The part of the beetle’s body that is under the wings has rings like those of the wasp. The body is made in the three parts insects have. The wings and six legs are fastened on what you would call the chest or middle part.
The wings fastened on the upper or back part of the beetle’s chest fold down over the hind part of the body. On the end of the hind part is what is called “the egg-placer.” With that Mrs. Beetle lays her eggs in safe places.
The legs and feet of the beetle are made in joints. They have hairs on them. The legs are so made and set that they cannot spread out as far as those of spiders, wasps, flies.
Now here is Mr. Beetle’s head. It has two jaws and two feelers, the mouth, and the eyes. There is a little horn shield over the mouth. In fact, the whole beetle is in a snug horn coat. We may call this coat a suit of armor.
The eyes of the beetle are like those of the fly. Very many eyes are set in what seem to be two big eyes. The beetle does not have three single eyes on the top of his head. Sometimes he has two small simple eyes at the back of his head.
The splendid colors of Mr. Beetle are on his horn coat. I caught a beetle last night which had the under part of his breast covered with close hairs, so that it looked like velvet. He seemed to have on a rich brown velvet vest.
LESSON XXIII.
WHEN MR. BEETLE WAS YOUNG.
Beetle Larva before it has Wings.