270 



Beetles 



acterized by the possession of a pair of extended fleshy processes belonging 

 to the maxilla, which are used in lapping up flower-nectar and pollen. Two 

 common species in the East are C. pennsylvanicus, which is yellow with 

 a black spot in the middle of the prothorax and one near the tip of each 

 wing-cover, and C. marginatus, which has the head and lower part of the 

 thighs orange. Telephorus is another common genus without the maxillary 

 processes, the species being black with the prothorax partly or wholly reddish 

 yellow. The larvae of T. bilineatus, the two-lined soldier-beetle, are velvety 

 dark-brown active creatures which are very beneficial in orchards, devour- 

 ing "immense numbers of such destructive beings as the larvae of the plum- 

 curculio." 



Professor Comstock has given the name checkered beetles to the family 

 Cleridae; a name apt enough for some of the species which, like the one 

 shown in Fig. 372, have the body conspicuously marked with red and white 

 or other colored "checks." Other species, however, content themselves 

 with a monochrome coat. The family is a fairly large one, over a hundred 

 species being known in this country. "The adults are found on flowers 

 and on the trunks of trees running about rapidly, somewhat resembling 

 brightly colored ants. Indeed some are decidedly ant-like, the prothorax 

 being narrower than the wing-covers and slightly narrower than the head. 

 The legs of the Clerids are rather long, the antennas with a marked knob 

 at the end, and the body more or less cylindrical, either hairy or not. 



"The larvae are usually carnivorous and are most frequently found 

 in the burrows of wood-boring insects, chiefly of those that live in sap-wood; 

 others are found in the nests of bees, and still others feed on dead animal 

 matter." The slender larvae possess short legs and a somewhat prominent 

 and pointed head. They are extremely useful in keeping in check such 

 destructive beetles as bark-beetles and other borers. 



The species of Clerus are prettily marked and are often found running 

 about on logs and trees. C. dubius is ^ inch long, steel-blue with three 

 orange bands across the elytra; C. nigrifons is ^ inch long, tawny yellow 

 with smoky markings above and all black below; C. nigripes is similar, 

 but all red below; C. sanguineus has the thorax brown and elytra scarlet. 

 The species of Trichodes (Fig. 372) are hairy and prettily banded; the larvae 

 live in nests of bees, and T. apiarius is a pest in beehives in Europe. 

 Necrobia molacea, \ inch long or less, dark or greenish blue, is an importa- 

 tion from Europe and is sometimes found in houses, but more commonly 

 on carcasses and especially the bones of dead animals. It has been found 

 under the wrappings of Egyptian mummies. Necrobia rufipes, the red- 

 legged ham-beetle, a red-legged steel-blue species inch long, feeds on hams 

 and other stored animal products. The beetles lay their eggs in May and 

 June on exposed hams or other meats. The larvae hatch in a few days and 



