146 



REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Three or four species of blister beetles or "old-fashioned potato 

 beetles" exist in Indiana, and in the winged or full grown stage are 

 often very injurious to potatoes and allied plants. The eggs of the 

 blister beetle are laid in the ground in late summer, and the larvse 

 soon hatch and move actively about in search of animal food, in the 

 form of egg masses of other insects. They have often been found 

 feeding upon the eggs of locusts and other Orthoptera and are un- 

 doubtedly of much aid in keeping within bounds these injurious 

 forms. 



Many of the ground beetles or Carahida; feed, during both their 

 larval and mature stages, upon locust eggs. Aboiit 350 species of 

 this family of beetles occur in Indiana, and all are beneficial. In the 

 mature stage they are long legged, rapid moving forms, which mostly 

 hide by day beneath logs and rubbish and run actively about at night 

 in search of some form of flesh upon which they may make a meal. 

 Since insect life is the most common form which they find on or 

 beneath the ground, it is but natural that most of their food is com- 

 posed of it. The species of Amara and Calosoma, two of which are 



Fig. 18. 



Amara oheaa Say. Twice natural 

 size. (After Riley.) 



Fis 19. 



Oalosoma scrutator Fab. 

 size. 



Natural 



figured herewith, are among the most common and beneficial of this 

 family of beetles. The larvse of Amara may, in autumn, often be 

 found feeding on the egg masses of the locust. 



Higher in the scale of animal life are many forms which are among 

 the best friends the farmer possesses, yet many of them he destroys 

 on sight through ignorance of their beneficial habits. Chief among 

 these are shrews, moles, salamanders and snakes. Both shrews and 

 moles are burrowing mammals which feed almost wholly upon insect 

 life. True, the latter sometimes destroy the seeds of corn and vege- 

 tables, but the good which they do in destroying the eggs and larvae 



