Beetles 277 



front, velvety green with the sides of thorax and head brownish yellow; the 

 under side is not velvety, but metallic green. It flies with a loud buzzing 

 sound and feeds on ripe fruit. The larvae are found in richly manured 

 soil, feeding on decaying matter. They cannot use the short legs for crawling, 

 but move along on their backs by means of stiff bristles. "If put on a table 



FIG. 381. FIG. 382 



FIG. 381. Larva and pupa of the rhinoceros-beetle, Dynastus tityrus. (After Chittenden; 



one-half natural size.) 

 FIG. 382. Euphoria inda. (One and one-half times natural size.) 



in normal position, they immediately turn upon their backs and by the 

 alternate contractions and expansions of their body-segments they wriggle 

 away in a straight line." 



SECTION TETRAMERA. 



In the four families of beetles constituting this section the feet are appar- 

 ently composed of four tarsal segments, one of the more usual five being 

 so reduced in size and fused with the last segment as to be practically indis- 

 tinguishable as a distinct segment (except in the Spondylidae) . The first 

 three tarsal segments are dilated and furnished with brushes of hairs on 

 the sole, the third segment being plainly bilobed (Fig. 341, 12). This 

 section is sometimes named Phytophaga, because of the voracious plant- 

 feeding habits of all its members. The three principal families of the 

 section can be separated by the following key: 



Body short and more or less oval; antenna? short. 



Front of head not prolonged as a short broad beak; elytra usually covering the tip 

 of the abdomen; both larvae and adults live on green plants. 



(Leaf-beetles.) CHRYSOMELID^:. 



Front of head prolonged as a short, quadrate beak; elytra rather short, so that the 

 tip of the abdomen is always exposed; larva? live in seeds. 



(Pea- and bean-weevils.) BRUCHID.E. 



Body elongate; antennae almost always long, often longer than the body; larvae are 

 wood -borers (Long-horn beetles.) CERAMBYCID^E. 



The leaf-beetles, Chrysomelidae, are one of the largest of the beetle fami- 

 lies, over 600 North American species being known. They are mostly small, 



