86 LAMELLICORN-BEETLES. 



Frequently, when dig-ging the ground, a pale-brown, egg-shaped 

 rocoon is turned up (Fig. 93^) ; within this, when fresh, will be 

 found a whitish grub, represented at 92c, which, during its 

 growth, has fed upon the larva of the May beetle. Within this 

 snug enclosure it soon changes to a pupa, and finally assumes the 

 perfect form, as shown at a in the figure. The fly is black, with 

 sometimes a faint bluish tint, with dusky wings, and the body 

 more or less covered with pale-yellow hairs, which are thickest 

 on the under side. 



"A curious whitish fungus sometimes attacks this larva and 

 destroys it, growing out at the sides of the head ; the protuber- 

 ance or sprout rapidly increases in size, ofi'cen attaining a length 

 of three or four inches, when it presents the appearance in Fig. 

 94. A verv large number frequently die from this cause. Trees 

 infested with the beetles should be shaken early in the morning, 

 when the insects wall fall, and may be collected on sheets and 

 killed by being throAvn into scalding waiter. Besides the cherry 

 and plum, these insects feed on the Lombardy poplar and the 

 oaks. On account of the length of time the larva takes to ma- 

 ture, the beetles are not often abundant during two successive 

 seasons." 



Alt the time Prof. Saunders wrote the above excellent de- 

 scription the numerous species of the genus Lachnostcrna were 

 not yet well understood, but since that time a number of ento- 

 mologists have not alone studied the adult forms, which belong 

 to more than sixty species, but also their larvae, the "white 

 grubs," have been studied. Hence the description given above 

 applies not to a single species, described as L. fiisca Froeh., but 

 to a whole group of very similar kinds. Such studies have not, 

 however, given us newer and better methods to combat the in- 

 juries caused by such insects in the larval condition; to fight such 

 grubs successfully is still an unsolved problem. 



In Minnesota we have a number of species varying in size, 

 color, and structural details; some are small and yellow, cov- 

 ered with long hairs, others are dark and smooth; some fly at 

 the time of vear that gives such beetles the popular name of 



