\.OLEOPTERA, 551 



are sluggish by day. On the other hand, a few species are 

 very active in the brightest sunshine. 



The most common of these day-fliers are the soldier- 

 beetles, Chaiiliognathus (Chaul-i-og^na-thus). These are very 

 abundant in late summer and autumn on various flowers, but 

 especially on those of the goldenrod. There are two very 

 common species : the Pennsylvania Soldier-beetle, Chaiiliog- 

 nathus pennsylvanicus{Q. penn-syl-van'i-cus), which is yellow, 

 with a black spot in the middle of the prothorax and one 

 near the tip of each wing-cover (Fig. 666) ; and the Margined 



Fig. 668. 



Soldier-beetle, C, marginatiis (C. mar-gi-na'tus). This species 

 (Fig. 667) may be distinguished from the former by the head 

 and lower part of the thighs being orange. The beetles 

 of this genus are remarkable for having an extensible, 

 fleshy filament attached to each maxilla. These filaments 

 are probably used in collecting pollen and nectar from 

 flowers. 



Another common diurnal Lampyrid is Calopteron reticu- 

 latum (Ca-lop'te-ron re-tic-u-la'tum) (Fig. 668). This species 

 represents a group in which the wing-covers are covered with 

 a network of fine elevated lines. These insects are found on 

 the leaves of plants, where they seek and feed upon other 

 insects. 



The true Fireflies are nocturnal, and are furnished with 

 a light-giving apparatus, which is situated on the lower side 

 of the abdomen ; the exact position of these organs differs 

 in different genera. Figure 665 represents a common species. 



