366 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



Fig. 423. — C/irt/ro 

 Xihora virfiiniensis 



elytra, the species of Chi-i/sohothrys, but are generally larger ami have a distinct sixth 

 ventral segment. C. liberta, from the eastern United States, is light copjier-bronze in 

 color, the elevated portions of the surface being polished while the 

 depressed parts are dull. It feeds, as larva, in pine woods, as does 

 also ('. virginiensis, which is generally a little darker colored and 

 somewhat larger; the former species is from 0.75 to 1.10 inches long. 

 The larvae of both species inhabit pine wood. Gi/ascutus and J'silop- 

 tera are genera only rej)resented by a few large species, from western 

 North America, of which the earlier stages are unknown ; they are 

 sejiarated from Chulcophora by their having the mentum rounded in 

 front ; they are distinguished from one another by the first joint of 

 the posterior tarsi lieing elongated in Gi/asciitus, and not elon- 

 gated in Psiloptera. Near these genera in classification are the ^„ 

 giant South American s]iecies of i'«c/«'OH/«, of which J'J.f/i;i<(ntC(( 

 has been already mentioned, and the brilliant oriental and African 

 species of C/tri/sochroa, the latter generic name being conqxiundcd /" 

 from two Greek words meaning " gold " and " skin." C/iri/soc/iroa i^ 

 ocelltitii, a large species from the East Indies, is beautiful shining 

 green, with elytra marked with golden and yellow spots, and three- 

 toothed at the apex. Sternocei-a, another Asiatic and African 

 genus, contains large and brilliant species, in which the sternum fig. 42i. — G;insciiti(s 



? . ° ' pliinicosta. 



IS prolonged forward and downwaiTl as a liorn. tSteriiocera chri/ni.s 



^^ large species with chestnut-brown elytra, lays ellijitical white eggs 



^ #f{(% / ''''^'^ ^^*^' ^'^^ "^^ ^" ™'^^ \ox\s, and 0.24 of an inch in shorter diameter, 

 and from which the larvir at hatching are about 0.-1:') of an inch 

 long. 



The dcscrilied sjiecies of Scauab^id.e number over seven 

 thousand. They are readily separ.'ited from all other Coleojitera 

 by the fonn of their antenna?, in which the outer joints — usually 

 three, sometimes as many as seven in number — are flattened 

 amellaj capable of close a))proximation to form a club, an<l by 

 their fossorial legs. The antenna', wliich are inserted beneath 

 the sides of the front, have from seven to eleven jciiuts; the 

 first joint is always elongated, and the second thicker th:m the 

 thinl. On .account of the form of their antenme, beetles of this family are often called 

 lamellicorns. There are no very minute species of Scaraba^idaj ; the family, on the 

 other hand, contains some extremely large insects, the. veritable ele])hants among 

 Coleoptera. The lamellicorns, of course, reach their greatest development, both as to 

 numl)er and size of species, in the tropics, but species of considerable size are not 

 wanting in the temjierate zone. These beetles attract the attention of people not 

 generally interested in natural history, not only on account of their large size, but 

 also liecause of their curious habits, sometimes useful to man, as are those of the 

 dung-beetles, one of which {Ateuchus sacer) was long recognized as sacred by the 

 -Egyptians. 



Quite a numlier of genera are wingless, although the greater part can fly. A large 

 number produce sounds, either by stridulation, by the motions of the wings, or in some 

 cases by the ra]iid passage (jf air in or out of the stigmata. Sonifaction is not confined 

 to imagos, for many lamellicorn l:u-v» stridulate by rubbing the maxilhc .against the 



Fig. 425. — rlirii.virliroa 

 ocellafa. 



