478 



COLEOPTERA. 



which can only be done by confining the bees on which they 

 are found, and supplying them with flowers. When the bee 

 becomes exhausted by the loss of fluids drawn out by its para- 

 site, it is quickly deserted by these minute torments for a 

 newly introduced and more lively bee. The 

 length of the larva at this period (Fig. 447) 

 is .06 of an inch. It differs very remarkably 

 from those of the neighboring families, which 

 are generally oval, being long and linear- 

 oblong, flattened. The three thoracic rings 

 are of equal size, transversely oblong, the 

 head being of nearly the same size with one 

 of the thoracic segments, and provided with 

 short antennae. The legs have long claws 

 with an intermediate long pad. From the tip 

 of the abdomen proceed two pair of setae, the 

 rig. 447. inner one much longer than the other pair. 

 It is shorter than that of M. violaceus, figured by Newport, who 

 has, with great sagacity, cleared up the remarkable history of 

 this genus. It is undoubtedly the young of our common Meloe 

 angusticollis Say (Fig. 448). The larvae are conveyed by the 

 bees themselves into their nests where the} T prey on the larvae 

 and bee bread. When full-fed and ready to pass through their 

 transformations, instead of at once as- 

 suming the pupa state, they pass 

 through what has been called by Fabre 

 a " hypermetamorphosis." In other 

 words the changes in form preparatory 

 to assuming the pupa state are here 

 mor marked than usual, and are al- 

 most coequal with the larva and pupa 

 states, so that the Meloe instead of 

 - " s passing through only three states (the 



egg, larva and pupa) in reality passes through these and two 

 others in addition which are intermediate. Fabre states that 

 the larva, soon after entering the nest of its host, changes its 

 skin :uid assumes a second larval form (Fig. 449) resembling 

 a lamellicorn larva. Newport, however, who with Siebold has 

 carefully described the metamorphosis of Meloe, does not men- 



