THE MUSK BEETLE. 385 



The mother beetle deposits the eggs in a row, and the young, immediately upon entering 

 the world, begin to eat their way through the wood, all diverging at right angles from the 

 burrow in which they were laid, and all increasing the diameter of the burrow in exact 

 proportion to their own growth. Hundreds of these quondam dwellings may be seen on 

 roadside fences and railings, and so numerous are they on many trees that the bark falls off 

 in flakes, the course of the sap becomes arrested, and at last the tree dies from the injuries 

 to which it has been subjected by these minute but terrible foes, who work in darkness, unseen 

 and secure. The grubs or larvae may often be found in these tunnels. They are thick, round, 

 and fat, without feet, and of a whitish color, except the homy head with its powerful jaws. 



The destructive beetles that are embraced in the Curculio family have been more notable 

 than almost any group of insects, as the small fruit trees have suffered in all parts of North 

 America where such fruits are grown. The term Weevil is applied to these insects. One 

 species attacks the roses, both wild and cidtivated. Another is found feeding on pine trees. 

 The White Pi:s t e Weevil (Pissodes strobi) is especially destructive to the white pines. The 

 Plum Gouger [Anthonomus prunicida) resembles the Plum Curculio very much. The latter 

 is named Conotrachelus. When the fruit is set the beetles sting them. Apples and peaches 

 are also subject to the same pest. SitopTiilus is the grain Weevil. 



Other species are, Cerdorhynchus, the European turnip Weevil, introduced into Maine, 

 where it stings the radish. 



A common pest in the Western States is the Potato-stalk Weevil (Barideus binotatus), 

 and B. vestitus eats the tobacco plants in the Southern States. 



The Colorado potato beetle (Doryphora decemlineata) is a pest sufficiently well known at 

 this time, having reached as far as it can go eastward, on the farms of Maine. 



We now come to the Longicorn beetles, so called on account of the extraordinary length 

 of the antennae in many of the species, an example of which will be found in the colored illus- 

 tration on page 378. These insects are well represented by many species, though none have 

 the antenna? of such wonderful length as the Xenocerus semiluctuosus. While the length of. 

 its body is only seven-eighths of an inch, its antennas measure four inches, and often still 

 more. 



As in the preceding family, the Longicorn beetles pass their larval state in wood, some- 

 times boring to a considerable depth, and sometimes restricting themselves to the space 

 between the bark and the wood. The grubs practically possess no limbs, the minute scaly 

 legs being entirely useless for locomotion, and the movements of the grub being performed by 

 alternate contraction and extension of its ringed body. In order to aid locomotion the seg- 

 ments are furnished with projecting tubercles, which are pressed against the sides of the 

 burrow. Those of the common wasp beetle {Clytus ariefis) may be found at the beginning of 

 summer in fir trees, or in palings and posts of that wood. 



The just-mentioned Xexocerus, so remarkable for the inordinate length of the antennas, 

 is one of the finest examples of the Anthribidas, not only for the long and thread-like antennas, 

 but for the beauty of its coloring. It is a native of Amboina, where it was found by Mr. 

 Wallace. The male is jetty -black diversified with small white stripes on the head and thorax. 

 The elytra are boldly decorated with the same contrasting hues. The female is also white and 

 black, but the former color greatly predominates, the black being reduced to marks on the 

 sides of the head and thorax, the tips of the elytra, and four black spots, two on the middle 

 of the elytra and the other two on the thorax. 



The well-known Musk Beetle {Cerambyx moschdtus) belongs to this group. The scent, 

 which more resembles attar of roses than musk, is extremely powerful, and is often the means 

 of betraying the presence of the insect as it lies hidden among the leaves. The larva is a 

 wood-borer, and I have taken numbers out of old willow trees, which I split with wedges for 

 the express purpose. 



A beetle with a large tuft of hair on each of the antennas is termed Disaulax cayennensis. 

 It is a native of the country whence it takes its name. The stout bases of the elytra are 



Vol. IH.-49. 



