The larvae of the Tenebriones, called Meal-worms, are a fa- 

 vourite food of the Nightingale ; they feed upon bran, meal 

 and flour, amongst which they live and undergo their meta- 

 morphoses. Sturm has figured the larva and pupa of T. Mo- 

 litor ; and Mr. Davis having obligingly supplied me with spe- 

 cimens, I have the pleasure of adding a figure of that of 

 T. obscurus to my Illustrations : it is of a much darker colour, 

 and there are a few bristles on each side the first annulation : 

 the proleg beneath the tail was very distinct when the larva 

 was alive. The beetles fly in the evening or during the night, 

 and are found in mills, granaries and bakehouses, and amongst 

 dirt in houses, concealing themselves in the day. 



It is probable that none of the Tenebriones were originally 

 natives of our island ; but as two of them are naturalized, 

 breeding here, and being found every year in various parts of 

 the kingdom, they are now included in our Fauna. 



1. T. Molitor Linn.-^Sturm D. F. pi. ^6.—Panz. 43. 12.— 



Sam. pi. ^.f. 1. 



Shining piceous, minutely and thickly punctured. Antennae, 

 trophi legs and underside dull castaneous: head rather small; 

 thorax transverse, convex, the sides sliglidy reflexed, posterior 

 angles acute ; a transverse channel close to the base terminated 

 on each side by a foveolet. Elytra broader, with an abbreviated 

 punctured stria next the scutellum, and eight others reaching 

 nearly to the apex. Larva pale cream colour. 



This is the common species, and is found all over the 

 country, generally in April, May and June. 



2. T. obscurus Fab.— Curtis Brit. Ent. pi. 331 .— Morio Herb. 

 Mr. Davis has reared this insect, which probably does more 



mischief than the common one ; for T. Molitor prefers damp 

 and damaged flour, it is said, whilst the larvae of T. obscurus 

 prefer that which is dry and sound. The beetle appears early 

 in April, and in May Mr. Davis found the larvae, pupse and 

 imago, all alive together. Professor Lindley found this insect 

 in vast abundance at Stilton ; and it has been discovered in 

 American flour, with which it may have been imported. In 

 Sweden it is rare, and from an observation of Gyllenhal's it 

 has probably been introduced there by commerce. 



3. T. ferruginea Sturm D. F. pi. 47 D. 



I do not subjoin any of the synonyms, because I think there 

 is some doubt concerning them ; at least neither Sturm's figure 

 nor my specimen have an abrupt clava to the antennae, as de- 

 scribed by Fabricius in his account of Trogosita femiginea, 

 which is the same as Colydiwn castancum Herbst, and possibly 

 the Tenebrio fuscus Oliv. ; but his T. ferrugineus referred to 

 by Gyllenhal I am inclined to think belongs to the Corticaridae. 



It has been found in old bran in bakehouses, but I have 

 reason to believe it only appears casually. 



The plant is Lithospermum arvense (Bastard Alkanet, or 

 Corn Gromwell). 



