106 LAMELLICORN-BEETLES. 



The vegetable-feedinc^ lamellicorn beetles conitain no directly 

 beneficial insects, but a number of more or less injurious ones, 

 causing, generally speaking, but slight losses. But most of their 

 larvse are decidedly injurious, and all are similar in shape to the 

 well known "white grubs". Prof. Srnith writes that : 



"Taken as a whole, the lamellicorns contain no directly ben- 

 eficial insects, and the white-grub larvee are in many cases in- 

 jurious when they feed on the roots of cultivated plants. Where 

 a variety of cultivated crops follow each other, there is little 

 chance for their excessive development, and frequent rotation 

 is therefore indicated, with as short a period in grass as may be. 

 As the beetles in most cases appear in spring, and oviposit late in 

 TvTav or in June, land bare at that time will probably escape. Fall 

 sowing of crimson clover, to be turned under by the middle of 

 May or before, will in some cases protect the land and adt as a 

 green manure if required ; or it may be allowed to remain until 

 mature to make hay, and, if then ploughed and put into potatoes 

 or some crop which the white grubs do not attack, such as are then 

 in 'the ground will be starved out. Where white grubs are abund- 

 ant, strawberries should not follow sod or other grass crops di- 

 rectly, and the beds should be kept clean, at least through the 

 second year. \\'here the culprits are species of Lachnosterna, 

 fall ploughing is indicated, since this will turn out the newly 

 formed bedtles at an unseasonable period, and will cause their 

 death in most cases". 



R. PLA XT-EATERS. 



(Phytophaga ). 



We now reach the large series of beetles which belong to the 

 Ph\tophaga or Plant-caters, beetles distinguished by very long 

 and thread-like feelers, and which possess apparently four-jointed 

 tarsi, with the 'third joint deeply lobed. This series of more or 

 less injurious beetles is divided into two families, the Ccrainby- 

 cidae or Long-horned Beetles, (Bock-kaefer of the Germans), and 

 the Chrysomelidae, or Leaf-beetles. ' 



