114 



SCHOOL ENTOMOLOGY 



FIG. 80. Types of Beetles. 



1, Fireflies (Lampyridn); 2, Me- 

 tallic wood-borers (Buprestidce); 3, 

 Click-beetles (Elaleridae) ; 4, Larva of 

 click beetle or wireworm. 



specimens. A larger species, 

 black, with shoulders of a 

 dull yellow, is the Larder-beetle 

 and destroys or spoils food- 

 stuffs, mostly animal products. 

 They will also, like other 

 members of the family, act 

 at times as scavengers, eating 

 dead and decaying animals. 



70. The Click-beetles (Ela- 

 teridce), are well known and 

 are remembered with the 

 lady-bugs, as friends of early 

 days when they bore the name 

 of " Snapping " or "Flopover" 

 bugs. They are extremely 

 hard-shelled, even for bee- 

 tles, and have the joint 

 between the prothorax and 

 the rest of the body flexible 

 and fitted internally with a 

 sort of spring, by means of 

 which they are enabled to 

 spring, when resting upon 

 their backs, some distance in 

 the air and, sometimes after 

 repeated trials, to come down 

 right side up and ready to 

 travel. They are of dark 

 colors, black and olive-brown 

 predominating. The largest 

 common species is the Eyed 

 Elater, black with gray mark- 



