division of Entomology, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



The families Endomychidae and Erotylidae also contain a 

 number of brightly colored beetles with long feelers. But none 

 are very common or destructive, with the exception of some 

 beetles belonging to the genus Langurxa, one of which has in the 

 larval state the bad habit of boring in the stalks of clover. It 

 is shown in Fig. 41. 



FA1VI ILY CUCUJIDAE. 



These beetles, usually of a Hat and elongated form, are found 

 under the bark of trees, and are believed to be mostly carnivor- 

 ous, but others are known to feed upon stored grain. Several 

 species have this bad habit, but the most important one is the 

 "Corn Silvanus" (Silvanus surinamensis Linn.), shown in Fig 

 42. It is a dark brown and flat beetle, with saw-like edges on 

 the pro-thorax. Tt also feeds on dried fruit- In such a case it 

 can be killed by putting the infested fruit in a tight-fitting wooden 

 box, and by pouring a wine-glass full of bisulphide of carbon in 

 the larger box the fumes thus produced will kill all intruders. 



