THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



235 



Insects, as with the higher animals, usually 

 void their excrement in such a manner that 

 they effectually get rid of it, and in some cases 

 they take pains to fling it as far from them us 

 possible, by means of their Iiind legs. We have 

 especially noticed this cleanly habit in tlie Ob- 

 long-winged Katydid {Phylloptera ohlongifoUa, 

 DeGeer), of which we have had numbers breed- 

 ing in confinement during the past two sum- 

 mers. Tliey almost always fling their excrement 

 straight 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 tlie last ring, and usually 

 on the ventral side, so that the ftieces are easily 

 left behind; but the larvrn of several species 

 of beetles that have the peculiar habit of cover- 

 ing themselves with their own excrement, liave 

 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 (^Lemu trili- 

 nenta. Oliv.) which sometimes proves (juite in- 

 jurious to the Potato in the East, has this 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 diflereiit 

 genus (Crioceris merdigera) has the same habit. 

 In this country there is also another yellowish 

 oval jumping beetle {Blepharida rhois, Fovster) , 

 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 tlie 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 aromatica 

 ■I glabra and copalina — preferring them in the 

 order of their naming. 



But the larvae of tlie Tortoise-beetles are par 

 excellence the true dung-carriers, for they excel 

 .all others in this merdigerous art. In the in- 

 stances related .above, the load is carried innne- 

 diately on 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 larvx 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 on eacli side of the body.* Four of these 



•The larva of an uudescribed Cassida, the size and shape 

 of unipunctttla Say, but having 6 black spots on the thorax 



are situated on the prothorax, whicli forms two 

 anterior projections beyond the common margin; 

 four of them — the two anterior ones longer than 

 the others — are on each of the two following tho- 

 racic segments, and each of the abdominal seg- 

 ments is furnished with but two. There arc 

 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 

 CiiKvsOMELA femily, 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 

 larval of our Tortoise beetles have no such pro- 

 leg, and the six anterior legs arc short, thick 

 and fleshy, and with the retractile head, give 

 these larvte, 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 

 jiarasol of dung which so nicely jirotects it. 



When we read of those Hottentots who cover 

 dift'crent portions of their bodies with the un- 

 cleaned intestine!; 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 thfiy 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 

 oft'ensive odor or appearance, and its true ch.ar- 

 .acter is generally sufficiently disguised by being 

 intermixed with the cast-oft' 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 larvaj which we have 



instead of only 1, and which we may tlu-reloi-u call Cass, 

 quinquepitnctata, has only 20 of thcst- spines, or 10 upon each 

 side, all of thera simple' and lujt sprnn^-lin^, and no abdo- 

 minal joint bearing more than a sin;::le lateral spine. This 

 new species differs lurther in the w iny:-i-aiis l)eing of a dingy 

 olive color, finely freckled with ve.luw, and with one 

 large round yellow spot a little bilore llie middle of each. 

 It was taken abundantly some years as,'u by llie fieiiior Editor 

 in a particular locality near lliick Islaml, 111. In the larva, 

 also, of Chelymorpha crihraria Fabr. the spines, according 

 to Packard, are simple. [Guide^ etc., j). .504.) 



