358 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



Fig. 406.— 



liero. 



■iulicmf 



devours the larvie and }iu]ire of the bees. Tlie iiiingo is found from May to Jul)- ; tlie 

 hirva remains from July until the next year in the bees' nests. In America Triv/iodcs 

 nuttalU is not rare in August ujion flowers of Spirtna alba, but its 

 larval liabits have not been studied. It is about 0.4 of an inch long, 

 and somewhat resembles T. apiurius in color and markings. The 

 genus AuKciis, which has the apex of lioth labial and maxillary 

 \ jialpi dilated, is fminil on the western coast of North America, as is 

 also the very slender Pen7i//)/is carbonari us, in wliicli the jiosterior 

 thighs are elongated. 



The larv;e of TiUiis uiiifa-'^rhitus, a European species, li\e in dried 

 grape twigs, jireying upon larvaj of Auaspis maculata and Apate 

 se.cde/itata ; and finally ])upating in the twigs. It is ])robable that 

 T. collaris, from Georgia, has analogous habits. 



The faniilv of Malachid.e is often united with the next succeeding family (Lani- 

 pvi-idie) from the species of which the members of this family differ in having only six 

 free venti'al segments, and in the insertion of a sejiarate piece between the front and 

 the labruin. 



The genus MalacJdus, and a few of its allies, has excited the attention of many 

 observers on account of its protrusion of two evaginable ]irci- 

 cesses from each side. In 3/a/achitis aneus each anterior 

 process is trilobed, and is pushed out on each side from 

 lieneath the anterior angles of the prothorax ; each posterior 

 process is bilobed and originates between the metathorax 

 and first abdominal segment. These jirocesses are of a deli- 

 cate red or reddish-yellow tissue ; they were shown by Dr. 

 H. Liegel to be evaginated by tilling with the blood or liody- 

 fluid of the insect, and to be retracted by muscles within 

 them. The function of these organs is unknown. 



3fa1arliius aneus, the beetle just mentioned, is about 



0.2 of an inch long ; the anterior angles of its prothorax 



and the outer jiortion of its elytra are dull red, the rest of 



the insect is bronze green. It is found both in Europe and 



in the United States, having been 



introduced into the latter country. 



The beetle eats the pollen of grass and other plants, and is 

 possibly sometimes carnivorous ; the larva lives beneath the 

 bark of trees, where it hunts out and devours the larvae of 

 other insects. 



The LA'MPVRni.E are beetles of soft texture and medium 

 or small size ; the head is sometimes hidden l>y the front of 

 the jirothorax, an<l sometimes prominent and exiiosed; the 

 antenna' are generally serrate, and usually eleven-jointed ; 

 the elytr.T, usually (pute soft and yielding, may be short or 

 even wanting in tlie females of certain genera. Tlie larvre 

 are flattened, often dark-colored and velvety, and have an 

 ocellus on each side the retractile head ; they are generally 

 carnivorous, living under stones and bark, or u])oii ihf giduiul, where they devour 

 snails and larvae of insects. Sometimes tin- vthety lar\a' of certain species of 



Fig. 407. — Afaheclnus mar- 

 (luiicoUis. 



Pig. 4118. — M,fl,irli!ns fi^liiiL 



