174 FORTV- FIFTH REPORT ON THE StATE MvSEUM. 



Another singular occurrence of this Telephorus larva is that in which 

 many specimens were drawn up from a well in Bloomfield, Conn., 

 adhering to the bucket, from the latter part of November, 1875, to the 

 month of April following, being the most abundant about Christmas, 

 on which day forty or fifty were drawn up at once. Dr. Riley's 

 explanation of their presence, is that " they must have been feeding 

 upon small animals in the crevices between the bricks [stones?], from 

 which they occasionally fell into the water and instinctively adhered 

 to the bucket."* 



Of the normal habits of Telephorus hiUneatas, Dr. Packard states, 

 that Mr. P. S. Sprague has found the larva near Boston under stones 

 in the spi'ing, when it pupates, and earl}'' in May becomes a 

 beetle. 



It should probably be regarded as a beneficial species from its habit 

 of feeding on other insects. Dr. Riley has bred the beetle from larva^ 

 found feeding on the apple-worm of the codling-moth, Carpocapsa 

 ponionella, and has frequently met with it under apple trees among 

 early wind-falls, where it was probably searching for the worms of the 

 infested fruit. He has also found it in the tree upon the apples. The 

 perfect insect appears to be mainly a vegetable feeder, having been 

 shaken from the branches of plum, peach, and apricot trees. Dr. 

 Packard states that early in May it feeds on the newly expanded 

 leaves of the birch. f 



This insect belongs to a subfamily of the Lanvpyridm^ or fire-flies, 

 viz., the Telephorinw. No light-organs exist in any of the species. 

 " They are more active than the other Lampyridm, and are often 

 found upon flowers, or running over the surface of leaves in search for 

 their prey, which seems to consist mostly of the soft larvte of other 

 insects" (LeBaron). 



PLachnosterna fusca (FrOhl.). 

 White Grub of the May Beetle. 

 In reply to a request from Red Bank, N. J., for name and habits of 

 specimens sent, the following answer was made through the Coxintry 

 Gentleman of October 29, 1891: 



The insects sent are white grubs, varying in size from about one- 

 fourth grown to nearly full growth, and are from q^^^ deposits of 



• First Annual Report of the U. S. Entomological Commission, 1878, p. 303. 



+ First Annual Report of the Injurious and Beneficial Insects of Massachusetts, 1871, p. 26. 



