88 DR. HARRIS'S REPORT. April, 



forated diametrically through with their cylindrical passages. Mr. 

 Say has described three insects of this family which are very injuri- 

 ous to the pines. 



Among the insects which facilitate the destruction of old trees are 

 those belonging to the family Cucujiadce,. They are found beneath 

 the bark, and in the bodies of trees upon the wood of which their 

 larvae subsist. They are of an oblong form, the body is more or 

 less flattened, the thorax is square, the antennae are eleven-jointed, of 

 moderate length, and often taper at the end ; the feet are not spongy 

 beneath, and the joints are entire. 



In Parandra^ a genus peculiar to America, the antennae are monili- 

 form, or bead-like, and shorter than the body ; the feet are of mod- 

 erate length ; the jaws (mandibles) are strong, prominent, and tooth- 

 ed ; the body is more convex than in the other genera of the family. 

 Parandra brunnea is not uncommon in decayed trees. It flies 

 abroad in the night. This insect might readily be mistaken for a small 

 Lucanus, and its habits are similar. 



In Cucujus, the body is quite flat, the head is broad behind the 

 eyes; the triangular plate, covering the mouth and extending forwards, 

 with the prominent jaws, give to the mouth the appearance of a 

 short beak. The antennae are short, and granulated or moniliform. 

 Cucujus clavipes is our largest and most beautiful species. The 

 larva feeds under the bark of trees. When fully grown it measures 

 about three quarters of an inch in length, and seventeen hundredths 

 of an inch at its broadest part. It is very much flattened ; the head 

 resembles that of the perfect insect in shape ; the antennae are three- 

 jointed and longer than the head ; the first three segments of the 

 body are each furnished with a pair of robust feet ; there is no tho- 

 racic shield, and no anal proleg ; the posterior margin of the eleventh 

 segment is armed with four teeth, a small one on each side, and two 

 larger ones beneath ; the last segment merely constitutes a small base 

 to support an anal recurved fork ; each tyne of this fork has a small 

 spine just above its base. When the insect becomes a pupa, the 

 skin of the larva is left entire, except a small longitudinal fissure on 

 the back of the first three segments. The perfect insect is devel- 

 oped about the middle of May. 



The next insects to be described belong to the family of Ceram- 



