First lesson in zoology : adapted for use in schools . y of May-beetle, PhyUophaga ftisca. a, upper sideof head; epic, epicranium; c2, clypeus; &, under side; m, mentum; sm, sub-mentum; lab, labium; md, maudible; c, pronotum; d, mesonotum; e, mela-notum; /, pro-, g, meso . h, meta-pleui-um; i, pro-, j, meso-,A;, meta-pleuium;2, dorsal, m. ventral, n, side, view of abdomen; 1-7, seven basal abdominal Reg-n^ats; psc, post-scutellmn; other letters as in Fig. 105. (To face page 106.) TEE BEETLES, OB SEEATH-WINGEB IN8E0T8. 107 is white; but the six legs are homy. It is so fat and un-wieldy that it
First lesson in zoology : adapted for use in schools . y of May-beetle, PhyUophaga ftisca. a, upper sideof head; epic, epicranium; c2, clypeus; &, under side; m, mentum; sm, sub-mentum; lab, labium; md, maudible; c, pronotum; d, mesonotum; e, mela-notum; /, pro-, g, meso . h, meta-pleui-um; i, pro-, j, meso-,A;, meta-pleuium;2, dorsal, m. ventral, n, side, view of abdomen; 1-7, seven basal abdominal Reg-n^ats; psc, post-scutellmn; other letters as in Fig. 105. (To face page 106.) TEE BEETLES, OB SEEATH-WINGEB IN8E0T8. 107 is white; but the six legs are homy. It is so fat and un-wieldy that it lies curled up on its side, a picture of help-less obesity. It is very destructive to the roots of grassand vegetables, but towards the first of May it stops feedingand makes a rude chamber or cell in the earth. Here itturns into a chrysalis or pupa (Fig. 115, i), and now itlooks like a pale, sleeping or mummy-like beetle, with smallwings and legs folded against the body. By the end of Maythe beetle casts aside the pupa skin, makes its way up out. Fia. 115.—Metamorphosis of the May-beetle. of the earth, and flies about during the early part of sum-mer. In describing a single beetle, we have noted the distin-guishing marks of almost the whole order; although thereare known to be over 80,000 species now living in differentparts of the world. The great army of beetles is not a verymotley body, but rather like a well-uniformed and well-drilled army-corps. Protected from harm by their thick shell-like skin andtheir thick wing-covers, and living, as grubs, chrysalids, andbeetles, quite different lives, it would be hard to extermi- 108 MBST LMB80N8 IN ZOOLO&T. nate them. Myriad as are their forms, eyery species hasslightly different habits and surroundings from its allies,and thus fills a niche in the insect-world which it alone canoccupy. And it is this wonderful power of adaptation tochanges in circumstances, as well as their solid skins andcomplete metamorphosis, which has enable
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1894
