220 Harris's Insects of New England 



celebrity in their literary propensities, touching an indis- 

 pensable article in such productions, to wit, ink. 



The seventh, Uiptera, fall of murderous musquitoes and 

 venomous gnats, and filthy liies, and dreadful parasites of 

 various animals, which, if less "injurious to vegetation," 

 are quite injurious to our feelings, and adding but little to 

 the delights of the garden at stilly eve, beneath umbrage- 

 ous trees and spice-breathing shrubs. 



In their perfect or insect state, there are several Cole- 

 opterous insects which are great pests to the garden. 

 Some species of willow introduced into collections for their 

 rarity or beauty, are riddled in their foliage by the gold- 

 smith beetle, Areoda lanigera. which appear " in Massa- 

 chusetts about the middle of May, and continue generally 

 till the 20th of June. In the morning and evening twilight 

 they come forth from their retreats, and fly about with a 

 humming and nestling sound among the branches of trees, 

 the tender leaves of which they devour." 



" Pear trees are particularly subject to their attacks, but the elm, hick- 

 ory, poplar, oak, and probably also other kinds of trees are frequented and 

 injured by them. During the middle of the day they remain at rest upon 

 the trees, clinging to the under-sides of the leaves ; and endeavor to con- 

 ceal themselves by drawing two or three leaves together, and holding 

 them in this position with their long unequal claws. In some seasons they 

 occur in profusion, and then may be obtained in great quantities by shak- 

 ing the voung trees on which they are lodged in the daytime, as they do 

 not attempt to fly when thus disturbed, but fall at once to the ground. 

 The larvae of these insects are not known ; probably they live in the ground 

 upon the roots of plants. The group to which the goldsmith-beetle be- 

 longs may be called Rutilians, (rutilad^), from Rutcln, or more cor- 

 rectly Rutila, signifying shining, the name of the principal genus included 

 in it.' The Rutilians connect the ground-beetles with the tree-beetles of 

 the following group, having the short and robust legs of the former, with 

 the leaf-eating habits of the latter." 



The following account of the rose-bug should be atten- 

 tively read. So injurious an insect should be extirpated, 

 if possible, by every lover of beautiful flowers and rich 

 fruit. The immense swarms we have often seen of this 

 disgusting creature would scarcely be credited unless by 

 actual inspection. A neighbor of ours has been almost in- 

 duced to give up the out-door culture of the Isabella grape 

 in consequence of their ravages, which no eflbrt of his can 

 seem to effectually prevent. His case is the more singular, 

 because that fruit is grown with success close by. Perhaps 

 a difference of soil is more favorable to the increase of the 



