﻿THE 
  INSECTS 
  OE 
  NEW 
  JERSEY. 
  

  

  283 
  

  

  CEROPHYTUM 
  Latr. 
  

  

  C. 
  pulsator 
  Halcl. 
  Fort 
  Lee, 
  1 
  specimen 
  (Sf). 
  

  

  Family 
  ELATERID^. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  belonging 
  to 
  this 
  family 
  are 
  commonly 
  known 
  as 
  "click," 
  

   "snapping"' 
  or 
  "spring 
  beetles," 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  power 
  of 
  springing 
  into 
  

   the 
  air 
  when 
  laid 
  on 
  their 
  back 
  and 
  turning 
  right-side-up 
  in 
  the 
  process. 
  

   The 
  prothorax 
  is 
  long, 
  loosely 
  jointed 
  to 
  the 
  meso-thorax, 
  prolonged 
  back- 
  

   ward 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  into 
  a 
  curved 
  process, 
  which 
  fits 
  into 
  a 
  groove 
  or 
  

   cavity 
  in 
  the 
  meso-thorax. 
  When 
  placed 
  on 
  its 
  back' 
  the 
  beetle 
  elevates 
  

   the 
  body 
  until 
  it 
  rests 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  tip 
  of 
  elytra, 
  and 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   spine 
  rests 
  at 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  cavity. 
  

   The 
  tension 
  is 
  then 
  suddenly 
  removed 
  

   and 
  the 
  curvature 
  reversed, 
  the 
  shoulders 
  

   of 
  the 
  wing-covers 
  striking 
  the 
  surface 
  

   hard 
  enough 
  to 
  elevate 
  the 
  beetle 
  for 
  

   quite 
  a 
  distance. 
  In 
  general 
  the 
  insects 
  

   are 
  at 
  least 
  three 
  times 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  wide, 
  

   broadest 
  at 
  the 
  shoulders 
  and 
  tapering 
  

   posteriorly. 
  The 
  prevailing 
  colors 
  are 
  

   brown, 
  black 
  or 
  yellowish, 
  and 
  few 
  of 
  

   'our 
  species 
  are 
  spotted 
  or 
  banded. 
  As 
  

   adults 
  they 
  rarely 
  do 
  much 
  feeding 
  and 
  

   are 
  not 
  injurious. 
  The 
  larvas 
  are 
  long, 
  

   slender, 
  a 
  little 
  flattened, 
  yellowish 
  or 
  

   whitish, 
  and 
  very 
  tough 
  or 
  leathery 
  in 
  

   texture, 
  whence 
  they 
  are 
  termed 
  "wire- 
  

   worms." 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  live 
  in 
  decaying 
  

   wood 
  and 
  are 
  practically 
  harmless, 
  but 
  

   others 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  

   roots 
  of 
  growing 
  plants, 
  chiefly 
  grasses. 
  

   Corn, 
  potatoes 
  and 
  other 
  crops 
  following 
  sod 
  are 
  chiefly 
  injured, 
  and 
  when 
  

   the 
  pests 
  are 
  very 
  abundant 
  little 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  to 
  stop 
  them. 
  Ordinary 
  

   insecticide 
  applications 
  are 
  entirely 
  useless, 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  practically 
  im- 
  

   possible 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  insects 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  feeding. 
  Systematic 
  fall 
  plow- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  sod 
  land 
  is 
  useful, 
  because 
  it 
  destroys 
  the 
  pupae 
  and 
  recently 
  de- 
  

   veloped 
  beetles, 
  and 
  this, 
  combined 
  with 
  short 
  periods 
  in 
  sod, 
  serves 
  to 
  

   lessen 
  the 
  evil. 
  Chickens 
  eat 
  the 
  insects 
  when 
  turned 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  plow, 
  

   and 
  hogs 
  take 
  them 
  greedily 
  when 
  they 
  can 
  get 
  at 
  them. 
  In 
  the 
  garden 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  attracted 
  to 
  cut 
  pieces 
  of 
  potato, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  gathered 
  and 
  

   destroyed 
  when 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  insects. 
  They 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  baited 
  with 
  

   little 
  masses 
  of 
  poisoned 
  sweet 
  dough 
  placed 
  underground, 
  but 
  that 
  is 
  

   only 
  attractive 
  while 
  fresh. 
  

  

  -A 
  click-beetle, 
  or 
  snap- 
  

   ping 
  beetle; 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  