Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. 22) 1. he / 4 & a 2 doy U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE | BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY—BULLETIN No. 95. L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE. INSECTS PONTHENITS AND INDEX Issurp FEBRUARY 7, 1913. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1913. UsS] DERARTI MENT ©OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY— BULLETIN No. 95. L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. I. THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER, A NEW TIMOTHY INSECT. By W. J. PHILLIPS, Entomological Assistant. Il. THE MAIZE BILLBUG. By E. O. G. KELLY, Entomological Assistant. IIT. CHINCH-BUG INVESTIGATIONS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. - By E. 0. G@. KELLY, Entomological Assistant, T. H. PARKS, eee Assistant. IV. THE SO-CALLED “CURLEW BUG.” By F. M. WEBSTER, In Charge of Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. Vy. THE FALSE WIREWORMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. By JAMES A. HYSLOP, Agent and Expert. VI. THE LEGUME POD MOTH. THE LEGUME POD MAGGOT. By JAMES A. HYSLOP, Agent and Expert. VIl. THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. By JAMES A. HYSLOP, Agent and Expert. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1913. BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. L. O. Howarp, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. C. L. Marzart, Entomologist and Acting Chief in Absence of Chief. R. S. Currton, Executive Assistant. W. F. Taster, Chief Clerk. FF. H, Cuirrenben, in charge of truck crop and stored product insect investigations. A. D. Hopkins, in charge of forest insect investigations. W. D. Hunter, in charge of southern field crop insect investigations. F. M. WEBSTER, 2%n charge of cereal and forage insect investigations. A. L. QUAINTANCE, 7n charge of deciduous fruit insect investigations. E. F. Putures, in charge of bee culture. D. M. Rogsrs, in charge of preventing spread of moths, field work. Rotia P. Currts, in charge of editorial work. MasBet CoucorD, 7n charge of hbrary. CEREAL AND FoRAGE INSEcT INVESTIGATIONS. F. M. WEBSTER, 77 charge. Geo. I. Reeves, W. J. Pumuirs, C. N. Arnsure, E. O. G. Ketty, T. D. UrBAnNs, H.M. Russet, Geo. G. Ainsiiz, J. A. Hystor, W. R. Watton, J. T. Monett, J. J. Davis, T. H. Parks, H. L. Vizreck, BR. A. Vickery, Henry Pox, Jen: MatiocH, V. L. WinpeRmMuTH, W. R. McConnett, HERBERT T. OSBORN, PHILIP LuGINBILL, W. R. THompson, Harrison R. Smuiru, E. G. Smytu, C. W. CREEL, E. J. Voster, R. N. Winson, VERNoN Kinc, Puiu B. Mives, E. H. Gisson, L. P. Rockwoop, entomological assistants. Nettie S. Kioprer, EtteEN DASHIELL, preparators. Cuas. Perry, collaborator. II Ba Cat az. at ae | LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BurEAU OF ENTOMOLOGY, Washington, D. C., December 11, 1912. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for publication as Bulletin No. 95, seven papers dealing with cereal and forage insects, and methods for their control. These papers, which were issued separately during the years 1911 and 1912, are as follows: The Timothy Stem-Borer, by W. J. Phillips; The Maize Bilbug, by K. O. G. Kelly; Chinch-Bug Investigations West of the Mississipp River, by E. O. G. Kelly and T. H. Parks; The So-Called “Curlew Bug,” by F. M. Webster; The False Wireworms of the Pacific North- west, by James A. Hyslop; The Legume Pod Moth and The Legume Pod Maggot, by James A. Hyslop; The Alfalfa Looper, by James A. Hyslop. Respectfully, L. O. Howarp, Chief of Bureau. Hon. JAmEs WILson, Secretary of Agriculture. Ill IN eGo The articles included in this bulletin relate to msects more or less destructive to cereal and forage crops in the United States. They represent investigations largely completed during the fiscal year 1911-12. The timothy stem-borer, the subject of Part I, has not during our observations been especially injurious, but is likely to become so should several favorable conditions result in increased abundance. The maize billbug (Part II) and the so-called “ curlew bug”’ (Part IV) are two very closely related insects, the latter being especially destructive in Virginia and the Carolinas, while the former is occa- sionally quite injurious in the West. The paper relating to chinch- bug investigations west of the Mississippi River (Part III) is exceed- ingly timely and serves to make more clear the difference in condi- tions, as regards the chinch bug, between the country west of the Mississippi River and that lying east of it. Parts V, VI, and VII relate to species more or less destructive in the extreme northwestern portion of the United States, a section of the country somewhat pecul- iar in that it differs greatly in insect fauna from more southern and eastern sections of the country. All of these papers relate to insects that the farmer must, to a greater or less extent, encounter and control in a successful carrying out of his business. KF. M. WEBSTER, Te Charge of Cereal and Forage Insect Ienastiaaons Vv COM ENTS Oo CO CO Ww Page. The unothy, stem-borer, a new timothy insect ( Mordellistena ustulata Lec.) Wee de JMS 1 REGO CHUNG WO Mae ee erence gps ae py ake peepee es ot ha Lys et Sd) 1 TESS NOLEN o. eke ei ie, Bees cece a tS rn ees De aT te REPS ep a ane 1 DSEE SID AMC) OSG Sie 8 sem a een am aL oS Ul ee OVE ace 2 cBheamacterpolawbaGkn 0-9 mate a eaten ae Sapa GR Clee 2 LEE OVSIE TOU PRON PEN AR alan SS ee ae ay ch ESE or een le De pe Sear Pega UN 2 Description of thedifierentistages=. 32552-8222 25 oe ae 3 ikinepaistotypamcy habits ise oe 5 i fete ee ee he Oe 6 LOS) iEC Ss 9 ia a ae meee PP Ley a ee 6 AIDING NWNTs Siscias GIS csepes cx ieee aoa ee coe ey eagles aN Re oe ie a ep RL 6 ep upae eee es ee see ep AL oe Se red VR Dee 7 (MoS CORDON wey Acca a or kesless mt Rees aie tle AON Wie fe anne Ucn enninacore 8 eee mur: EEN C Vi CLO Reser rate or ee she See cds Gas wea ES a Se eS ee Eni erm a blo Mee ae ee oe ee eet ee tS Cg SSG gr ee ON RAL ASTEN Che MC TIMC Sires mie fae ktre re nee aye WLM LSet DS) a VETTE Chia MIM ASUIMES Meee es ete serie eee eee Lose. Sie temo Ua eons ae te 9 The maize billbug (S Ce NLaGts, Glnibt eee eae ee E£.O.G. Kelly... lat: THONG NICUIGTI Ns, sels ar ts ke eae ere Ne Oe Ue nr ne aren) ANE, xR ESP eae feptaes Ae se 11 SHO Taya Ole GINCES PE CIES: epee sees rot pa et ag cieeetyet Ue yeu Sus ah feta nap! 12 Hi WTS ESIC CVSS yah Bee a eee eR ee ee eee wee 14 IDWS OWA CN OLS lS ee Sie eee ae De Rte oa eu a UPR 15 TOO TOUPTA SI RN Le VS ee ea Ora te ar ester a RP ge gg A 15 Wescripiuonyandinie histonys2 231s ee ee oe ESS | NE 16 Naim errOl CeMmeravlOnsy oSecrrer at Mert nue eee an ee As er Rn 22 ecords:ol depredahlons ss —= se se ace ees Boe ee Ses, SG VaR 22 VME Ciel MMMCAS TCS ey. stra ves aa tee eee ee eee nc hee GS oS sa, ae Chinch-bug investigations west of the Mississippi River. THsOn Gaaikelliyvand= f. Parkss: 23 TMT ROG HOCUS Oe eye roe at ha ARE al nett eM a A er a 23 ~— TENTRSTSSER MOREE SOY Yes ies eclectic ene te fer A a Se 23 Description and number ot generations, 22-2... 522222 lee eel lke 24 LWT UOTE cigs i es EAS HME Calo Cle rae eee aa eg an ee Me 24 Status of the chinch-bug problem in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma . ... 26 Souter, Kansas and northern Oklahoma, 1910---2. 2225. 22.)2-2 =... 29 BOSS WOES eae NU Ae Gs 7 Nola Oe eae ee Pare oad eet He Bea 30 ‘ESPIONAGE 5G A i le a ne AL er ae 32 Bteventivie measures recommended: 50.22 ..-.-2. 252523) 2 82522. 2.ee eee 36 Een Cont MIC ASIITeS ee amie sahe eo nats. LU RS Oe ere 2 Boi 38 Uinsatsiactonyaremedialommeasuires.2.625. 02-28. e kes ee se bee fee 39 EO MMemM Ger NeS TCO, CLOPSe ne yas en 25. OPS. les eee eee 39 SUPE SER WOOTEN Se Ec a Seg ce en Ei cong ae en ant 40 ictal eO SCE IOMceee re et phan Si ell ea ee 40 MeO Oservationsibythe whiterse. =. 6..... 2.2.20 :s 22 Al BESRITE BLT cathy pera nea peepee Ree NE mee, he ee ane a eo 50 _ +The seven papers constituting this bulletin were issued in separate form on March 31, April 22, and December 14, 1911, and April 10, April 22, May 31, and October 16, 1912, respectively. VII VIII PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. The so-called ‘‘curlew bug’”’ (Sphenophorus callosus Oliv.)....F. M. Webster. . Introduction... -. nc. SS AL a ee Historyof the: species-..... 52. 5 Se ee eee ee ee Bureau motes): 22.2... s:= 6h eo eee ee ee ee ee Distribuwiones —- =. 2-2 ow dacs S See eae UA Re ree eS 9 ee Pood plants: -..s.:%.. 5.625. 0% Lees eee eee Description and“lite history .2 22s eee a ee eo Recent investigations of the Bureau of Entomology...................-. Phedlarvas 25.000 Ss Se ee re eee ‘Phe spupa, 2. ee <2 Fa Lee eee a eee Phevadult= 2.2.5 6S: 5 See Sere oe ee Remedial and preventive measures... ....22- 506 -- e Naiural-enemies. 225. ..5's Fs bee ee eee The work in the Big Bend region of Washington.........-.........--...- Deseniptiens. 3.52.5. . ees Se oe ee ee ee Hleodesletchery vandyker lose © = Se ae a. Bleodes pumelioides Marine: (22. Ae Se eee Roodesulostamneess2-—..- = oat eee SS Sea, Se ee Neasomak history: 5.0. 2. es Fe ee oe ee ee Natural enemiesiand parasites! >. 2.1. se Se eee Remedial and preventive measures..2. 2... 252_.-G85.5 The legume pod moth ( Eftella zinckenella schisticolor Zell.).... James A. Hyslop. - Historical 22.) 52 i. 3. shee be ee ee eee Synonymy-and distribution... 22) >. 22-223. een ee Hood: plants: <2: 2. eee ee Se ee Deseriptione a. sac oes ks 2h Se ks 2: a 3 Se ee Sasonalshistony > 202.030 oe ee ee ce Ee Rreldhworle 622 228622 ie Ree eee ee 2 ott Se eee eee Artificial: dissemination = 222-5 38222 beets see ees ee ee ae Parasibes. 2.0 Ss oo ee a Se ae Remedial and»preventive measures:...-.. 2-2. <.- eee The legume pod maggot (Pegomya planipalpis Stein). ....... James A. Hyslop. . General-accounte: ou. Sse ee eee eee eee 0S Se Deseription - 2c. 2%. 22s eS ee ee Parasites. 022225 woo [bs Se ee Remedial-and-preventive measures=--- 54-22-22. ee The alfalfa looper in the Pacific Northwest (Autographa gamma californica SPCVCR) Ease. Kee BS ee eee eee James A. Hyslop. . Seasonal history’. . ... 25.4222 9S.2cecade = ee ee ee Food plants: . 2.0. 22525 Ses i ee ee ee ere Descriptions 2 s.-0.c 4. s e Parasites. 1... ~~ 22-2 aloe wn ee ee eee Diseases. 2... 2.2 Te te lee = rw ee ee Remedies and preventives. -..---.--------- £2 er eee Ow Ore or c © OO 7 ee Puate I. LOG Ti Vi: NGe VII. VIII. EIS eI GMOEN ye PLATES. The timothy stem-borer ( Mordellistena ustulata): Larvee and pupa THOU FSU REYDOVSTS eG a Seem ge te AR pe REM acy eae eg gee Pe Fig. 1.—Corn plant injured by the adult of the maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis); afterwards attacked by the larva. Fig. 2.— Corn plant showing on stalk the effects of feeding by adult maize billbugs; effects of feeding by larvee on roots. Fig. 3.—Corn plant, much distorted, showing suckers; final effects of feeding of adult IHATZ ROUND USER were nee eye oe Unie on ge SMart tie ia Ct Geese Corn plants showing effects of feeding of adult maize billbugs in the field; plant at left not attacked; the two at right attacked by larvee. Ravages of the chinch bug (Blissus leucopterus). Fig. 1.—Corn plant killed by chinch bug, Fig. 2.—Chinch-bug ravages in cornfield in southern Kansas, 1910. Fig. 3.—Cornfield adjoining wheat field from which chinch bugs migrated in immense numbers at harvest . Hibernation of the chinch bug. Fig. 1.—Pile of sorghum canes in which no hibernating chinch bugs could be found. Fig. 2.— Waste land along stream in foreground, sedge-grass meadow in background; chinch bugs found hibernating in both. Fig. 3.— Clumps of red sedge grass (Andropogon scoparius) in which over 6,000 chinch bugs were found hibernating during winter of 1909-10. The portion of the Shannonhouse cornfield, Hertford, N. C., on which corn was grown in 1910, totally destroyed by the ‘‘curlew bug. 2 Spheno phorus catiosus, am VOM o.oo The portion of the Shannonhouse cornfield that was devoted to cotton in 1910; planted to corn in 1911 and uninjured by the ‘‘cur- WEN SUR ae a Oe Nal a a ear cemeteries g The dividing line in the Shennonhonce cornfield in 1911 between the portion (to the left of the man standing in the center) devoted to cotton in 1910 and the portion (to the right) where corn was SLO WAS O NO as acer A oe hes pee N fare: eine eS ae a aig eee aes . Fig. 1.—View of cornfield near Appleton, Tenn., showing damage by 9) the “‘curlew bug.”’ Fig. 2.—Corn plants, showing normal plant and those damaged by the ‘‘curlew bug”’......................-- . Experimental plats used in investigations of the legume pod moth chenminextiseiseasoma, LOWE eS Si sak eee oe . The alfalfa looper and its parasites. Fig. 1.—Cocoon cluster of Apanteles hyslopi. Fig. 2.—Cocoon of alfalfa looper (Autographa gamma. californica). Fig. 3—Larva of alfalfa looper with cocoon of Mcroplitis alaskensis. Fig. 4.—Pupa of alfalfa looper. Fig. 5.— Adult alfalfa looper. Fig. 6—Adult alfalfa looper at rest........ 18 36 60 60 60 68 100 Fig. 30. 36. 37. 38. . The timothy stem-borer ( Mordellistena ustulata): Adult . The timothy stem -borer:s Woe 57a. 2s ee ee ee ee . The timothy: stem-borer: larva and detallss = ee ee ee . The timothy stem-borer: Pupa and details-....-..-......-...-- ME ae . The maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis): Eges . Bhe-maize billbue: larvae: ose ee eee ee ee AO Gees AS . Corn plant showing result of attack by the maize billbug _ swamp grass attacked by-the maize bulllpuet >= 32 ee . The maize billbug:) Pupase.- oie eee leone eee cee . The-maize billbug: ‘Ad wt. coe ee ee . Map showing distribution of the chinch bug west of the Mississippi . The ‘‘curlew bug’’: Egg as placed in stem of young corn plant . The ‘‘curlew bug”’: Larva; heads of larve of ‘“‘curlew bug” and maize PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. TEXT FIGURES. ~ River, 19M ooo e.. 8. eee ee ee eee . Corn plant about 2 feet tall, infested by chinch bugs.-.-..............- . The chinch bug (Blissus leucopterus): Eggs, larvee, details . The chinch bug: Adult of long-winged form.-- 222-32 . The chinch bug: Adults covered with ‘“‘white fungus” (Sporotrichum globuliferum i co eee 8 ae ee ee Se eee ele oe ee BEAN . The ‘“‘curlew bug” (Sphenophorus callosus).....-- eyelet oh . Map showing distribution of the ‘“‘curlew bug”’ (Sphenophorus callosus) and the maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis)....-....-..-----.-- ee The curlew bug’: Pupactes . oes Sen ee ee oe en - The “curlew bug”: Eggs, pupa, adult, work in-corm=.-- 9 222) =e . False wireworm, Eleodes letcheri vandykei: Adults in characteristic . False wireworm, LEleodes letcheri vandykei: Pupa, dorsal and ventral ASPeCtS.- 5. voce ee TEE Se cee ee ee ee een . False wireworm, Eleodes letchert vandyker: Adult....-...............—. . False wireworm, Eleodes pimelioides: Adult, details of larva..........- . The legume pod moth ( Etiella zinckenella schisticolor): Ege » The legume pod moth Warva-and details.) 42.263) 22 a eee _Thelesume pod moth: .Pupas-s2 55-2 -co5 oe . Lhe legume: pod moth: Adult. 23.22 s2-2 4s 5. os ee eee 32. . The work of the legume pod moth compared with that of the pea weevils The legume pod moth: Larva feeding in a pod of field pea............. (Bruchidé) 224.205 SSeS ee eect re eo ee . Planting plan of plats used in investigations of the legume pod moth during the season ‘of 1910 see ee SE ee eee Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas commencing to bloom on a given date AON ORES =e ee ee eee OE seis ernie See bee Beye ae © earn a Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties in full bloom on a given date in 1910........ Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas which ceased to bloom on a given date Diagram showing mean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas in full bloom on a given date in 1910..... 92 96 98 99 100 Fia. 39. 40. 4]. 42. 43. 44, 45, 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. ILLUSTRATIONS. Planting plan of plats used in investigations of the legume pod moth aniuamentneyseasOm: Oly LONi yet ey oe en eee oe ole le Ce Diagram showing mean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas in full bloom on a given date in 1911....- The legume pod eee ee planipalpis): Larva and details. - The legume pod iearcen: Adult male and head of female. . ie The alfalfa looper (Autographa gamma californica): Larva, deed and HE NSN eek SSVSy OXELC LESS tease clletaes PA caO ma nai fa stl UTA Sin ap Aiea A en OECD Rhogas autographex, a parasite of the alfalfa looper..................- Larval skin of alfalfa looper from which Rhogas autographe has issued . Cocoons of alfalfa looper parasites: Microplitis sp., Sargaritis websteri, Microplitis alaskensis ......- oe an eet ea a Sera cis ty Wie Apanteles hyslopi, a parasite of the alfalfa looper...................... Plagia americana, a parasite of the alfalfa looper.......>............. Phorocera saundersvi, a parasite of the alfalfa looper................-- ERRATA. Page 2, line 18 from bottom, for this year read in 1910. Plate I, facing page 8, after line at bottom, insert: a, Work of larva in bulb of plant; b, larva ascending stem to pupate; c, pupa in cell, the gallery plugged with frass below. Much enlarged. (Original.) Page 12, line 19 from bottom, before corn borer insert double quotation mark in place of single quotation mark. Page 15, line 16, for were read was. In Plate IV, facing page 24, the cut of figure 1 is upside down. Page 46, line 16 from bottom, after 4 insert per cent. Page 74, last line, insert superior figure 1 (1) before Bureau. Page 76, line 16 from bottom, for littorale read aviculare. Page 77, line 12 from bottom, for littorale read aviculare. Page 81, line 4, after monograph insert comma. Page 81, line 5 from bottom, before Dr. insert o/. Page 82, line 5 from bottom, for littorale read aviculare. Page 83, line 8, for littorale read aviculare. XII Usco DaA B. KE. But..95; Part I: C. F. I. 17., March 31, 1911. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER, A NEW TIMOTHY INSECT. ( Mordellistena ustulata Lec.) By W. J. PHIL.ips, Entomological Assistant. INTRODUCTION. The writer’s attention was first attracted, in 1904, to the interesting little insect which is the subject of this paper. On November 29 of that year, at Rives, Tenn., while examining timothy for joint-worms (Isosoma), a curious little larva, unknown at that time to the writer, was found tunneling the stems. In many cases it had traversed the entire length of the stem, from the top joint to the bulb. Although nothing was reared from this material it served to arouse interest. Since that time, however, it has been reared and some interesting facts learned concerning its habits and manner of living. Thus far it has not proved a serious pest, having been found only in small numbers at any given point. In large numbers it would scarcely do any perceptible injury to the hay crop, although it could probably very materially lessen seed production. For this, as well as other reasons, it deserves more than passing notice. HISTORY. The adult (fig. 1) was described by Le Conte in 1862, but there is no reference in literature to its larval habits, although as early as 1877 it was known that larvee of other species of this genus inhabited plant stems of different kinds. During the early part of November, 1904, Mr. Geo. I. Reeves, of this Bureau, found larve tunneling timothy stems at Richmond and Evansville, Ind., and at Nicholsville, Ohio, but none was reared. In the latter part of the month the writer found a larva working in timothy stems at Rives, Tenn. Nothing could be reared, but in the light of recent observations it is very probable that they were Mor. dellistena ustulata in each instance. L 2 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. In 1905 the writer found numbers of larve inhabiting timothy at Richmond, Ind. Some time in the fall infested stems were collected > and sent to the Department for rearing, but it was the same story— nothing issued. Early in the spring of 1906 observations were begun with a view to rearing the adult. Infested stems were collected in May, and on June 8 the first adult appeared. Specimens were later submitted to the Department and were found to belong to the above species. Since that time they have been reared repeatedly. DISTRIBUTION. The habitat of this insect has been ‘given as the middle and southern United States. Adults have been captured as far east as Pennsylvania, and they have been reared from material col- lected in Indiana, Ohio, and Vir- cinta. Timothy stems contain- ing mordellid larve that were not identified, but which were probably Mordellistena ustulata, were found in Kentucky, Ten- nessee, Illinois, and, this year, Mr. T. H. Parks, of the Bureau of Entomology, found them at Chillicothe, Mo. CHARACTER OF ATTACK. Fic. 1.—The timothy stem-borer (Mordellistena ustu- lata): a, Adult or beetle, dorsal view; 6, same, lateral view. Greatly enlarged. (Original). As a rule the ege is deposited at or slightly below the center of the first or second joint in timothy, but much farther down the stem in other grasses. From here the larva bores into the center of the stem and then begins its downward journey to the bulb or root. It feeds upon the pith and the walls of the stem as it passes downward, and when it encounters a joint it tunnels completely through it, leaving a mass of detritus behind. Plate I is anillustration of its workmanship. HOST PLANTS. This species has been reared from timothy, orchard grass (Dac- tylis glomerata), quack grass (Agropyron sp.), and Agrostis alba, while larve that were supposedly this species have been found in bluegrass (Poa spp.) and cheat (Bromus secalinus). . THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER. 8 DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT STAGES. THE EGG. (Fig. 2.) Length 0.65 mm., diameter near center 0.16 mm. Color milky white. Acuminate- ovate, apparently smooth; one side convex and the other slightly concave; large*end broadly rounded, small end acutely rounded. Described from specimens dissected from oravid females. THE LARVA. (Fig. 3 as) Fic. 2.