80 



OLOVEK. 



BENEFICIAL INSECTS— Soft Beetles; Soldier Beetles; Soldiers 

 and Sailors. Telephonis rii/us, Linn. ; T. clypeatus, 111. ; and 

 other species. 



1, TELEPHOEns CLYPEATUS, magnified (size given below). T. rufus : 2, larva; 

 4, jaw of larva ; 5, apex of antennffi, showing the two processes, much magnified 

 (after G. 11. Waterhouse). 3, T. fuscds, pupa (after De Geer). 



It is somewhat difficult to place the infestation popularly known 

 by the above English names under any appropriate heading, as the 

 very common soft and carnivorous beetles are to be found on various 

 kinds of flowers, and the equally carnivorous larvae are also not limited 

 in their locality ; but some observation as to their beneficial habits in 

 ridding us of small vermin is needed, as they are too often credited (so 

 to express it) with causing us much harm. In the present case the 

 heading of Clover is perhaps as appropriate as any, as it will be seen 

 that the larvae sent me during the past season were from Wheat sown 

 after Clover ; and on reference I find one species of Telephorits larva 

 has been found so serviceable in destroying the maggots of a Plum 

 Weevil in America, that very possibly we might find on research that 

 our own Telephonis maggots also did good work amongst the maggots 

 of our own Clover-leaf Weevils. 



The Telephorus larvte are long, somewhat slender, and parallel- 

 sided ; the edges of the segments well marked. They are black or 

 very dark in colour, and may have reddish or white spots ; the texture 

 is velvety, and the head is exposed, and the abdominal segments 

 rounded. 



The beetles are of from about a quarter of an inch to half an inch 

 in length, soft-bodied, long and narrow in shape (see above figure), 

 and with flexible wing-cases, the horns (antennae) thread-like, and 

 legs long. They fly readily in the sunshine, and are to be found in 

 spring on flowers, especially on those of the Whitethorn and of Urn- 

 belli fertc — that is, of the very many kinds of flowers growing in a many- 

 stalked head from a central point, m the manner of Carrots and 

 Parsnips. 



