THE CLIMAX FOREST AND ITS PREDECESSOR 223 



trees. Several species of the June beetles are found feeding on 

 the leaves, as are many kinds of leaf beetles such as Tymnes 

 tricolor, T. matasternalis, Cha- 

 lepus nervosa, C. rubra (Fig. 

 302), Xanthoma lo-notata. 

 These are small beetles .25 

 inch or less in length. Most of 

 the leaf-eating beetles are 

 small. The elm-leaf beetle, 

 Galetucella luteola, is one of 

 the most familiar of the leaf 

 beetles attacking tree foliage. 

 Acorns and hickory nuts af- 

 ford homes and food for the 

 larvae of several species of nut 

 weevils belonging to the genus 

 Balaninus (Fig. 303) and later 

 to some moth larvae. These 

 tall tree tops afford good nest- 

 ing sites to the red-headed 



Fig. 301. — Twig pruner of oak, 

 Elaphidion villosum. X3. 



woodpecker, the flicker, and the larger owls. The flying squirrel, 

 which is largely nocturnal, spends its life in the trees. 



In the undergrowth community the 



spiders, Epeira gigas (Fig. 304) and Neoco- 



soma arahesca (Fig. 305), are characteristic; 



their webs are hung on the taller shrubs. 



The jumping spider, Phidippus audax (Fig. 



306), is prevalent in shrubs, on tree trunks, 



Fig. 302 



Figs. 302, 303: Fig. 302. — A leaf beetle, Chalepiis 

 Fig. 303. — A nut borer, genus Balaninus. Both X6. 



Fig. 303 

 rubra. 



After Blatchle}^; 



