414 The Missouri Bee Killer. 
TWO DESTRUCTIVE BEETLES. 
There are two destructive beetles that often work on 
the comb, more, however, for the pollen and dead bees 
than for the wax. One of these, Tenebrionellus molitor, 
Linn., is the common flour or meal beetle. It is dark 
brown in color, and five-eighths of an inch (16 mm.) long. 
The larva or grub is of a lighter color and when fully 
developed is one inch (25 mm.) long. It resembles very 
closely the larva of our Elater beetles—the wire worms. 
The other is the bacon beetle; Dermestes lardarius, Linn. 
(Fig. 195), which is a sore pest in museums, as it feeds on 
all kinds of dried animal tissues. The beetle is black, 
Fic. 195. 
D, Lardarius. 
while nearly one-half of the wing covers, next to the 
thorax, are yellowish-gray, lined in the middle with black. 
The beetle is three-eighths of aninch (10 mm.) long. The 
larva is some longer, very hairy, and ringed with brown 
and black bands. These beetles are not very troublesome 
in the apiary and can be readily destroyed by use of bisul- 
phide of carbon. Care is necessary, however, in the usc 
of this very explosive liquid. 
ROBBER FLIES. 
There are several of these flies that prey upon bees. The 
most common is Asilus Missouriensis, Riley. This is a 
two-winged fly, of the predacious family Asilide, which 
attacks and takes captive the bee and then feeds upon its 
fluids. It is more common in the southern part of our 
country. The fly (Fig. 196) has a long, pointed abdomen, 
strong wings, and is very powerful. I have seen an allied 
species attack and overcome the powerful tiger-beetle, 
whereupon I took them both with my net, and now have 
