1921] Scent glands of Coleoptera 147 



The larvae of certain Coleoptera, notably in the Chrysomelidse, also 

 are supplied with eversible hypodermal glands of various kinds. 

 Folsom (1906) states that "the larvse of Melasoma lapponicum 

 evert numerous paired vesicles which emit a peculiar odor." 



Packard has divided all scent-producing organs into repugnatorial 

 and alluring organs, and a third class including those for recog- 

 nition only, has been suggested by Mclndoo, who has directed 

 attention to the fact that it often is impossible to determine pur- 

 poses for which such organs are used. 



During the summer and fall of 1914 and the spring of 1915 

 collections of various species of adults of Eleodiini for breeding 

 purposes, aggregating several thousand specimens, were made by 

 the writer over a consideral^le area in Western Kansas and "Western 

 Nebraska, and during this period there were many opportimities 

 for making observations relative to a curious habit possessed b}"" 

 many members of that tril)e. When disturbed, many of them 

 have a habit of standing on their anterior and middle legs, elevating 

 the abdomen to its utmost height, appearing at times fairly to 

 stand upon their heads, and spurting sidewise right and left from 

 their eversible repugnatorial glands, a persistently malodorous 

 liquid having a peculiar penetrant odor, and capable, when brought 

 into accidental contact with the skin of the human hand, of making 

 a stain almost impossible to wash off, and the odor of which varies 

 in intensity with some of the species. 



"The smell of the glandular secretions," says Gissler (1879), "is 

 to my knowledge incomparable to anything else." The glands of 

 the species examined, Eleodes giganfea Mann., are in both sexes 

 embedded in the fat bodies on each side of the intestinal tract, 

 and consist of two reddish-brown organs about 6 mm. in length, 

 somewhat cylindrical at one end and roughly flattened at the other. 

 Gissler has records concerning the fluid that "When the secretion 

 is spurted on a glass slide, it solidifies within a few seconds, form- 

 ing an orange- colored magma of minute crystals, in other cases 

 it only partially crystallizes, and in others it remains entirely 

 liquid. It is in all cases of an acid reaction, and of an intensely 

 penetrant odor, causing the eye to lachrymate. It is soluble in 

 water, alcohol and ether. Boiled with concentrated sulphuric acid 

 and alcohol an ethereal aromatic vapor is produced, indicating the 



