CHAPTER X 

 i 



COLEOPTERA 



CHILDREN and adults alike are attracted by the beau- 

 tiful colors of the butterflies and moths; farmers notice 

 and take an interest in any insect forms that threaten 

 their crops; philosophers have for ages past studied the 

 social insects; we are all forced to give a certain amount 

 of attention to flies and mosquitoes and to other forms 

 that disturb our comfort, and medical science is taking an 

 interest in the same forms, of late years, for rather differ- 

 ent reasons; but entomologists have, almost since the be- 

 ginning of the science, shown a decided preference for the 

 beetles. This is because of the number of species, the 

 order including more forms than any other one order, their 

 ease of collection, their universal distribution, and because 

 of their hard body covering which renders them easy to 

 mount and permanent in collections. The order has 

 been better classified than any other of the large orders 

 and is easier to study. 



63. General Characteristics. Beetles have four wings, 

 the front pair hardened and forming a shield-like covering 

 for the membranous hind wings. They have biting 

 mouth-parts and develop from grubs, indirectly. Their 

 entire body covering is, like their wing-covers, or "elytra," 

 hardened rather more than is the case in other insects. 



There are two sub-orders; the first, called Coleoptera 

 Genuina, Genuina, or merely Coleoptera, includes all the 

 species which do not have snouts; the second, Rhyn- 



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