—The timothy stem- ; - ; borer: Egg. Highly magni- Length 6 mm., diameter 0.875 mm. Color varying fied. (Original.) from creamy to white, shading into a very faint tinge of salmon near center. None of the segments appears to be corneous, although each bears a number of setze; last segment feebly bifid, ending in a two-pointed spear, and covered with stout bristles. Dorsal surface of abdomen with six pairs of fleshy tubercles which will be described later. Head (fig. 3, 6) narrower than thorax and arranged almost ver- tically with reference to it; ovoid, smooth, and bearing a number of large and small sete, a very faint suture extending from the occipital area almost to the episto- mal area. Antenne represented by two fleshy tubercles, situated laterad of and near insertion of mandi- bles; somewhat cone-shaped and bearing several small setze on their summits. Eyes represented by two tiny, shghtly fused black dots situated slightly ventro-laterad of the an- tenne. Epistoma sublunate; anterior margin concave and posterior con- vex; about twice as broad as long and apparently inclosed by base of Fig. 3.—The timothy stem-borer: tl, Larva, lateral view; mandibles and achitinous ridge ex- b, head of same, dorsal view; c, maxille and labium of same; d, mandible of same. a, Greatly enlarged; b, d, tending from insertion of mandibles more enlarged; c, still more enlarged. (Original.) almost entirely across the face; ridge amber-colored. Labrum tonguelike, lying directly over the mandibles, rectangular, longer than broad; distal margin rounded and densely fringed with sete or bristles; upper surface pappose; two large setae near center ana two on each lateral margin; six smaller ones on distal margin. 05 4 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Mandible (fig. 3, d) short, very broad at base, almost as broad as long, tapering abruptly to a sharp point; outer face convex and smooth, with a small seta near center; ferruginous at base and black at extremity, strongly curved; inner face concave, with two small notches midway of superior margin and one small notch near extremity of inferior margin. Mazxillx (fig. 3, c) inserted far to the rear, large, fleshy, curving considerably, thus inclosing the labium; extending considerably beyond tips of mandibles; distal extremity bearing the two-jointed palpus and the lacinia. Each maxilla bears a number of setz, one large and two small ones occurring on outer face, a large one at outer and one at inner angle of base of palpus, and two small ones and one large one caudad of these. The lacinia is a brushlike organ bearing a fringe of stout bristles. Maxillary palpi (fig. 3, c) two-jointed; first joint slightly obconical, about as thick as long, bearing several sete on the cuter face; the second joint is a slightly truncated cone, and much smaller than the first joint, and bears a number of minute setz at the apex. The labium (fig. 3, c) is a very simple organ inserted between bases of maxille, fleshy, rectangular; distal extremity sharply rounded and fringed with minute sete, with two larger sete at tip; four sete forming a semicircle near center, the two in the center much the largest; a large seta at inner angle of base of each palpus. Labial palpi (fig. 3, c) very minute, two-jointed; first joint cylindrical; second joint almost cylindrical but much smaller than the first and slightly rounded at tip, bearing several minute sete. Prothorax as large as the two following segments combined; viewed from side triangular in form; not wrinkled or folded but finely striate; dorsally the posterior margin extends back for a considerable distance into the mesothorax. The meso- thorax and metathorax le at quite an angle with the abdominal segments; posterior margin of dorsum of mesothorax extending back to center of metathorax. Meta- thorax about same width as mesothorax, except on dorsum, where it is somewhat narrower. Legs fleshy, cone-shaped, four-jointed; first joint very large and more like a pro- jection of the thorax than a joint of the leg; second joint obconical, very short, and very much smaller than the first; third joint cylindrical, short, and very small; fourth joint the smallest of all, obconical, rounded at apex, and bearing three spines at tip; a whorl of spines at each joint on outer face; segments very imperfectly defined in most cases. Abdomen composed of nine segments, all of which are broader than the mesothorax or metathorax. First six segments bearing on their dorsal suriace two round, fleshy, somewhat retractile elevations or tubercles (M. Perris, in his Larves des Coléoptéres, calls them ‘‘ampoule ambulatoire.”) These tubercles are almost circular in form and the apex is crumpled and folded and bears several small sete. Dorsum of the seventh segment with a slight transverse ridge bearing a number of recurved bristles; eighth segment bearing a number of bristles, which are more numerous near posterior margin, all directed backward. First eight segments with a large fold extending their full length on each lateral face, most prominent near center of segments, at which points there are a number of bristles directed slightly to the rear. Ninth segment somewhat cone-shaped, densely covered with stout bristles, ending posteriorly in a two-pointed, chitinous projection; just below this, dorsally, are two chitinous spurs or tubercles. Stigmata: Nine pairs of stigmata, one pair in mesothoracic region just above and slightly in front of insertion of legs and a pair to each of the first eight abdominal segments, very near the anterior margin and just above the lateral fold. They are circular in form, the thoracic being slightly the larger. THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER. 5 THH PUPA. (Fig. 4.) From the lateral aspect: Length 5 mm., diameter in thoracic region 1.125 mm. Pale cream color, somewhat acuminate-ovate, broadly rounded at head and thorax. Prothorax, from the lateral view, triangular, the dorsal surface being the base of the triangle, which is very broad and convex. Antenna passing upward at side of eye, between margin of prothorax and front femora, thence to dorsum, curving backward over base of wings. Wing-pads long and narrow, covering posterior legs, with the exception of the last three tarsal joints; front wings nearly covering hind ones. From the ventral aspect (fig. 4): The front of head is in almost direct line with the body; mandibles small and not closed; palpi widely separated and extending beyond front tibiz. Femora of first pair of legs directed dorsally, tibize resting on middle femora; first tarsal joints resting under tip of palpus; tarsal joints then extending caudad, almost parallel, except last two joints, which slightly diverge. Femora of second pair of legs parallel to femora of first pair, second tibiz, however, forming a greater angle with their femora than tibiz of first pair of legs; second femora and tibiz resting upon wings for a part of their length; tarsal joints gradually converging un- til the last two, which nearly touch between wing pads. Third pair of legs covered by wing pads, with exception of last two joints and a part of third; last two parallel, touching, and extending to middle of sixth abdominal segment. Dorsal surface of the first six abdominal seg- ments almost flat, and in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth segments the surface produced laterally into a fleshy fold projecting over side of abdomen, the anterior margin of which is rounded and the posterior square, giving the abdomen a notched appearance; in center of each projection laterally is a group of recurved bristles. Seventh abdominal segment (fig. 4), from a Fic. 4.—The timothy stem-borer: a, lateral view, cylindrical anteriorly; posteriorly Pupa, lateral view; 6, ventral view the dorsal surface is drawn out into a long cone- Of Sule) C, Dt sex ent Or Same: E a f B d, setigerous tubercle of sixth segment. shaped projection, the tip of which extends a, b, ¢, Greatly enlarged; d, more en- beyond the last abdominal segment, resting larged. (Original.) between its two chitinous spurs; ventral surface extending backward into a fleshy fold or lip, beyond insertion of following segment. Eighth segment (fig. 4) somewhat cylindrical anteriorly, telescoping into seventh; dorsal surface extending backward into a large fleshy projection or lip, almost filling space between cone-shaped projection of preceding segment and Y-like chitinous projection of following segment; a deep lateral notch or incision, but ventral projection much shorter than dorsal. Ninth segment (fig. 4) smallest, telescoping into eighth, and extending posteriorly into a Y-like projection, the tips of which, inclining forward, are amber-colored, chitinous, and spinelike. Setze: Numerous setze on ventral surface of abdomen, on head, and on prothorax. First abdominal segments bearing a few setze on dorsal surface; there is a small trans- verse ridge on dorsum of second segment, bearing a row of sete; following four segments 6 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. bearing each two recurved, fan-shaped, fleshy elevations or tubercles, increasing in size with each successive segment (fig. 4, d); each elevation simple and bearing 2 fringe of bristles directed to the rear. Last three segments bearing a number of bristles; cone-shaped projection of seventh rather thickly studded and last segment densely covered with stout bristles, all directed to the rear. THE ADULT. (Fig. 1.) The description by Le Conte is as follows: Hind tibia with two oblique ridges on the outer face; ridges parallel, the anterior one extending almost across the outer face of the tibia; first joint of the hind tarsi with three, second with two oblique ridges; elytra ferruginous, with the suture and margin blackish; ferruginous, black limb of the elytra very narrow; abdomen, and sometimes the hind coxe and pectus, blackish. 9-11. LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. THE EGG. Females have never been observed in the act of oviposition and the period of incubation of the eggs has never been determined. The latter would be rather difficult to obtain, as eggs that are deposited in living plant tissue rarely hatch after they have been exposed to the air. | As stated above, the egg is usually deposited at and slightly below the center of the first or second joint from the top, within the plant tissues. _ The number of eggs that one individual is capable of depositing has not been ascertained. Upon dissection females have never been found to contain more than four fully developed eggs and several ‘immature ones, but they probably deposit a much greater number than this. THE LARVA. Upon hatching, the young larva apparently destroys the tissue immediately surrounding it, thus forming a minute cell or cavity. It then eats its way into the center of the stem and starts downward, tunneling the joints as it reaches them, and at harvest time the earlier ones are below the fourth joint, where they will be out of danger of the mower. By fall they have reached a point just above the bulb. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE LARVA IN THE STEM. The manner in which the larva propels itself up and down the stem is very interesting. It can ascend or descend the stem, forward or backward, apparently with equal facility. Themaxille, which extend beyond the mandibles, the true legs, the dorsal tubercles or feet, and the anal segment allplay a part inits movements. In going forward the abdomen is advanced by means of the dorsal! tubercles, which act THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER. 7 as feet; the body is then braced by fixing the spines of the anal seg- ment against the opposite wall of the stem; the maxillee and true feet then advance the thorax and head. By executing these movements almost simultaneously the larvee can move quite rapidly. In going backward the movements are reversed. The dorsal feet or tubercles and the anal spines enable the larva to support itself in the stem. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE LARVA OUTSIDE THE STEM. Naturally enough, as the larva seems peculiarly adapted for move- ment in a small hollow stem, when it is placed on a flat surface it appears wholly at a loss how to proceed. It arches its body and turns on its side, going through the same movements as though it were in a stem, but it moves very slowly. It then turns on its back and tries to walk on its dorsal feet. By bringing all of its knowledge of the different ways of walking to bear on the problem, it moves slowly, in a drunken way, to a protecting object, if any be near. THE PUPA. When ready to pupate, the larva (Plate I, a) reverses its position in the stem and ascends to a point anywhere between the first joint from the root and the first or second joint from the top, depending upon whether the timothy has been cut or not. Plate I, 6, shows a larva ready to pupate, just below the second joint from the root. It probably locates most often just above the first or second joint from the root. It then seals up the stem above and below with detritus, making a cell cf from 1 to 2 inches in length. It will reseal a stem if interfered with, but if its burrow be molested many times it will live for weeks and not pupate, finally dying. After inclosing itself within this cell the larva becomes sluggish, contracts slightly, and thickens perceptibly in the thoracic region. It soon casts its larval skin and becomes a fully developed pupa. In Plate I, c, is seen a pupa in its cell just above the second joint from the root. After pupation it is a pale cream color, gradually changing to a brownish tint. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE PUPA IN THE STEM. The movements of the pupa in ascending and descending the stem are fully as complicated and interesting as in the case of the larva. In moving up the stem, the spurs of the last segment are planted firmly in the wall; the body is then bowed ventrally and the spines of the dorsal tubercles are brought forward and fixed in the wall; then by quickly releasing the anal spines, with the long pointed pygidium of the eighth segment, they and the dorsal tubercles act as levers and thus propel it up the stem. By executing these evolutions quickly they can move with considerable rapidity. 8 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. _ They can, apparently, descend with equal rapidity. By releasing the anal and dorsal spines they are lowered by gravity. If the stem be placed in a horizontal position, the pupa makes slow progress backward. The organs of locomotion are apparently not so well fitted for moving backward on a horizontal plane. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE PUPA OUTSIDE THE STEM. ~ When removed from the stem and placed upon a flat surface, the pupa moves as uncertainly as the larva in the same position. It wriggles constantly, trying in vain to fix its “‘climbers”’ into some- thing firm, whereby it can gain leverage and propel itself forward. It will fix the anal spines into the surface upon which it rests, but as there is no surface opposite and near it moves very slowly and uncertainly. THE ADULT. When ready to issue, the pupa is quite brown. The thin pupal envelope is ruptured along the dorsum of the thoracic region and the insect gradually forces its way out, after which it gnaws an irregular opening at some point in the stem and emerges. The adult beetles are about 5 mm. in length, of a brownish color, and have pointed abdomens. From the lateral aspect they are somewhat crescent shaped. They are abroad from the latter part of May to the latter part of June, depending upon temperature con- ditions in early spring. There is but one brood or generation during the year. LIFE CYCLE. LENGTH OF THE SEVERAL STAGES. The larval stage covers a period of about 11 months. Nothing could be learned about the number of molts, as the larve will not develop if their galleries are disturbed. The pupal stage varies from 11 to 16 days, depending, apparently, upon the temperature. The adult beetles will live from 5 to 6 days in confinement, but they will probably survive a much longer period in the open. HIBERNATION. The insect hibernates in the larval stage. About the time freezing begins in the fall the larve are down to the bulb or crown of the root, where they are well protected from cold. They are nearly full grown by this time. Whenever a few warm days come, they appa- rently start feeding again. In the spring they burrow down into the juicy bulb, where they continue feeding until they become full erown. Bul. 95, Part |, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE |. THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER (MORDELLISTENA USTULATA?): LARV4 AND PUPA IN STEMS. THE TIMOTHY STEM-BORER. g PARASITIC ENEMIES. This insect is apparently a very attractive host. Three species of parasitic Hymenoptera have been reared from it, all of them new, representing three genera—two braconids and one a chaleidid. Messrs. H. L. Viereck® and J. C. Crawford? have kindly described these parasites, giving them the following names: /eterospilus mordellistense Vier., Schizoprymnus phillips. Vier., and Merisus mordellistene Crawf. The descriptions appear elsewhere over the names of their respective authors. In May of this year, Mordellistena ustulata was found to be very abundant at Wilmington, Ohio, in timothy; material was collected and sent in to the laboratory at La Fayette, Ind., for rearmg. Two species of parasites were reared from it, Heterospilus mordellistene and Merisus mordellistene. Schizoprymnus phillipsi and Heterospilus mordellistene were reared from material collected at Richmond, Ind., in 1906 and 1908, respectively. The latter species and Merisus mordellistenze were reared at La Fayette, Ind., in 1910. It is very probable that the parasitic enemies keep the beetles pretty well in check and that this accounts for the appearance of the beetles in small numbers only in any given locality. REMEDIAL MEASURES. As this insect has never appeared in destructive abundance, so far as known, there has been no occasion to devise means of combating it. If a serious outbreak should occur, however, a short crop rotation should be adopted, allowing a field to remain in timothy sod not more than two or three years, thus preventing this stem-borer from becoming well established. The borders of the fields and waste places should be mowed frequently during the months of June and July. If this is done, the larvee will not be able to reach maturity. a Proceedings of the U. 8. National Museum, vol. 39, pp. 401-408, 1911. 6 Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, vol. 12, no. 3, p. 145, 1910. O eso DA By E.Bul. 95,-Part IT. Coe lets April22) 1911. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. THE MAIZE BILLBUG. (Sphenophorus maidis Chittn.) By EO. G. KELLY, Entomological Assistant. INTRODUCTION. There are several species of the genus Sphenophorus that have been reported as being enemies to young corn in early spring. Heretofore these reports have always been made in connection with fields of grass, timothy sod, or lands recently reclaimed by drainage, and the depredations were on the first cultivated crop following these conditions. Dr. S. A. Forbes ¢ records eight species of Sphenophorus the adults of which are known to attack young corn. Dr. C. V. Riley, in the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1881 and 1882, records Dr. L. O. Howard’s observations on the habits and natural history of S. robustus and gives a description of the imago, larva, and pupa, Dr. Howard having found and reared these from specimens taken from young corn plants at Columbia, 8. C. Dr. F. H. Chittenden, however, in a paper entitled “ On the species of Sphenophorus related to pertinax Oliv., with descriptions of other forms,” ® with refer- ence to S. robustus, says: This species ranges from Indiana and Michigan through Wisconsin, Minne- sota, and western Kansas to California. It is a northern form, not occurring in the East. Nothing appears to be known of its habits, reference to robustus and its injuries to corn being due to a distinct species, my S. maidis. Dr. Chittenden had before him, while describing S. maidis, among numerous other specimens, the one specimen from Columbia, 8S. C., reared by Dr. Howard. According to his statement maidis is a valid species and quite distinct from S. robustis. *'Twenty-third Report of the State Entomologist of Illinois, 1905. > Proc. Ent. Soe. Wash., vol. 7, p. 57, 1905. 