562 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



These beetles are usually polished, and many of them are of 

 brilliant colors. To this family belong the most beautiful 

 beetles known, many appearing as if made of burnished 

 gold or silver, or other metal. 



The Goldsmith-beetle, Cotalpa lanigera (Co-tal'pa la=> 

 nig'e-ra). — This is one of our most beautiful species. It 

 measures a little less than one inch in length, and is a broad 

 oval in shape. It is of a lemon-yellow color above, glittering 

 like burnished gold on the top of the head and thorax; the 

 under side of the body is copper-colored and thickly covered 

 with whitish wool. 



The Spotted Pelidnota, Pelidnota punctata (Pel-id-no'ta 

 punc-ta'ta). — This beetle is reddish brown 

 above, with three black spots on each wing- 

 cover and one on each side of the prothorax 

 (Fig. 681). The scutellum, base of the head, 

 and the entire body beneath are of a deep 

 bronzed-green color. The adult is commonly 

 found feeding on the leaves of grape. The 

 larva feeds upon decaying 'roots and stumps of 



Fig. 681. 



various trees. 



The Light-loving Anomala, Anomala lucicola (A-nom'a-la 

 lu-cic'o-la). — This also feeds on the leaves of grape. It 

 resembles the preceding species in form, but is much smaller, 

 measuring only about one third inch in length. It is of a pale 

 dull yellow color ; the prothorax is black, margined with 

 dull yellow, and the hinder part of the head and the ventral 

 side of the body are also black; sometimes the abdomen is 

 brown. As this beetle appears early in the summer, it can 

 be safely destroyed with Paris-green, for the subsequent 

 rains will wash the poison from the vines before the fruit 

 ripens. 



IV. The Rhinoceros-beetles. — The name rhinoceros-beetles 

 was suggested for this group by the fact that in many species 

 the male bears a horn on the middle of the head. In addi- 

 tion to this horn there may be one or more horns on the 



