Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . arts, the lower wings would beliable to considerable it is, neither soil normoisture can find entrance. There are numerous de-partures from this typical per-fection of fitting of the wing-covers. In the oil-beetles theshape of these is such that it isimpossible for their edges everto meet, and they are too shortto cover the body. In thegreat family of long-bodiedrove-beetles,^ though theiredges meet, they are so ex-ceedingly short that the wingshave to be folded up underthem something after themanner of the same orga
Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . arts, the lower wings would beliable to considerable it is, neither soil normoisture can find entrance. There are numerous de-partures from this typical per-fection of fitting of the wing-covers. In the oil-beetles theshape of these is such that it isimpossible for their edges everto meet, and they are too shortto cover the body. In thegreat family of long-bodiedrove-beetles,^ though theiredges meet, they are so ex-ceedingly short that the wingshave to be folded up underthem something after themanner of the same organs inearwigs. In the case of theground-beetles^ the flight-wings are undeveloped, andthe wing-covers have theiredges united so that theycannot be separated. This isan instance of atrophy due totheir life being spent almostentirely underground. Beetles exhibit true meta-morphosis, with an entirechange of appearance andstructure between the larvaland the perfect stages. Thelarvae of beetles are, as a rule,soft, fleslu grubs, but there isa great amount of difference. Photo 6yJ Calliper Beetle. [£. Step. 1 hr lore-parts of this bcftle arc shown twice the actual size. U will be the head, supporting the front horn, is comparatively small. The second andtaller honi is an outgrowth from the fore-body. In spite of the bearded inner edgeof this horn and the saw edge of the other, they do not appear to have any useexcept that of ornament. in the character of their external coverings according to the life they lead. Someare legless and inactive, like maggots ; others have six well-developed legs, and arevery active ; some of the grubs of water-beetles have in addition external gills. Ofthe vast majority of beetles, however, it may be said that at present we know nothing Illvtia. - Staphylinidac. ^ Carabus. 62 Marvels of Insect Life.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecta, booksubjectinsects
