NO. II LARVAE OF THE ELATERID BEETLES GLEN 47 



This common species is widely distributed in temperate and cen- 

 tral Europe and in western Siberia. The larvae inhabit the soil of 

 meadows, forests, and cultivated fields, preference being shown for 

 drier locations and soils of a sandy texture. European literature is 

 replete with references to aeneus as a major pest of cereals, root 

 crops, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, legumes, tobacco, forest seed- 

 lings, and buddings in fruit nurseries. Ghilarov (1937, p. 636) con- 

 siders this species to be almost purely phytophagous. However, 

 Chrzanowski (1931) has observed the larvae to attack weakened or 

 inactive insects, including moulting larvae of their own species. 



The mature larva attains a length of 25 mm. when fully distended. 

 It has been described from Denmark by Schiodte (1870, pp. 519-520) 

 and Henriksen (1911, pp. 262-263), from France by Perris (1877, 

 p. 180), and from Germany by Altum (1878, p. 74), Beling (1883, 

 pp. 281-283; 1884, p. 204), and Horst (1922, pp. 32-35). L. aeneus 

 is readily separated from the larva of latus through lack of setae on 

 the central dorsal area of the ninth abdominal segment. However, 

 structural characters fail to distinguish the larvae of aeneus and the 

 American species aeripennis and appropinquans, and identification 

 must be based primarily upon distribution. When compared with 

 aeripennis destructor, the majority of the aeneus larvae examined had 

 the anterior margin of the caudal notch straighter, the urogomphi 

 slightly broader in relation to the width of the caudal notch, and the 

 outer prongs of the urogomphi more nearly at right angles to the inner 

 prongs. But all these characters failed when tested in an adequate 

 series of specimens. 



Both Schiodte and Henriksen refer to the musculature being visible 

 through the integument. This was evident on very few of the speci- 

 mens examined in the present study and is believed to be an atypical 

 condition probably resulting from desiccation or action of the pre- 

 serving medium. 



Material used in study. — Including some specimens that were avail- 

 able to K. L. Henriksen at the time he described this species, 22 larvae 

 were examined. The material was collected in Finland (2), Denmark 

 (8), Germany (8), and Italy (4). Reared adults and larval exuviae 

 of reared specimens were not available. However, there is every 

 reason to believe that the material used is definitely Corymbites 

 (Selatosomus) aeneus (Linnaeus), as recognized by European ento- 

 mologists, and is the larva referred to by that name in current ento- 

 mological literature. The specimens examined are at present in the 

 Canadian national collection (6), the U. S. National Museum (9), 

 the British Museum (3), and the private collection of Dr. van 

 Emden (4). 



