176 



Forty-fifth Report on the State Museum. 



stout; and "the wing-covers widened at the base and tapered toward 

 their tip, so that the two together just before their extreme tip equal 

 the basal width of one of them." The in^ectis represented in its several 

 stages in Figure 28. In the pupoe received, the characteristic w-mark- 

 ing in yellow of the black wing-covers, and the yellow transverse bands 

 of the thorax are already to be seen, indicating that they are near their 

 perfect stage. The beetles may emerge, if kept in a Avarm room dur- 

 ing the month of March, although under their natural conditions they 

 would not .'ippear until May or June. The species never injures hickory 

 trees to the extent that its congener does locusts. In many localities 

 the locust trees have been entirely destroyed by this pernicious borer. 



A detailed account of the larva (grub) of this species is contained in 

 the Fifth Report of the U. S. Eritomolo< ileal Cotnmission, by Dr. 

 Packard, 1890, page 287. 



In addition to the hickorj^ {Carya alha), C. pictus also burrows in 

 the black walnuc {Juglans nigra) and in the butternut {Juglans cinerea). 



This species appears abroad early in the spring (in May and June), 

 while C. robinim occurs during the month of September. Remember- 

 ing this will enable any one to identify at once the examples of the two 

 from any that may be captured abroad, or from dates of collections 

 indicated in cabinets. 



Tenebrio molitor (Linn.). 

 The Meal-ioomi. 

 Two of the pupffi and two beetles, identified as the above named 

 insect, were received from Newark Valley, N. Y., as having been found, 

 together with many of the " grubs," in Ashton's factory-filled salt which 

 had been stored, unopened, for two months in a tight meal room. The 

 question was asked how they came there and if it was safe to use the 

 salt in which they occurred, in butter and food. 



If the pupjc and beetles sent were actually found toithin, the nalJ, 



the following explanation of 

 their occurrence there, is the 

 only one that presents itself, 

 "^rho meal-room, in all prob- 

 ability, h a r b o r e d numliers 

 o f the meal-worm — the 

 larvie of the beetles. After 

 having fed to inaturity on the 

 meal or flour at hand, in leav- 

 "^ ing it for some convenient 

 place for transformation t<» ihe 



Fig. 29.— The meal-worm, Tenebrio molitor; c, d, a, P^ip^^ ^"*^ ]>erfect stagCS, they 

 the larva, pupa, and imago, natural size; also the entered the sack Or barrc]^ 



through some hole or crevice 



beetle enlarged. 



