. Elements of zoology, or, Natural history of animals / ed. by Reese. Zoology. BEETLES SCARA BJEI. 319 tes hercules, a native of Brazil, which attains the length of five inches, and of which the male possesses an enormous horn, projecting from the head, which is opposed by a corresponding protuberance from the thorax. To this group also belongs the melolontha vulgaris, or common cockchafer, which is most destructive to vegetation both in its larva and perfect condition ; feeding on the roots in the one case, and on the leaves and young shoots in the other. The larva lives for three or fou
. Elements of zoology, or, Natural history of animals / ed. by Reese. Zoology. BEETLES SCARA BJEI. 319 tes hercules, a native of Brazil, which attains the length of five inches, and of which the male possesses an enormous horn, projecting from the head, which is opposed by a corresponding protuberance from the thorax. To this group also belongs the melolontha vulgaris, or common cockchafer, which is most destructive to vegetation both in its larva and perfect condition ; feeding on the roots in the one case, and on the leaves and young shoots in the other. The larva lives for three or four years beneath the ground, becoming lethargic in winter, but actively voracious in summer. Their excessive multiplication is usually pre-. Dynastes Hercules. vented by birds ; but if these be kept away, they increase very rapidly, and become a complete pest to the cultiva- tor. The perfect insect sometimes makes its appearance in such swarms as to devastate an entire forest. The goHath beetle may also be mentioned as belonging to the same group. This genus is composed of large and splen- did species, principally from Africa and the East Indies. 527. The Lucani, or Stag-Beetles, derive their com- mon name from the peculiar form of their mandibles, which are very large, curved, and toothed, like stag-horns. The L. cerves is one of the largest British insects, the males being two inches or more in length. This species flies about in the evening in the middle of the summer, especially round the oaks, upon the wood of which the larva feeds, remaining in that state for several years be- fore undergoing its final transformation. Some of the 565. What different species are here descrihed ?. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Reese, David Meredith, 1800-1861. New York : A. S. Barnes
Size: 2310px × 1082px
Photo credit: © Paul Fearn / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookpublishe, booksubjectzoology
