NO. II LARVAE OF THE ELATERID BEETLES GLEN 83 



S. Six "sensory" appendices on second segment of antenna 



viduus Brown ( ?) (p. 90) 



Five "sensory" appendices on second segment of antenna 



bombycinus (Germar) (p. 91) 



Group characters are drawn from an examination of larval ma- 

 terial of tessellatus (Linnaeus) and castaneus (Linnaeus) of Europe, 

 and from viduus Brown, bombycinus (Germar), and medianus 

 (Germar) of North America. On the strength of Beling's description 

 (1883, pp. 262-265), the European purpureus (Poda) has been in- 

 cluded in this group, but specimens could not be secured for study. 



The larvae appear to inhabit soil, leaf litter, and decaying wood, 

 and probably are chiefly predaceous. Blunck (1925) refers to the 

 adults of tessellatus, castaneus, and purpureus as injuring buds and 

 blossoms of fruit trees and the tender shoots of oak and pine, but there 

 are no records of plant injury by the larvae. 



On the basis of larval characters, the fallax group is not closely 

 related to the other groups of Ludius that have been studied. Super- 

 ficial resemblance is found in the larvae of the propola and triundu- 

 latus groups, but separation is readily achieved through color, nasale 

 (fig. 19, c), the number of "sensory" appendices on the second seg- 

 ment of the antenna (fig. 19, d, e), and the urogomphi (fig. 20). 



Larvae of the tessellatus group are brown to dark brown, some- 

 times with a superficial appearance of transverse bands of chestnut 

 brown and paler color, but never prominently patterned. Caudal notch 

 large, U-shaped. Urogomphi bifid, prongs subequal or inner prongs 

 larger than outer prongs ; tip of outer prong with very short, sharp 

 point inclined inward. Ninth abdominal segment without setae on 

 central dorsal area; and with 3 or 4 prominent, blunt "teeth" on 

 lateral margins of dorsum. Nasale with tridentate tip, median denticle 

 sharp and longer than lateral denticles which are truncate anteriorly ; 

 with 4 to 6 setae on each side of base of nasale in sinuosities between 

 nasal and paranasal lobes. Second joint of antenna bearing from 2 

 to 6 "sensory" appendices. Basal joint of labial palpus without setae. 

 Frontoclypeal area either bluntly pointed or broadly rounded pos- 

 teriorly. Gula usually elongate and narrow, shorter in castaneus. Eyes 

 present. Mandible with very short dorsal groove and with ventral 

 margin of inner face of distal half continuing proximally to base of 

 penicillus. Presternum of prothorax divided into 3 pieces, Episterna 

 of mesothorax and metathorax without spinelike setae. Mediotergites 

 of first to eighth abdominal segments with prominent setae unpaired, 

 and transverse branches of impressions reaching as far as three- 

 fourths of the distance from the longitudinal branches to the middor- 

 sal line. Sternum of I piece on first to eighth abdominal segments. 



