. Bulletin. Animals -- United States; Birds -- United States. 14 FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. The last-named group includes two mainly beneficial families, the ground beetles (Carabidae) and the fireflies (Lampyridae). Since the destruction of these beetles by the cardinal tends to neutralize the good done in other ways, it is important to understand thoroughly the nature of the bird's relation to them. Among the most beneficial of beetles are the caterpillar hunters {Calosoma^ fig. 7), which ascend trees in quest of their prey, a rare habit among ground beetles. Thus these beetles attack cat
. Bulletin. Animals -- United States; Birds -- United States. 14 FOOD HABITS OF THE GROSBEAKS. The last-named group includes two mainly beneficial families, the ground beetles (Carabidae) and the fireflies (Lampyridae). Since the destruction of these beetles by the cardinal tends to neutralize the good done in other ways, it is important to understand thoroughly the nature of the bird's relation to them. Among the most beneficial of beetles are the caterpillar hunters {Calosoma^ fig. 7), which ascend trees in quest of their prey, a rare habit among ground beetles. Thus these beetles attack caterpillars in a way others are unable to do. Two cardinals ate beetles of this genus. Another large carabid {Pasitnachxis) ^ an enemy of grasshoppers and the army worm, was eaten by one redbird. Others devoured include Harpalus caliginosus^ which is the bulky black beetle often seen feeding on the flowers of ragAveed and Avhich is evidently not entirely predaceous, and a larva of the nearly related beetle Dicaelus. Three birds captured individuals of the medium-sized but very hard Scarites suhterraneus^ which generally hides under stones by day. Specimens of two species of Anisodaet/i/li/s and one beautiful blue ('nllhia also were eaten. In all 34 red- birds fed upon beetles of this useful family, but each must have eaten spar- ingly, for the beetles compose but percent of the entire food, an amount too small to be reckoned against the con- sumer of more than 8 times that quantity of grasshoppers, in addition to many other injurious insects. Fireflies were eaten by only 4 cardi- nals, one of the birds obtaining the com- mon black and yellow soldier beetle {('JiauUognathnfi marginatus)^ which commonly feeds on the pollen of midsummer blossoms, and another, one of the small black fireflies {Telej)hori(s ), the larva.^ of which are enemies of some common agricultural pests. Fireflies are eaten in such moderate measure that it is impracticable to assign them a percent,
Size: 1509px × 1655px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdsunitedstates
