264 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Family CLERID-ffi. 



The flower beetles are firmer in texture than those of the last preceding fam- 

 ilies, yet not so hard-shelled as are the click beetles, or even the following 

 Ptinids. The feelers are usually more or less serrated or saw-toothed, but may 

 also have a distinct club or comb at the tip. The head is of good size, with 

 large eyes, the thorax being narrower than either head or elytra. The latter 

 cover the abdomen completely and are often clothed with hair. In color they 

 vary, but are usually bright, sometimes shining, and often prettily banded. 

 The beetles may be found on flowers or running on the trunks of trees, where 

 they somewhat resemble ants in their motions. The genus Necrobia lives in all 

 stages on carrion, and is the exception in a family in which most of the larvae 

 thus far known are predatory. These larvae are usually red or brown in color, 

 and are found under bark or in the burrows of wood-borers, upon which they 

 feed. One of the species, Chariessa pilosa, has developed into an effective 

 check for the "sinuate pear-borer," and others are undoubtedly useful in keep- 

 ing down other wood-borers. Their work is done under cover, and is rarely 

 noticed ; hence the extent of the benefit derived from them is unknown. 



The European Clerus formicarius has been intentionally introduced into 

 West Virginia as a check to the bark -beetles that seriously damage timber 

 there ; but there is not, as yet, any definite information concerning the success 

 or failure of the attempt at acclimatization. 



ELASMOCERTJS Lee. 



E. terminatus Say. Ft. Lee (Joutel), Orange Mts. (Bf); found on trees 

 infested with Scolytids and Bostrichus (U), not common. 



CYMATODERA Gray. 



C. bicolor Say. Ft. Lee (Sf), Orange Mts. (Bf), Westville (Li), g. d. (W), 



Lahaway, VII, 5 ; rare. 

 C. inornata Say. Ft. Lee (Sf), Hudson Co. (LI), Da Costa, VII, 27 (W). 

 C. balteata Lee. Highlands (O. Dietz), Riverton, VIII, 21 (Jn), Camden 



(Li), Da Costa, VII, 26, g. d. (W), Bordentown, VII, Lahaway, IX, 6. 



TRICHODES Hbst. 



T. apivorus Germ. Da Costa, VI, VII 

 ( W) ; found on flowers of Sphcece. 



CLERUS Geoff. 



O. quadriguttatus Oliv. Hudson Co. 

 (LI), g. d. (W, Li) ; found running 

 on pine (U). 



O. rosmarus Say. Throughout the State 

 on flowers. 



O. lunatus Spin. Da Costa (Li), g. d. 

 (W). 



Fig. 109. — Trichodes apivorus: a, larva; 

 b, pupa; adult beetle in centre : enlarged. 



