152 



But with increased economic efficiency this class of insects which 

 hasten the decay of wood will receive more attention. Mr. W. P. 

 Flint informs me that in the southern part of Illinois the white ants 

 (Vermes flauipes) and the ant Cremastogaster lineolata are very 

 active in decaying wood. Other inhabitants of damp rotten wood, 

 logs, and roots, are the larvae of the large- scarabseid Xyloryctes saty- 

 rus Fabr. I have taken them at Urbana, 111., October i, 12, and 15 

 in the Brownfield woods, and in the Cottonwood forest October 8. 

 Smith ('10, p. 321) reports the larva feeding in the roots of ash, and 

 Walsh (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 9, p. 287. 1863), from 

 the roots of grass. Osmoderma scabra Beauv. (PI. XXIX. fig. 4) 

 was taken at Bloomington, 111., July 26, and O. eremicola Knoch 

 (PI. XXIX, fig. 3) ii;i June at Bloomington, and at Springfield, 111., 

 in July by A. B. Wolcott. The larvae of both these species are known 

 to live in decaying wood; the adults are found under the bark, and 

 according to Packard ('90, p. 283) in heart- wood. Prionus imbri- 

 cornis L. (PI. XXIX, fig. 6) lives under bark and in decaying wood. 

 One individual was taken at Bloomington July 22. Orthosoma 

 brunneum Forst., another species with larval habits similar to Prionus, 

 was taken at the same place during July. It lives in a great variety 

 of decaying wood. The larvse of the common rose flower-beetle, 

 Trichius piger Fabr. (PI. XXIX, fig. 7), taken by me June 16, 18, 

 19, 22, 25, and July 7, and at Savanna, 111., May 30, live, accord- 

 ing to Smith ('10, p. 322), in "old oak stumps." The larvse of 

 Lucanus dama Thunb. (PL XXXI, figs, i and 2) live in decaying 

 wood. The beetle was taken June 30, in July, and August i under 

 wood. The beetles of Dorcus parallelus Say were taken May 12, 

 July 25, and August 6. Ceruchus piceus Web. was taken April 5, 

 and one taken July 25 was covered with white fungus threads. The 

 larva of Dorcus and Ceruchus feed mainly or solely in rotten wood. 

 On Plate XXX the larva of Mercbcantha contracta is seen in its bur- 

 row in decayed wood. These insects from decayed wood are among 

 the most common of woodland insects. 



In concluding this part on insects of rotten wood the following 

 papers should be mentioned, which will be of assistance to one pur- 

 suing this subject: Townsend ('86), on beetles in decaying bass- 

 wood; Packard ('90, pp. 222-223), on insects of decaying oak, (1. c, 

 pp. 283-284) in decaying elm, (p. 424) in decaying maple, and (p. 

 612) in hackberry; Felt ('06, pp. 484-494) on insects in decaying 

 wood and bark of deciduous trees; and Shelford ('13a, pp. 245-247) 

 on insects of decaying beech. Dury (Ent. News, Vol. 19, pp. 388- 

 389, 1908) states that he took over three hundred species of beetles 



