STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
527 
WIREWORMS. TRUNCATED SNAPPING-BEETLE. LIVES IN GRASS LANDS. 
noticed in consequence of its close resemblance to the European 
Agriotes segetis, the species which produces “ the true wireworm.” 
It is the insect which is entered in Dr. Harris’s Treatise as being 
the Agriotes obesus of-Say. Among our American Elaters this 
has such a corpulent aspect, that Dr. Harris was probably hereby 
led on a hasty examination to ticket it as the species named obesus 
by Say, and subsequently having forgotton but that he had com¬ 
pared it with the description given by Sajq he published it with¬ 
out any intimation of doubt as being that species. It is very evi¬ 
dent he could not have fallen into an error so palpable, except in 
some such inadvertent manner. Dr. Lc Comte regards this insect 
as being the mancus of Say. I greatly doubt its being that spe¬ 
cies, which is stated to be black, whereas this is constantly dark 
brown with the wing-covers paler. It is manifestly the species 
described by Dr. F. E. Melsheimcr (Proceedings Acad. Nat. Sci., 
vol. ii, p. 217) under the name Agriotes truncatus, this name having 
been originally given it in the old Melsheimer Catalogue published 
in 1806. 
This Truncated snatping-beetle, which has been thus named 
in allusion to the outerior edge of its head, which 
is not rounded, but ends abrubtly, as though it 
had been cut off in a transverse direction, is re¬ 
markably short and thick, as represented in the 
accompanying figures, the smaller one on the 
right hand side showing its natural dimensions. 
It is of a dark brown color with the wing-covers 
_. m , a shade paler than the anterior part of the 
Fig. 11. Truncatod 1 A 
snapping-bootlo. body. 
It is in lands unfavorable for tillage and which- permanently 
remain in grass that I have met with this beetle, and in no other 
situation. At any time during the months of April and May if I 
hunt for insects in old pastures and meadows, either on low inter¬ 
vals along streams of water or on dry hillsides abounding in rocky 
ledges and hereby unadapted for plowing, I commonly come upon 
one or more specimens of this beetle, usually lurking under stones 
and sticks lying loosely upon the surface of the ground, but 
sometimes mounted up upon weeds. It is thus rendered pretty 
certain that it is exclusively the roots of grass that the larva of 
this species infests. And a wireworm corresponding with this 
beetle in its diminutive size, which I have met with in grass lands, 
