148 COLEOPTERA. 



TTTepov, wing) or sheath-winged insects. These elytra 

 are but little used, and the mesothorax is correspond- 

 ingly small and narrow. They extend outward on 

 either side, at right angles to the body when the in- 

 sect is flying, and their form and weight is one cause 

 of the beetle's clumsy motions in the air. The chiti- 

 nous character of the wing-covers is constant, and en- 

 ables scholars to recognize quickly the members of 

 this order of insects. The true or hind pair of wings 

 (Fig. 86, w") are active in flight, and are wefl devel- 

 oped like the metathorax that bears them. When not 

 in use they are neatly folded over the abdomen by 

 means of a joint in the large anterior vein. The abdo- 

 men does not bear an external ovipositor. The meta- 

 morphosis of this insect is indirect. Lintner^ has 

 shown that our knowledge of its life-history is far from 

 satisfactory. The eggs are probably laid in the earth, 

 the female burrowing by means of the wedge-shaped 

 head and first pair of legs. 



The larva or grub (PL VI., Fig. 8S) leaves the egg in 

 a very immature condition. Its body is white in color, 

 cylindrical in form, and the thoracic and abdominal 

 rings resemble each other. These are creased in such 

 a way that the apparent number of rings is much 

 greater than the real number. The posterior part of 

 the abdomen is curved under the body, which indi- 

 cates that the insect does not crawl on a level surface 

 like the caterpillar, but moves about surrounded by 

 earth, or hes quietly upon its side. So strongly fixed 

 is this habit of lying upon its side, that when the grub 



1 See "The White Grub of the May-Beetle," £ii//. jV. V. 

 Mus. A'a/. Hist., No. 5, 1888. 



