1G3 



rounded at the tip; grooves of the elytra dilated, shallow, and punc- 

 tured, the intermediate ridges narrower than the grooves and strongly 

 convex; underside a dull reddish-brown. Length from three to four- 

 tenths of an inch. 



macrodactylus subspinosus — Fabr. (The Rose-bug). 



Belonging to the same sub-family and possessing the same general or 

 family characters, that is having split claws, and short antennae with 

 a three-leaved club at the tip is the well-known rose-bug. It is only 

 about one-third of an inch long and much more slender in form than 

 those species, and having nothing of that fleshy, heav}^ appearance 

 they present. The joints of the feet are very long, which gave rise 

 to the generic name Macrodactylus, which signifies long-toed. 



As this insect has never been troublesome in that portion of the 

 State in which I live I have had no opportunity to study its habits, 

 and therefore give the following from Dr. Harris' very full account: 



The beetles come forth (in Massachusetts) in June or about the time 

 the damask rose blossoms ; and remain about thirty or forty days. 

 The female lays about thirty white and nearly globular eggs from one 

 to four inches beneath the surface of the soil. They are hatched in 

 about twenty days and the young larva begin at once to feed upon the 

 tender roots within their reach. Like the grubs of the species already 

 described, when not eating they lie upon the side with the body 

 curved so that the head and tail are nearly in contact. They attain 

 their full size in the autumn, being then nearly three-quarters of an 

 inch long, and about an eighth of an inch in diameter. They are of 

 a yellowish-white color with a tinge of blue toward the hinder ex- 

 tremity, which is thick and obtuse ; a few short hairs are scattered 

 on the surface of the body ; six short legs situated on the first three 

 rings behind the head ; the head is of a pale rust color. When win- 

 ter approaches they descend below the reach of frost ; here they remain 

 until spring; and having passed the pupa state they come forth in 

 the perfect or beetle state in June. 



It is in the latter state that they prove most injurious, often in- 

 flicting immense injury on the horticulturalist by eating the blossoms 

 and leaves of shrubs and trees. In its normal condition the rose blos- 

 soms appear to form the favorite food, but when it appears in vast 

 numbers it seems to be an indiscriminate feeder ; the grape-vine in 

 particular is liable to suffer ; cherry, plum and apple trees are often 

 materially injured. Nor do they stop with these, for in some instances 

 forest trees, corn, grain, grass and garden vegetables have been laid 

 under contribution to their voracious appetite; even elder, which is 

 supposed to be obnoxious to insects, is freely eaten by them. The 

 worthless ox-eye daisy (Chrysanthemum cucanthemuvi), according to Dr. 

 Fitch, is a favorate with them. They do not appear to be uniformly 

 distributed, but confined to somewhat limited areas, only one or two 

 of which, so far as I am aware, are found within our State ; another 

 area, including three or four counties, is found in Kansas; but it is 

 quite likely that in favorable seasons they will appear in different 

 localities. According to Prof. Riley, it has been ascertained that it 

 has strong predilection for the Clinton grape, and its close allies, and 

 that it will gather upon that variety and leave others unmolested; it 



