The Ver Blanc, or Larva of the Cockchafer. 295 



Art. XVIII. On the Rose Cockchaffer, Anomalia hortensis ; 

 supposed to be the perfect Insect of the Ver Blanc, or White 

 Worm, of the French Horticulturists. By William Swain-* 

 son, Esq. F.R.S. F.L.S. &c. 



Dear Sir, 

 I have perused, with much interest, the papers you have 

 brought under my notice on the destructive ravages of the 

 ver blanc. The pamphlet of M. Vibert is interesting, and, in 

 all that regards the nature of this larva, is perfectly satisfac- 

 tory; nevertheless, by a singular oversight, its ingenious and 

 observing author leaves us in total ignorance on a point which 

 seems to be deserving of a primary consideration. What is the 

 scientific name of the beetle, of which the ver blanc is but the 

 larva ? It is well known that hanneton is the vulgar name in 

 France for the cockchaffer of England ; but it must be re- 

 membered that of these hannetons there are several very dis- 

 tinct European species ; three of which * are abundantly 

 common both in this country and on the Continent. To 

 persons not acquainted with the peculiar habits which belong- 

 to every species of animal, the idea would occur of the han- 

 neton of M. Vibert being the large English cockchaffer, the 

 Scarabse^us melolontha of Linnaeus : but this, I apprehend, 

 is not the case. The larva of the melolontha, no less than 

 the perfect insect, has, at remote intervals of time, appeared 

 in this kingdom in such incredible swarms, and has com-, 

 mitted such dreadful ravages, that, but for the authenticated 

 accounts published at the time, our credulity would be severely 

 taxed : but this insect confines its depredations to the open 

 country ; as a larva, it feeds on the roots of grass, and, as a 

 beetle, invariably prefers the foliage of forest trees and indi- 

 genous shrubs. Another reason leads me to doubt the pro- 

 bability of the ver blanc being the larva of the melolontha. 

 During the last two summers, but particularly that of 1826, I 

 observed a prodigious number of the Anomalia horticola in 

 my garden at Warwick ; and I found, upon enquiry, that this 

 species had been equally abundant in other parts of the king- 

 dom. The perfect insect appeared in the greatest abundance 

 during the end of May and the whole of June, swarming 

 upon the rose bushes, and in a few hours destroying or dis- 

 figuring every flower that had opened since the preceding day. 

 They appeared to confine their ravages almost entirely to the 



* l. Melolontha vulgaris, Fab. 2. Anomalia horticola, Leach. 5. Ano- 

 malia rurlcola, Leach. 



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