368 



CHARACTERS OF INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



elytra, agree with the preceding families in their carnivorous 

 habits. Most familiar perhaps in Britain is the Devil's Coach- 

 Horse {pcypus olens), which has the curious habit of turning up its 



tail when molested (fig. 220). 

 The Scarabs rival the 

 ground-beetles in number of 

 species and include many large 

 and handsome forms, distin- 

 guished by characteristic an- 

 tennae, of which the last few 

 joints are so broadened out 

 that when expanded they look 

 like a small fan. The adults 

 and larvae feed either upon 

 Fig. .ic,.-Great Water-Beetle {zj^^v«««,«.^.«.?ii) Vegetable substances or on 



Male to left, and female to right. Part of the fore-foot of dung. HerebelOngS thelar- 



male (enlarged) is represented in centre to show the pad and „__^ 'Ri-iVi'cl-i crtpr-'je^c 1-Vif» Qfarr 



suckers with which it is provided. gcst oriusn spccics, mc otag- 



Beetle {Lucanus cervus), in 

 which the mandibles of the male resemble antlers. The largest- 

 known beetles are not very distantly related, and forms com- 

 monly seen in museums are the Hercules - Beetle {Dynastes 



hercules) from tropical Ame- 

 rica, and the Goliath- Beetle 

 {Goliathus Drurei), the male 

 of the former species some- 

 times exceeding 5 inches in 

 length, as against the 3 

 inches of our Stag- Beetle. 

 One of the commonest Bri- 

 tish dung - beetles is the 

 TiMmkA^-X^or^Geotrupes ster- 

 corarius), a sluggish insect 

 of bluish-black colour, often 

 seen crawling slowly along country roads. An allied genus 

 includes the Sacred Scarab {Scarabceus sacer) of the Egyptians. 

 The Chafers constitute a large and well-known group of the 

 Scarab Beetles. Common British species are the Cockchafer 

 {Melolontha vulgaris"), the green-and-brown Garden Chafer {Phyl- 

 lopertha horticola), and the beautiful golden-green Rose Chafer 

 {Cetonia aurata) (fig. 221). 



Fig. 220. — Devil's Coach-Horse [Ocyptts olens) 



I, Standing with turned-up tail: 2, flying: 3, head enlarged, 

 to show eyes, antennee, and jaws. 



