The Insect World: Being a Popular Account of the Orders of Insects

The females lay their eggs end to end, on the leaves of aquatic plants. The larvse are long and narrow, and of a dirty white. They come out of the water at the end of the summer, and form ioi themselves a cocoon on the plants bordering the banks. After a month, the perfect insect is hatched, and plunges into the water. The Gyrinus striatus (Fig. 496) is found in the waters of southern Europe. All these species are of small size, and do not exceed a fifth of

Fig. 496.— Gyrinus striatus. Fig. 497.— Gyrinus distinctus. Fig. 498,— Epinectus sulcatus.

an inch in length; but in the tropics we find Gyrini two-thirds of an inch long. One of these species, distinctus (Fig. 497), exists in the little lake of Solazies, in Reunion, noted for its mineral waters. Visitors amuse themselves by fishing for this insect with a line baited with a bit of red cloth, which it attacks. It is found also in a mineral spring in Algeria. The Epinecti (Fig. 498) are large GyrinidcB from Brazil, with very long front legs.

The carnivorous land insects par excellence — those which are most formidable, on account of their ravages and voracity — are the Carabidce. This family, one of the most numerous of the Order Coleoptera, consists of insects with long legs, and armed with powerful mandibles, suited for tearing their victims to pieces. They are the lions and the tigers of the Coleoptera, whilst the Necrophori and the Silphce play the part of hyasnas and jackals. The eyes of the Carabidce are very prominent, which allows them to see their prey

at a great distance. They take refuge under stones and under the bark of trees; but in tine weather they are also to be seen running along roads. Ardent and audacious, it is by no means rare to see them attacking species much bigger than themselves. The activity which distinguishes these insects is found also in their larvae, which pursue living prey, instead of remaining shrouded in the midst of their food, like the larvae of the Scarabceida,

These carnivorous insects are very numerous — a fortunate circumstance, considering the immense quantity of small noxious creatures, caterpillars, weevils, and an infinity of other parasites, the pests of agriculture, which they destroy. The popular prejudice, then, is to be regretted, which leads ignorant farmers to exterminate them. They ought, on the contrary, to be introduced into market gardens, as toads are, and as cats are into granaries. " The Carabidce,'' says M. Michelet, " immense tribes of warriors, armed to the teeth, which, under their heavy cuirasses, have a wonderful activity, are perfect rural constabulary, day and night, without holidays or repose, protecting our fields. They never touch the smallest thing. They are occupied entirely in arresting thieves, and they desire no salary but the body of the thief himself." But ignorance destroys these useful hunters. Children, seduced by the richness of the elytra of the Carabiy amuse themselves in catching these vigilant protectors of our farms, without knowing the bad effect of what they are doing. Fortunately, education is spreading little by little in the country; the farmers begin to be awakened to their true interests, and to know how to distinguish the useful animals which it behoves them to preserve in their fields for the safeguard of their crops. In some places in France they have already made attempts to introduce the Carabidce and the Cicinde/idce into gardens, and they have found them succeed very well. The true Carabi are to be known by their oval convex body, their long antennae, and elegantly-carved thorax. They are, in general, of more massive forms than the CicindelidcB^ which compose a kindred family. The latter form, in some sort, the vanguard and the light troops; the others, the heavy battalions. The Carabi coming out in general at night, or at least at twilight, and keepingj themselves hidden under stones during the day, it is not easy tc observe their man(xuvres. The Carabiis auratus (Fig. 499), which abounds in fields and gardens on the Continent, may be considered as the type of this genus. It has elytra of a beautiful green, with three ribs, and the legs yellowish. When it is touched it disgorges a black and acric

Fig. 499.— Carabus auratus. Fig. 500.— Carabus violace

Fig. 501,— Carabus canaliculatus. Fig, 502.— Carabus Adonis.

saliva, and ejects from the abdomen a corrosive liquid of a disagiee-able odour. It lives on the larvae of other insects. It has been seen to attack even large insects, such as the cockchafer.

Fig. 503.— Carabus nodulosus. Fig, 504.— Lan-a of Carabus auronitens.

Fig. 505.— Calosoma auropunctata. Figs. 506, 507.— Pupa and larva of Calosoma auropunctafa.

In England and the environs of Paris, Carabus violaceus (Fig. 500), whose dress of a sombre colour, is surrounded by shades of red and

violet, is met with. In the Pyrenees many Carahi with metalUc reflections are found, whose beautiful colours are the delight of collectors the; Carabfis splendens, the Carabus rutilans, &c. But the most beautiful insects of this tribe come from Siberia and the north of China. Let us mention, for example, the Ca7^abus smaraQ;dinus, of a beautiful grass-green; the Carabus Vieimghovii, of a. beautiful blue black, bordered with azure, with a golden band, &c.