11 12 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Dr. Chittenden informs the writer that since 1895 complaints have been made every few years in localities in Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama of injuries to corn by what he believes to be this species of billbug. The species has been quite generally confused with Sphenophorus pertinax Oliv. and 8. robustus Horn, by both of which names it has been mentioned in economic literature, more especially by the latter. It is, however, quite distinct from either, in fact, different from any billbug known to inhabit the United States, and has only recently been described as new to science, although Dr. Chittenden states that it is by no means new as an agricultural foe. The observations on the maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis Chttn.) given herein were made by the writer between June and December, 1910. HISTORY OF THE SPECIES. The history of this species, the writer is informed by Dr. Chitten- den, is, in brief, that it first attracted attention in Alabama as early as in 1854; again in the same State in 1880; in South Carolina in 1881; in Kansas in 1895; in 1901 it again did injury in Kansas, and in 1903 in Georgia. The fact that the insect is injurious to corn in both of the active stages, larva and beetle, indicates that it is a more or less permanent pest, whereas several of our equally common corn billbugs will eventually disappear with the reclamation by draining and the cultivation of the soil and the consequent destruc- tion of their breeding places. In the opinion of Dr. Chittenden, this is the species described and figured by Townend Glover in 1855“ as the * billbug ” or * corn borer (Sphenophorus ?),” since both description and figure do not apply to any other billbug known to breed in corn. Glover describes the beetle as from four-tenths to six-tenths of an inch in length, and of a reddish-brown or reddish-black color, and the rostrum or snout in the figure can not belong to any other Sphenophorus. None of the specimens which served as models of the drawing remains in the Government collections. The bilibug was reported as very destruc- tive to corn in many parts of the South and Southwest, more par- ticularly along the Pedee River. Injuries were reported by Senator Evans, Gen. Fitzpatrick, and Col. Pitchlynn. Senator Evans’s report is as follows: The perfect insect eats into the stalk of the corn, either below or just at the surface of the ground, where it deposits its egg. After changing into a grub, the insect remains in the stalk, devouring the substance, until it trans- forms into the pupa state, which occurs in the same cavity in the stalk occu- pied by the grub. It-makes its appearance the following spring in the perfect state, again to deposit its eggs at the foot of the young corn plants. These “Agricultural Report of the Patent Office for 1854 (1855), p. 67, pl. 4. ’ THE MAIZE BILLBUG. 13 insects destroy the main stem, or shoots, thus causing suckers to spring up, which usually produce no grain, or, if any, of very inferior quality to that of the general yield. Swamp lands or low grounds are the places most generally attacked. Senator Evans thus is, according to Chittenden, to be credited with the discovery that the larva develops in the stalk of corn below the ground, and not in decaying wood, as contended by Messrs. Walsh and Riley in later years. The insect was said to be very destructive in Alabama, from which State the specimens chosen for illustration doubtless came, and on the Red River in Arkansas. With little doubt it was the same insect operating in Arkansas, as it is now known that this species ranges between South Carolina and Missouri. This insect was observed in the spring of 1881 by Dr. L. O. Howard, at that time assistant to Dr. C. V. Riley, Entomologist of the Department of Agriculture. Dr. Howard was at once sent to Columbia, S. C., to investigate the injury being done to corn by *billbugs,’ and the following account of these investigations 1s taken from the report of his observations: 4 The species found near Columbia, S. C., is S. robustus [now NS. maidis]. In the plantations along the bottom lands of the Congaree River much damage is done by the adult beetle every year, and the corn not infrequently has to be replanted several times, as the earlier plantings are destroyed. The beetles are first noticed in the spring after the corm is well up. Stationing themselves at the base of the stalk, and also burrowing under the surface of the earth slightly, they pierce the staik and ki!l many plants outright, others living tu grow up stunted and dwarfed. With S. sculptilis [zew], in spite of the damage it has done, the earlier stages remain unknown, Walsh surmising that the larva breeds on rotten wood, so situated that it is continually washed by water. With this statement in my mind I was prepared to doubt the statement of Mr. W. P. Spigener, of Columbia, who informed me that the “* grub form of the billbug” was to be found in the corn, but a couple of hours in the field convinced me that he was rigit, my previous idea having been that he had mistaken the larva of Chilo saccharalis for the weevil grub. I searched a field on Mr. Spigener’s plantation, which was said to be the worst point in the whole neighborhood for bugs, for some time before finding a trace of the beetle in any stage, but at last, in a deformed stalk, I found in a large burrow, about at the surface of the ground, a full- grown larva. After I had learned to recognize the peculiar appearance of the infested stalks I was enabled to collect the larvee quite rapidly. They were present at this date (Aug. 20) in all stages of larval development, but far more abundantly as full-grown larvee. A few were preserved in alcohol and the remainder forwarded alive to the department, but all died on the way. Two pup were found at the same time; one was preserved in alcohol and the other forwarded to the department. The beetle issued on the way, and from this specimen we have been able to determine the species. From an examination of a large number of injured stalks it seems evident that the egg is laid in the 4 Report of the Entomologist, Department of Agriculture, for 1S81 and 1882, pp. 1389-140. 14 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. stalk just at the surface of the ground, preferably and occasionally a little below. The young larve, hatching, work usually downward, and may be found at almost any age in that part of the stalk from which the roots are given out. A few specimens were found which had worked upward for a few inches into the first section of the stalk above ground, but these were all very large indi- viduals, and I conclude that the larva only bores into the stalk proper after having consumed all available pith below ground. The pupz were both found in cavities opposite the first suckers, surrounded by excrement compactly pressed, so as to form a sort of cell. Wherever the larva had reached its full size, the pith of the stalk was found completely eaten out for at least 5 inches. Below ground even the hard ex- ternal portions of the stalk were eaten through, and in one instance everything except the rootlets had disappeared and the stalk had fallen to the ground. In a great majority of instances but a single larva was found in a stalk, but a few cases were found where two larve were at work. In no case had an ear filled on a stalk bored by this larva. The stalk was often stunted and twisted, and the lower leaves were invariably brown and withered. In one field, which had been completely under water for six days in January, the beetles were apparently as healthy as in fields which had remained above water. INJURIES SINCE 1895. The records of reports of injury which follow, received by Dr. Chittenden during the past decade, substantiate the observations of Dr. Howard made in 1881, and add as well to our knowledge of the life economy of the species. In 1895 this billbug was destructive in three localities in Kansas, complaints all being made during the first week of May. At Cedar Vale immense damage was done, the insect “taking whole fields of corn, hill by hill.” Similar injury was observed at Dexter and Leon, these reports having been made by Mr. Hugo Kahl in a letter dated July 27, 1898. The following year Prof. F. S. Earle reported, June 6, injury by this species at Wetumpka, Ala., on the Coosa River, where there was ereat complaint of it as a destructive enemy of corn, especially on low-lying bottom lands. The insect was well known there as a bill- bug, and was not found on hilly land. It worked below ground, and when the stalks were not killed outright they put out an immense number of suckers. The beetles were most destructive to early plant- ings, corn planted after the middle of May being usually little injured. | , In 1901 Mr. J. E. Williams, Augusta, Butler County, Kans., wrote, August 28, of injury to corn. Attack commenced as soon as the corn came through the ground, and the billbugs ate and dug down to the kernel and devoured that. In larger corn they bored into the stalk and wintered over in the old stalks, usually below ground. Whole fields were destroyed, the beetles remaining to continue their work on second plantings. The insect was known locally as the “ elephant bug.” September 6 Mr. Williams sent larve and adults and their THE MAIZE BILLBUG. Ba DS work in the root-stalks of corn. He had observed that the eggs were deposited in the stalks, and that these serve for the winter quarters of the adults; that the beetles began work when the corn was about 4 or 5 inches high by inserting their beaks in the young stalks just above ground. By taking hold of the center of the corn and pulling it it came out, as it was nearly severed as from cutworm attack. Stalks that had been preyed upon by the billbug did not yield any amount of seed. No injury was observed to crops other than corn. Injury was only in lowlands, and the principal damage was accomplished before the woody outer shell of the stalk was formed. The beetles were active chiefly after dark, when they trav- eled, though slowly, from one place to another. They burrowed in the ground during the day. They were described as “cleaning up everything as they go, rendering the crop entirely worthless.” Sep- tember 17 another sending of larvae, pups, and imagos were re- ceived from the same source. Out of 100 stalks examined by our | correspondent only 10 were free from the ravages of this billbug. At this date of writing the beetles were deserting the corn. In 1903 a report was received of injury by what was with little doubt this species at Griffin, Ga., although no specimens were re- ceived, as in all preceding instances cited. DISTRIBUTION. This insect has been reported, according to Chittenden, from Augusta, Kans. (EH. L. Williams); Riley County, Kans. (P. J. Par- rott); Florence, Kans.; Dadeville, Ala. (S. M. Robertson); We- tumpka, Ala. (F. S. Earle); Columbia, S. C. (L. O. Howard); Ballentine, S. C. (J. Duncan); Texas (Ulke, 1 ex.); Michigan (Knaus). It has also been reported from Texas (T. D. Urbahns), and the writer found it at several points in Oklahoma and Kansas. Owing to the fact that representatives of the species have been taken in such widely separated localities, it is very probable that it occurs over the entire territory between South Carolina and Texas and northward to Kansas and Missouri. FOOD PLANTS. The adults attack young corn plants and probably some of the coarser grasses. Dr. Howard, and later the writer, found both adults and larve feeding on young corn. Mr. Urbahns found adults at base of swamp grass (7ripsacum dactyloides) in consider- able numbers, and probably larvee and pupe of the species in this ‘same grass (fig. 8). Mr. Urbahns found several Sphenophorus larvee @Proe. Ent. Soe. Wash., vol 7, No. 1, 59; 1905: THE MAIZE BILLBUG. 21 Elytra little wider than the thorax; striz usually deep and well defined, distinctly closely punctate;. intervals with first, third and fifth elevated, with two or more series of rows of fine punctulation; first or sutural with basal third triseriately, posterior two-thirds biseriately punctulate; third widest and most elevated, with four or five rows of fine punctulations; fifth biseriately punctulate; seventh little or not at all more elevated than the remaining inter- vals; intervals 2, 4, 6, 8, as also 7, more coarsely and closely uniseriately punctu- late. Pygidium deeply, coarsely and rather sparsely punctate, with sparse golden yellow hairs proceeding from the punctures and forming a short tuft each side, frequently abraded. Lower surface coarsely and rather densely punctate, scarcely less strongly at the middle than at the sides, punctures largest at the middle of the meta- thorax. Punctures of the metepisterna (side pieces) more or less confluent. Second, third and fourth abdominal segments nearly uniformly punctured throughout, like the legs. 6.—First abdominal segment very con- cave; pygidium truncate at apex. ? First ventral scarcely different ; pygid- ium narrowed and rounded at apex. Aside from the differently shaped pygidium and the slightly shorter and less compressed rostrum there is little difference between the sexes, Length, 10-15 mm., width, 4.5-6.0 mm. The adults begin to issue about the middle of August and continue to do so until the middle of September. Some of them leave the pupal cell, but most of them remain there for hibernation. The adults that leave the pupal cell in the late summer disappear; continued — Fic. 10.—The maize billbug: Adult. search in every situation until Decem- oe Pes natu estes (Oe: ber failed to reveal a single individual. It is evident that they left the cornfield in which they developed, and it is very probable that they found their way to some dense, coarse grass (7. dactyloides), which is abundant in the locality, The adults hibernating in the pupal cells issue from them in late spring, about the time young corn is sprouting. The beetles are rarely observed on account of their quiet habits and because they are covered with mud—a condition which is more or less common among several species of this genus and is caused by a waxy exuda- tion of the elytra, to which the soil adheres. The presence of the adults of this species in a cornfield is made evident by the withering of the top leaves of very young corn plants, the plants having been severely gouged. The adults kill the small plants outright and in- jure the larger ones beyond repair. After the plants grow 10 to 15 inches tall they do not kill them, but gouge out such large cavities in the stalks that they become twisted into all sorts of shapes (PI. I, ae PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. hee 3c The attacked plants sucker profusely, ————— young, tender growth for the beetles to feed upon, even ‘for many days after the noninfested plants have become hard. The corn plants injured by S. maidis resemble somewhat corn plants injured by the lesser corn stalk-borer (Diatrea saccharalis), and are easily distinguished from plants injured by the smaller species of Sphenophorus owing to the fact that the punctures of the smaller species are not always fatal to the plants, which, however, in unfolding their leaves, show a row or series of rows of round or oblong holes in them. The females issuing from hibernation feed on young corn for a few days before beginning to deposit their eggs. The egg punctures are made by the female in the side of the cornstalk (fig. 7, b) be- neath the cuter sheath. These egg punctures are not injurious to the plants, being only small grooves. about 5 mm. long and 3 mm. deep, in which the eggs snugly fit. NUMBER OF GENERATIONS. There is only one generation a year. The eggs occur throughout June, larve from early June until September, pupe from the first part of August until the last- part of September, and adults from the middle of August until the first part of August of the following year. RECORDS OF DEPREDATIONS. The depredations of this species have probably been confused with that of other species, the first and only known record of its attack on young corn being that made by Dr. Howard, at Columbia, S. C. During the season of 1910 both adults and larve were numerous in cornfields in lowlands in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, doing serious damage in some instances. They were frequently found in uplands, but not in injurious numbers. REMEDIAL MEASURES. The knowledge cf the hibernating habits of the insect suggests an effective remedy in the pulling up and burning of the stubble, which is also the most practical means of destroying the lesser corn stalk- borer (Diatrwa saccharalis). The beetles remain in the taproot of the corn plants until spring. allowing the farmer abundant time to destroy them. Care must be taken, however, in pulling up the infested stalks or else they will break off above the beetle, leaving the pest in the ground. The infested stalks, having a very poor root system, are easily pulled. Spraying the young corn plants with arsenical fluids at the time the beetles are making their attack is a very laborious procedure and not very effective. OC U.S. D. A., B. E. Bul. 95, Part IIT. Tssued December 14, 1911. Eriko ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. CHINCH-BUG INVESTIGATIONS WEST OF THE MISSIS- - SIPPI RIVER. By E. 0. G. Ketiy, Entomological Assistant. and T. H. Parks, Entomological Assistant. INTRODUCTION. Chinch bugs have long been a pest, and, especially so in the Middle Western States. During the last two years especially, Kansas, Okla- homa, and parts of Missouri and Illinois have suffered great losses from their ravages. Owing largely to a lack of knowledge of the habits of the chinch bug, farmers are at a loss for remedies; the tried and successful tar lines and dust barriers, crudely used by them, to prevent the bugs from entering their corn, being often applied without success. The “white fungus” or “‘fungus disease” of chinch bugs (Sporo- trichum globuliferum), as it is commonly known among farmers, has been carefully observed and the conclusion reached that under ordi- nary farm conditions it can not be relied upon to afford immediate protection. This paper has been written for the purpose of giving the farmers information regarding the habits of this insect, and the most effective methods of combating it. Field observations on this pest in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri were begun during the spring of 1907 and continued till March, 1911, Mr. C. N. Ainslie and Mr. Paul Hayhurst making observations in 1907, and the senior author from the spring of 1908 to July, 1911, assisted by the junior author, who also did the photographic work, durmg the year ending with July, 1910. DISTRIBUTION. The chinch bug is widely distributed over the United States as well as in parts of Canada and in Mexico. The accompanying map (fig. 11) shows its distribution west of the Mississippi River. It is especially destructive over portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, 23 24 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. and in parts of Illinois. Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell found a few speci- mens of both the long-winged and the short-winged forms at Mesilla Park, N. Mex.; Messrs. E. A. Schwarz and H. S. Barber, of this hmcean, found a few short-winged forms at Hot Springs, Verran: ‘Coumnine, Ariz.; Mr. George I. Reeves found some long-winged forms in southwestern Washington; and Mr. Albert Koebele and Dr. P. R. Uhler found a few at San Francisco and Alameda, Cal., and also in Lower California. Prof. Herbert Osborn found the short-winged form at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Mr. Herbert T. Osborn found it at Wellington, Kans. = - - -. =—_ —“~$-. t men - Li ie acba a SSS ' asa ' H e ! = p7------ @= SRPHEN. CALLOSUS += SPHEN. MAIDIS Fic. 17,—Map showing distribution of the ‘“‘curlew bugé’ (Sphenophorus callosus) and the maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis). (Original.) ing southward to southern Florida, northward to Maryland, thence northwest to northwestern Tn oie. southwest to extreme south- eastern Arizona and northern ies, and eastward to the Gulf coast. 24091°—Bull. 95, pt 4122 58 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. It is essentially a lowland form, as its food plants clearly indicate, and will therefore especially interest the farmer whose fields are of bottom, swamp, or other low-lying lands. The following are the localities from. which the species has been received: | | Arizona: Tucson (Wickham), near Duncan (Cockerell). Arkansas: Helena (L. E. Howard). florida: McLellan (W. H. Gill), Grant (Robt. T. Smith). Georgia: Jefferson County (R. J. Redding), Statesboro (R. I. Smith). Illinois: From Pekin to Cairo, Savanna, Urbana, Metropolis (Forbes), Warsaw (Dr. Shafer), Rock Island (Det. Chittenden). Indiana: Lake, Vigo, Posey, Perry, Putnam, and Blackford counties (W. S. Blatchley). Kansas: Great Bend, Arkansas City (T. H. Parks), Wellington (Kelly and Parks), Douglas County (Det. Chittenden). Kentucky: Oppo- site Cairo, [1l.(Forbes). Louisiana: New Orleans (H. Soltau). Maryland: Glen Echo (Det. Chittenden). Mississippi: Gulf View (Det. Chittenden). Missouri: Georgia (Chas. B. Guinn), Atoka (Det. Chittenden). New Mexico: Cliff (T. J. Clark), Silver City (Jas. K. Metcalfe). North Carolina: Edenton (J. W. Mason), Elizabeth City (J. P. Overman), Hertford (W. T. Shannonhouse, Mrs. 8. D. Jordan), Pineview (W. Barnett), Pyreway (Maj. Gore), Bayboro, Chapel Hill (J. A. Holmes), Washington (S. L. Willard), Mount Olive (B. A. Hallett), Kehukee (Edw. Markham), West Raleigh, Proctorville, Braswell (R. I. Smith), and Hyde, Pamlico, Beaufort, and Tyrrell counties; Swindell (G. L. Swindell), Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Moore, and Bruns- wick counties (Franklin Sherman). Ohio: Cincinnati and vicinity (Chas. Dury). Oklahoma: Stillwater (A. N. Caudell, C. E. Sanborn), Duncan, Anadarko, Pocasset, Hastings, Cement, Rush Springs, and Chickasha (A. L. Lovett), Duncan, Chickasha (T. D. Urbahns), Marlow (J. F. Davidson), Oklahoma City (T. H. Parks). South Carolina: Marion (EK. T. Stackhouse), Pittsfield (Forbes and Hart), Rimini (C. R. F. Baker). Tennessee: Appleton (P. Cox, Geo. G. Ainslie), Memphis (H. Soitau). Texas: Whitesboro (EK. O. G. Kelly), Wallisvile (W. L. McAtee), Alligator Head (J. D. Mitchell). Virginia: Norfolk (Popenoe), Arlington (f. B. Hopkins). Mexico: (Prof. Herrera). FOCD PLANTS. Dr. Forbes gives Cyperus strigosus as the natural food plant, in the roots of which it develops m Ilmois. Mr. T. D. Urbahns found it developing in Tripsacum dactyloides at Plano, Tex., in July, 1909. At Appleton, Tenn., July 14, 1911, Mr. Geo. G. Ainshe found the infested fields in part grown up with weeds and a swamp Carex (C. vulpinoidea), but he was unable to find the beetle actually develop- ing therein. (See Pl. IX, figs. 1,2.) Mr. A. N. Caudell reported the larve injuring the roots of yellow nut grass (Cyperus esculentus) at Stillwater, Okla., in 1895. Dr. Chittenden reared the adult from a pupa found in the roots of Panicum capillare growing in low bottom lands along the canal near Glen Echo, Md., in August, 1897. Mr. I. J. Condit found it breedifg in Frank’s sedge (Carex frankii) grow- ing on the department farm at Arlington, Va. In Florida the insect develops from egg to adult in Cyperus rotundatus, while farther north, in the Carolinas, the common food plant is the ‘‘chufa” (Cyperus esculentus). To such a degree is this true in the latter locality that. the insect is supposed by farmers to have been introduced with that THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.’’ 