CHAPTER FOURTEEN 



THE DESTRUCTIVE SKIN-EATERS (DERMESTES), FOND OF 

 ONE'S SPECIMENS, CARPETS AND FURNITURE. STAG 

 BEETLES OR PINCH-BUGS. THE GOLDSMITH BEETLE. 

 JUNE BUGS. THE SPOTTED PELIDNOTA OR GRAPE VINE 

 BEETLE. 



BUFFALO BEETLES ( DERMESTES ) 



The buffalo beetles will give the collector a 

 lot of trouble. He will have no trouble collecting 

 them, for they collect themselves and will be found 

 to be passionately fond of a collection of other 

 beetles or butterflies and moths. They are oblong 

 and oval, with short legs, colored with white and 

 brick-red and black, the bottom of the elytra 

 (wing-covers) grayish, decorated with two broad 

 lines (Fig. 207). 



The beetle is slow in movement, and when fright- 

 ened it plays possum, that is, pretends to be dead. 



It is the larv£e or grubs of this tribe which de- 

 vour dried meat, skins, leather, tortoise shell and 

 almost any animal substance, and are exceedingly 

 destructive to books and furniture. Although ob- 

 noxious in these respects, the insects of this family 

 are of great service in the economy of nature, by 

 helping to destroy animal matter and work it into a 



226 



