274 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



47. Geometrid caterpillar. 



This span worm, which exactly resembles a small twig of the elm, 

 occurred at Brunswick, Me., August 20. It did not complete its 

 transformations, as a small Ichneumon came out of the end of the 

 body. 



Larva.— Body cylindrical, smooth, slightly wrinkled. Head cleft, but the lateral 

 tubercles are not very high, subacute, quite regularly conical. Prothoracic segment 

 slightly wider than the head ; square in front, edge touched with light dull white. 

 Fifth abdominal segment with two conspicuous rounded conical tubercles concolor- 

 ous with the body, which is reddish brown— just the tint of a small elm twig. Penult- 

 imate segment a little humped and rough and dark. Supra-anal plate triangular, 

 rather acute ; surface rather rough, a little granulated. Anal legs very broad and 

 rather short and with the dorsal spines rather broad; hind edge of legs and spines 

 edged with fine setae like a fringe. Front part of each abdominal segment lighter, 

 being marbled or speckled with dark on a somewhat lilac ground, but these patches 

 are scarcely well enough marked to give the body a checkered appearance. Full- 

 fed, August 20 to 25. Length, 25™™. 



48. The goldsmith beetle. 



Cotalpa lanigera Linn 



Order Coleoptera ; family Scarab.eid^. 



This beetle is nearly an inch in length, bright yellow above, with a 

 golden metallic luster on the head and thorax, while the under side of 

 the body is copper-colored, and densely covered with white hairs. 



Dr. Harris says that it is very common, remarking that it begins to 

 appear in Massachusetts about the middle of May, and continues 

 generally till the 20th of June. " In the morning and evening twilight 

 they come forth from their retreats, and fly about with a humming 



and rustling sound among the 

 branches of trees, the tender 

 leaves of which they devour. 

 Pear trees are particularly sub- 

 ject to their attacks, but the 

 elm, hickory, poplar, oak, and 

 probably also other kinds of 

 trees, are frequented and in- 

 jured by them." Dr. Lockwood 

 has found it on the white pop- 

 lar of Europe, the sweet-gum, 

 and has seen it eating the Law- 

 ton blackberry. He adds that the larvte of these insects are not 

 known ; probably they live in the ground upon the roots of plants. 



It has remained for the Kev. Dr. S. Lockwood to discover that the 

 grub or larva of this pretty beetle in New Jersey devastates straw- 

 berry beds, the larva feeding upon the roots, in the same manner as 

 the May beetle. His account was first published in the American 



Fig. 107— The Goldsmith beetle and larva. 



