BEETLES. 309 



the mimicry so f;ir as tu have yellow sjxits mi the abdominal segments to oorrespond 

 with the luminous portions of the tire-tiy. Other lieetle.s imitate sticks, seeds, and 

 parts of plants. The cocoon of a European weevil {Vioims scrophulariw) resembles 

 very closely the seed-capsules of the species of /Scrophidaria on which the larva 

 feeds. 



Other common means which beetles employ to escape from their enemies are 

 dropj)ing to the ground and feigning death, a practice of weevils; use of disagreeable 

 odors and secretions, as is general with lady-birds; appearing as if aljout to bite or to 

 sting, or rapid running and flying. 



A few beetles liave been made directly useful to man ; indirectly a large number 

 of them benefit mankind. Perha2)S the blister-beetles (Meloidtv) are most evidently 

 useful to man, since from them are derived the various forms of vesicatory medicines, 

 known under the name of cantharides. In earlier times other beetles were used for 

 medicinal purposes. The larv:e of the palm-weevil of tropical America (lihi/ncho- 

 phonts 2M/''Mrum), or of other large ]ialm-weevils, are roasted and eaten as delicacies 

 by numerous tril)es in the tropics of both hemisiilieres. The Cossus, which Pliny 

 says lioman epicures fattened with flour, probably was tlie larva of Prionus coriurius, 

 a longicorn ; larv:e of Prtoniis, as well as those of other large longicorns, are still 

 eaten roasted in many jiarts of the woi'ld. Beetles of man}' species are used as orna- 

 ments : tire-flies, iini)risoned in gauze or otherwise conflned, end)ellisli the evening 

 coiffure of ladies, both in the East and West Indies ; the elytra or whole bodies of 

 brilliant tropical Coleoptera are formed into pictures, are used to trim dresses and 

 hats, are even set in jewelry ; and, in some cases, a beautiful chrysomelid {Chrysovhus 

 aiiratits), common in the eastern United States ui)on species of dogbane (Apoci/iiiaii), 

 has helped adorn ladies for evening parties in this part of the world. In China 

 the people sometimes derive amusement from beetles, which they conflne in order 

 to watch them tight, in the same way as they contine species of Mantis for like 

 purpose. 



The indirect iienetit which man derives from Coleoptera is fully as important as 

 are the direct uses to which he puts them. Thousands of species of beetles prey 

 u]ion ]ilant-eating insects, others remove refuse and decaying animal and vegetable 

 matter, still others hel]) in fertilizing flowers ; many furnish food to useful birds and 

 fishes, — but it is futile to s|iecify further in this direction. 



Few beetles are directly iujnrious to man; when they bite it is in self-defence; but 

 their injuries to crops, forests, fruits, lumber, liuildings, furniture, carpets, and books 

 are notorious, and can be Iiest noticed later. 



Beetles are divide<l into four great groups (Cryptotetramera, Cryptopentamera, 

 Heteromera, and Pentamera), .according to the number of segments of their tarsi. 

 This classification is not ])erfect, in that a few families or genera fall into groups where 

 they would not belong on account of tlieir tarsal characters, but into grou])S in which 

 they must be included on account of other important characters. The late Dr. J. L. 

 LeConte, an eminent authority on Xorth American Ijeetles, divided tlie Coleo])tcra- 

 into two parts, the genuine Coleoptera and the Khynchonhora or weevils, but this 

 division lias not yet niet with general acceptance. 



To the Heteromera are added, in the following pages, the Stylopida>, a family 

 wluch, according to some authors, forms an order of insects, the Strcpsiptera. The 

 Strepsiptera, for they are in all probability a separate order, have from two to four 

 tarsal joints, according' Xo the o-enus. 



