136 



I-ASIILY XXXVIl. — ELATERIDjE. 



The larva is one of the smaller injurious wire 

 worms, often doing much damage to corn and 

 wheat. It is of a light waxy yellow color, nine 

 to 12 mm. in length, sparsely hairy and consid- 

 erably flattened in form; the last segment is 

 nearly flat, rugose above, without bristle-bearing 

 tubercles and with an acute apical notch. (Fig. 

 282 a.) It attacks sprouting corn and wheat, 

 especially that ))lanted on sod, eating part of the 

 softened grain and boring up into the tender 

 stem. No effective remed.v has yet been discov- 

 ered, though, fall plowing for corn will greatly 

 lessen their nimibers. 



D. amaMis Lee, color of elccjanx, length 3 

 mm., is recorded from IMaryland, Ohio and 

 Texas. 



Megapenthes limhalis Herbst, black, disk of 

 thorax (in great part) and sides of elj^tra red- 

 dish-yellow, length 8-11 mm., occurs in the 

 IMiddle and Southern States and has been re- 

 corded from Cincinnati. 



XXVIII. LuDius Esch. 1829. (Gr., "a stage 

 player or gladiator.") 

 Large black or dark reddish-brown Slaters, 

 having the prosternal sutures concave on the outer side; tarsi 

 simple, pubescent beneath; hind coxal plates less suddenly dilated 

 on inner side and strongly toothed at insertion of the thighs; sec- 

 ond and third antennal joints always small, third a little shorter 

 than second, the two together shorter than fourth, the terminal 

 joint suddenly narrower near apex, presenting the appearance of a 

 false joint. (Fig. 3. No. 1.) For a synopsis of the genus see 

 LeConte.—Hvans. Amer. Ent. Soc., XII, 1884, ■15-49. 



1392 (4271). Lddius attenuatds Say, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist, N. Y., I, 1S25, 

 257; ibid. I, 392; II, 600. 

 Elongate, moderately robust, gradually narrower behind the middle. 

 Dark reddish-brown or black, feebly shining, clothed with very fine silky 

 pubescence; thorax usually reddish with elytra black. Thorax as long as 

 wide, or longer in the male, gradually narrower from base to apex, sides 

 feebly curved; hind angles rather short, strongly carinate; dislc coarsely 

 but not densely punctate. Elytra not wider than thorax, rapidly narrowing 

 to apex, tips acute; surface obsoletely substriate, dansely and rather roughly 

 punctate. Cavity of mesosternum into which iirosterual spine ilts with sides 

 parallel and elevated. Length 14-22 mm. 



Fig. 282a. 



:< S. 



(After Forbes.) 



