1838. HOUSE— No. 72. 73 



be most successful, and which, as before said, consist in making a 

 general pursuit and destruction of the insects in their perfect state. 

 Those within reach of the hand may be gathered into suitable ves- 

 sels, others may be shaken from small trees into cloths spread be- 

 neath them. It may even be worth the trouble to mow down rapid- 

 ly the white weed in arid pastures, and consume it, with the sluggish 

 rose-bugs upon it, on the spot. 



Belonging to the great family of Scarabasidae, and included in De 

 Geer's division of flower-beetles, is one insect which has become in- 

 jurious to fruit trees. It is the Trichius scaber, of Palissotde Beau- 

 vois. In Trichius the body is thick, short, flattened above. The 

 plate (clypeus) above the mouth oblong square ; the antennae, like 

 those of Melolontha, are terminated by a three-leaved club ; the thorax 

 is nearly orbicular, buckler-shaped, or hexagonal, usually longer than 

 broad, and narrower than the abdomen ; the elytra, taken together, are 

 perfectly quadrate, with the posterior margin straight; the posterior ex- 

 tremity of the body is more exposed than in Melolontha ; the nails are 

 neither toothed or bifid. The larvaslive in the trunks of trees, and most 

 of the perfect insects are clothed with hairs, whence their name Tri- 

 chius, signifying hairy. The species under consideration, with two 

 or three others, are entirely destitute of hairs, and offer other minute 

 characters distinct from the hairy Trichii, whence they have been 

 denominated Gymnodi, or naked. 



The larva of Trichius (or more properly Gymnodus) scaber close- 

 ly resembles that of Melolontha. It lives in the trunks of old cher- 

 ry trees, whose decay it accelerates. In the autumn it forms a cell 

 or cocoon of the debris or woody fibres of the tree, which is strong- 

 ly cemented within ; the perfect insect is developed in July. It 

 flies abroad only in the night, and conceals itself during the day in 

 the crevices of trees. It betrays its retreat by the powerful odor 

 which it exhales, and which is perceptible at the distance of several 

 feet. 



The habits of the insects which belong to the genus Lucanus are 

 similar to those of the insect just described. The larvae have a 

 general resemblance to those of the Scarabaei. and live in the trunks 

 of old trees. The perfect insect is readily distinguished by the ob- 

 long form of its body which is rounded behind, and slightly flattened 



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