25 



the latter part of August, which soon after was transformed into a per- 

 fect insect making it evident it had entered this state early in that 

 month. 



The worms, as before stated, are very slender, the smaller species 

 scarcely exceeding a knitting needle in diameter, yet half an inch or 

 more in length ; while the larva 1 of our largest species is as thick as a 

 goose quill and two inches long. The smaller and ordinary species 

 which reside in the ground are mostly cylindrical, while the larger spe- 

 cies are slightly flattened. They are of equal size throughout, the head 

 and last segment being narrowed, the cross sutures between the seg- 

 ments are but slightly impressed, and the body generally smooth and 

 glossy, of a pale or yellowish color when young or immediately after 

 moulting, but usually tawny or brown, especially on the back ; the 

 mandibles are black. The body is composed of twelve segments be- 

 sides the head ; the first, second and third immediately behind the 

 head each, bear a pair of four-jointed tapering legs, which are tipped 

 with a single claw ; on the underside of the last segment is a tubercle, 

 which is used as a kind of a terminal foot, and which is perforated for 

 the termination of the alimentary canal. 



The perfect insects will be found fully described elsewhere 

 in this report. The following species are there mentioned and 

 described simply as examples to illustrate the form and character of 

 the insects belonging to the Elater family — Alaus oculatu*, Orthestethm 

 infuscatus, Melanotics fissilis M. communis Monocrepidius lividus, Mdanect&t 

 mori, Agriotes mancus, Ludius attenuatns. 



Besides these we may add the following, mentioned by Dr. Le Baron 

 in his fourth Report : " Elater rubricollis, Say, is a little more than 

 half an inch long, black with a light red thorax, bordered and pointed 

 behind with black ; E. sanguipennis, Say, is black with light red elytra ; 

 three-tenths of an inch in length, and the elytra are tipped with 

 black; E. nigricollis, Say, varies from less than half to three-quarters 

 of an inch in length, black with whitish elytra; E. linteus, Say, re- 

 sembles the last, but is distinguished by having the suture and tip of 

 the elytra black ; E. scapidaris, Say, is a little less than four-tenths of 

 a.n inch long, greenish black, with the base of the elytra and the hind 

 points of the thorax clay-yellowish ; the tarsal joints are lobed be- 

 neath. It is now included in the genus Athous. Limouius aranus, Say, 

 is also light red on the shoulders of the elytra, but the thorax is whol- 

 ly black, the tarsi are simple, and the length is only a quarter of an 

 inch. Several species of Corymbetes have the elytra brownish-yellow 

 with tranverse black zig-zag black bands; C. hieroglyphics, Say, half an 

 inch long, has two bands ; and C. hamatus, rather smaller, has but one 

 band near the tip." 



He says that Melanotic fissilis and M. communis, two of our most com- 

 mon species, are sometimes found under the bark of dead trees, having 

 probably recently emerged from the pupa state. I have frequently 

 found them hiding thus during the winter, or late in the fall. But 

 the inference should not be drawn from this that they are produced 

 from larva? that live in rotten wood, as this does not necessarily fol- 

 low. They are also very common on the leaves of trees, and 

 bushes, oak bushes appearing to form a favorite resort. 



I was not favored with any specimens of the worms damaging the 

 crops in Macoupin county, and can therefore only guess in regard to 



