22 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



middle of the day they remain at rest upon the trees, clinging 

 to the under-sides of the leaves; and endeavor to conceal 

 themselves by drawing two or three leaves together, and hold- 

 ing them in this position with their long unequal claws. In 

 some seasons they occur in profusion, and then may be obtained 

 in great quantities by shaking the young trees on which they 

 are lodged in the daytime, as they do not attempt to fly \vhen 

 thus disturbed, but fall at once to the gi'ound. The larvaj of 

 these insects are not known; probably they live in the ground 

 upon the roots of plants. The group to ^vhich the goldsmith- 

 beetle belongs may be called Rutilians (rutilid.e), from Riitela, 

 or more correctly Rutila, signifying shining, the name of the 

 principal genus included in it. The Rutilians connect the 

 ground-beetles with the tree-beetles of the following group, 

 having the short and robust legs of the former, with ^ the leaf- 

 eating habits of the latter. 



The spotted Pelidnota, Pelidnota punctata, is also arranged 

 among the Rutilians. This large beetle is found on the culti- 

 vated and wild grape-vine, sometimes in great abundance, 

 during the months of July and August. It is of an oblong 

 oval shape, and about an inch long. The wing-covers are 

 tile-colored, or dull brownish yellow, with three distant black 

 dots on each ; the thorax is darker, and slightly bronzed, with 

 a black dot on each side ; the body beneath, and the legs, are 

 of a deep bronzed green color. These beetles fly by day; but 

 may also be seen at the same time on the leaves of the grape, 

 which are then* only food. They sometimes prove very injuri- 

 ous to the vine. The only method of destroying them, is to 

 pick them oft' by hand, and crush them under foot. The larvae 

 live in rotten wood, such as the stumps and roots of dead trees ; 

 and do not differ essentially from those of other Scarabaeians. 



Among the tree-beetles, those commonly called dors, chafers, 

 May-bugs, and rose-bugs, are the most interesting to the farmer 

 and gardener, on account of their extensive ravages, both in 

 the winged and larva states. They were included by Fabricius 

 in the genus MeloIorUha, a word used by the ancient Greeks to 

 distinguish the same kind of insects, which were supposed by 

 them to be produced from or with the flowers of apple-trees, as 



