184 



COLEOPTER A—BEETLES 



together in one species. They are leaf-eating in the adult 

 stage. The adults appear rather early in summer, May or 

 June. They are destructive in the adult stage by cutting 

 ott" the lea\ es of trees. They do not eat the leaves much 

 but cut them off at the petiole. Sometimes trees are 

 completely stripped. They mate in the e\ening when they 

 fly in great numbers. The eggs are deposited out of doors 

 and in grass land particularly. The larvae feed on grass 

 roots, and if this remains available they develo]) there in 



Fk;. 131. — Tlie C(iiiinioii Ma\' \)oeth' (Laclinoslirtui fiisca): 1, tlie pupa; 

 2, the kiiva or white grulj in its ground cell; J and 4. the beetle, side and 

 dorsal views. (After Riley.) 



about three years and when they get fairly near maturity, 

 about the spring of the third year, they cut off the roots of 

 the grass pretty severely, sometimes cutting the turf oft' 

 completely. This causes the same kind of loss as is caused 

 by cut worms, grasshoppers, etc., or more severe because 

 of injury below the crown. At this time they are known as 

 white grubs and are similar in appearance to the larvae of the 

 stag beetles. If the grass is plowed under and the field is 

 ])lanted to some other cro]) the grubs starve or else attack 



