THE HEATHER BEETLE 383 



PL xxn. It measures, when straightened out, about a quarter of Larvse. 

 an inch (6 mm.) in length, but it is usually more or less curved, 

 and if disturbed rolls itself up close. It is of a dirty white 

 colour, studded all over with dark markings and tubercles, 

 which have a definite arrangement on each segment. The seg- 

 ments themselves are transversely wrinkled, while each tubercle is 

 tipped with a fine bristle of a pale brown colour. The dark mark- 

 ings are arranged as follows : Almost the whole upper surface 

 of the segment immediately behind the head (that bearing the 

 first pair of legs) is covered by a dark patch, which extends 

 down each side to a level with the spiracles or breathing openings, 

 and is divided down the middle by a fine line of the pale ground 

 colour. Between this patch and the legs on either side is a 

 small oblong dark patch two or three times as long as broad. 

 On each of the two succeeding segments are two linear trans- 

 verse dark marks, one anterior and the other posterior, and each 

 divided in the middle like the patch on the first thoracic segment. 

 On each side, opposite the extremities of each of these linear 

 dorsal markings, is a more or less circular, but small, patch, the 

 anterior one in each segment being smaller than the posterior ; 

 below these, on each side, is a large dark patch of a kidney 

 shape with the concave side uppermost, and below this again 

 two small marks on each segment. On the dorsal surface of 

 each of the succeeding segments are two transverse linear mark- 

 ings, one longer at the anterior edge and the other shorter and 

 placed at the posterior edge. Between these and the spiracles 

 are three dark spots on each segment, one of which is anterior 

 and in line with the longer of the linear markings, and the other 

 two posterior and opposite the shorter. Below the spiracles 

 a series of large more or less circular spots runs along the side 

 of the body. The head is black and shining, and hemispherical 

 in profile ; the legs black, with the basal joints marked with 

 white. 



When the larva is about to pupate it crawls down to the Pupal stage, 

 ground and lies amongst the moss and stems of the heather, 

 at the same time curling itself up into a sort of horse-shoe shape. 



