CO LEO P TER A. 
547 
little variation in form ; but in this stage the shape of the 
parts of the head and the last segment of the body often 
furnish reliable specific characters (Figs. 658 and 659). 
In those species that we have bred it requires several 
years for the larva to complete its growth. In these species 
the full-grown larva changes to a pupa in the latter part of 
the summer, in a little cell in the ground ; the pupa soon 
afterwards changes to an adult; but the adult remains in 
the cell formed by the larva till the following spring. 
Although we tried an extensive series of experiments, 
extending over several years, we were unable to find any 
satisfactory way of destroying the larvae infesting field 
crops. But we found that if the cells containing pupae or 
recently-transformed adults were broken the insects per- 
shed. We conclude, therefore, that much can be done 
towards keeping these insects in check by fall-ploughing; 
for in this way many of the cells containing pupae or young 
adults would be broken. 
The Eyed Elater, Alans oculatus (A'laus oc-u-la'tus).— 
Although most of our click-beetles are of moderate size, we 
have a few species that are large. The most common of 
these is the Eyed Elater (El'a-ter). This 
is the great pepper-and-salt-colored fellow 
that has two large, black, velvety, eye¬ 
like spots on the prothorax (Fig. 660). 
These are not its eyes, however. The true 
eyes are situated one on each side of the 
head near the base of the antenna. This 
insect varies greatly in size, some individ¬ 
uals being not more than half as large as 
others. The larger larvae are about two 
and a half inches long, and nearly four 
tenths of an inch wide across the middie 
of the body. They live upon decaying F,c - 6&>. 
wood, and are often found in the trunks of old apple-trees. 
There is an Elater quite similar to the preceding that 
