414 The Missouri Bee KiL'er. 



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 rnolitor, 

 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 i.s 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, 



Fig. 195. 



J},'-LardarltiSt 



while neaily 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 an inch ( 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 use 

 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 Asilidae, 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 



