SOIL PESTS 103 



and twists they vanish from sight whenever one turns 

 them up in the soil. The two commonest forms, Litho- 

 biu3 forcipatus and Geophilus longicornis are shown in 

 the sketch. They are carnivorous in diet, feeding both 

 on decayed animal matter as well as upon worms, slugs, 

 beetle-larvae and other small creatures. They do not 

 undergo any definite metamorphoses ; the young centi- 

 pedes however usually have fewer legs than the adults, 

 the obtaining of additional pairs of legs as they grow 

 older appears to be their idea of distinction in the world. 

 As previously stated centipedes have only one pair of 

 feet to each segment, against two in the case of milli- 

 pedes, and this constitutes the chief structural difference 

 between them. Some Centipedes are phosphorescent 

 at night, a rare quality among British insects, of which 

 the Glow-worm, or larva of a beetle called Lampyris 

 noctilus, is the best known example. The word Lampyris 

 means " shiny tail " a very apt description. Glow-worms 

 are useful to the gardener, as they feed on Snails, attack- 

 ing them boldly and devoiu-ing them alive. The female 

 glow-worm beetle is wingless. (See Plate 23.) 



There are as many useful as injurious tribes among the 

 Coleoptera and here are a few selected at random of 

 those whose larvae Hve in the soil and prey upon earth- 

 worms as well as harmful creatures among their own and 

 other orders. (See Plate 23.) 



First there is the Telephoridse family, which include 

 many bright -coloured beetles, some red, some blue, which 

 country boys used to call soldiers and sailors. Others 

 are brown and these we may suppose to have gone into 

 khaki, not merely " for the duration " but possibly for 

 all time. They are the most pugnacious of all insects, 

 fighting everything and everybody, including one another. 

 Their diet is chiefly earthworms and soU larvae. 



Then there is the Tiger Beetle or Sparkler (Cicindela 

 campestris), beautiful gold green above, and coppery 

 below, with yellow spots on the tops of the wing cases. 



