﻿Order 
  COLEOPTERA. 
  

  

  The 
  Coleoptera 
  or 
  beeiles 
  are 
  recognizable 
  by 
  their 
  hard 
  or 
  leathery 
  

   wing 
  covers, 
  which 
  are 
  laid 
  over 
  the 
  abdomen 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  meet 
  in 
  a 
  

   straight 
  line 
  down 
  the 
  back, 
  the 
  hind 
  wings 
  being 
  transversely 
  folded 
  

   beneath 
  them. 
  They 
  have 
  mandibulate 
  or 
  chewing 
  mouth 
  parts 
  and 
  feed 
  

   on 
  a 
  great 
  range 
  of 
  substances, 
  animal 
  and 
  vegetable, 
  as 
  well 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  

   as 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  stages. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  part 
  of 
  plants 
  that 
  is 
  not 
  attacked 
  by 
  

   some 
  species, 
  hence 
  many 
  are 
  seriously 
  injurious; 
  but, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  

   predatory 
  forms 
  occur 
  also 
  in 
  great 
  abundance, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  

   markedly 
  beneficial. 
  The 
  larvae 
  vary 
  much 
  in 
  shape, 
  but 
  never 
  have 
  more 
  

   than 
  six 
  functional 
  legs, 
  and 
  their 
  habits 
  are 
  as 
  diverse 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   adults. 
  The 
  pupal 
  stage 
  is 
  inactive, 
  and 
  the 
  metamorphosis 
  is 
  therefore 
  

   complete. 
  

  

  The 
  characters 
  upon 
  which 
  classification 
  is 
  based 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  joints 
  on 
  the 
  feet 
  and 
  in 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  antennas 
  or 
  feelers, 
  the 
  snout 
  

   beetles 
  being 
  first 
  separated 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  mouth 
  parts, 
  which 
  are 
  set 
  at 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  a 
  longer 
  or 
  shorter 
  beak. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  usually 
  difficult 
  to 
  determine 
  whether 
  a 
  beetle 
  is 
  probably 
  in- 
  

   jurious, 
  harmful 
  or 
  beneficial, 
  if 
  a 
  few 
  points 
  of 
  structure 
  are 
  carefully 
  

   observed. 
  

  

  First. 
  — 
  Practically 
  all 
  weevils 
  or 
  snout 
  beetles 
  are 
  plant 
  feeders 
  and 
  

   may 
  be 
  or 
  become 
  injurious; 
  none 
  are 
  beneficial. 
  

  

  Second. 
  — 
  All 
  beetles 
  that 
  have 
  only 
  four 
  apparent 
  joints 
  to 
  the 
  feet 
  or 
  

   tarsi, 
  the 
  third 
  joint 
  lobed 
  or 
  split, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  looked 
  upon 
  with 
  suspicion, 
  

   for 
  they 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  either 
  leaf 
  beetles, 
  like 
  the 
  potato 
  or 
  asparagus 
  

   beetle, 
  or 
  wood-borers 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  "Cerambycids," 
  like 
  the 
  round-headed 
  

   apple 
  borer. 
  

  

  Third. 
  — 
  Beetles 
  with 
  five-jointed 
  tarsi 
  or 
  feet, 
  and 
  feelers 
  that 
  have 
  a 
  

   large 
  leaf-like 
  club 
  at 
  tip 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  leaf 
  chafers, 
  like 
  the 
  "May- 
  

   beetle" 
  or 
  "rose-bug," 
  and 
  their 
  larvae 
  are 
  "white 
  grubs," 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  

   are 
  injurious. 
  A 
  few 
  of 
  these 
  beetles 
  are 
  scavengers 
  and 
  at 
  least 
  harm- 
  

   less, 
  but 
  none 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  accounted 
  really 
  beneficial. 
  

  

  Fourth. 
  — 
  Beetles 
  with 
  five-jointed 
  tarsi 
  and 
  antennae 
  that 
  are 
  somewhat 
  

   flattened 
  and 
  have 
  the 
  joints 
  marked 
  like 
  the 
  teeth 
  of 
  a 
  saw 
  are 
  likely 
  

   to 
  be 
  injurious. 
  If 
  the 
  prothorax 
  is 
  loosely 
  jointed 
  to 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  

   body, 
  they 
  are 
  snapping 
  or 
  click 
  beetles, 
  whose 
  larvae 
  are 
  wire-worms, 
  

   and 
  this 
  series 
  contains 
  also 
  the 
  Buprestidae 
  or 
  fiat-headed 
  borers. 
  

  

  Fifth.— 
  If 
  the 
  antennae 
  are 
  gradually 
  enlarged 
  toward 
  the 
  tip, 
  forming 
  

   a 
  club, 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  scavengers 
  or 
  feeders 
  upon 
  dead 
  or 
  

   dry 
  animal 
  or 
  vegetable 
  matter; 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  many 
  exceptions, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  safe 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  such 
  species 
  are 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  feeders 
  

   upon 
  growing 
  vegetation. 
  

  

  Sixth. 
  — 
  Beetles 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  hind 
  tarsi 
  or 
  feet 
  are 
  4-jointed, 
  while 
  the 
  

   others 
  have 
  five 
  joints, 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  prove 
  feeders 
  in 
  dead 
  or 
  dying 
  wood 
  

  

  (195) 
  

  

  