264 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



the damage of rhe Leather Beetle to boots and shoes eau be avoided in 

 the manufactory. 



In the case of transportation of made-up leather goods by transpor- 

 tation companies which also carry hides, it devolves upon such com- 

 panies to exercise the same degree of care and cleanliness, as they are 

 otherwise liable to lay themselves open to damages payable to the own- 

 ers of the more expensive goods. 



DESCRIPTIVE. 



We have already indicated the character of the egg and the dis- 

 tingaishiug characters of the mature beetle. The pup'a (PI. YI, Fig. 

 //) will be found to possess no characters of value to distinguish it 

 from that of allied species. It is very diflicult also to separate the 

 larva from that of other closely-related species; nor have the species of 

 the genus been sufficiently well studied or described in the adolescent 

 states to enable us to point out what differences there may exist. As a 

 "beginning in this direction, and because no detailed description of this 

 larva has been published, we append one : 



Dermestes vuLrixus.— JLr«/»re 7an-a.~Avorage lengtli, 14™™ ; greatest diameter, 

 3™™. Subcyliudrical, tapering botli ways, Liit more suddenly posteriorly. Color 

 above at the interstices Inteoua-brown, the horny plates polished, deep chestnut- 

 brown ; a medio-dorsal, rather broad line. Veutrally pale yellowish-white, except 

 posteiiorly, where, from joint 6, the dark color of the superior surface incloses the 

 spiracles and then extends more and more beneath until from joint 10 to the pseudo- 

 ])od the wliolc inferior surface is more or less brown. Legs yellowish-brown, with 

 dark- brown chitiuous pieces around exterior of base and on the trochanters. Pro- 

 thoracic spiracles on a lateral fold between joints 1 and 2, and four times as large aa 

 the others. First and second abdominal spiracles easily detected by virtue of their 

 being upon the white ventral ground, the others obscured by being within the brown 

 posterior shade. Head above dark chestnut-brown^ opaque, roughly and irregularly 

 punctate, with numerous small tubercles that give rise to hairs. Between the an- 

 tennae, and about equidistant from them, are two wart-like protuberances. Trophi 

 (PI. VI, Fig. 2 e) light brown, except the mandibles and the rather prominent ocelli, 

 which are black; a space around the ocelli, connecting with an anterior border and 

 with the mcdio-dorsal lino, is light brown ; ocelli, G; antenna3 short, 3-jointed, second 

 joint longest; mandibles robust, with three sharp teeth at their tips, which are 

 strengthened by thick, chitinous ribs; uiaxillai (Fig. 2, f) short, with two terminal 

 lobes, of which the interior one is a corneous hook; maxillary palpi very short, 3- 

 jointed ; labium (Fig. 2, g) quadrate, corneous, with short, 3-joiuted palpi. Joint 1 of 

 body is as lon<; as 2 and 3, and it is also distinguished by lacldng the elevated ridges ; 

 its whole surface is dotted with small piliferous tubercles, which are much more 

 prominent near the lateral and the anterior margins. All joints possess a straight 

 row of tubercles along the posterior margin (PI. VI, Fig. 2 d) ; the hairs arising 

 from them are very long and directed posteriorly ; also six elevated, transverse-diag- 

 onal ridges, from which arise from six to eight coarse, bristie-liko hairs, which are 

 movable. Joints 7 to 12, inclusive, differ from the others by each jiosscssing in ad- 

 dition at their anterior margin a sculpture of teeth-like elevations, varying in num- 

 ber from fifteen to seventeen, and pointing backwards. Besides the hairs already 

 mentioned, which are dark-brown on the iipi^er surface, there are many much finer 

 hairs, which arise from smaller tubercles scattered all over the space between the 

 definitely Arranged ridges. The eleventh joint is further distinguished by the pos- 

 session of two stout and pointed horns, directed backwards and curved upwards at 

 their tips. The very small terminal subjoint, clothed with but a few long hairs, is 

 retractile, and is used with its extensible sticky anus as a pseudojjod. ' All the early 

 larval forms are very similar. When born the larva is almost pure white, with light 

 brown hairs ; this color rapidly changes within a few hours to the normal dark-brown, 

 with paler, medio-dorsal stripe. 



The differences between the young and adult larva3 may be formulated by stating 

 that the more immature larvaj are somewhat paler, are clothed with comparatively 

 longer and finer hairs, and principally so on the posterior joints, and lack the peculiar 

 sculpture of teeth-like projections upon the posterior joints 7 to 12. This sculpture 

 first appears with the sixth molt or in the last larval stage. 



