BEETLES 161 



The Glow-worms are beetles belonging to the genus Lampyris, 

 and it is the females that sparkle like little gems upon the grass 

 stems and foliage on warm summer nights. The males have large 

 wings and long elytra, but the females have only rudimentary 

 wings and cannot fly. They are more numerous than the males, 

 and the curious phosphorescent light which comes from the under 

 part of their abdomen, and is under the control of the insect, is 

 used to attract the males. The larvae are highly developed, and 

 resemble the females in appearance ; they attack and devour 

 snails and slugs. 



The wonderful Fireflies of the West Indies and South America 

 belong to the family Elateridae, and are not true Glow-worms. 

 The light is emitted from two rounded spots on the prothorax, 

 which are covered with a thinner and paler horny coating than 

 the rest of the integument. To this family also belong the Click 

 Beetles or " Skip-jacks," as they are often called, which in their 

 larval stage are only too well known to farmers and gardeners 

 under the name of Wireworms, when they cause great damage to 

 root crops. 



The Weevils (Curculionidae) are readily recognised by the long 

 snout, which bears at its extremity the organs of the mouth, and 

 the elbowed antennae, features which give these insects a very 

 characteristic appearance. Weevils abound in both temperate and 

 tropical countries, and during their larval stage are often very 

 destructive to trees, fruit, leaves, roots, and seeds. The Calandra 

 granaria, for instance, is a small species common throughout Europe 

 and having an evil notoriety for the devastation which it causes in 

 granaries ; while an allied species causes similar injury to stores 

 of rice and maize in India and other tropical countries. Many 

 of the Weevils are extremely small in size, but others belonging 

 to the genera Rhyncophonis and Macrochints attain to consider- 

 able proportions. These giant Weevils in their larval stage live 

 in the stems of succulent plants and trees, such as palms, bananas, 

 and sugar-cane. The Palm Weevil is a very handsome, warm 

 black insect, about 2 inches in length, with a typical long snout 

 and elbowed antennae. 



The Longicorns, or Long Horn Beetles, so called from the great 

 length of their antennae, are a very numerous tribe of beetles, 

 distinguished for the grace and beauty of their shape and the 

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