Fig. 508. — Calosoma sycophanta pursuing a Bombardier Beetle {Brachinns exflodens).

Carabus Adonis (Fig. 502) is not rare in Alsace, and is found on the banks of streams. Other Carabi ^xq shown in Figs. 501, 503.

The long flat larvae of the Carabi live in the trunks of trees, among leaves, under moss, &c. They are active, and live on other insects.

Fig. 504 represents the larva of the Carabus auronitens.

Another genus of the same family is Calosoma. They have wings under their elytra — the true Carabi have not — which they use in passing from one tree to another (Figs. 505-508).

In the month of June is to be found on oak trees the beautiful Calosoma sycophanta (Fig. 508), the occasional occurrence of which in England is unquestionable; it is, however, presumed that the

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488

Fig 509. — Pro:rustes coriaceus Fig. 5io,^Procerus gigas.

Fig. sn.--Omophron Hbatum. Fig. 512.— Nebria arenaria.

specimens have reached English shores from the Continent by flight, favoured by easterly winds. This insect is of a beautiful

violet blue, having the antennae and the legs black, and the elytra of a splendid golden green, with longitudinal streaks. According to Reaumur, the larva of the Calosorna often chooses a home in the nest of the Procession-Moth Caterpillar {Bomhyx processio?iea), on oak trees, and it very soon rids the tree which is infested by them.

The Calosovia miropundata is found in the south of France. Its larva (Fig. 507) devours snails, and establishes itself in their shells. These larvae have been known to fill themselves so full of food as to become double their natural size, in which state they are sometimes devoured by those of their own species. A smaller kind, the Calosorna inquisito?', is very frequently to be met with in woods. Fig. 508 presents Caloso7na sycophanta pursuing a Bombardier {^Brachiiius explodeiis)^ which squirts out a vapour of pungent odour.

In the countries of the south-east of Europe, and in Asia Minor, one finds enormous Carabidc?, the Pi-ocnistes and the Froceri, which attain nearly two inches in length, and whose integuments resemble very rough shagreen. One species alone is met with in France, the Procmstes coriaceiis (Fig. 509). In Austria is found the

Procerus gigas (¥'\g. 510). The genus Omophron (Fig. 511) contains small, almost globular Carabid(£ of a pale yellow, with green lines, which live in the sand bordering rivers. The Nebrice in general prefer mountainous countries. The largest species, the Nehria arenaria (Fig. 512), is found all along the coast of the Mediterranean, and even on the western shores of France. But its colours grow paler as it advances northward on the African coast. It is of a bright yellow with black lines. The Nebrice hide themselves either under masses of seaweed cast up by the waves, or under the stumps of treeis cast ashore by the sea. When they are deprived of their place of shelter, they run away with such rapidity that it is very difficult to catch them. In Senegal is found the genus Tefflus (Fig. 513), great black Car ab idee with fluted elytra. Other kindred genera are — Da??iaster {¥\g. 514), remarkable for elongated pointed elytra; Anthia (Fig. 515), which is met with in sand in Africa and in India, whose head is armed in a formidable manner; and Campylocneinis^ of which C Schroeieri (Fig. 516), an Australian insect, of a bright black, attains to more than an inch and three-quarters in length, and whose short serrated legs enable it to hollow out the ground. There is found on the coasts of the south of France a representative of this group in the Scaritts Icevigatus (Fig. 517), which conceals itself in a hollow, like the cricket, and devours everything which comes within its reach.

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490 The innumerable tribe of HarpalidcE contains carnivorous beetles of very small size, sometimes of a bronze-green, sometimes black, either dull or shining, which render great service to our gardens. Hidden under stones, in dry leaves, at the foot of trees, they attack

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Fig. 513.—Tefflus Megerlei. Fig. 514. — Dainaster blaptoides-a' number of small insects, caterpillars, millepedes, &c., and thus exterminate a quantity of vermin. The Harpalus ceneus (Fig. 518). which is seen shining in the midst of the paving stones like a little bronze plate, is found everywhere. The Galeritce. (Figs. 519 and 520) are distinguished by their antennae, which are thick at the base; they

COLEOPTERA,

exhale a very strong odour: nearly all are peculiar to America. One of the most curious insects of this tribe is the Mormolyce phyllodes of Java (Fig. 521) whose elytra project in such a manner as to give it 491the appearance of a leaf. It lives under bark. I'he larva and the

Fig. 515.— Anthia thoracica. Fig. 516.— Campylocnemis Schroeteri.

pupa (Fig. 522) resemble those of other genera of which we have been speaking. The next great family of the tribe of carnivorous beetles is pomposed of the CicindelidcB — slender insects, with large prominent leads, very long legs, which are very active in their movements. The CicindelidcB like sandy plains. When the sun shines they fly in

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492

Fig. 5T7 — Scarites laevigatus.

Fig. 518. Fig. 519- Fig. 520.