OOLBOPTERA. OR BEETLES. 



161 



upon the venter of the prothorax, which fits into a coriesponil- 

 ing pit on the mesothorax. When tlie beetle falls on its hack, 

 it is unable to regain its normal position with its short legs, 

 but the spine apparatus enables it to do so. The beetle, to 

 regain its feet, arches the head and prothorax and abdomen, so 

 that the spine is brought out of the mesothoracic pit ; suddenly 

 relaxing its muscles, the body flies back, and the spine coming 

 violently in contact with the mesothorax, jerks the insect into 

 the air, and at the same time produces the clicking noise, the 

 beetle sooner or later falling down on its ventral surface. The 

 hind angles of the prothorax are often produced into spines. 



Fir;. 78. — STRIPED Click-beetle {Agriotes lineatus). 

 o, Wireworm ; 6, pupa ; c, imago. 



There are several species of elaters that are very destructive in 

 their wireworm or larval state in Britain. The commonest is 

 Agriotes lineatus or the Striped Click-beetle (fig. 78, c), an 

 insect about half an inch long, with pale stripes down the 

 reddish-brown elytra. Athous licemorrlioidalis is also some- 

 times very abundant, and smaller than the former. 



The life-history of the Click-beetles is as follows. The adult 

 beetles appear from April to October,'- but the majority are 

 noticed in June : they may be found settled low down upon 

 grass during the day, but towards evening on the tops of 

 herbage, or may be taken in abundance by sweeping a net 

 over clover. They lay their eggs close upon the ground, for 



^ Now and tlien these beetles may be found in the winter. 

 L 



