The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-20
About Beetles.


Here are three beetles in littla -
One OF them is large, brown and az ~
ing, the second golden yellow. ana Ia y.
more than half as large. and tha t Anu ~
black, with very small white spots '. aaa
white rings on his head around s ,.,a
large black spots that look like eve. WV
How do we know that thew .,a
beetles? are
Because all beetles are covered will
hard, shell-like cases, that meet ; ,.sa
straight line ON the top of the baek r sTha
two front wings close over the hinS
ones and the back, and make sh ,eI
that is like coat of mail, to keen ~
body from harm. These wings Ara =
almost no use in flying. The hind ones
are large and strong enough for tbat
gauzy and with strong ribs, or veins
Look at leaf and then at an insoc.is
wing, and you willsee that one is vcined
much like the other. 'sS
Beetles are called sheathed-wipoad
insects. 90
Count the legs Of your beetles. and
see how they are iointed
Notice that the beautiful rold-heetIs
who is shining with green and bronze
has curved claws, and that the lower
part of his body is covered with sofe
down. He used to live in a pear.trpe
last summer, holding by his claws IN the
daytime to the underside Of a leaf, and
going out at twilight. II You shake Al.
most any tree in your garden in June
you viii be pretty sure of seeing ona
just like him drop on the ground.
The large brown beetle, or horil-hue
as you children call HIM, has lon0.
curved jaws, with two small teeth h.
side them. See how strong these Jaws
are. Look at his legs, and notice how
carefully and nicely they are iointed
Can You find any hairs upon them The
grubs, or young horn-bugs, live Ia the
apple, willow and oak trees, where you
may. perhaps find them.
Here is a curious beetle, longer and
more slender than the others. black
sprinkled with white dots. On each
side of what you would call at first bis
head, but is really his thorax, or the
upper part of his body, is large black
spot with q white ring around it. Look
at his long feelers. or antenna, q word
that you will often have to use in speak
ing of insects.
Ii your beetle is alive, You viii see
him jerk himself about in strange way,
that you may not understand unless you
watch him closely. He has on his breast
between his first pair of legs, short,
pointed spine, shaped like d thorn, that
is usually kept in q little sheath. When
the beetle falls on his back he cannot
turn over unless he folds his legs, bends
his body, and then suddenly straightens
it. This makes the spine act like .
spring and throw the beetle into the
air. If he comes down on his back be
springs again and again until he alights
on his feet.
You will find spring beetles in summer
on trees, fences and buildings.
Sometimes you viii find small beetles
that are. of beautiful blue green In
some lights, and red oryellow in Others.
In South America beetles of these col
ors are much larger than here, and are
made into necklaces and bracelets thas
if carefully used will last long time
The little black-spotted, red lady bird,
or lady-bug, that you all know, Is really
a beetle, With wing-covers like the 9TH
ers. The plants on which its eggs are
laid are covered with small insects
called plant-lice, (which eat roots, stems,
buds and leaves. Theyoung lady-bugs,
as soon as they are Matched, are 50 much
larger and stronger than the plant.lice
that they can easily kill and eat them;
If you watch almost any tree or plant
you can see the lady-hugs getting their
food, and sometimes you will find the
branches of 9 tree white with the shells
or skeletons of the plant-lice whose
juices have been sucked by them.
II you look carefully at all the beetles
that you find you will see that some Of
them have short, thick bodies, and 9TH
ers long, slender ones. In some ting
three parts are distinctly marked ana
in others it Is not easy to lind the head.
Perhaps you will see large beetle,
sometimes called the ticker, from hls
long. attennse, with which he gently
touches the place on which he 10 walk
ing. He is slender, Of dull gray color'
with deIicately feathered feet.
You must look near the roots OF trees
and under stones for the laryR. or gruDs
of beetles, and by watching in your
gardens you viii be sure to find many
curious full-groWn ones.-- Youths ZONE