Note 1 — Chapter X · THE VEGETARIAN INSECTS

The carnivorous insect, on the other hand, has no narrow specialities and devours any kind of flesh. The Golden Carabus finds the caterpillar, the Mantis, the Cockchafer, the Earthworm, the Slug or any other kind of game to his taste. The Cerceres collect, for their grubs, bags of Weevils or Buprestes, without distinction of species. The Bruchus,1 on the other hand, will touch nothing but her pea or her bean; the Golden Rhynchites2 only her sloe; the Spotted Larinus3 only the sky-blue ball of her little thistle; the Nut-weevil4 only her filbert; the Iris-weevil5 only the capsule of the yellow water iris. And so with other insects. The vegetarian is a short-sighted specialist; the meat-eater an emancipated generalizer.