100 



NATURAL HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



GRAPE-VINE BEETLES (Rutelidae). These insects closely 

 resemble those of the preceding Family, but the claws at the 

 end of each foot are of an unequal length; all of the claws are 

 not forked, and the colors are brown or blackish. 



These insects are occasionally very destructive to the leaves 

 of various trees, and especially to those of the grape-vine. 

 The larvae are similar to those of the preceding Family, and 

 usually, live in decayed wood. The Spotted Pelidnota (Fig. 

 253) belongs to this Family. 



CETONIANS (Cetonidas). These insects usually have the wing- 

 cases flattened above, and slightly narrower at the; tip than at 

 the base; the two claws at the end of each foot are of equal 

 length, and are not forked; the clypeus is not separated from 

 the front by a transverse suture. 



Fig. 225. 



Many of these insects are diurnal in their habits, and do not 

 raise the wing-cases when flying; they feed upon the fruit or 

 leaves of plants, and a few species live, when in the larval 

 stage (Fig. 255, a), in decayed wood. The Indian Cetonia 

 (Fig. 254), and the Green Fruit-beetle (Fig. 225) belong to 

 this Family. 



SUB-CLASS VI. (Serricornes.) 



.The insects which belong to this Sub-class are divided into 

 three Tribes, as follows: 



TRIBE /. Saw-horned Borers. In these Beetles the head 

 is inserted into the thorax, up to the eyes; the wing cases are 

 of a hard, firm texture; the antenna? are sometime filiform 

 and the breast is prolonged behind into a point, which is 

 received in a cavity in the next segment. These insects com- 

 prise two Families, as follows: 



