INSECTS Al-l-ECTlNi; I'AKK AND WOODLAND TREES 485 



Owl beetle 



yl/diis oiitlatiis Linn. 

 A large, i;itlur stout, Mack, w lutein, irktd l)eetl(.-, 1'/. inLJies long, bearing two 

 conspiciKjiis cvolikc s|iiiis, is irL-qiifUllv iiu-t with in <k-( aviiii; wood. 



1 luTc ai\' a niiinhcf nt insects hi'oti^ht to tin- attention of llie ento- 

 mologists from Near to \<-ar on accotmt of sonic peculiarit)' ami such is the 

 case with this species. Its conspicuous ejclike s])ots on the prothora.x 

 excite the attention of e\ en the most casual ohse-rxH-r, and as the beetle is 

 not \<r\' common, most specimens obsc-i'\'ed art- captured, and are very 

 likel)' to tind their way into the hamls of soimt entomologist. 



This s|)ecies cannot be lonsideretl injiiriotis, since it occurs only in 

 deca\ing wood, and the obserxalions of 1 )r I-ugger would seem to indicate 

 that ii can be classed among our bciieticial s|)ecies. He has foiinil in his 

 own experience that it was impossiljle to rear the lar\ae or grtd)s, imless 

 they were pro\-ided with living insects which they soon toimd and dexoiired. 



Description. This large snapping beetle ma\ be easily recognized b\- 

 reference to plate 39, tigiire 2, which shows it about natural size ami repre- 

 sents the api^earance of a well marked indi\ itiiial. The conspicuous e\elike 

 spots are found only in one other nati\e beetle, a \ c-r\' rare species. This 

 insect is re|)resentali\'e of a ver\- large family, members of which possess 

 the power of projc-cting themsehcs u])ward suddenly 1)\' the means of a 

 peculiar springing ap])aratus on the ventral sin-face. .\ stout spine on the 

 thorax projects back in a socket in the abdonu-n and by bending its body 

 backwards, the beetle can raise its spint; and rest it on the edge of the 

 socket, and then with a sudden muscular exertion, spring it back into the 

 cavity. The restilt is that tht; Ix-etle is thrown into the air to a hight sev- 

 eral times its length. I'his device is ajiparenlly for no other purpose than 

 to enable the insect to regain its feet, evidently ver\- useful, since this beetle 

 and its allies are nearly helpless \vhenev(,>r they fall on their back. This 

 peculiar snapping has leil to these insects being called snapping or click 

 beetles, and the entire family, which is composed of a large number of 

 forms, are known to scientists as Elateridae. 