59 plant. Quite in accord with the foregoing, Mr. J. G. Sanders reared adults March 30, and again April 25, 1908, from Cyperus exaltatus, introduced foe Keypt and growing on the department farm at Arlington, Va. The palleeted food plants are corn, rice, and peanuts, in impor- tance according to the order given. DESCRIPTION AND LIFE HISTORY. THE EGG. (Fig. 18.) The egg appears to have been first observed by Mr. A. N. Caudell, who noted the female ovipositmg at Stillwater, Okla., July 18, 1895. The egg was described as white, 1.5 mm. long and half as wide, oblong-oval in shape. Mr. EH. O. G. Kelly, who studied the species carefully at Wellington, Kans., found eggs deposited June 17, 1911, to be ‘white,’ 1.5 mm. long, one-third as wide, and ellip- tical in form. Dr. Chittenden described the egg as found at Arlington, Va., as con- siderably larger, measuring 2.2 to 2.3 mm. in length and only 0.8 to 0.9mm.indiameter. The outline is subreniform-elliptical, one side having a tendency to straightness along the greater portion of its length. The color is dull, slightly yellowish white. The surface is nearly smooth, with faint reticula- tion showing in very limited areas. The variation in size of the egg has Fie. 18.—The “curlew bug”: Egg as placed in also been observed by Mr. R. 16 aeaea corn plant. Greatly enlarged. Smith, in North Carolina. Mr. Kelly, in his studies, found eggs from June 16 to September 11, a period of nearly 3 months. The egg period varied from 4 to 6 jens in June, in July 5, and from 6 to 8 days in September. In one case 08 eggs were secured trom one female, and there was a possibility that she might exceed this number. Mr. Vernon King and the author found ovipositing adults and haif-grown larve on Harveys Neck, about 15 miles southeast of Hertiord, N. C., on June 20, 1911. This would indicate that ovi- position was in progress Scud June 1. Mr. Jas. A. Hyslop, of this bureau, and Mr. R. I. Smith of the North Carolina Agricultural 60 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Experiment Station, found pupx in the same locality November 4. If we allow 8 days as the egg period and 37 to 41 days as the larval period, as determined by Mr. Kelly in Kansas, the eggs, judging from the records just mentioned, are deposited in North Carolina from about June 1 to September 20, or during a period of approximately 4 months. Mr. I. J. Condit found a nearly full-crown larva at Arlington, Va., June 20, 1906, which confirms in a general way the preceding observations. THE LARVA. (Fig. 19.) Quite naturally the larva of this species closely resembles that of Sphenophorus maidis. ‘The principal differences are brought out in the ulustration of S. caliosus. The head (fig. 19,b),is more slender, especially toward the vertex, the area between the Y sutures is nearly smooth and quite different in outhne from that of S. maidis (ig. 19, ¢) drawn on the same scale. In this latter species the space is shallowly sculp- tured, with the sutures more smuate. The larve of both species vary greatly in size, and it is doubtful if in this respect they differ materially from each other. Mr. Caudeil found thelarve among the matted roots, where they form cells and where they are frequently seen completely embedded in Fig. 19.—a, Larva of the ‘‘curlew bug’’ (Sphenophorus - the chuia. These they hollow callosus); b, head of same; c, head of larva of the out, leaving only the hull. rons ae (Sphenophorus mits) Enlarged. They are sometimes so nu- merous that frequently as many as a dozen can be taken in a single bunch of roots. Mr. I. J. Condit, on October 8, found the larvee in chufa at Arlington Farms, Va., usually from half an inch to an inch below the surface of the ground. They seemed quite capable of subsisting upon the dead, perfectly brown, and nearly rotten substance of the leaves, stems, and crowns of the plant, but they also perforated the roots. Mr. F. B. Hopkins observed, on June 26, also at the Arlington Farms, Va., that the larve were operating in the crown of this same plant, Carex frankii. Mr. G. .L. Swindell, in a communication dated August 6, 1900, states that at Swindell, N. C., the larve injured the roots of rice by Bul. eh, Part |V, Bureau ot Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE VI. THE ‘‘CURLEW BUG.” totally destroyed by the ‘‘curlew bug’? Sphenophorus callosus, 1910; rn was grown in (Original. ) 1911. 1 The portion of the Shannonhouse cornfield, Hertford, N. C., on which co PLATE VII. Bul. 95, Part IV, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. ([BULSIIO) .snq Moptno,, oy} Aq pornfurun pUv TIGL UL W109 07 paquRtd {OT6T UL 10}}09 07 pa}OAp SBM JBY} PloyuLod osnoyuouULYS oy} Jo Uos0d oT, «ONG MAIYND,, SHL “ as Oe bo PLATE VIII Dept. of Agriculture. S. U , Bureau of Entomology, Bul. 95, Part IV (*‘TeuIsIIg) ‘dor snotAcid sy} JO orndeU oy) UM , ond MoTIND,, oy] Aq asvurep jo yutod ut ‘spuodsoi109 sty. ATJOVXO MOT SION ‘OTST Ul UMOIS SBA UIOD DIO M (JUS oy} 07) UoTsod oY) pure Ol6L UL UO}JOD 0} PodJOADp (1O}UID OY} UL SUTPURIS UBUT OY} JO TOT OY} 0}) UOTAOd oY} USIAJO TI6L UL PpleyuUOD osNOYUOUUBYS SY} UL OUT, SUIPIAIp Oy 2G MAIENO,, SHL THE SO-CALLED ‘* CURLEW BUG.’’ 61 feeding thereon. Later, roots sent to the bureau by Mr. Swindell contained larve in both the crowns and roots. In nearly every case there was a cavity containing a larva in the crown of the plant just above the roots. Mr. S. L. Willard, Washington, N. C, under date of July 20, 1893, complained also of injury to rice, stating that the depredations hed been observed in his neighborhood since 1886. Under date of July, 1895, Mr. B. A. Hallet, of Mount Olive, N. C., complained that the insect had completely ake oyed the aplent rice crop of that section. : In August, 1910, Mr. J. W. Mason, of Edenton, N. C., through Representative J. H. Small, stated that the insect had attacked both corn and peanuts in his neighborhood, killing corn and seriously injuring peanuts. Mr. R. I. Smith, of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, states that where rice is grown this grain appears to be its favorite food, as the insect is ten times more abundant in rice fields than in cornfields. The eggs are placed in the corn plant above the roots, as shown in figure 21,6. The larvae work downward, eventually pupating at the lower end of the root, as shown in figure 21, e. In nearly all of our records of injuries by this species, attention is called to the fact that its attacks are upon low or swampy land. The very nature of its food plants would indicate that the natural habitat of this species is in low or swampy lands. In a great many cases such lands are either subject to overflow or the plants are more: or less submerged in water for considerable periods of time. While the insect is not aquatic, it most certainly is capable of living and developing on submerged plants without suffering material incon- venience therefrom. In the cornfields they are often found working several inches below the surface of soil thoroughly saturated with water. Farther on, it will be noted that the aduit can also live sub- merged in water without apparent inconvenience. EINJURIES TO CORN BY LARVA. While, as will be shown, corn is injured both by adults and larve, attacks by the latter are by far the most fatal to the plant. Good illustrations of a serious attack from a larva of this species are shown in Plates VI, VII, and VIII, from photographs of a field belonging to the Messrs. Shannonhouse, on Harveys Neck, N.C., along the shore of Albemarle Sound. While it is probably true that the insect is much more abundant in rice fields, is must be borne in mind that the area of rice culture is very small compared with that of corn. While local injuries to rice may be very severe, nevertheless the greatest losses from attacks of this insect most Late fall upon corn grow- ers, especially those whose fields are on low or bottom lands. As ‘ 62 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. illustrating this point, as well as the severity of attack, Mr. Swindell, who has been previously quoted, stated that in some years the loss amounted to almost total destruction. Mr. R. I. Smith, under date of May 22, 1907, stated that the species was doing great damage to corn at Statesboro, Ga. Under date of May 30, 1899, Mr. Edward Markham, Kehukee, N. C., complained that the insect was doing so much damage to corn in his neighborhood that in some instances the crop was being abandoned. In his estimation it was the worst insect pest observed in hiscommunity. Under date of August 3, of the same year, Mr. James K. Metcalf, Silver City, N. Mex., complained that the insects were destroying entire fields of corn, working in this same manner. At Arkansas City, Kans., June 22, 1910, Mr. T. H. Parks, of this bureau, found the species exceedingly abundant in fields of young corn growing along the Arkansas River. Mr. T. J. Clark, sr., of Cliff, N. Mex., under date of June 25, 1904, states that the larvee are more destructive than cutworms. In his opinion the species is a native of old Mexico and had not been observed in his locality until about eight years previous. Mr. T. D. Urbahns, of this bureau, found that corn about Duncan, Okla., during June 18 and 19, 1909, had suffered very severely. In one case about 20 acres of lowland in the heart of a large field had been entirely destroyed. It had been replanted, but the second planting was also badly dam- aged. In another field an area, also of about 20 acres, in the heart of a still larger field had been completely destroyed. This land was vet and had been fiooded during the previous summer. In a field near Comanche, Okla., consisting of about 100 acres of bottom land, Mr. Urbahns found that the crop had been very severely damaged, some of it having been twice replanted. This land had also been flooded the previous year. A field: of about 60 acres in this same neighborhood, examined June 19, had been entirely destroyed. At Great Bend, Kans., July 7, 1910, Mr. Parks found that a field of 6 acres of corn had been damaged about 20 per cent by these insects. Under date of May 17, 1909, Mr. J. F. Davidson, of Marlow, Okla., complained that the insect had completely destroyed 100 acres of young corn on his farm. Some of this ground had been replanted a third time, with discouraging prospects of his being able to secure a crop of corn. He further states: My land is all bottom and valley and adjacent to Little Beaver Creek, a stream 50 feet wide. The heavy floods of last spring caused this creek to overflow its banks and the water spread out over all the bottom land, inundating thousands of acres and destroying the growing crops; 40 acres of my land was thus under water seven different times. I assume the result is the billbug and its depredations this spring on all bot- tom lands, which are the best corn lands in this section of Oklahoma. Thousands of acres have already been completely destroyed by this pest, and farmers are now busy replanting, with slight hopes of securing a stand that will justify cultivation. The larva on first hatching is, of course, very small, although, as the egos increase in size after being deposited in the plants, the size of the larva will considerably exceed that of the newly deposited egg. i i ie THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.’’ 63 It burrows its way downward through the center of the lower stem into the main root or taproot and, unless this is entirely eaten away, probably finishes its ‘development there. Although we have not observed it, it seems quite likely that under certain conditions it may transform to the pupa in the earth outside of the plant. Studies carried out by Mr. Kelly at Wellington, Kans., have shown that the larval stage may occupy from 37 to 41 days—the latter period in most of his experiences. THE PUPA. (Fig. 20.) Pupation in the crowns of chufa takes place normally in cocoons formed of dried castings, but in cases where the crowns have been much eaten away, the larva before transforming evidently falls out and pupates in the earth nearby, generally within an inch or less of the crown. In the earth a cell is made by the larva, which turns round and round, thus forming quite a distinct earthen cocoon. In one instance noted by Mr. Caudell, a pupal case or cocoon was found on chufa about 2 inches above the ground, indicating that the larva had floated to the surface of the water, the plants being submerged at the time. In corn plants pupation takes place in the larval chambers as shown in figure 21, c. A larva noted by Chittenden transformed to pupa August 22, and the beetles issued September 1, the period of the pupal stage having been about 94 days. As the weather during this time was con- m4 09 —The “curlew siderably over 80° F., and quite humid, 9 days is _ bug:” Pupa. Greatly probably the minimum pupal period for this species. | °™2"8°* (Omsinel) Of a number reared by Mr. Kelly at Wellington, Kans., during August, 1910, one pupated in 9 days, while three others pupated in 13 days. THE ADULT. (Fig. 16.) This species was first described by Olivier in 18072 In his paper entitled “‘New species of Sphenophorus with notes on described forms,” ? Dr. Chittenden has fully discussed this species as follows: This species was united by LeConte* and Horn with cariosus Ol., but wrongly so, as I shall attempt to prove. Olivier’s description reads in substance as foilows: Body black with dark cinereous coating. Antennae brownish black, shining, cimereous at apex. Rostrum black, dark cinereous at base. Thorax uneven, ‘‘and 1 Calandra callosa Olivier, Hist. Nat. des Ins., vol. 5, p. 92, pl. 28, fig. 416, 1807. 2 Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 176-177, Mar. 9, 1906. 3 Rhynch. N. A., p. 425. 64 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. one sees on the superior portion an elevation in the form of a cross, feebly marked.’” Elytra uneven, feebly variolate, marked toward the apex with a callous point, nearly spinose, blackish, shining. Olivier’s illustration is imperfect in that it is very crude, showing neither punctu- ation nor sculpture aud the general impression is that of a shining species, which was certainly not inteaded. The thorax is a ttle short, otherwise the form coincides with the species which is figured herewith. The cinereous base of the rostrum is an important character, as it signifies that a considerable portion of the base is coated while in cariosus it is not. The cross-like elevation of the thoracic disc is aptly described as feebly indicated, in fact it requires a little imagination to discern it in many individuals; moreover, it is not shown in Olivier’s figure. Among coleopterists in general the adults of this species are sup- posed to be covered by a coating, consequent upon the beetles com- ine in contact with the soil. This supposition is most certainly erroneous, as adults secured by Dr. Chittenden from cocoons and by others wut the bureau from the chambers in the roots of corn before they had come in contact with anything excepting the débris with which the chambers are more or less filled, are found to possess this coating. | Specimens secured by Dr. Chittenden are of a rich brown color with velvety surface. It is only when the beetles become somewhat abraded and this coating worn off of the elevations and the shoulders and near the tip of the elytra that the callouses are formed, a character upon which the specific as is based. Strictly eae the per- fect insect has not been described, and it does not become ‘‘callosus”’ until the insect has moved about and rubbed these points bare. The adults evidently hibernate te some extent in corn in the cham- ber in which they have developed, but seemingly lower down than. in the case of Sphenophorus maidis. (See fig. 21, ¢.) They were found very sparingly, by Mr. James A. Hyslop of this bureau and by Mr. Rade smith, of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, occupying this position in the cornfields of Harveys Neck, previously mentioned, on November 1, 1911. The numbers found, however, were far too limited to indicate that this can be true of even the majority, the others probably wintering over either in or near the surface of the ground. This was in the same field where Mr. Walton had pales searched for them on September 5 and 6. When we come to take into consideration the fact that the natural coating with which the adults are covered is almost exactly the color of the soil, with which it is, indeed, more or less begrimed, and that the insects on being disturbed will ae up their i and remain as quiet as if dead, it will be seen that it is exceedingly dihieule to detect their presence in er on the surface of the ground, even by an expert who knows exactly for what he is searching. Therefore that careful search should not happen to reveal their presence is not especially to the discredit of those who are engaged in trying to find them. THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.”’ 65 ~ As will be observed, this method of hibernation is of the greatest importance from an economic standpoint, because hibernation in the lower stalk or roots would bring the inhabitants within reach by pull- ing up and burning these stalks during the winter or early spring. For data.on the larger corn stalk-borer see Circular No. 116 of the Bureau of Entomol- ogy, entitled ‘ The Larger Corn Stalk- Borer.”’ i The beetles prob- ably come forth from their hibernation quarters quite early in spring, as soon as the eround has become permanently warm from the spring tem- perature. Mr. Kelly found them under cornstalks of the pre- vious year at Whites- boro, Tex., April 13, 1910. Theyevidently ~ feed fora considerable time by puncturing the lower part of the stems of the plants. These punctures are quite different from the egg punctures, and the effect is often not so fatal as that oc- casioned by the down- ward burrowing of the larva. These ALG Fic. 21.—The ‘‘curlew bug:”’ a, Corn plant attacked by adult in- tures are usually made sect; b, egg as placed in stem of young corn plant, enlarged at c left; c, pupa and adult in root of corn in chamber eaten out by abo ut ora little below the larva, slightly reduced. (Original.) the surface of the ground, the beetle evidently searching for a point where the stem is tender and succulent, | If the punctures are made lower down on the plant, just above the root, the result is a throwing up of a number of tillers or suckers from the roots, the main stem itself having a stalky appearance, with the result that no ears are produced. In this respect the effect pro- duced resembles to a degree that of an attack of the Hessian fly on a young wheat plant in the fall. This unusual development of tillers 66 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. or suckers has sometimes been vulgarly termed “‘frenching,”’ although it must not be understood that all of the difficulties known as ‘‘french- ~ ing’’ in corn have been due to the attack of these beetles. If the puncture made by the beetle for the purpose of securing food has been made higher up the stem, food has been obtained from the unfolded leaves above the crown of the plant. When these leaves finally push forth, the puncture made by the beak of the beetle appears in the shape of transverse rows across the leaves, as illus- trated in figure 21, at a. Frequently there will be a distorted growth on the stem, ee much the appearance of galls or excrescences, as shown ae in this figure. While the damage done by the beetles in feeding is in many cases doubtless severe—if the corn plants are very young at the time of attack they are probably destroyed in this way—generally speaking the greatest damage is probably caused by the larvee, especially in the East. Attention has already been called to the fact that the larve can apparently live without difficulty for a considerable length of time in the stems of plants that are completely covered by water. This is surprisingly true in the case of the adult insect. August 4, 1906, Dr. Chittenden collected adults of this species at Arlington, Va., and placed them in a jar of water with a few stalks of grass and chufa. The beetles attached themselves to these stalks under water and remained there. Two of the beetles were removed November 21 of the same year, and although they had been sub- merged during the entire period they were still ‘‘very much alive.” Another instance has come to our notice which would indicate that — not only can these beetles survive in fresh water, but also in salt: water. Mr. James Overton, a farmer and fisherman residing on the north shore of Albemarle Sound, informed the author that this species was frequently found by him clinging to his fish nets set in the water of the Sound, and that he found them abundantly under the débris along the shore. As Mr. Overton is perfectly familiar with the work of the insect in the cornfields, and was one of the first in his neighbor- hood to recognize it, there does not appear to be any reasonable doubt of the correctness of his statement. Indeed, farmers living on Harveys Neck are of the opinion that the pest first came to them from the South, having drifted across the Sound from the opposite shore. Mr. Overton, who resided on the southern shores of the Sound before taking up his residence on Harveys Neck, states that the insect was destructively abundant along the southern shore before it was. observed in his present neighborhood. Whether this theory of the diffusion of the pest is correct or not, there does not appear to be any good reason why the insect might not drift about in the waters of the THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.”’ 