THE INSECT WORLD, 



203 



A beetle that sometimes does considerable injury to sugar-cane 

 and corn in the Southern States is the " sugar-cane beetle," Li- 

 gyrus rugiceps. Unfortu- 

 nately, we do not yet know "^^^ 

 its entire life history, and, as 

 the injuries seem to have 

 been rather local and occa- 

 sional, it may be that it will 

 not prove of wide or gen- 

 eral importance. No satis- 

 factory method of dealing 

 with it is known at present. 



In the genera Xylo^yctes, 

 Strategics, Dynastes, and 

 Phileurus, we have a series 

 of species more or less 

 bizarre in form, with curious 

 horns and processes on 

 head or thorax or both, but 

 not of economic interest, 

 since neither beetles nor 

 larvae are found on culti- 

 vated plants. Ash furnishes 

 food for several of the spe- 

 cies in both larval and adult 

 form. 



Beginning with the genus 

 Aliorhina, we have a series 

 of beetles that frequent 

 flowers, feeding on pollen, 

 but largely repaying what 

 they devour by the benefit 

 they confer in pollenizing. 

 Sometimes, however, they prefer ripening fruits or even corn 

 when in milk, and then become troublesome. Belonging to this 

 genus Allorhina are velvety-green and dull-brown beetles, an 

 inch or more in length, which fly during the day with a buzzing 

 sound somewhat like a bumble-bee, and usually close to the sur- 

 face of the ground, except where they attack fruit. Yet I have 



Ligyrus rugiceps. — The beetle and its work. 



