. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the coleoptera or beetles (exclusive of the Rhynchophora) known to occur in Indiana : with bibliography and descriptions of new species . Beetles. THE CLICK BEETLES. 699 Family XXXVII. BLATERID.^. Click Beetles. Speing Beetles. Snapping Bugs. Skipjacks. Every country boy in Indiana has found beneath the bark of logs or stumps either a big grayish-black beetle an inch or more in length, or smaller, slender brown ones, which feign death when first picked up, but, when placed on their backs, after a few seconds give a click, and spring several inches into
. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the coleoptera or beetles (exclusive of the Rhynchophora) known to occur in Indiana : with bibliography and descriptions of new species . Beetles. THE CLICK BEETLES. 699 Family XXXVII. BLATERID.^. Click Beetles. Speing Beetles. Snapping Bugs. Skipjacks. Every country boy in Indiana has found beneath the bark of logs or stumps either a big grayish-black beetle an inch or more in length, or smaller, slender brown ones, which feign death when first picked up, but, when placed on their backs, after a few seconds give a click, and spring several inches into the air, turn over in their descent, alight on their feet and crawl rapidly away. These beetles are typical representatives of the great family Elateridse. This power of springing into the air when placed on the back is effected by bending back the head and thorax, thus bringing the prosternal spine to and slightly above the front edge of a cavity in the meso- sternum (Fig. 272, e), and at the same time raising the base of elytra slightly above the surface upon which the beetle is resting; then by suddenly relaxing the muscles the spine descends with force into the. cavity, causing the base of elytra to strike violently against the supporting surface, and by their elasticity the whole body is propelled upwards. Td bring about the motion in the manner indicated there must be n loose articulation, so as to give free movement between the pro- and i)iesi;sternum, and this char- acter is a prominent one in the majority of the genera of Elateridas. The hind angles of tlic thorax are prolonged backward into a point so as to embrace the base of the elytra, and as the bases of the tho- rax and elytra slope downwards toward each other, a slight separation between them is suffi- cient to permit the freedom of motion necessary to the upward movement. The great majority of Elateridaj are small or medium in size; elongate in form, tapering more or less toward each end; dull brown or blackis
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbeetles, bookyear1910
