INSECTS. 97 



service. A few devour the parts of plants. Antho- 

 biv/m torquatwrn, is found in large numbers in the 

 flowers of rape, devouring the petals, stamens, and 

 pollen. 



Family : SilphidsB (Bv/rying, or Sexton Beetles). 



The antennae either thicken gradually or have only 

 the end-joints larger; body flat; head projecting; 

 tarsi five-jointed. The burying beetles and their 

 larvae feed on dead animals. A few (sp. of Necro- 

 phorus) bury the whole animal in the earth, and 

 lay their eggs in it. Failing carrion, some of them 

 can live on vegetable food ; these sometimes do harm. 

 Others prefer living insects and snails. They are of 

 service in the economy of nature by doing away with 

 stinking bodies. The following are sometimes harm- 

 ful : Slack Burying Beetle (Silpha atrata, Fig. 71), the 

 larvae of which often do much damage in fields of 

 beetroot; Silpha opaca (Beet Carrion Beetle), and 

 8, reticulata, which, in the adult condition, may do 

 harm to several kinds of plants. Remedies need not 

 be considered, as it is only rarely they increase so 

 largely as to make the supply of carrion insufficient, 

 and consequently attack plants. 



Family : Nitidulidae (Shine Beetles). 



Small. Antennae club-shaped, eleven-jointed. Tarsi 

 five-jointed. A few species live on carrion and on 

 fungi, others under the bark of trees, a few in flowers. 

 To these last belongs the Turnip Flower Beetle (Meli- 

 gethes ceneus); somewhat convex, elongated oval; 

 shining metallic greenish black, finely dotted. Occurs 

 in the inflorescences of turnip, rape, and allied species ; 

 also in the flowers of mustard, charlock, and similar 

 crucifers, and species of buttercup (Ranunculus). At 

 the beginning of spring, the turnip-flower beetle bores 

 into the buds of turnip, rape, etc., and, later on, 



H 



