November 4, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
421 
extra attention.—S tephen Castle, The Vineyard, West Lynn , 
Norfolk, 
CHAPTERS ON INSECTS FOR GARDENERS.—No. 14. 
NEW series. 
That the name of Rove beetles should he distinctive of one 
group amongst the Coleoptera may appear odd, for the majority 
of beetles, even amongst those that are fond of darkness and 
secret retreats, display a propensity for roving in their perfect 
state. This appellation, however, particularly suits several of the 
species in the family now to be noticed, because they often attract 
observation from their habit of moving rapidly across beaten 
paths and open places with a very determined air, evidently 
either in the act of hunting for prey, or on the road to a spot 
where they expect to obtain it. These are prominent species in 
the division of Brachelytra, which embraces some large species 
and some that are quite diminutive. Beetles that have short wing- 
cases is the meaning of the scientific name, and it points to 
a marked peculiarity in this, the last division of the group of 
Rhypophaga, or Filth-consumers ; though there are occasional 
examples of a similar habit in beetles that are classed otherwise, 
owing to their structure. The Devil’s Coach-horse is an inelegant 
and not very appropriate name applied to more than one sombre- 
looking species belonging to to this group, but probably it 
is most frequently given to the common Rove beetle that is 
properly named Ocypus or Staphylinus olens. One natu¬ 
ralist, indeed, asserts that this phrase is appropriate, and 
says that he made a magnified drawing of this beetle with 
head erect and sparks of light coming from its eyes, which 
his friends generally took for a fancy sketch of an imp. 
But then the epithet implies that the creature is a repre¬ 
sentative of one of his Satanic Majesty’s steeds. Certainly 
it is black enough in hue, yet other beetles resemble it in 
this respect, and some can run much faster than it can. 
So that, as I presume, the epithet was suggested by the 
supposed viciousness of the insect, shown by its threatening 
attitudes, coupled with its mode of locomotion, for many 
crawling beetles that take flight if touched, or feign death. 
Not so Ocypus olens. The insect is doubly armed, in front 
and rear ; therefore when attacked it raises the head with 
its sharp mandibles, and also lifts the tail, at the end of 
which are two glands, from which it can eject a liquid of 
extremely unpleasant odour. Cocktails is yet another name 
for 0. olens and his brethren, originated by this peculiar 
movement of the tail—an action not always pugnacious, 
since some of these beetles use it with great dexterity to 
fold up the wings under the short wing-cases, should they 
have flown along, as they are capable of doing, though not 
fond of thus taking the air. But this particular species is 
one of the useful insects, despite its evil aspect (though 
after all there is some beauty in the polished black head 
and grey downy wing-cases), for it kills many other insects 
that are feeders on vegetables, and also looks out specially 
for earthworms. These the beetle chases even into their 
burrows ; but it has been observed that when an earthworm, 
as it often will, drags a portion of a leaf within the mouth 
of its hole, a Rove beetle, for some reason or other, does 
not enter in pursuit. In the larval state 0. olens is equallj r pre¬ 
daceous, and resembles the mature beetle somewhat, in size less of 
course, and lacking wings ; it is occasionally found in combat 
with one of its own kind. 
The history of this Cocktail, a familiar species, has been dwelt 
upon as a sample of that of others allied to it, in varying degrees 
destructive to injurious insects of the garden both as beetles and 
as larvae. In one or two species the larvae dig tunnels formed 
after the manner of the tiger beetles, into which they drag unwary 
wanderers, seizing them by the head and sucking their juices. 
Some of the lesser beetles amongst the Brachelytra reside in the 
nests of ants, at least occasionally ; and it is thought that the ants 
carry them into their abodes and keep them prisoners in order to 
feast upon a liquid exuded by the beetles—doing with them, in 
fact, just as with the aphides. It does not appear that the ants 
kill their prisoners, even if they have become of no use to them. 
The species of Claviger are supposed to live entirely in ants’ nests, 
and they are eyeless, so their structure is adapted to their circum¬ 
stances, whatever food they require beiDg obtainable in their 
singular abode, if it is not actually supplied to them by the ants. 
The division of beetles we now nroceed to has within it numerous 
large and conspicuous species, the dung beetles and the chafers 
are examples ; and the majority of the insects are vegetarians, 
attacking very frequently the growth of our gardens and fields. 
These, the Lamellicornes, while they have, like all the divisions 
that have been noticed, tarsi that are five-jointed, are distinguished 
by the termination of the antennae, which is in the form of a club. 
This club is either toothed, or else jointed and composed of tiny 
leaflike blades. Largest of our British beetles, and at the head 
of this division, we place the stag beetle (Lucanus Cervus), an 
insect which from its bulk and usual habits has become w T ell 
known to many who are not naturalists. The male insect flies in 
or near parks and shrubberies, or exposes itself to view by prome¬ 
nading upon the top of a paling, where persons see it,' but are 
disinclined to handle it on account of the formidable horns. 
These, possessed only by the male insect, are really the enlarged 
mandibles, but weakened, for although the beetle can nip with 
them, their pressure is scarcely felt. The female, less seldom seen, 
and not popularly recognised as the better-half of the monarch of 
our beetles, has, however, a biting apparatus much more effective 
employed to introduce her eggs deep into the solid wood of trees. 
In size she is rather less, and it is she that should be sought par¬ 
ticularly whenever the ravages of the larva render it necessary 
to put a check upon the increase of the species. Some folks that 
suggested that it was this larva, and not that of the goat moth, 
which was called the “ Cossus ” by the ancients, a worm or grub 
found within trees, and cooked up as a delicacy. I would only 
say that if the Romans could eat with relish either of these larvae 
they must have had singular appetites. As the larva of the stag 
beetle grows slowly—its life lasting two or three years, possibly 
longer—it consumes much wood, boring extensive tunnels in 
the heart cf Willows and Oaks chiefly. The head has a curious 
aspect, having a horny transparent ridge in front, through which 
can be discerned the working of a pair of powerful jaws. 
That common beetle called the “Dor,” or the “Watchman,” 
with occasionally an adjective preceding, having emphatic re¬ 
ference to the parasites, properly Acari, which adhere so firmly to 
his under surface, is rather useful than injurious to us. His name 
of Geotrupes stercorarius announces that he occupies himself in 
labours on or beneath the earth, amidst dung, too, yet his shining 
coat of mail is seldom soiled unless by an accidental downfall. 
For when he is upon the wing (and this is not only at night, but 
sometimes during the day), he has seemingly not much skill in 
guiding himself, and so comes often to the ground by striking 
incautiously against some object in his line of movement. The 
sonorous hum made by this and other dung beetles may perhaps 
serve to protect them from the attacks of birds. As we have 
repeatedly seen individuals of G. stercorarius about in all the 
warmer months of the year from April to October, there must be 
either an emergence in succession of the beetles, or their life 
exceeds that which usually belongs to the imago state of these 
insects. The larvae doubtlessly live for many months in the peculiar 
nutriment that shelters and feeds them. It is only necessary to 
take up one of the dung beetles, small or large, and placing it in 
the palm, then close the hand a moment, to be convinced about 
the muscular strength that resides in the thorax and legs. Small 
Fig. 79.—Ocypus (Staphylinus) olens. 
