THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



235 



Insects, as with the higher animals, usually 

 void their excrement in such a manner that 

 they efl'ectually get rid of it, and in some cases 

 they take pains to fling it as far from them as 

 possible, by means of their hind legs. We have 

 esiiecially noticed this cleanly habit in the Ob- 

 long-winged Katydid {Phylloptera oblongifoUa, 

 DeGeer), of which we have had numbers breed- 

 ing in confinement during the past two sum- 

 mers. They almost always fling their excrement 

 straiglit from them, so that if they are in a 

 horizontal position, it adheres to the sides of 

 their cages instead of falling to the bottom. 

 In the great majority of insects the anus is situ- 

 ated at, or near the last ring, and usually 

 on the ventral side, so that the fasces are easily 

 left behind; but the larv£e of several species 

 of beetles that have the peculiar habit of cover- 

 ing themselves with their own excrement, have 

 the anus not on their bellies, but on their backs. 

 We have already shown, on page 26, how the 

 larva of the Three-lined Leaf-beetle {Lema triU- 

 neiitn, Oliv.) which sometimes proves quite in- 

 jurious to the Potato in the East, has tlds habit, 

 and how it is enabled to thus cover itself by the 

 singular position of the anal vent which is on 

 the back of the last segment. A closely allied 

 European species, but belonging to a diSerent 

 genus {Criocens merdigera) has the same habit. 

 In this country there is also another yellowish 

 oval jumping beetle {Blepliarida rhois, Forster), 

 which in the larva state covers itself with its 

 excrement. In this instance the anus is at the 

 end of the last segment, but it is sufficiently ex- 

 tensile at the will of the insect, to allow of the 

 accomplishment of the feat. This last larva is a 

 disgusting looking thing, and is very abundant 

 on all three of the Sumachs — Bhus ai-omatica 

 glabra and co^aZma— preferring them in tlie 

 order of their naming. 



But the larvffi of the Tortoise-beetles are pa/' 

 excellence the true dung-carriers, for they excel 

 all others in this merdigerous art. lu the in- 

 stances related above, the load is carried imme- 

 diately ou the back, but our Tortoise-beetles are 

 altogether more refined in their tastes, and do 

 not allow the dung to rest on the body, but 

 simply shade themselves with a sort of sterco- 

 raceous parasol. 



The larvae of all the species that have been ob- 

 served are broad and flattened like the beetles, 

 and have the margins of the body furnished 

 with spines which are often barbed, (Fig. 169, 2). 

 Usually there are thirty-two of these spines, or 

 sixteen ou each side of the body.* Four of these 



are situated on the prothorax, which forms two 

 anterior projections beyond the common margin: 

 four of them — the two anterior ones longer than 

 the othei's — are on each of the two following tho- 

 racic segments, and each of the abdominal seg- 

 ments is furnished with but two. Tliere are 

 nine elevated spiracles each side superiorly, 

 namely, one immediately behind the prothorax 

 and eight on the abdominal segments. The fore 

 part of the body is projected shield-like over the 

 head, which is retractile and small. Almost all 

 the larvae of the beetles belonging to the great 

 CiiuYSOMELA family, of which the Colorado Po- 

 tato Bug may serve as an example, have, be- 

 sides the six legs at the anterior end of the body, 

 an additional proleg, or protuberance which 

 serves as such, at the posterior end; but the 

 larvre of our Tortoise beetles have no such pro- 

 log, and the six anterior legs are short, thick 

 and fleshy, and with the relractile head, give 

 these larvie, from a side view, as great a resem- 

 blance to a turtle as have the beetles. 



Though lacking an anal proleg, however, they 

 are characterized by having a movable forked 

 tail, in the shape of two long prong-like horny 

 filaments which both spring from a broad neck 

 situated immediately above the anus. The 

 anus projects and curves over the back at the 

 will of the insect, and by the aid of this fork 

 and of some of the lateral spines, it forms the 

 parasol of dung which so nicely protects it. 



When we read of those Hottentots who cover 

 diflerent portions of their bodies with the un- 

 cleaned intestincb of sheep and oxen, we feel 

 shocked at such barbarism, and can scarcely 

 comprehend how human beings can defile them- 

 selves with the like disgusting materials. Such 

 men must be pitiable indeed, for they can have 

 no other object than the gratification of their 

 filthy and beastly pleasures. There is nothing 

 so repulsive about our insect Hottentots, for the 

 dung parasol of our Tortoise-beetles has neither 

 oflensive odor or appearance, and its true char- 

 acter is generally sufficiently disguised by being 

 intermixed with the cast-ofl" skin and prickly 

 spines; and though those species, first referred 

 to, which immediately cover their backs, often 

 look sufficiently unclean, we know that they thus 

 act at Nature's bidding and for a useful purpose. 



All the Tortoise-beetle larvie which we have 



iiK^teud of oulyl, aud which we may thei-etbre call Cass, 

 quinquepunclata, has only 20 of these spines, or 10 upon each 

 side, all of them simple and not spranirlinj;, and no abdo- 

 niiual joint bearing more tli;i , :i -m-:. Ii;w;il -j.im This 

 new species differs lllrther in M: i . ' ., _ ! ,i din^y 



olive color, liuely frecklr^l ki. one 



large round yellow spot a li; .1 ..-ich. 



It was taken abundantly .soiu' \ . n - ;i-m iiv ih. ^< nh.i i;(idor 

 in a particular locality near Kuk IshnnI, 111. In thi- larva, 

 also, of Chelymorpha cribi-aria Fabr. the spines, accortling 

 to Packard, are simple. (GKtrfc, etc., p. ,W1.) 