67 Sound and be carried ashore by the tides. In at least two cases, each involving a different species of Sphenophorus, adults have been found along the sea beach in situations where they must have been submerged at each flow of the tide. The length of life in the beetle stage is not definitely known, but Dr. Chittenden has observed overwintered adults as late as August 8, thus overlapping the appearance of the new generation of adults. 2 INJURY BY THE BEETLES. It is rather difficult to separate out, in the correspondence of the bureau, injuries that have been caused by the adults, or beetles, of this species from those inflicted by the larve. That the larve are eminently capable of totally destroying young corn is very evident, but the following extract points more or less conclusively to the beetles themselves as being the authors of the injuries inflicted. Mr. C. R. S. Baker, Rimini, 5. C., June 26, 1909, in a communica- tion to the Bureau of Statistics, stated that the beetles were killing young corn by puncturing the stalk to the heart, killing the plant precisely as with the “‘budworm.”’ This particular field had been highly fertilized with guano and stable manure. Maj. Gore, of Pire- way, N. C., May 12, 1910, stated that 30 acres of corn planted on new land had been literally eaten up by the beetles; presumably the new jand was either very low or reclaimed swamp. Under date of May 21, 1910, Mr. W. Barnett, of Pireway, N. C., stated that a farmer in his neighborhood had lost half of his crop of corn from attacks of this beet!e. Writing from Helena, Ark., June 2, 1911, Mr. L. E. Howard stated that these beetles were killing the corn, mostly young corn, but some as large as waist-high. Writing from McLellan, Fla., May 2, 1909, Mr. W. H. Gill stated that the pest had just made its appearance in Santa Rosa County and attacked young corn about a month old by boring in the stalk underground and killing the center. On June 1, 1910, a complaint was received from Mr. P. Cox, Appleton, Tenn., inclosing specimens of the beetle which he stated were destroy- ing his corn crop and asked for an investigation of the trouble. July 14, Mr. G. G. Ainslie visited the locality and found that Mr. Cox’s field consisted of about 40 acres lying in a creek bottom. Farther down the stream were two other fields of corn all of which had been damaged. It seems to be the plan in that particular locality to allow the land to go uncultivated every alternate year. During the season in which the land is idle there springs up a heavy growth of weeds and swamp grass. This particular field was plowed the latter part of March and replowed the last. day of April, corn being planted soon after. The first planting came up quickly, but was utterly destroyed. The second planting, the date of which was not obtained, was also practically destroyed, and a little before the middle of June a third 68 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. planting was made. On the lower depressions of the field (see Pl. IX, fig. 1), termed ‘‘swales”’ in that neighborhood, the corn from this planting was either small or missing, the size of the stalks being very irregular. In most cases the main stalk was aborted and suckers had been thrown up, sometimes a distance of several inches from tne original plant. The main stalk was either missing altogether or had become so dwarfed and distorted as to be practically worthless. (See Pl. IX, fig. 2.) It hes *prostrate on the ground, curled and twisted, being sometimes almost buried in the loose earth, and the beetles were still found attacking the plants. RECENT INVESTIGATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. Reference has already been made in the proper places to the investi- gations carried out in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas by Messrs. Kelly, Urbahns, and Parks, of the Bureau of Entomology, and in North. Carolina by Mr. James A. Hyslop, also an assistant in the bureau. On May 23, 1911, we received a communication from Mrs. 8S. D. Jordan, Hertford, N. C., accompanied by specimens of these beetles, stating that the sects take possession of and destroy whole fields of corn as soon as it comes up. Many farmers had been obliged that séason to plow and plant their corn for the second time. The insects attack the plants by inserting their bill into the stalk near the ground, causing the plants to wilt in a few hours. The trouble had been noticed for several years and appeared to be rapidly on the increase. Apparently, unless some steps were taken for their protection, the farmers in that neighborhood would not be able to raise sufficient corn for their own use. Two days later a communica- tion was received from Mr. William T. Shannonhouse, from the same post office, accompanied by specimens of the bettles. Mr. Shannon- house complained that these insects attacked the corn from the time it was 3 or 4 inches high until it became 10 inches or a foot in height. Then they were found just below the surface of the ground punctur- ing the stalk, causing the death of the plant. Mr. Shannonhouse called attention to the fact that where corn had followed cotton crops no damage was apparent, but where the preceding crop had been corn the damage was in many cases very severe, often resulting in a total loss of the crop. In cases where the land had been planted to corn in alternate years, and during the intervening years to some other crop, no difficulty was experienced. The author, together with Mr. Vernon King, visited these fields in company with Mr. Shannonhouse on June 20 and made a careful examination of them. It was found that where cotton had been the previous crop, attack by Sphenophorus was hardly noticeable. Larvae were abundant, ranging from newly hatched to half-grown, while eggs were being deposited on both small, tender plants, and on larger, more mature Bul. 95, Part IV, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of. Agriculture, PLATE |X. FiG. 1.—VIEW OF CORNFIELD NEAR APPLETON, TENN., SHOWING DAMAGE BY THE “CURLEW Bua.” (ORIGINAL.) FIG. 2.—CORN PLANTS, SHOWING NORMAL PLANT AND THOSE DAMAGED BY THE ‘“‘CURLEW Bua.” (ORIGINAL. ) PES CUREEV BUG. & 5 : THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.’’ 69 ones. From one to several eggs were laid on each plant, either just -beneath the surface of the soil, slightly above the roots, or from 2 to 3 inches above this point in the stem. Beetles usually rest on stems head downward, often partially hidden by soil around the plant, and frequently with the beak inserted into the tissues of the stem. At the bottom of slits made by the beak, and easily seen with the naked eye, there is often a white, elliptical egg, sometimes with one end transparent. Both males and females were common. On June 22, about 3 miles away across the Perquimans River, on the farm of Mr. R. L. Spivey, Mr. King observed the same work in a small patch of corn planted on spring-plowed land which bore corn the year before. Near Mr. Spivey’s farm injury was also done to 3 or 4 acres of corn on the farm of Mr. J. T. Jackson, whose land also bore corn the year before. At this time only a few large plants of the first crop were standing. The land had been replanted, but only sickly plants were produced, as these had been attacked by Sphenophorus and by Diatrea sp., the latter of which is locally known as the “‘budworm.” An adjoining patch of corn, planted on soil which bore corn last year, but cut early and the land fall-plowed, was seemingly growing. : On July 25 Mr. W. R. Walton visited the same locality and, in the same fields previously examined by Mr.-King and the author, found larvee, apparently nearly full grown, in the taproots and crowns of the plants. Although no longer feeding, they had not yet transformed to pups, nor were they yet in cells formed for pupation. Some of the less seriously injured stalks of corn were from 6 to 8 feet high, with one well-developed ear. No grasses or sedges in which the insect could develop could be found in the neighborhood, although Mr. Walton was told by Mr. Overton that masses of both of these plants, with heavy root-stalks, sometimes drift across Albemarle Sound from the South. Farmers in that neighborhood say the pest began its depredations along the north shore, and express the opinion that the pest came from the South. Later, September 5 and 6, Mr. Walton again visited the same locality to learn the condition of the pest, but although he examined and pulled up about 100 stalks of corn where the pest had been abundant earlier in the season, he could find no trace of it in any stage. REMEDIAL AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES. With these insects in full possession of a field, there does not appear _ to be any thoroughly practical and effective measure for preventing or overcoming their ravages. While throwing up the soil or hilling | up the young plants with the cultivator might prevent the beetles themselves from puncturing the stems low enough down to cause the plants to sucker or become distorted, this is by no means assured. 70 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. We only know that the higher up the insect punctures the stem the more likely is the attack to result only in the transverse rows of holes across the leaves, as shown in figure 21 at a. In any case this ridging or hilling up would only form a possible slight protection against the injurious effects of the feeding of the beetles. Once the larve have started to burrow their way downward in the stem there is no way whereby they can be reached by any measure likely to seriously affect them. The beetles can not be trapped by inducing them to hibernate under piles of rubbish prepared for them especially for this © purpose, because there is excellent proof that they pass the winter in fields entirely bare of vegetation. Late planting of the crop, as exemplified by repeated replantings, does not offer any encouragement in the way of preventing future injuries. As shown by the observa- tions of Messrs. Walton and Hyslop, very few of the insects hibernate in the roots or old stalks, so that the pulling up and burning of these, as in destroying the larger corn stalk-borer, would not be of much value against this insect. They probably do not hibernate to any extent in their uncultivated food plants. Fortunately, however, the farmer has within his reach two most practical and efficient measures of prevention. One of these is to entirely exterminate from his fields any of the natural food plants of this species. Indeed, he should by no means attempt to raise a crop of corn while any of this natural vegetation, upon which the insect can subsist, is still in existence. The other measure is to follow corn or rice with some crop upon which this insect can not feed and never to plant corn immediately after corn or rice. On the farms of the Messrs. Shannonhouse most convincing illustrations were afforded of almost complete protection by rotation of crops. While in no case was it possible to find a badly infested field of corn following cotton, there were plenty of illustrations of the disastrous effect of attempting to raise corn during successive years on the same ground. One field offered such an excellent illustration of this phase of the problem that Mr. William T.Shannonhouse had it photographed, and these photographs are used for illustration in Plates VI to VIII. In 1910 the eastern portion of this field had been devoted to cotton, the western portion to corn. In the year 1911 the entire field was planted with corn; as a result that portion on which corn had been raised the previous year (see Pl. VI) was almost totally destroyed by this insect, while the other portion, where cotton had been grown (see Pl. VII), was almost entirely exempt from attack. In order to show the abruptness with which this injury terminated and the exactness with which this corresponded to the dividing line between the two previous crops, the farmer who had himself cultivated the field in 1910,and was therefore perfectly familiar with it, was induced to stand exactly upon the dividing line between the corn and the THE SO-CALLED ‘‘ CURLEW BUG.’’ Tt cotton. Plate VIII shows the area where this dividing line between the two crops of the previous year was located and the radical dif- ference in attack by Sphenophorus between the two portions of the field. This field illustrates conclusively both the fact that the beetles winter in the fields where they develop and also that crop rotation is effective in preventing serious injury. NATURAL ENEMIES. Mr. W. L. McAtee, of the Biological Survey, has recorded the finding of Sphenophorus callosus in the stomach of the nighthawk ( Chordeiles acutipennis texensis) at Wallaceville, Tex., August 4, 1907. This is the only exact record obtainable of the eating of this species by birds. In addition Dr. Chittenden has placed the following notes at the disposal of the author: Among the larve of this species in our rearing cages in late August and early Sep- tember some years ago were some which had died, apparently of fungus attack, although ‘there is a possibility that the fungus attacked the insect while dying or after death. In another instance, during the last week of August, larvee of this same species were dying and specimens were referred to Dr. Haven Metcalf, a pathologist in the Bureau of Plant Industry, who stated that they were apparently free from fungi, and that while there was a possibility of the presence of a bacterial disease such presence could not be established at that stage. Examination, however, revealed the fact that the bodies of the larvee were fairly reeking with nematodes, and it is not impossible that these are the cause of the insect’s fatality. On September 5 and 6 Mr. Walton found, in cornfields in North Carolina where the corn had been destroyed (see Pl. VIII), many exit holes of the predaceous maggots of a robber fly, Hrazx laterals, between. the rows of corn, and it is possible that these may have devoured some of the larve of Sphenophorus. Lamphyrid larve were noted, both by the author and by Messrs. King and Walton, about the infested hills of corn. Although these are known to be predaceous, none of us was able to catch them in the act of devouring the larvee of the curlew bug. HIS PUBLICATION may be pro- cured from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office Washington, D. C., at 10 cents per copy PN eRe are ae cU.S. DSAY BR: Bs Bull 05, Part wl) 3 Con io, April’ 22, 1912) PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE LD OES. THE FALSE WIREWORMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. By James A. Hystop, Agent and Expert, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. INTRODUCTION. Up to within the past five years, except for a few scattering notices, the species of Eleodes have been considered of only incidental, if of any, economic importance. The Tenebrionids, to which this genus belongs, are sometimes saprophagous, feeding on dead vegetable matter in the soil, and occasionally on dead animal tissue as well as on stored grain and other food products. Superficially the larve resemble the true wireworms. (elaterid larvee), and on account of this resemblance and the similarity of their Fic. 22.—The false wireworm, Eleodes letcheri vandykei: Adults in characteristic attitudes.. Some- what enlarged. (Original.) depredations in the grain fields the two are often confused. On closer examination, however, Eleodes larve can be easily recognized ; the antenne are rather long and very conspicuously clavate, the body is not flattened, and the forelegs are long and stout. These larvee can move with great rapidity as compared with true wireworms The confusion of Eleodes with the true wireworms is unfortunate, as the preventive and remedial measures for the two pests are quite distinct, what is efficient treatment in one case being quite useless in the other. : HISTORICAL. Among the earliest references to the economic importance of these beetles in this country is a note by Prof. Lawrence Bruner,! in which the species Hleodes tricostata Say is recorded as attacking cabbage 1 Bul. 26 (old series), Div. Ent., U.S. Dept. Agr., pp. 11-12, 1892. : 1h) TA. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. plants at Lincoln, Nebr., doing even more damage than the cut- worms. It was silee said to have attacked other garden crops, but these are not definitely recorded. In 1895 Prof. C. V. Piper published an article in the Northwest Horticulturalist in which he refers to Eleodes larve attacking garden crops. A In 1898 Mr. Theo. Pergande ' notes having received from McPher- son, Kans., two larvee of a tenebrionid with the statement that they do serious damage to wheat in Salina County, Kans., by attacking the grain when it becomes softened, destroying the germ. From one of these larve an adult was reared which proved to be Eleodes sutura- lis Say. In the autumn of 1911 Mr. E. O. G. Kelly, of this office, found the wheat in southern Kansas attacked by an Eleodes larva which may prove to belong to this latter species. In 1908 Mr. Myron Swenk,? assistant State entomologist of Nebraska, reported Lleodes opaca Say as doing very serious damage to wheat in Nebraska, in some instances 60 per cent of the seed having been destroyed. The larvee were first found by the author in enormous numbers in May, 1909, in a wheat field south of Pullman, Wash. The field was entirely ruined and had to be reseeded, though these depredations were not entirely due to the Eleodes, as a true wireworm, the larve of Corymbites inflatus Say, was also very numerous. On May 12 several adult Hleodes pumelioides Mann. were found at a depth of about 4 inches below the surface in the field above men- tioned, and more were found under boards and rubbish about the fields. Many larve were placed in flowerpot rearing cages with wheat as food, and on July 3 a pupa was found in one of these cages. On July 20 an adult Hleodes pumelioides emerged. Later examination of several collections very clearly indicates that this species is far the more predominant in the Palouse country. Other species known to occur in this region are Eleodes obscura Say var. sulcipennis Mann., Eleodes hispilabris Say var. levis Blaisd., Eleodes extricata Say, Eleodes manni Blaisd., Hleodes humeralis Lec., Eleodes schwarzii Blaisd., and Eleodes nigrina Lec. In the spring of 1909, on examining an oat field at Govan, Wash., that had been almost compere destroyed, many tenebrionid ibe Eleodes letchert Blaisd. var. vandykei Blaisd., were found crawling - ‘ over the surface of the field. They had pide been forced to leave the ground by a heavy rain which fell the day before. On digging in this field many more larve were found about ready to © pupate. 3 < In the spring of 1910 the adults were found in enormous numbers on the roadsides in the Big Bend region and in the middle of the — Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 8186. 2 Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 2, p. 332, 1909. FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. (5) summer they were found under the grain shocks in large numbers. In this region the species in enormous preponderance is LEleodes letchert vandykei. Eleodes pimelioides, Eleodes nigrina, Eleodes his- pilabris var. levis, and Eleodes obscura var. sulcipennis also occur; the first one rarely, the last three quite commonly. The results of three seasons’ work in the Pacific Northwest demon-: strate quite conclusively that the false wireworms are among the most destructive insects to recently planted wheat and corn in this region. They rank second only to the true wireworms (elaterid larvee). False wireworms are native and not introduced forms; the climatic conditions of the country are, therefore, ideal for their existence. The converting of enormous areas of the scantily verdured sage- brush prairie into wheat ranches has afforded them a new and increased food supply and the destruction of the sage hen, badger, and horned toad has removed their normal foes. DISTRIBUTION. The genus Eleodes, to which the beetles treated in this paper belong, is very closely confined to the Upper and Lower Sonoran Zones. These beetles do not fly and are therefore more restricted in their distribution than insects which have a more active means of dissemination. The mass of the species occur in the Southwest, while several occur in the arid and semiarid regions of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. A few species extend into the Carolinian Zone in Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, Eleodes tricostata having been collected as far east as Independence, Iowa. Eleodes pimelioides, however, seems to be an exception to this general rule, and is very nearly confined to the northwestern por- tion of the Transition Zone, only occasionally being found in the Sonoran where this zone merges into the Transition. Specimens have been collected in the very humid coastal region of Washington, as well as in semiarid regions of this State, of Idaho, and of Oregon; in the Rocky Mountains at Helena, Mont., as well as at very nearly sea level on Vancouver Island. The species is predominant in the semi- arid Transition of Washington and Idaho, the region commonly known as the Palouse country. The southernmost records of this species are Lake County, Cal.; Elko, Nev.; Wasatch, Utah; and Garland, Colo. It extends east to the middle of Colorado and north to Vancouver, British Columbia. | Eleodes letcheri vandyker has been collected at The Dalles, Oreg., by Messrs. Hubbard and Schwarz. Dr. E.C. Van Dyke has taken this species in Modoc County, Cal., and we have found it to be the pre- dominant species in the Big Bend region of Washington, All of these localities are well within the Upper Sonoran Zone. 76 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Eleodes opaca is apparently confined to the Plains region east of the Rocky Mountains, specimens having been collected in central and eastern Colorado, western Kansas and Oklahoma, northern Texas, all of Nebraska, and southern and eastern South Dakota. Eleodes suturalis occurs over about the same region as EF. opaca, with its variety terana Lec. extending southward into New Mexico and southern Texas. THE WORK IN THE BIG BEND REGION OF WASHINGTON. On May 28, 1909, an oat field at Govan, Wash., was examined. This field had been almost completely destroyed by true wireworms; besides these, many larvee of Eleodes letcheri vandykei were found on the surface of the ground, evidently forced out by the unusually late heavy rains of the preceding day. These latter were by far too few in numbers to have destroyed the oats. Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana occidentalis) were noticed feeding in the fields in large numbers on the exposed Eleodes larve. Many of the larve were also found in the ground at a depth of from 3 to 5 inches, in small spherical cells, wherein they lay in a curled position. These were considerably softer and paler colored than those found in an active condition. _ The work in 1910 started early in April when the false wireworms were to be found scatteringly throughout the grain fields, the grain having just sprouted. Adults were first observed in 1911 on April 17, the day being quite hot, but the weather up to this time having been very cool. The beetles were to be seen at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon in great numbers along all the roadsides, where they were either awk- wardly hurrying over the ground or nibbling at the foliage of the very young Polygonum littorale, which is uy abundant in this region. Adults of the larger species, Hleodes obscura sulcipennis, were usually to be found in or about the burrows of the ground squirrel (Citellus townsendi) and the badger. When disturbed, the species of Eleodes have the ludicrous habit of standing still and elevating the abdomen so that the long axis of the body approaches the perpendicular instead of the nearly horizontal position it normally maintains while walking or at rest. The two beetles to the right in figure 22 are in this attitude. Thus they will remain motionless for several minutes and finally, if they are not further disturbed, they walk off. If one places the finger near the insect, an oily liquid is excreted from the anal aperture, which flows down over the elytra and abdomen. This liquid is pale yellow in color and makes a dark-brown stain; it has a very characteristic, strong, astringent, and offensive odor, and is evidently protective in FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST Met function. Mr. Carl F. Gissler? describes this secretion and the glands from which it is secreted. Many pairs were in coitu on the 17th of April, and on the 21st a female that was confined in a pill box laid four eggs. Between the 2ist and 23d, when the female died, she laid 10 more eggs, which, however, failed to incubate. Females dissected in the laboratory were found to contain from 92 to 199 eggs. The eggs were found to lie on the ventral side of the abdomen and to extend upward and over part of the viscera, filling all the interstices about the alimentary canal. The eggs were so crowded in the abdomen that they were quite distorted. Anteriorly the eggs were smaller and were fastened to the anterior abdominal sclerite by fine filaments. The mating season lasted about two weeks, but the adults were in evidence throughout May dnd June. Well-grown larve were also to be found at this time. Many of the adults in the rearing cages, as well as two individuals observed in the field, were seen to burrow into the ground. This is accomplished by digging with the front tibize, which are expanded and armed with spines for the purpose, the tarsi being folded back out of the way. The loose dirt is conveyed back- ward by the middle legs and piled up behind the beetle by the hind legs. When about one-fourth of an inch of dirt has accumulated the beetle backs out of the hole, pushing the earth out with the abdomen, the hind legs assisting in-this process by keeping the earth piled be- hind the abdomen. On examining these burrcws two or three eggs were found in each. The burrows are filled with earth after the beetles come out and are from 4 to 8 inches deep. Rearing cages were established by sinking barrels to the surface level, filling them with earth, and fitting vertically onto the top a galvanized-iron cylinder 10 inches in height and the diameter of the inside of the barrel top, the open upper end being covered with wire mosquito bar, with an introduction hole made in the wire screen and corked. On April 20 about 30 pairs of mated Hleodes letchert vandyker were placed in this cage, which had previously been seeded with wheat and planted to Polygonum littorale. By June 25 the beetles were all dead in the cage, probably due to abnormal conditions as well as age, though no living beetles could be found in the fields at that time. Small larve 4'to 5 mm. (about three-sixteenths inch) in length were then to be found in the cage. On examining the cage on November 14 the larvee were found to be about 14 mm. (nine-sixteenths inch) in length and at about a depth of 12 to 24 inches below the surface. The soil in the rearing cage was as dry as powder to a ee of nearly 2 feet, but the desiccation did not seem to affect the larve 7 — 1 Beyene, vol. a: no. 58, 1879, p. 209. 24935° Balle 95, pt.s—12— 2 78 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. July 4, 1911, the cage was again examined and the larve were found to be about 14 inches long. From early in July to the middle of August it became necessary to be away from Govan, where this experiment was in progress. On returning, August 16, the root cage was examined and two adults found about 6 inches below the surface. They were hard and had evidently emerged some days before this date. When the boards which had been placed over the barrel to protect it during the winter were removed in the spring, a number of adults was found that had hibernated under this shelter. On the above date and at a depth of about 20 inches a very young false wireworm (3.5 mm. long) was found; it was pure white and had evidently but very recently hatched. This larva was undoubtedly the young of one of these accidentally introduced beetles. The soil at this time was dry to a depth of 4inches. On June 25a pupa was found in the field, placed in a pill box with dirt, and on the 30th an adult Eleodes letchert vandyker emerged. In the fields, where a farmer was plowing his summer-fallow—and it may be remarked that this is exceptionally late for working the summer-fallow in this country—pupe were found turned out by the plow. A little flock of Brewer’s blackbirds (Huphagus cyanocephalus) were walking in the furrow a few yards behind the plow and picking up the upturned insects. ; From the middle of July until the grain is harvested adults are to - be found in large numbers under the grain shocks and bundles as they stand in the field, and also under grain sacks. Most of the beetles are quite soft early in the season, but later become hard. DESCRIPTIONS. Eleodes letcheri vandykei Blaisd. The egg (fig. 23).—The egg is bluntly oval in longitudinal section and circular in cross section; it measures 1.1 mm. in length and 0.62 mm. in diameter; it is of a pure glis- © tening white color and absolutely without sculpturing. Ovarian eggs measured 1.17 mm. in length and 0.74 mm. in diameter. The larva (fig. 24).—Elongate, subcylindrical, con- vex dorsally, flattened ventrally. Yellowish, ventral surface paler, anterior and posterior margins of first thoracic and posterior margins of succeeding segments brown; head slightly brown, edge of mandibles black, base of mandibles brown; claws, spines on legs, and caudal segment dark brown; antennz pale yellow. Fic. 23.—False wireworm, Eleodes Anterior and posterior margins of first and posterior letcheri vandykci: Egg. Greatly margins of succeeding segments with striate marginal enlarged... (Original.) bands; band on anterior margin of first segment broader and more coarsely. striate. Caudal segment scutelliform, flattened dorsally and cc 1vex ventrally, bearing 18 stout spines on. its margin—4 on each lateral mar- gin and 10 on terminal margin; a slight space equal to that occupied by one spine separates the lateral from the terminal spines. Several long hairs and a basal row FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 79 of short hairs on caudal segment. Head subquadrate, very convex, distance from base to labrum equal to one-half width of head, sides converging anteriorly, posterior angles rounded; two stout hairs on lateral dorsal surface; two oblong black eye-spots on lateral anterior part, a large one at base of antenne, and a smaller one posterior and dorsad of this. Suture arising at base of each mandible flexed laterally and converging posteri- orly to unite with the median suture ata distance from base of head equal to one- fourth distance from base to labrum; mouthparts usually directed ventrally. Labrum large, basal joint trapeziform, terminal joint rounded, bearing several hairs on margin, both joints margined anteriorly. Mandibles large, visible from above. Labium not covering mandibles, ligula broader than palpifer; labial palpi cylindrical, two-jointed, second joint papuliform; mentum larger than palpifer, submentum larger than mentum, all quadrangular and narrower at base than at anterior margin. Maxille larger than labium, stipes directed laterally, palpifer elongate and directed antero-medially; maxillary palpi at about middle of palpifer, three-jointed, first and second joints about equal in length, first stouter, third papilliform. Thoracic legs stout; first pair longer than width of thorax, second and third pairs one-third shorter; first pair very heavy, terminal hook as long as fourth joint, second joint bearing Fic. 24.—False wireworm, Eleodes letcheri vandykei. a, Larva, dorsal aspect; b, head, dorsal aspect; c, head, ventral aspect; d, caudal segment, dorsal aspect. a, Much enlarged; b,c, d, more enlarged. (Original.) 2 stout short spines on inner distal margin, third joint bearing 3 marginal spines Fic. 25.—False wireworm, Eleodcs letcheri vandyk¢i: a, Pupa, ventral aspect; b, same, dorsal aspect. Much enlarged. (Original.) and fourth joint bearing 4 such spines. The pupa (fig. 25).—Length 11 mm., width 5.3 mm., arcuate dorsally, flat- tened to shghtly concave ventrally. Entirely white when first pupated but eyes soon become black followed by tips of mandibles; just prior to emerging the elytra and dorsum of thorax become black. Head pressed to the prosternum. Pronotum very broad and protruding anterior to the head, making the latter invisible from above. Mesonotum very narrow and scutelliform, with indistinct transverse sulcus slightly anterior to mid- dle. Metanotum sagittiform, about as broad at anterior margin as mesonotum. At the base of each elytron and of each secondary wing pad is a rounded swell- ing. Seven abdominal plates visible dorsally. Between dorsal and pleural abdominal SO: PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. plates is a distinct depression forming a submarginal groove. The caudal segment. bears a pair of posteriorly directed spines near posterior margin dorsally and a pair of median anal lobes ventrally. Head, legs, and antenne free. Antenne passing behind first and second pairs of legs and over wing pads. Elytra folded ventrally eats: over the posterior legs. Eyes conspicuous. Pleural margin of abdominal seg- ments bearing mammiform tubercles. Body without hairs or bristles. The adult (fig. 26).—More or less shining, elytra not pubescent. Antenne with the third joint scarcely as long as the next two com- bined, fourth joint a little longer than the fifth, the latter shghtly longer than the sixth, the latter and the seventh equal. Pronotum usually widest at the middle, frequently widest just in front of the middle. ~ Elytra twregularly and quite densely muricately punctate, very minutely so on the dorsum, coarser on the sides and apex; from each puncture arises a rather short, stiff, curved, incon- spicuous and semirecum- bent seta. These are not. evident on the inflexed sides. Otherwise as in letcheri, but a little more robust. Measuremenis.—Males: Length, 14.5-16 mm.; width, 5-6.5 mm. Females: Length, 15-16 mm.; width, 7.5 mm. Genital characters as in letchert. Eig. 26.—False wireworm, Eleodes letcheri vandykei: Adult, dorsal aspect. Much enlarged. (Original.) Eleodes pimelioides Mann. The egg.—Oval in longitudinal section and circular in cross-section; 1.34 mm. in length and 0.85 mm. in diameter; pure glistening white; without sculpturing of any kind. The larva.—Elongate, cylindrical, convex dorsally, flattened ventrally. Yellowish, first thoracic and eighth abdominal segments brownish, ventral surface paler, anterior and posterior margins of first thoracic and posterior margins and anterior submarginal areas of succeeding segments brown, a distinct pale median vitta; head brownish - posteriorly, edge of the mandibles black, base of the mandibles brownish; claws, spines on legs, and caudal segment brown; antennze brownish. Anterior margin of first thoracic segment excavated, posterior margins on all segments except caudal 1 The description of the adult given herewith is taken from “A Monographie Revision of the Coleop-_ tera, belonging to the Tenebrionide Tribe Eleodiini, inhabiting the United States, Lower California, and Adjacent Islands,’’ by Frank E. Blaisdell, Sr. Bul. 63, U.S. Nat. Mus., p. 136, 1909. FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 81 depressed, faintly striate. Caudal segment scutelliform, slightly convex dorsally, margined laterally, tip curved slightly upward, bearing 18 acute spines on margin— 4 groups of 2 spines each on each lateral margin and 2 spines at tip. A number of hairs on dorsal surface and many on ventral surface. Head subquadrate, very convex, sides converging anteriorly, posterior angles rounded, 2 hairs on lateral dorsal and several hairs on ventral surface; 2 black eye spots on lateral anterior part of head, a large oblong one at the base of antennz, and a smaller square oné posterior and dorsal of this. Suture arising at the base of each mandible flexed laterally and conve rging posteriorly to unite with median suture near base of the head. Basal joint of labrum trapeziform, terminal joint rounded, trilobed, hairs on margin. Mandibles large, visible from above. Ligula broader than palpifer, labial palpi cylindrical, 2-jointed, second joint papilliform, mentum larger than palpifer, submentum larger than men- (4 aA oS ONS Fie. 27.—False wireworm, Eleodes pimelioides: a, Adult, dorsal aspect; b, caudal segment of larva, dorsal aspect; c, caudal segment of larva, lateral aspect. a, Much enlarged; b,c, more enlarged. (Original.) tum. Legs 4-jointed. Second joint of anterior legs with 2 short stout spines on inner anterior margin; third joint of anterior legs with 3 longer spines on inner margin, and fourth joint with 3 still longer, stout spines; 2 spines on inner side and | spine on outer side of base of claw. The pupa.—The pupa of this species is very similar to that of Eleodes letcheri van- dykei, {rom which it can be distinguished, however, by a pair of rather stout spines at the apex of the secondary wing pads. The adult (Fig. 27).\—The following description is from page 384 Dr. Blaisdell’s monograph previously mentioned in this paper: Moderately robust, ovate, feebly shining to opaque, about twice as long as wide; prothorax more or less strongly constricted at base, densely rugoso-punctate; elytra 1 Originally described in Bul. Soc. Nat. Moscou, vol. 16, p. 274, 1843. 82 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. sculptured with small tubercles, which may be rounded or reclinate and more or less piliferous. Head densely punctate, antennz somewhat slender, ninth joint trian- gulo-orbicular to transversely oval, tenth more or less transversely oval. Pronotum subcordate to transversely suboval, widest near the middle, a fourth to scarcely a half wider than long; sides evenly and quite strongly arcuate to basal sev-- enth, or subangulate at middle, rounded in front and quite rapidly converging pos- teriorly and sinuate at basal fourth, thence in each instance quite straight and par- allel to the basal angles; base equal to the length or in some males shorter than the length; apical angles epee frequently not in the least rounded, at other times more or less so. Elytra quite broadly oval to bene widest at or behind the middle, a fourth to a third longer than wide; disc more or less deplanate on the dorsum, strongly, arcu- ately, and vertically declivous posteriorly; surface densely tuberculate, tubercles apparently arranged in rows on th2 dorsum or irregular throughout; each bears a very short, black seta near the apex; when arranged in rows there are very small muricate punctures scattered sparsely and irregularly between, always less distinct along the suture centrally; the tubercles are more or less rounded and shining, the interstices between more or less opaque. Otherwise as in cordata. Male.—First two joints of the protarsi with tuft of yellowish pubescence near Ss beneath; that of the second joint is rather small; tuft on the first joint of the mesotarsi quite small. Tufts somewhat long and truncate at tips. Otherwise as in cordata. Female.—First joint of the anterior tarsi distinctly thickened at tip beneath. Oth- erwise as in cordata. Measurements.—Males: Length, 12-14.5 mm.; width, 6-7 mm. Females: Length, 13-15.2 mm.; width, 6.5-8 mm. Genital characters, male.— Bul. 82, Pt. III, Bur. Ent., U.S. Dept. Agr., p. 25, 1909. 89 90 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. porated. Mr. Marsh found the larve attacking lima beans at Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, and Watts, in California. At Garden Grove they had destroyed 40 per cent of the crop. i SYNONYMY AND DISTRIBUTION. The species LHtvella zinckenella was described by Treitschke ! in 1832, and the variety EH. zinckenella schisticolor was described. as E. schisticolor in 1881 by P. C. Zeller? from two specimens, a male and a female, collected from ‘‘very different parts of North America.’ The male was from California and was collected October 8, but of the female he has nothing to say. He also refers to specimens of Ei. zvnckenella examined by him from Sierra Leone, West Africa; Madagascar; Honda, Colombia, South America; and ‘‘Carolina’’ in this country. Later Rev. G. D. Hulst? redescribed this species under the name Ftvella villosa, and gave Colorado and Califorina as the habitat. Dr. H. G. Dyar in his catalogue gives Arizona as an addition to the habitat. ! The typical FE. zinckenella is represented in the National Museum collection by specimens from Hampton, N. H.; Weekapong, R. L.; Key West and Archer, Fla.; Oxbow, Saskatchewan; Texas; Still- water, Okla.; and Denver, Colo. The variety FE. zinckenella schisti- color is represented by specimens from Stockton, Utah; Springfield, Idaho; Eldorado, Clairmont, Alameda, and San Diego, Cal.; Nogales, Ariz.; and Pullman, Wash. It will be noted that all the specimens of the variety were collected west of or in the Rocky Mountains. Etiella zinckenella schisticolor differs very slightly from the typical form. It has a suffusion of gray scales on the primaries as its chief distinctive character. A number of specimens from Florida, one specimen from Rhode Island, and one from New Hampshire very closely resemble the European specimens of FE. zinckenella. A possible explanation of the above facts may be that the variety schisticolor is a native of the Pacific slope of this continent, while the forms found in the eastern United States are the typical EF. zincken- ella recently introduced into this country from the Old World or South America. FOOD PLANTS. ~ Larvee of Etvella zvnckenella have been recorded as feeding on the seed of several species of leguminous plants. In California (Eldorado County) Mr. A. Koebele * found them doing considerable damage to lima beans and they were recently found by Mr. H. O. Marsh,° of this bureau, working on the same crop in that State. Mr. E. E. 1 Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, von Friedrich Treitschke, 9 Band, p. 201, 1832. 2 Hore Societatis Entomologice Rossice, vol. 16, p. 177, 1881. 3 Ent. Amer., vol. 3, p. 133, 1887. 4 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 48 K. 5 Bul. 82, Pt. HI, Bur. Ent., U.S. Dept. Agr., p. 25, 1909. THE LEGUME POD MOTH. 91 Bogue? found the larve in the seed pods of the common rattlebox (Crotolaria sagittalis) at Stillwater, Okla., and Mr. E. A. Schwarz? found them in the pods of a tropical species of | this genus (Crotolaria incana) at Cocoanut Grove, Fla. °>Mr. €. L. Marlatt? records finding the larve in the seed pods of milk vetch (Astragalus sp.). They are also recorded by Herrich-Schaffer * as feeding in the seed pods of Spartium junceum pee a Te near Vienna, Austria. schisticolor): Egg. Great- During 1910 and 1911 the itn reared the 0°77 ee species from the pods of common lupines (Lupinus spp.) and Canada field peas at Pullman, Wash. DESCRIPTION. THE EGG. (Fig. 28.) Egg glistening white, bluntly elliptical in outline and circular in cross section, measuring 0.58 mm. in length and 0.31 mm. in diameter. Chorion very delicate, colorless, and with fine irregular corrugations on the surface. Fig. 29.