103 



Mr. Stephens has applied the generic name of Cata- 

 phagus, as indicative of the destructively devouring 

 powers of their larvse. Their ravages are the more to 

 be dreaded because the larva remains in the form po- 

 pularly known as the wireworm for five years, dur- 

 ing the whole of which time it is preying upon the 

 roots of plants. 



The four species, the wireworms of which are most 

 injurious to our crops, are the Elater sputator, E. ru- 

 ficaulis, E. obscurus, and E. lineatus. As the habits 

 of these are for the most part similar, we extract the 

 following general description of the click beetles and 

 their larvae, as given by Mr. Cuthbert Johnson, in 

 the Farmer s Encyclopcedia : — 



Click beetles are readily known by having the ster- 

 num produced behind in a strong spine fitted to enter 

 a groove in the abdomen, situated between the inter- 

 mediate pair of legs. By bringing these parts sud- 

 denly into contact, the insects are enabled to spring 

 to some height into the air, and thus recover their 

 natural position when they happen to fall on their 

 backs, which they frequently do when dropping from 

 plants to the ground. A special provision of this 

 kind is rendered necessary in consequence of the 

 shortness and weakness of their legs. 



The wireworms have a long, slender, and cylindri- 

 cal body, covered by a hard crust, which has obtained 

 for them the above name. They are composed of 



