LIFE-HISTORIES OF BEETLES 239 



The burying beetles are no disinterested workers, 

 but inter animals to serve as food for their larvae. 

 Others again are root-croppers, such as the skip-jacks, 

 whose larvae the wireworms devastate grassland ; 

 and again other families of beetles, such as the weevils, 

 destroy grain, root-crops, and vegetables. But even 

 this sombre order has its more adventurous careers. 

 The oil-beetles (Meloe), whose stout blue form may 

 often be seen sunning itself on grassy banks in early 

 spring, has passed through a life-history of unusually 



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I f 



FIG. 49. Elaters or Skipjack Beetles (b male, /female) and their larva the 

 Wireworm (a). (From specimens in the Manchester Museum.'] 



full incident. It proceeds from one of a large batch 

 of eggs laid in a flowery dry bank. Out of these eggs 

 there hatch a multitude of minute active yellow 

 six-legged larvae. This immense family climb the 

 grass and flower stalks, covering them as with a yellow 

 down. Presently a bee one of the many early spring 

 burro wers, Anthophora will chance to settle near 

 them, and with a concerted spring a detachment of 

 the Meloe-larvae will catch hold of its hairs and ride 

 on till the Anthophora visits its burrow. Once inside, 



