358 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



'Pm. im. — AuUcus 



devours the larvae and pupse of the bees. The imago is found from May to July ; the 

 larva remains from July until the next year in the bees' nests. In America Trichodes 

 nuttalli is not rare in August upon flowers of Spiraea alba, but its 

 larval habits have not been studied. It is about 0.4 of an inch long, 

 and somewhat resembles T. apiarius in color and markings. The 

 genus Aulicus, which has the apex of both labial and maxillary 

 palpi dilated, is found on the western coast of Noi-th America, as is 

 also the very slender Perilypus carbonarius, in which the posterior 

 thighs are elongated. 



The larvae of Tillus unifasciatus, a European species, live in dried 

 grape twigs, preying upon larvae of Anaspis maculata and AjMte 

 sexdentata ; and finally pupating in the twigs. It is probable that 

 T, collaris, from Georgia, has analogous habits. 



The family of Malachid^ is often united with the next succeeding family (Lam- 

 - pyridfe) from the species of which the members of this family differ in having only six 

 free ventral segments, and in the insertion of a separate piece between the front and 

 the labrum. 



The genus Malachius, and a few of its allies, has excited the attention of many 

 observers on account of its protrusion of two evaginable pro- 

 cesses from each side. In Malachius ceneus each anterior 

 process is trilobed, and is pushed out on each side from 

 beneath the anterior angles of the prothorax ; each posterior 

 process is bilobed and originates between the metathorax 

 and first abdominal segment. These processes are of a deli- 

 cate red or reddish-yellow tissue ; they were shown by Dr. 

 H. Liegel to be evaginated by filling with the blood or body- 

 fluid of the insect, and to be retracted by muscles within 

 them. The function of these organs is unknown. 



Malachius ceneus, the beetle just mentioned, is about 



0.2 of an inch long ; the anterior angles of its prothorax 



and the outer portion of its elytra are dull red, the rest of 



the insect is bronze green. It is found both in Europe and 



in the United States, having been 



introduced into the latter country. 



The beetle eats the pollen of grass and other plants, and is 

 possibly sometimes carnivorous ; the' larva lives beneath the 

 bark of trees, where it hunts out and devours the larvae of 

 other insects. 



The LAMPYEiDyE are beetles of soft texture and medium 

 or small size ; the head is sometimes hidden by the front of 

 the prothorax, and sometimes prominent and exposed; the 

 antennae are generally serrate, and usually eleven-jointed ; 

 the elytra, usually quite soft and yielding, may be short or 

 even wanting in the females of certain genera. The larvffi 

 are flattened, often dark-colored and velvety, and have an 

 ocellus on each side the retractile head ; they are generally 

 carnivorous, living under stones and bark, or upon the ground, where they devour 

 snails and larvae of insects. Sometimes the velvety larvae of certain species of 



Fig. 407. — Malachius mar- 

 ginicotlis. 



Tig. 408. — Malachius afflnis. 



