41 



Dr. Shimer, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, who gives the following account of its mode of transforma- 

 tion to the perfect beetle : ' The fat full grown larva of Calosoma calidum chooses a hard piece 

 of ground, as a waggon road in the field, where it bores into to pass the pupa state. I have 

 seen them many hours in boring a few inches. These fierce insects often wage terrible battles 

 when they encounter each other, and they will eat each other as readily as cut-worms, as I found 

 whenever I put more than one of them into my collecting box. He that would breed these 

 insects to the perfect state must pack the dirt in his breeding box as hard as a waggon road, 

 or he will fail, as I always did before I saw their operations in the field. In using moderate- 

 ly compact earth, the larva digs it over and over, endeavouring to find a suitably dense place, 

 works up the dirt into balls, until its feet are clogged up with earth and juices from its 

 mouth, and it sinks exhausted and dies. In a few days after it enters the grounds, the 

 beautiful spotted, perfect beetle appears, and, strangely, the smell of the beetle is peculiar, 

 and entirely diflferent from the larva.' This cut-worm lion has quite a formidable ap- 

 pearance and is exceedingly agile. It is flattened, of a black colour, with six legs upon the 

 breast, and a pair of sharp hook-like jaws projecting in front of its head. It pursues the 

 worms in their retreats under the ground, and seizes them wherever it comes in contact with 

 them. Sometimes a young cut-worm lion will seize a worm twice as large as itself, and will 

 cling' with a bulldog tenacity to its prey, through all its throes, its wiithings and twistings, 

 till at last the worm succumbs, exhausted, and the victor bites two or three holes in its skin 

 and proceeds to suck out its juices." 



Riley considers this larva the most efficient insect destroyer of cut-worms that is known, 

 and when we consider the great ravages of these latter, we should carefully protect and foster 

 any and every means that may prove useful in lessening their evils. 



It is also well known that the perfect insect feeds on the larvae of the common potato 

 beetle, Doryphora decemlineata, Say. Our fiery ground beetle also destroys large numbers of 

 the canker-worm, Anisopteryx vernata, Peck, a much-dreaded pest which attacks the elm, 

 cherry, apple, plum and other trees. Our friend, being very active, runs over the ground 

 in search of the soft-bodied canker-worms, and will even mount upon trunks of trees for the 

 same purpose. 



Another very destructive enemy which is devoured by Calosoma calidum is the army- 

 worm, that pest which plays such havoc with wheat and other cereals in many districts. 



The beneficial eff"ects of the presence of a few fiery-ground beetles among growing plants 

 is so clearly recognized, that many will take pains to secure them and transport them to their 

 gardens. 



The next Calosoma we will consider is the rummaging ground beetle, Calosoma scrutator, 

 Fab. (Fig. 23.) also called the beautiful-bodied searcher, and the green caterpillar-hunter. 



This is the largest and handsomest member of the family, 

 but the beauty and brilliancy of its colouring require to be 

 seen to be appreciated. It is larger than the insect previously 

 described, but of the same general outline. The head and 

 thorax are of a deep purplish colour, the latter with a greenish 

 coppery margin ; the wins covers are of a bright and shining 

 green, with fine longitudinal lines and scattered punctures, 

 and a broad, coppery red margin. The underside is deep 

 shining green, varied with coppery markings. The legs are 

 blackish brown, in some lights deep purple. 



"This maguificent beetle is rather a rare insect in Cana- 

 da, though found occasionally in most parts of Ontario. Col- 

 lectors of insects can often find specimens iu summer, after a 

 southerly gale, on the outer shore of Toronto Island, which is 

 a famous place for obtaining rare beetles that have been 

 drowned in the lake and washed ashore by the waves." (Rev. C. J. S. Bethune in Annual 

 Report of Entomol. Soc. of Ontario, 1872.) ^ 



Among the insects preyed upon by this insect friend are the canker-worm, the army- 

 worm, and the forest-tent caterpillar, Clisiocampa sylratica, Harr., which latter is well known 

 in Canada from its ravages during the past few years. 



