376 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is three-quarters (.75) of an inch in length. The pupa was 

 not preserved. The beetle itself is soft-bodied, brownij^h black 

 and reddish yellow. Its specific name (bi/ meatus') was given 

 to it from the two short, broad, blackish bands on the prothorax, 

 which is reddish yellow. The head is reddish yellow, with a 

 broad black Imnd between the eyes, and the antennae are black. 

 The body beneath is pale reddish, except the under side of the 

 middle of the thorax (meso and meta-thorax). The legs arc 

 pale reddish at base, while the end of the femora and the tibite 

 and tarsi are entirely black brown. It is about a third (.oO) of 

 an inch long. 



BENEFICIAL INSECTS. 



It is quite as essential for one to know what insects are bene- 

 ficial to agriculture as what are injurious, and whenever any 

 new facts relating to the habits and transformations of the 

 former come to our knowledge, it will not be out of place to 

 mention them in such a Report as this. Foremost among the 

 beneficial kinds are the Tiger beetles (^Cicindelid(B) and the 

 ground or carniverous beetles (^Carabidcn). A good example 

 of the latter is the American Galerita (&'. Jamis Fabr., PL 1, 

 fig. 9), which is especially common in the spring months under 

 stones, where it undoubtedly feeds largely upon cut-worms and 

 other noxious caterpillars and grubs which take refuge in the 

 same places. 



The beetle is rather large 

 (the cut representing it 

 slightly larger than the life 

 size), with a blackish body 

 and reddish antennae, legs 

 and prothorax. The wing 

 covers are blackish blue, 

 while the body beneath, with 

 the exception of the protho- 

 rax, is blackish brown. It 

 is three-quarters ©f an inch 

 long. 



The larva (Fig. 13, o, up- 

 per ; 6, under side of the 

 head) is a most singular 

 creature, and was discovered 



