370 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



Fig. 429. — Oryctes nasicomis. 



The genera Strategus, Xyloryctes, and Oryctes comprise species not quite as large 

 as those of the foregoing genera, having horns or tubercles on both sexes, and with 

 the anterior feet not elongated. In Strategus, the prothorax usually has three horns 

 in the males and three tubercles in the females. S. antmcs, a shining dark-brown 

 species about an inch in length, is found near the Atlantic coast of the United States 

 as far north as Massachusetts. In Xyloryctes, the head is horned in the males and 



tuberculate in the females. JC. satyrus, which is 

 deep brown, has striate elytra, and is a little over 

 an inch in length, resembles Oryctes nasicornis, a 

 common Euroj^ean species. X. satyrus is found in 

 the same regions as is Strategus antceus. O. nasi- 

 cornis frequents tanners' refuse used to surround 

 hot-beds in northern Germany. 



Cotalpa has the claws of the tarsi unequal, the 

 elytra without a membranous margin, the thorax 

 margined at the base, the clypeus separated from 

 the front by a suture, and ten-jointed antennas. C. 

 lanigera, the so-called goldsmith beetle from eastern 

 North America, is nearly an inch long, and light yellow in coloration. The female 

 lays her eggs singly in the ground. The eggs are waxy white, semi-transparent, and 

 oval, and measure about 0.1 of an inch in length. The larva, upon hatching, is about 

 0.3 of an inch long. It probably requires two or three years to reach full growth, 

 feeding, meanwhile, upon roots of plants. Pupation finally takes place in an oval sub- 

 terranean cavit)'. The imago frequents many kinds of trees, but is especially fond of 

 willows, among the leaves of which it nestles during the day, since it is nocturnal in 

 habits. 



In Pelidnota there is no suture between the clypeus and the front. P. pmyctaJta 

 is a well-known beetle about grape-vines in the eastern United 

 States. It is brownish yellow above, marked with black as fol- 

 lows : the posterior and lateral portions of the head, the scutel- 

 lum, a dot upon each side of the prothorax, and three dots near 

 the outer margin of each elytron. Beneath, the body and the legs 

 are shining greenish black. The larva of this species lives in the 

 decaying roots of trees, but is with difficulty distinguished from 

 other lamellicorn larvfe. These beetles fly mostly at night, re- 

 maining concealed about graj)e-vines during the day. They eat 

 grape-leaves and those of Ampelopsis, but are rarely abundant enough to do real 

 damage. 



Separated from Cotalpa and Pelidnota by the possession of nine- 

 jointed antenna3 and by having elytra with a membranous margin are 

 the species of Anoniala, of which A. lucicola is a serious foe to grape- 

 culture in some parts of the United States. Its colors -are somewhat 

 variable, some specimens being yellowish brown, others black, and still 

 other combinations of these two colors. The larvae of Anoniala have 

 not been carefully studied. The beetles often eat away the flower-buds 

 and blossoms of the grape, and also are very abundant upon flowers of 

 species of sumac (Rhus). In Europe A. vitis and other species damage grapes. 



Hexodon montandoni is a curious oval species, about 0.6 of an inch long, which 



Fig. 431. — Aiwmr 

 ala lucicola. 