—The legume pod moth. Larva: .a, Side view; b, lateral aspect of head; c, caudal segments; : d, pronotal shield. a, Enlarged; b, c, d, greatly enlarged. (Original.* THE LARVA. (Fig. 29.) Full-grown larva from 12 to 17 mm. in length and from 2.5 to 3.5 mm. in diameter. Head yellow, black patch over ocellar area; mandibles and tip of labrum black; five ocelli arranged in an anteriorly directed semicircle at base of antennse. Dor- 1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 7173. 2 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 4129. 3 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 7044. 4 Syst. Bearb. der Schmett. von Europa, vol. 4, p. 72, 1849. 92 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. sum ruddy pink, except the pronotum (immature larve are evenly pale green or cream colored, with head and pronotal shield black or brown), the pleural and ven- tral surfaces pale green or cream white. Head pale yellow. Tips of thoracic legs and head brownish yellow. Five pairs of prolegs situated on segments 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9; the last pair can be retracted, so as to be almost invisible. Pronotum yel- lowish, with brown or black markings as follows: Two medial pairs of dot patches, ; the posterior pair nearly touching the posterior margin and somewhat oblong in outline, the anterior pair approaching the anterior margin and linear in out- line, being for the most part made up of a single row of dots; both pairs converging anteriorly, the anterior rows forming a V. Posterior margin bearing four bristles. Two pairs of bristles flanking the anterior median patches of dots, the posterior bristle in each pair short. AER PIAS (Fig. 30.) Pupa from 6 to 10 mm. in length, amber-yellow, with the tip of the abdomen, the edges of the abdom- inal segments, and margins of the wings outlined in brown. Fourth, fifth, and sixth abdominal segments each bearing a pair of short spines on the ventral surface. Abdominal segments 2 to 9 bearing well-defined brown spiracles. Terminal abdominal segment provided with a transverse row of 6 hooked bristles and a pair of lip-shaped tubercles on its dorsal surface. Fic. 30.—The legume pod moth: Pupa. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) THE ADULT. (Fig. 31.) “The adult expands 24-27 mm. Labial palpi russet-gray above, gray below. Max- illary palpi yellowish, brown on end. Head, collar and fore-thorax orange fuscous. Thorax behind fuscous gray. Abdomen fuscous; fore wings mouse color, consisting of bluish gray, overlaid partly with fuscous. A broad white stripe - extending from base along costa to apex. Extreme edge of costa of ground color broadening out- wardly just beyond middle and fading away toward apex. A dull yellowish basal stripe reach- ing from white costal stripe to in- ner margin, edged inwardly with a row of maroon-brown scales, the scales being longer than usual. Hind wings fuscous, deepening outwardly, with dark marginal line. Beneath even glistening, very light fuscous.’’ (Hulst, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., vole 17.11.2170) 18903) Fig. 31.—The legume pod moth: Adult. Enlarged about 2% diameters. (Original.) SEASONAL HISTORY. On July 26, 1911, an eggshell was found on the outer surface of the calyx of a well-filled though still green lupine seed pod. The larva, which had evidently emerged only a few minutes before it was dis- THE LEGUME POD MOTH. ‘« OS covered, measured 1.2 mm. in length and was found just inside the pod at the terminus of a burrow which led from just in front of the ege through the calyx and pod wall. The hole through which the larva emerged from the eggshell was terminal, round, and very neatly cut. A few days later two eggs were found on the caleyces of field peas; these were brought into the insectary but failed to hatch. During late July and early August, 1911, larve in all stages of development, from very small specimens, evidently just hatched, to those which were mature and spinning cocoons, were found in both the pods of field peas and lupines. The larve on first emerging are pale green or cream colored, the pronotal plate and head being entirely black or brown; with the first molt the pronotal plate assumes the characteristic pattern described elsewhere in this paper, but the body does not assume the rosy tint as described until nearly mature. The larve feed for about three weeks, only partly consuming the peas, as is seen in figure 32, destroying them as seed, besides greatly reducing their weight as stock feed. The pod always contains a mass of frass held to- gether by a loosely constructed web. The larva will leave one pod and enter another if the food supply is F1qG. 32.—The legume pod moth: Larva feeding ina pod of field pea. En exmatisted, or i |, jared? a Ouse!) for any other reason the pod becomes uninhabitable. When mature, if the peas are still unharvested in the field, it emerges from the pods and enters the ground to pupate, or if the pods have been harvested it spins a tough silken cocoon in the nearest available sheltered place. Larve that become mature during the warm weather of early August, out of doors, or later under laboratory conditions, pupate immediately and emerge as adults in about six weeks. Adults have been obtained in our laboratory on August 5 and as late as August 28. Whether these lay eggs which pass the winter successfully, or whether they hibernate as adults, is still undetermined. Larve that reach maturity in late September, when the nights are cold, spin their cocoons and hibernate therein as larve, pupating in the spring and emerging at the time the earliest lupines are setting seed. On the lupines there are very probably two generations a year. The moths of the first generation, coming from hibernating larve, lay all their eggs on the lupines, as the field peas are just commencing to grow. The offspring of this generation mature late in July and, finding the field peas ripening, very naturally turn their attention to these large areas of suitable food as well as to their natural food, the later lupines. 29993°—Bull. 95, pt. 6—12 2 a | PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Mr. C. L. Marlatt ' reared adults on June 5, 1896, from larve that were collected May 2 of that year at Nuecestown, Tex. Mr. Albert Koebele? reared adults on September 2 and 15, 1885, from lary collected June 21 at Rattlesnake Bridge, Eldorado County, Cal. Mr. Koebele also noticed the entrance holes of young larve and the exit holes of older larve in the pod husks.- He says, ‘‘The larve *- * * spun a web on the bottom of the jar in which they pupated.”’ Mr. Theodore Pergande® received a number of larve from Mr. EK. A. Schwarz collected at Cocoanut Grove, Fla., on May 9, 1887, and on May 26 reared an adult from this material. More material from the same source was received on June 1, and on the 24th three more adults emerged. Mr. H. O. Marsh obtained adults from January 9 to February 25, 1909, from larve collected October 22, 1908, at Anaheim, Cal.‘ These observations indicate that two generations a year is char- acteristic of this species, the adults of the first appearing in early June and those of the second in September. The adults obtained in January and February were reared under laboratory conditicns, which very probably accelerated their development. In the more southern parts of its range this species may have more.than two generations. FIELD WORK. July 21, 1909, while examining the seed pods of the common lupine (Lupinus sp.) many were found to contain lepidopterous larve. In such pods the seeds were always more or less destroyed. The pods also contained a mass of frass which was held together by a loosely constructed web. A few days later, on examining the col- lected material, several of the pods were found with newly eaten holes in the sides and two larve were found with half their bodies within fresh pods. On August 7 one of the larve, very plump, was found still in the pod, it having in the meantime become suffused with a rosy color. This larva had constructed a loose silken cocoon, through which its body could be easily seen. Ten days later the larva pupated and emerged as an adult (Htiella zinckenella schisticolor) September 28. In the rearing cages with solid bases most of the larve left the seed pods and spun their cocoons among the litter and dirt in the bottom of the cages. In cages with bottoms of earth the larve always bur- rowed 2 or 3 inches below the surface to pupate. On August 1, 1910, Mr. M. W. Evans, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, told the author of a larva that he was finding in the field-pea Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 704. 2 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 48 Kk. 3 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 4129. 4 Bul. 82, Pt. II, Bur. Ent., U.S. Dept. Agr., p. 25, 1909. THE LEGUME POD MOTH. 95 pods in his experimental plats at Pullman, Wash. On examining some of these larve it was found that they resembled those of Etvella | zinckenella schisticolor that had been found in lupine-seed pods the previous year, differing only in being larger, measuring about 17 mm. in length, while those from lupine measured only 13 mm., due, with- out doubt, to the difference in food plant. The following day a number of the larve were collected from the field-pea pods one placed on earth in a flowerpot, into which they immediately burrowed. From a larva placed in a vill box an adult emerged on August 27 and on the same day two moths emerged from the earth in the flowerpot. EXPERIMENTAL WORK CARRIED ON DURING THE SEASON OF 1910. In the spring of 1910 the Bureau of Plant Industry planted over 100 varieties of field peas at Pullman, Wash. These were planted Fig. 33.—The work of the legume pod moth (upper row) compared with that of the pea weevils (Bruchide) (lower row). Enlarged.- (Original.) in plats 1 rod square, in order to study development and adapta- bility of the various varieties under semiarid conditions. Mr. M. W. Evans has very kindly permitted the use of his field notes, and of the crop when harvested from these plats, which has greatly facili- tated this investigation. These notes indicated the time of planting, the time the first flowers of each variety came into bloom, the fe of maximum blooming, and the time of last blossoms. The seed harvested from each plat was kept in individual packages. By actual count the writer determined the percentage of damage to each variety of field peas. by these moths. The ‘‘worms”’ do not usually consume the entire seed, but so far destroy it as to render ger- mination impossible. Seed thus damaged is easily distinguished from that attacked by Bruchus. The latter makes a very smooth round exit hole, while the former gnaws into the seed very irregularly. (See fig. 33. ) 96 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Figure 34 is a plan of the experimental plats and shows very clearly that the attacks of the pod moth were not restricted to any one part of the field, but were more or less promiscuously distributed. The plantings were made on a gentle slope, the upper side being to the south, thus giving a northerly exposure. The vacant rectangle in the center of the plan indicates a wheat-straw stack. All sides of the field were bounded by grain fields, and the roadside was practically CPP EEPEPEPT DDMMARacese fs2| ez [eres] 2c lar|ee| = ee len] ee eel [ol ol 2h IS 55) 56 57] 58 | 9 MG | HA |\CO NGL NGG e+ ese fe Pelee] |x a foe C2 GST 86 | &7 | 8&8 >a ew [oe [mo om | rae SRSSremZeame=. | ier, 728] 129 130| 131 13/4 132) SSCceooeorscc Fig. 34.—Planting plan of plats used in investigations of the legume pod moth during the season of 1910. (Original. ) STRAW STACH without weeds of any kind. The plats were separated from each other by strips of oats 1 yard in width. Field peas vary greatly in texture of the seed, time of blooming, time of maturing seed, and adaptability to semiarid conditions. The variability, however, is confined to the varieties to a large extent, the individuals of a variety being quite uniform in response to given conditions. This fact at once opened the question of a worm- resistant variety. The results arrived at by this investigation are very suggestive. The actual records made in the investigation are to be Toumal: in Table I, but to make the results more readily available the THE LEGUME POD MOTH. oF variations in percentage of damage under several variables are graph- ically illustrated by diagrams. TaBLE 1.—Record of experimental work on the legume pod moth for the season of 1910. Plat No. 16819 17483E Began bloom- ing. July 14 Bioom- oy iS Oe) for) ‘July 29 Total number of seed. 21, 802 14,098 19,920 7,506 24, 722 9,010 13, 828 19, 508 14,517 6, 662 15, 484 py MN 15,539 24,581 26, 431 11,781 30, 276 10,500 13, €25 19, 413 23, 707 11,310 12,694 13, 063 18, 495 9,792 22,960 19,039 13, 252 14,522 10,477 11, 939 20, 335 3, 346 22, 372 24,937 14,585 33, 529 16, 509- 9, 350 20,588 20, 255 13,971 13,639 2,279 10, 290 9, 848 21,895 9, 400 8, 887 19, 007 8,444 18, 724 18,555 12,053 14,699 14,713 22, 148 10, 447 7, 105 11, 191 13, 822 23,573 15,066 6,581 10, 732 Number of seed damaged. = a PEN OHOOOMNCOrS Per cent damaged. COWWWNHEHODONUARDMAAANDOKRE HE ERWWWNNNNH RRP RE Re RRroooooocoooocochw[([ DIR WO WO WW ONN NNN Ea RE OOwhy OM AIN OD He He CO The diagram, figure 35, shows the maximum (solid line) and mini- mum (dotted line) percentage of seed damaged in all varieties which commenced blooming at any given time. It shows that varieties 98 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. which began blooming during and after the last week in June were decidedly the most severely attacked. Figure 36 shows similar data on all varieties in full bloom at any given time, besides very clearly showing that such varieties as were in full bloom between the first and last weeks of July were the most severely attacked. —s a8 @USGRGSEREESEEOGERGEREE an Hee eee SEEEEEBEEE ya. Gn) Aae0neSS00R0RS0E0000n006 Pit tiat i eg tr rrr rrr ry S588 L | aan BEERS TER REARS aeeeaa BEE BES ge 98s JESSESUSUSES20~~ RORGn0 SEGES JERS CSGSE SERGE EEESESSEESEUERESESSESES05 5555555555 Fig. 35.—Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas commencing to bloom on a given date in 1910. (Original.) Figure 37 shows similar data on all varieties which ceased bloom- ing on any given date, and indicates that such varieties as had ceased blooming before the middle of July were only slightly damaged. As the time the plants are in full bloom is very evidently of the ereatest significance, Table II and figure 38 were arranged to show the mean percentage of damage done to all varieties in full bloom at any given time, which indicates very conclusively that varieties which were in full bloom from the Ist to the middle of July are by far the worst damaged by the legume pod moth. per cent | Number of seed | of plats. Mean damaged. rN ORAS nm AMA w Orso MOTH. Date of full bloom. (Or 0. te a m0. =n OOO Oe 020. 0s 0 Tees a ees ae ee es ec ae je ape ie 0 eed 1 U0 noe [eee 0b 30 | ite aA eee (is ntes Ue ee eel Viet gete ds aU ioe Dee Nes Die Oe tO ee O (ater 0: stk nt oe oe 0) 20 0 OF are 0 oe ee RE RRBs PaaS See Cee EEBSSSBSER0NReenmslcs= (Rent OP i Ei pero f=! Opa ee Ue Qe e=0e 1) =e ose eet ent ' ‘Ath ot HMOOHHHN PP Bim bh mb. Re et et Sis) Shs isa SeRRRRRSH Number of plats. THE LEGUME POD al AU bloom on a given date in the season of 1910. Tape Il.— Mean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to all plats in full sees ee ee e o°egs 2isk ASS WA SI Teli ee eae te ae Lal SRP eer aayaie een! iS ppg Unite ete, le 2 Bae Olid eva e = (ey eee cee be SO or AS erst an Z ee as C05 = sates He Sani (ee aeene™ reve 0s eine EERE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EEE tH g : : y : rt : ! ? : SWISS SPA eS sO Ree aaSseSaseaee Df IY? oltre rebetmner ds = oe ott act atari A SSARASSAS | OW : S 2 ‘ : . : OYVODHDYDYOOO 9 be) Le ie N a Ssseseaegcse Ses Ses Sass esac Loe Weer Weer Weer Weer Veer Weer Seer Dee) The field selected was (Original. ) RING THE SEASON OF 1911. ~~ EXPERIMENTAL WORK CARRIED ON DU J of peas in full bloom on a given date in 1910. Sixty-seven varieties of field peas were planted in 1911 on the — FIG. 36.—Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties farm of the State College at Pullman, Wash. in a draw, or ravine, bordered on three sides by grain fields and on 100 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. the fourth side by a clean cultivated orchard. The plats were 1 square rod in area, as they were the year before, and separated from each other by strips of oats 1 yard wide. Two plats of each variety were planted side byside. (See fig.39.) Plate X shows a part of the experimental plats used this season. The moths were not quite so destructive this season as last, 2.5 per cent being the greatest damage done to any variety this year, while in 1910 as high as 7.6 per cent He eee et tt lS ~ 9 ~ i ~ = = N AN im sis ~ Ne 5 SN SS SS my Fic. 37.—Diagram showing maximum and minimum damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas which ceased to bloom on a given date in 1910. (Original.) of one variety was destroyed. However, the results obtained are as conclusive as those recorded last year. Table III gives the data of this season’s work and is self-explan- atory. Table IV is arranged to show the mean percentage of damage done to all plats which came into full bloom on any one date. Figure 40 graphically illustrates these results and very clearly shows that varieties which were in full bloom prior to June 28 were practically unmolested. PLATE X. Bul. 95, Part VI, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. (CIVNIDINO) “LLOL AO NOSV4S SHL ONIYNG HLO|I GOd awn] AHL JO SNOILVDILSSAN] NI GaSf) SLV1d IWINAWIYAdxX>A THE LEGUME POD MOTH. 101 Fic. 38.—Diagram showing mean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas in full bloom on a given date in 1910. (Original.) (za a EEE Pele l[[-ll<[= ENN Cee a aE eae ec ad cc eagle cdc eal = === [#4 aoe] [| Ege enc a a = }40 | 4 jer | er feo |eo fev jer | Fic. 39.—Planting plan of plats used in investigations of the legume pod moth during the season of 1911. (Original. ) 102 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. TaB LE III.—Record of experimental work on the legume pod moth for the season of 1911. Bloom- Total | Number BaP or. Date of | Began Full = Per cent : Z 3 n Fiat No No. planting. |blooming.| bloom. ended pre ie damaged. i ar ae “5 Sie ee tec Ag ria 24895 Apr. 15 | June 17 | June 28). July 15}. 9,400 0 0.0 DPS CEN 5s BS ae Rett 20866, =.-do--.-2 June 97 | June 12)| July 77): 335529 0 .0 Ba cepa re Oe 22639 Tes Co Rae June 16 | June 19] July 15. 23, 797 5 .0 Digit abana tlre tab, leis I8806) oe edOn ee sbi 2 do........do mane tuly = 7 2,279 2 .0 A ae len ae eee 29368 Apr. 17 | June 22, June 28] July 15 28, 417 7 .0 Greig ear Rees eae 22638 Apr. 18 | June 12 | June 16 |..-do....- 19, 899 4 | .0 De Pe Is eran Ret POA SIE AOR Saae June 19 | Jume 28 |.-.do-..-- 22, 462 8 .0 GS eerie atin a taNl 3182, le douiee: JUNE 22) == SOs eal Gd Oren 15, 745 9 .0 ZU, te ore ee ee 17483B | Apr. 15 | June 25] July 8| July 30 18,725 20 pill Jae pi ae ys ae a ae 23850" |= -0d.Oeee- June 16] June 28] July 21 16, 380 18 sul 1 pl ee ae 23547 Apr Lah guney225\- edo tee July 15 19, 725 21 - -1 (Gg ercee Nore oe Seep I 22540 Apr. 15] June 19| July 8] July 21 10, 290 24 nD DA Ne one pn eee Ee Os 22290D | Ap Es |p d0ens=- July: 93} July. 15 22, 823 46 £2 (8) ea 8 reas hh AS 22044 Apr. 15 | June 28] July 15| Aug. 1 14, 463 104 ait | if Aenea ws mee 22043 INN NER ECO case July 13 | July 29 8, 416 68 -8 (eee Seneca See 234NA eed ous = June 26| July 7} July 15 16, 279 131 a8 Slice een tt Oval Peed Fee QOS ee ee GOne eee Jume! 192)) Juste 28'|- dor--=- 8, 726 88 1.0 Gerster niet pies See eR 23290H | Apr. 18| June 28] July 10}...do..-.-. 8,909 90 1.0 yeep te 1 NG ORs HO38Q" Ws dose June) 225| Ply |eadOnsee- 10, 080 101 1.0 1) eek SS RRS states 17486 Apr. 15 | June 28.|) dol-22: July 21 13, (72. 161 1.1 11 cee rE MY Behe 29365 Apres id | aly 120 | Talye 15) Aue 21.795 . 242 1.1 * Oe OS BEA Rie 25 88 25439 Apr. 18 | June 28] July 7] July 21 20, 224 223 1.1 DONS Saeed ce eat eye DAO eds Ore ee June 19} July 1] July 10 13, 406 148 1.1 ODF Rae er eet hpi 11097 Ee One se | eG Oseaee Jaume. 28) |-dol---- 31,369 377 1.2 Es fae de See re analy 24940 . |...do....- June 22} July 4] July 15 22, 259 268 2 Li: speed k Sede Maat cae 23290 Ea | 22000..." June 28 | July 7} July 21 24, 165 290 122 lets te yageseae ta ZPAVAGY (GAEL Wael es yas July, 15) |e dors | 5) 125514 151 12, Ae ety Seale Bas PATS = | SOO ease June 22 | June 28} July 15 3, 235 42 1.3 AR AEE RS ee ee ee POV NeeGOse eS. Tune wed oles |e CG Ober 14, 303 201 1.4 BY We Se ra Bel pee 16130 Apr. 17} June 28| July 8| July 26 22, 857 320 1.4 AAs ek Snel ere ee ese nak UG42GA0 | Apr 18 essa cee July, 7) || Saly. 2! 10, 226 154 15 D Die ote Ma earn Sey tol 22037 Apr. 17| July 12) July 15) Aug. 1 19, 761 299 15 Deere Nore a) = amen ae 17483 eM Ons-e July 7) July 13) July 30 12,814 193 1.5 GB eee ee ais fay Se 11112A | Apr. 18} June 16] July 7] July 23 13, 164 211 1.6 1G) Sie oe See a ae 17006 Apr Wi) July | duly, 12) esnalye | 2 14, 352 243 iNeed, ASAE BUR E cd evs 500 DIVA Acres al Sune dol aees July 15) ese. | 113828 201 1:7 AG 5s Sis Ae a eee a a 22046 WASPS iliviel ese acess ea doses July 30 13, 141 224 ee NG eas ee Ree ena 293695 |e GOs. 2s Me e268 Trlivayada ehUEhyalo 10, 112 184 1.8 SHES cea eee, elie 2203 Pee CLOle eer July 7| July 13] July 21 15,373 277 1.8 DOME = hein SENS 22036) Ip €Oseo-- June 26)) July= 7\22.doss: 2 20, 868 376 1.8 (Se ae ee are eae 11112 Apr: 18} June 19 |_..do __..