THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XLV.] 



JULY, 1912. 



[No. 590 



THE LAEVA OF CARDIOPHORUS ASELLUS 

 (COLEOPTERA, Fam. ELATERID^). 



By David Sharp, M.B., F.R S, F.E.S., &c. 



At the beginning of this month I had the pleasure of meeting 

 with this extraordinary larva near Bournemouth. I have for 

 many years wished to see this larva, not only because of its 

 peculiarity, but because some of the points in the literature 

 about it are vague and obscure. Although the genus Cardio- 

 phorus abounds in species, some of which are very abundant in 

 Continental Europe, yet the larva is so seldom met with that 

 M. Henri du Buysson, who has devoted many years to the study 

 of the European Elateridse, has never seen it ; and in his work 

 (' Faune gallo-rhenane Elateridae') recently completed has been 

 obliged to content himself with a summary of the observations 

 of Schiodte and Ferris, who are apparently the only naturalists 

 who have described this larva from personal knowledge. 



When I obtained it I thought it desirable to obtain a photo- 

 graph before it underwent post-mortem changes in form, and my 

 friend Mr, G. T. Lyle has been so good and so skilful as to 

 produce a likeness that gives an excellent idea of the form and 

 of some of the peculiarities of the creature, for which we owe 

 him our best thanks. 



When alive the larva is totally dissimilar in its movements 

 from other Elaterid larvse, being very quick and agile. The 

 posterior part of the elongate body trails behind, and when it 

 moves forward does so with a sort of peristaltic movement. But 



ENTOM. — JULY, 1912. Q 



