COLEOPTEROUS LARV/E. 375 



may not be of use to the animal in somewhat the same way ? 

 These larvae generally live in holes in decayed trees, which 

 their body completely fills up ; carnivorous larvae, following 

 in their track, would not be able to wound this part. 



I know that, in one instance, it would be a perfect protection. 

 I possess a small Coleopterous larva, which will fix its jaws in 

 the soft skin of others, and there remain sucking until it is 

 satisfied ; after a little time it will repeat the operation, and 

 this it will do until there is nothing left but the skin. Now 

 this larva has not strength of jaws sufficient to wound these 

 corneous segments. 



The larva is found, during the winter months, under the 

 loose bark of elm trees. I have found many of them, and 

 invariably in company with a particular species of spider, 

 which spins a web-like case, in which it lives, and upon which, 

 I believe, the Megatoma larva feeds. Here we see the especial 

 necessity for this protection, without which, I should think, it 

 would soon be devoured by the spider. 



I reared several specimens of this larva four or five years 

 ago, but having misplaced the jar in which they were kept, 

 did not see the pupa. When I found the jar, which was by 

 accident, they had assumed the imago state ; — the insect was 

 dead. 



Larva of Dasytes serricornis, Kirby. Plate X. fig. 1. 



Head and tail pitchy black ; body whitish, variegated with 

 markings of a dull green hue. (Length, 1 1 lin.) 



Head l-otundate, rugose, with four whitish spots, two placed near 

 the base on each side, and' two anteriorly, behind the antennae ; 

 just above, and between which and the antennae, are two stem- 

 mata on each side. Antennae short, three-jointed. Body elon- 

 gate, soft and pubescent, gradually swelling towards the apex, 

 which is armed with a corneous forked process. 



Description of Figure. 



a The larva magnified, b The head at large, showing the situation of 

 the stemmata and white spots, c The tehun. 



The accompanying drawing was made from one of a number 

 which I reared in the year 1828. I found the larva and pupa, 

 about the beginning of March, in decayed blackthorn and 



