. A manual for the study of insects. Insects. 5^4 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. the air becomes impure the beetle rises to the surface, forces it out, and takes a fresh supply. These beetles are very voracious. They destroy not only other insects, but some of them will attack larger ani- mals, as small fish. When kept in aquaria they can be fed upon any kind of meat, raw or cooked. They fly from pond to pond, and are often attracted to Hghts at night. Many of the species make sounds, both under the water and in the air. In some cases this is done by rubbing the abdom- inal segments upon the elytra; in
. A manual for the study of insects. Insects. 5^4 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. the air becomes impure the beetle rises to the surface, forces it out, and takes a fresh supply. These beetles are very voracious. They destroy not only other insects, but some of them will attack larger ani- mals, as small fish. When kept in aquaria they can be fed upon any kind of meat, raw or cooked. They fly from pond to pond, and are often attracted to Hghts at night. Many of the species make sounds, both under the water and in the air. In some cases this is done by rubbing the abdom- inal segments upon the elytra; in others, by rubbing the hind legs upon a rough spot on the lower side of the abdomen. The females deposit their eggs at random in the water. The larvae are known as water-tigers, because of their blood- thirstiness. They are elongated, spindle-form grubs (Fig. 632). The head is large, oval or rounded, and flattened;. Fig. 632. the mandibles are large, sickle-shaped, and hollow, with a slit-like opening near the tip; they are admirably fitted for holding the prey, and at the same time sucking the juices from its body, the hollow of the mandibles communicating with the oesophagus. The true mouth is quite small. The thorax is furnished with six well-developed legs. With many of these larvae the body ends in a pair of breathing- tubes, which they protrude into the air at intervals. When a larva is fully grown it leaves the water, burrows into the ground, and makes a round cell, within which it undergoes its transformations. The pupa state lasts about three weeks in summer; but the larvae that transform in autumn remain in the pupa state all winter. This is the largest of the families of water-beetles; nearly three hundred North American species are 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 Comstock
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectinsects, bookyear1895
