Insects, etc., Injurious to the Strawberry. 457 



Harpalus rujicornis. Black, with red antennae and legs; length 

 about i inch; the wing cases have faint strise upon them, and 

 are covered with fine golden-grey pubescence; the wings are fully 

 deve]opecl. 



Steropus madidus. Black, the legs with more or less distinct 

 reddish bases; length rather more than ^ inch to nearly inch. 

 Wing cases finely striated, but there are no wings. The thorax is 

 narrowed behind, being much narrower than the elytra. 



Pterostichm vulgar is. Black and shiny, legs black. Wing cases 

 with prominent striation, no wings. Thorax broad with a median 

 suture. Length nearly f inch. 



Calathm cisteloidcs. Black antennae and rusty-red legs. Length 

 | inch to nearly inch. Wings absent or rudimentary. 



The above-mentioned characters will easily enable the observer to 

 separate these four kinds, which may occur in the strawberry beds. 



LIFE-HISTORY AND HABITS. 



The beetles all have very similar habits. They are nocturnal and 

 crawl about on the ground with great rapidity ; in fact, we may say 

 that they run. The red-legged Harpalus also flies. It appears that 

 this species migrates in large numbers, for Ormerod (1) records them 

 as appearing in a swarm at Bone Hill, St. Albans, and as falling by 

 scores from the walls of a house at Sandridge, 

 having apparently come in contact with them 

 during their flight. 



During the daytime the beetles hide under 

 clods of earth, in cracks in the soil, and even 



actually in the ground, where they form runs 



. i A i 111 i FIG. 301. A CARABID LARVA. 



opening to the surface by a round hole much 



like an earthworm's opening. Warburton says : " In the infested 

 beds it was found that the earth, together with the straw and litter 

 with which it was strewn, was perforated in all directions by the 

 ' runs ' of the beetles, which were present in vast numbers." The 

 straw between the plants also serves as a nice protection for them. 



The beetles may be found in May, but the majority are noticeable 

 in June and July. 



They lay their eggs in the soil and the active larvje feed upon 

 and in it. Their food consists of slugs, earthworms, small snails and 

 insects. 



The general appearance is repulsive, their heads rather large 

 and the jaws prominent ; the body is elongated, and in their later 



