528 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW TORE 
WIREWORMS. TRUNCATED SNAFPING-BEETLE AND WORM. COMMON SNAPPING-BEETLE. 
and have found in two instances perforating the roots of Timothy 
grass, I believe to be this insect in its larva state. 
This wireworm, a side view of which is given in the cut, 
Fig. 12, is very slondor, cylindrical, somewhat flattened 
along its underside, and having its surface smooth, 
glossy, and without any impressed lino along tho middle 
of its back, and with some fine hairs towards the apex of 
g. . ireworm o runcated eac j 1 r j n g # The i as t segment is nearly twice as long as 
snapping cet o. broad, its basal half cylindrical and the remainder of 
Its length tapering and ending in a subacute point. On its upper side towards tho base 
are two conspioious dots rosombling breathing-pores. It grows to six tenths of an inch in 
length. 
The Truncated snapping-beetle is three tenths of an inch or slightly more in length. 
Its head and thorax are blackish brown with a slight glossiness, and are closely punctured 
and clothed with fine, short, incumbent hairs of a dull yellowish color. The head is more 
broad than long, and is inclined almost vertically. It is slightly convex and cut off trans¬ 
versely at its anterior end. Tho mouth and eyes are black. The antenss are pale dull yel¬ 
low, about as long as to the base of tho thorax, thread-like, eleven-jointed, the first joint 
thickest and longest and narrowing slightly towards its base, tfhe following joints obconic, 
the second one perceptibly though but very slightly longer than the third, all the following 
ones moderately compressed, tho terminal one oval. Tho thorax is scarcely as long as 
wide, very convex on the back, narrowest at the forward end, the anterior half gradually 
rounded inward, a shallow groove along the middlo of the basal half, the hind angles pro¬ 
longed backward and very slightly outward, into a sharp point or spine, which has a short 
olevated lino on its uppor sido and a more prominent longer one on its outer side. Scutel 
broad oval. Wing-covers about throe times as long as the thorax and equalling it in 
width, slightly widost across the middlo, convex, each with nine deeply impressed and 
punctured strim, tho interstices between which arc slightly convex, finely wrinkled trans¬ 
versely, and furnished with minute punctures, tho alternate interstices faintly wider. 
Underside dark brown and densely punctured. Legs pale dull yellow, tho feet five-jointod, 
the four first joints successively diminishing in length, tho fifth double the length of tho 
preceding joint and ending in a pair of small, simple claws. 
The Elater which is most frequently seen 
in our gardens is the Oratonychns communis 
of Gyllenhal, or the Common snapping-beetle, 
which is represented in the annexed cut, Fig. 
13. It is of a dark chestnut color, covered 
over with short fine prostrate hairs of an ash 
gray color, ifs wing-covers having rows of 
punctures resembling the stitches in a gar¬ 
ment, and its forebody with an impressed line 
in the middle. 
Fig. 13. Common snapping 
beetle. 
This is well entitled to the name it has received, it occurs so 
plentifully in such a variety of situations in all parts of the United 
States. During the months of April, May and June, it is most 
abundant. Its numbers then diminish and it nearly or quite dis¬ 
appears in August, but is again met with in September and 
through the following months. Many years since a corner of my 