| July 15 16, 234 294 Hes SSRN ee aa ads yay 29367 Apr. 17 | June) 24) odorsss:|2-2dorsse- 9,399 188 2.0 LOA ee nN eet eae 21290 APE 187-20. 252 Jiulyay on peaGoreee 141588 |) eae 292 2.0 Gey aes ae apeired Sane 29371 Apr. 17 | June 28| July 7] July 21 26, 239 527 2.0 AG ee ee eae e eas ol 25917 Apr. 18:|) July. 74\' Sully 155) 55 dosss.- 22, 859 457 2.0 GO Recor a nee ee se BUM = NesebOeccelenses -cose|) duly IQ )| divin 25) 13,599 272 2.0 (BY ear rl 22048 |e cd Ona Juiy -7 | July 15 |) Aug. 1 19, 140 383 2.0 TESS eee enn ae Se is 22639A | Apr. 17 | June 28] July 7| July 21 9,277 199 Pel DS Rea NS 2 LO ett en WASSHE a= Ofeea= Sullye 125 livin 15s |e ssdorse= 15,379 323 2.1 PY Wasa Sie ai ae ae | PARVES || OlOscase June 22| July 7| July 15 13.528 285 21 Disa eee Bisa oh aa AQ ASG: an tes2 Oven hy eee | ere doe July 25 10, 621 223 2.1 Bas eS on cee eee Ss 2003) | =e COs July 7) July 13) July 26 22, 266 468 DEA ZU) Ea 2 Oe oe see ean 16437A | Apr. 18 | June 28) July 7} July 21 8, 776 185 2.1 Lie sea gee preenes: | TIRSAT Is sdopeeas a0 KO Genee| eGKOY cece July 15 29, 165 613 2 OOS as eee ae 22041 |e doetee- July 7| July 13} July 25 20, 366 428 2.1 ae cere Ra nD 293700 =) GOz-see Cad Onseey Juilye nb P adores 7,333 162 Zee) AG ar SEGRE ss oN | 23 SAT ian SG Onseee b adores 5| ed One: July 21 18, 206 401 22 ZIG A aie ies a ear VAG WE SSCOSa5e8 INE F238 4| Tilly eed Oseare 14, 602 322 22 Dien Molen neve ey 2 ys } 19788 Apr. 17%) July 7 |) daly 15. oAucs 11, 209 259 2.3 0)s eel a Sean aes 27004 IN Mee COs soccllnseOWs soak July 27 10,370 239 2.3 GAS scare i peipee SISA. 24 eons June 28 | July 5] July 15 14, 933 359 2.4 CU ee SS eet anes 22040 an ees LOneee July 7| July 13) Jwy 21 16, 498 397 2.4 it rene PT aN ph a LV483© | Agree Wife) = daseee = July 15} Aug. 1 1,871 45 2.4 SA een arae Nit a ee | 26819 DG Overs I egeh en me ene Suilyey18) aes dos eee 24, 470 612 23/5 DQ EA CNR HS Sere aN Coe | IC NlaasOOsseosh uly cid ll diblay 1s) |p a COs.she 15, 473 387 2.9 Ts ae eat ee ona a | 19709 Spulliye aby |S ees aes doses: sadoren 7, 506 192 2.6 y 21 21,791 557 2.6 Yeap ey mE Ue || 16436C | July 18/| June 28} July 7] Jul | 103 THE LEGUME POD MOTH. ‘AMfean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to all plats in full TABLE IV. bloom on a given date in the season of 1911. Number of plats seed Mean per cent of damaged. Full bloom. 6 Of 08 Pe Sh G2: se) SS eo 6 -2f = en ooo Oo be US ached: 6 Oo 0 < 02 a = Or <0 02 0) aba or 0 TV OME Oe at cal 0 -sts Gr htead © oF ot O- a= a TE eg De teak eect ot) ae de Do by oe Sco DW S00 0 oF =p O TSO. one tetas Vet <0 00. 0 95 Legs ti thesia gr ns Nem ae C1 GET 0s O40 e iets Tk etl PewnUe MUy feito aa tse) 0 Ome. lst. Se Oe S20 Rao Dike Ste. Ce -OF 10 0-03" 055-0520 — 0-20 Number of plats cent of seed damaged. Mean per Full bloom. [i tlhe site Ue ter i= Deo et afr U0 Dee 6 “O50 0 64 poo Oo. fe 0 oree D-setle JU tee cat Chee D> Ur a so hae! ti te ak ae Ci, te FSG, Te heen Do tien er Vea veel Di re) 0° Deana 9G 0°05 Poe ciesle seein Cieathae) net be, tule Oe tee ty MOMe*O su ean bo fo ne 6 & Os DeRose co Ht So fh oO 0 No OO ' mms N eo odd ® Sggg hem SSss555 ss i = oP) (2.0 4.0 12 o/ LK P/ // HM Fig. 40.—Diagram showing mean percentage of damage done by the legume pod moth to varieties of peas (Original. ) in full bloom on a given date in 1911. ARTIFICIAL DISSEMINATION. On examining sacks of seed peas, September 14, 1911, a larva was found enclosed in a very tough silken cocoon. another larva was found in a second sack. hibernating larva in a seed the greater p easily be int 24 On October Mr. Evans also found a sack and kept it alive on his desk during art of the winter. It seems as if this insect could very Snot at present occur, roduced into regions where it doe vith the seed field peas. ped y by being ship 104 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. PARASITES. Two hymenopterous parasites were reared from the larve of Ktiella zinckenella schisticolor during the investigations at Pullman, Wash., viz, Pseudapanteles etielle Vier. and Microbracon hyslopi Vier. Dr. F. H. Chittenden ' records having reared Bracon sp. (deter- mined by Viereck) from Htiella schisticolor on October 19, 1908, at Santa Ana, Cal., and Mr. C. L. Marlatt? records rearing a braconid from the larva of this moth at Nuecestown, Tex., on May 13, 1896. REMEDIAL AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES. The legume pod moth is readily controlled by preventive measures, and for this reason there have been no experiments with remedies. The transportation of the hibernating forms in sacks of seed, and the consequent dissemination of the pest, may be prevented by fumiga- tion of the seed with carbon bisulphid. Owing to the presence of the native lupines, extermination of the pest is impossible, but by planting such early varieties of field peas as — come into full bloom before the last week in June it may be practically eliminated as a factor to be dealt with in seed growing in the Pacific Northwest. The date of planting, however, will vary in different localities and under different conditions. 1 Bul. 82, Pt. II, Bur. Ent., U.S. Dépt. Agr., p. 28, 1909. 2 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 7044. THE LEGUME POD MAGGOT. — (Pegomya planipalpis Stein.) By James A. Hystop, Agent and Expert. GENERAL ACCOUNT. About the middle of July, 1909, a large number of larvee of Pegomya planipalpis Stein were found leaving the pods of lupines that had been placed in rearing cages. On the 28th two pupz were found in one of the cages. Within the next few days many more larve left the pods and pupated. A number of these puparia placed in a glass vial during the autumn of 1910 were kept in the field laboratory all winter. May 11 of the following year the first adult emerged and from that date others emerged daily throughout the remainder of the month. By a number of experiments it was found that humidity greatly facilitated the emergence of these flies. These flies were first believed to be scavengers, feeding on the frass and decaying seed of the lupine and field peas in the wake of the legume pod moth. However, investigations in 1910 proved that the insect, though often found with Etiella, was quite capable of independently infesting seed pods and was itself an actual seed de- stroyer. Many pods were found to contain from one to three of these larve. ; Dr. F. H. Chittenden,' of this bureau, notes this species as attacking radishes at San Francisco, Cal. The larvee molt at least twice, as two pairs of pharyngeal hooks were found in a pod with one larva. Though several of these dipter- ous larve were found in field-pea pods with the head capsules of _larve of the lezume pod moth, we hardly believe this species to be parasitic, as larve confined in small vials with pod-moth larvee would not attack the latter. , In cages with earth in the bottom the pups were always to be found below the surface at distances ranging from 1 to 3 inches. The larvee contract just before forming a puparium. The puparium is at first creamy yellow, turning brown at the ends first and finally becoming entirely ferruginous. A larva that contracted on the morning of July 31, 1911, assumed the usual puparium form by 9.30 a.m. of the same day. It was still pale yellow, but by 2.30 p. m. it had become brownish at the ends. and deep orange-yellow at the middle, while next morning the puparium was uniformly ferruginous brown. 1 Bul. 66, Pt. VIL, Bur. Ent., U.S. Dept. Agr., p. 95, 1909. 105 106 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. DESCRIPTION. THE LARVA. (Fie. 41.) Fig. 41.—The legume pod maggot (Pegomya planipalpis). Larva: a, Side view; b, oblique aspect of head: c, thoracic spiracle; d, e, pharyngeal hooks, lateral and. dorsal aspect; 7, dorsal aspect 2 caudal segment; g, anal spiracle. a, Much enlarged; b-g, highly magnified. (Ori@inal.) Larva cream-white, 7.9 mm. in length and 1.9 mm. in diameter. Broadly blunt posteriorly, conically tapering to anterior end. Hook jaws black: At base of second thoracic segment a pair of fan-shaped thoracic spiracles which are pale yellow and ten-lobed. Anal spiracles on rather long papilli- form tubercles; spiracular orifices of each spiracle three in number and arranged to form a letter T, the stem directed laterad and slightly ventrad. Four small tubercles below the spiracles are ar- ranged in a row across the end of the caudal segment, the outer pair the larger. In front and to the side of this row is a pair of larger tubercles and in front of this pair is a ring of twelve tubercles around the segment; the two dorso-lateral and the two ventro-lateral tubercles large and conspicuous, the others smaller. Ventral swell- ings on segments 3 to 9, inclusive, armed with many small spinous papille. THE PUPARIUM. (Fig. 42.) Puparium ferruginous, dark brown at ends. Cylindrically oval, Fie. 42.—The legume pod mag- got: Puparium. Much enlarged. (Original. ) finely wrinkled. Hook- jaws of larva visible. Length 6.4 mm.; width 2.3 mm. THE LEGUME POD MAGGOT. “ah Og THE PUPA. (Fig. 43.) White, head large, front protruding. Legs and wing pads free. Third pair of legs under wing pads except tarsi. THE ADULT. (Fig. 44.) The following is a translation of the original de- scription by P. Stein, published in the Berliner Ento- mologische Zeitschrift, volume 42, page 234, 1897. Pegomya (Chortophila) planipalpis. 89. Size, shape, and color similar to Ch. cilicrura Rd. Cinereous; eyes cohering closely on inside, frontal triangular stripe practically straight, reddish; front Fic. 43.—The legume and epistoma laterally moderately prominent, cinereo-rufous, peris- pod maggot: Pupa. tome moderately broad, grayish; antenne black, third jointtwiceas Much enlarged. long as second, base of arista thickened, very slightly pubescent, en Fic. 44.—The legume pod maggot: Adult male, enlarged; side of head of female, much enlarged. (Original), palpi black, apex a little dilated; thorax cinereous, less so on the sides, median line narrow and lateral stripes hardly perceptibly wider; abdomen elongate, depressed, ‘Inedian stripe and incisures narrowly black; tarsi black; pulvilli and ungues, the 108 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. anterior ones moderately and the posterior one slightly, elongate; wings nearly hyaline, longitudinal veins 3 and 4 parallel, anterior cross-vein perpendicular and nearly straight, costal spines small; squamz equal and white, halteres yellowish. Female yellowish-gray; eyes with frontal stripe broad, dirty reddish, and quite broadly separated with yellowish gray; palpi distinctly dilated at apex; thorax nearly immaculate; abdomen oblong, median stripe and small areas shining indistinct yel- lowish brown; base of wings yellowish. Size ¢ 5, 9 6 mm. PARASITES. Pegomya planipalpis is attacked by two chalcidid parasites. One _(olaspis n. sp.) belongs to a genus of which there are two known species, [Tolaspis parellina Boh. and H. papaveris Thoms., recorded + as parasitic on Cecidomyiaspp. The other parasite (not yet determined) reared from the legume pod maggot is probably also new to science. REMEDIAL AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES. This maggot has not as yet become a serious factor in field-pea seed growing in the Pacific Northwest. The dissemination as hibernating puparia can be readily prevented by fumigation. As is the case with the legume pod moth, it can not be exterminated because of the native lupines. 1 Dalla Torre, Catalogus Hymenopterorum, vol. 5, p. 291, 1898. ADDITIONAL COPIES of this publication +1 may be procured from the SUPERINTEND- ENT OF DOCUMENTS, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., at 5 cents per copy U. S. D. A., B. E. Bul. 95, Part VII. Issued October 16, 1912. PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. (Autographa gamma californica Speyer.) By J. A. HYSLop, . Agent and Expert. INTRODUCTION. The first record of this moth of economic importance is an un- published note by Mr. Theodore Pergandet made June 29, 1895, wherein he records having received from Mr. E. W. Baker, of Grand Junction, Colo., a few specimens of the larve of a Plusia, determined on the note as “Plusia gamma (?%),” with the statement that the larve do much damage to the leaves and blossoms of alfalfa. Material was not preserved, so actual specific determination is impossible. As Plusia gamma IL. is a European species, presumably it was P. gamma californica Speyer, now known as Autographa gamma. californica. The depredations of this species have not as yet been sufficiently serious to cause damage in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho, although its attacks on alfalfa and clover have attracted the attention of many ranchers. The larve are usually very numerous in the early spring and gradually increase in numbers until the first hay cutting, when they appear to reach the maximum. They do not seem to be inconvenienced by the removal of the hay crop, but imme- diately turn their attention to the young second growth, on which larvee are to be found throughout the summer until the early frosts. The alfalfa looper in this locality has been held in check by a number of parasites and a disease, but any change in environmental conditions which might tend to reduce the efficiency of these natural checks or accelerate the reproduction of these moths would undoubt- edly cause a serious outbreak, such as occurs periodically with the highly parasitized white-marked tussock moth, Hemerocampa leu- costigma S. & A. It does, however, offer an excellent illustration of the statement, so often made, that many injurious insects are held in check by their parasites. Such cases as the above justify the arti- 1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 6692. 109 110 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. ficial introduction of parasites as one of the efficient measures to be taken in the control of a serious pest. That Autographa gamma californica may appear in enormous numbers is evidenced by one of the earliest biological records on this species. A note in the Bureau of Entomology files, made by Mr. Koebele? in 1886, states that on the morning of April 30 he examined a mass of material collected from within an electric light globe at Los Angeles, Cal. Of 4,161 moths examined, 2,005 were Autographa gamma californica. He further states that the larve were numerous on. a variety of plants. In anticipation of such an cutbreak the biological notes and other data at hand in this office are herewith published. DISTRIBUTION. Specimens of this moth (Autographa gamma californica) in the United States National Museum were collected in Los Angeles County, Kern County, Placer, Alameda, and Fresno, Cal.; Colo- rado; Nevada; Seattle, Pullman, and Easton, Wash.; and along Kaslo Creek, in British Columbia. Mr. T. H. Parks, of this office, has collected larve of this species at Cokeville, Wyo., and Idaho Falls and Blackfoot, Idaho, in all cases feeding on alfalfa. SEASONAL HISTORY. This insect, in the Palouse region of Washington, passes the winter as hibernating pupa and probably also as the adult moth, since much-battered adults are to be seen early in the spring. Late in May and throughout June the adults are to be seen in the alfalfa and clover, darting rapidly away when disturbed. They are active in bright sunlight, feeding on the nectar from the clover and alfalfa blossoms. . The flight, though short, is very direct and so rapid as to render the insect almost invisible. May 2, 1887, Mr. Koebele* records observing one of these moths, at Alameda, Cal., ovipositing on J/alva rotundifolia at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Definite data relative to the length of the egg stage of this species have not been obtained, though several female moths . were confined for that purpose. They fed greedily on sugar sirup but refused to. oviposit. However, Mr. E. O. G. Kelly, of this bureau, captured a female of Autographa brassice Riley in an alfalfa field at Wellington, Kans., on October 27, 1909. This moth died the following day, after laying eight eggs. These began hatching on November 2 and were all hatched the next day. This limits the egg stage of Autographa brassice to seven days, and this is very likely the time of incubation of the other species of this genus. 1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 95 K. THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 111 Early in June the young larve become numerous in the fields, walking very much as do geometrid larve or “measuring worms.” This is due to the fact that the larve have prolegs on only the fifth, sixth, and ninth abdominal segments. If disturbed they curl up and drop to the ground, the older larve lying there tightly curled up and refusing to move when irritated, but larve of the second and third instars when touched alternately straighten out and curl up very suddenly, thus jumping about spasmodically. The larvee while young feed upon the epidermis of the leaves, skeletonizing them and giving to the attacked plant a brownish appearance. The older larve—that is, after the third molt—eat from the edge of the leaf toward the midrib, entirely consuming the leaves. The larval period lasts about two weeks, there being five molts with periods of about three days elapsing between each. When ready to pupate the larva spins a loose white silken cocoon (Pl. XI, fig. 2) among a number of leaves, usually well up in the plants, incorporating two or three leaves in its structure. The larva completes the cocoon in about half a day and, at least in the case of specimens reared in our insectary, pupates the day following that on which the cocoon is completed. _ The length of the pupal stage of specimens reared in our laboratory _ was very uniformly 10 or 11 days. Dr. H. G. Dyar?* gives 12 days as the length of this period, and Mr. Koebele? records the length of the pupal stage as from 10 to 15 days. He gives an exact rearing record? wherein he mentions a larva collected at Piedmont, Cal., February 24, 1888, which pupated on March 5, the moth emerging March 22, making a pupal period of 17 days. Dr. F. H. Chittenden, of this bureau, gives from 6 to 22 days as the pupal period of a closely related species, Autographa brassice. Thus the time elapsing from egg laying until the adult emerges covers a period of from 26 to 48 days, probably being about 30 days in the Palouse country of Washington. The first adults of the second generation appear in early July, and adults continue quite numerous throughout this month, belated individuals having been collected as late as August 3. There are two generations, and probably three in the case of the earlier ap- pearing individuals, and larve in all instars are to be found in the field as late as the end of August, but these very late larvee probably . succumb during the winter. Mr. T. H. Parks, of this office, records finding the larve of this species about half grown in the alfalfa fields about Salt Lake City, Utah, as early as May 22, in 1911. Larve were found throughout June. The first pupa found in this locality was obtained on June 5 1Entomologica Americana, vol. 6, p. 14, 1890. 2Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 95 K. 8 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 389 K. hr? PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. from a larva in one of the rearing cages. Mr. Parks records obtain- ing an adult in his cages on July 7, and observed another adult in the alfalfa fields near the Salt Lake City Field Laboratory on August 2. On August 23 one of these moths was found under a board lying along a fencerow adjoining an alfalfa field near Salt Lake City. FOOD PLANTS. Mr. Koebele* records the larva of this species as feeding on cab- bage, barley, and elder (Sambucus sp.) at Los Angeles, Cal.; dock (Rumex sp.) at Piedmont,? Cal., and records collecting a female while ovipositing and also larve while feeding on Malva rotundifolia at Alameda, Cal. We have collected the larve and reared adults from red clover, alfalfa, and garden peas at Pullman, Wash. DESCRIPTIONS. THE EGG.? “ Egg hemispherical, rounded at the base, the apex with a rounded depression. Finely creased vertically; color pale yellow.” THE LARVA. First instar (?).—Body slender, pale creamy white, with long black hairs; head conspicuously large, shining black; thoracic legs blackish; only three pair of prolegs, situated on abdominal segments 5, 6, and 9, prolegs concolorous with body. Length, 1.8 mm. Second instar.—Body segments 7 and 8 enlarged, 9 small; color pale green, marked with cream-colored longitudinal lines as follows: A subdorsal line, very fine and wavy; a stigmatal line, broader, straight, sharply defined dorsally, and fading out ventrally; segments ornamented with transverse row of black papille bearing black hairs; head cream-color; thoracic legs cream-color, with tips of claws ferruginous. Length, 3 mm. to 5 mm. Third instar.—Body papille white, with black dots at base of hairs; three longitudinal lines in subdorsal space, the more dorsal one fine, clearly defined and wavy, the middle one broad and indistinct, and the third one about as fine as the first but less wavy; stigmata on first thoracic and first to eighth abdominal segments, pale, with oval black margins, that on eighth abdominal segment much larger than others; mandibles pale reddish brown; eyes with series of six black dots arranged in a ventrally directed semicircle near the base of the antenne. Length, 6 mm. to 9 mm. Fourth instar.—Body darker green, papillze in two transverse rows, the papille of one row alternating with those of the other; head green, paler than body, mandibles and palpi brownish; thoracic legs infuscate; marginal hooks of prolegs ferruginous-brewn. Length, 10 mm. to 14 mm. 1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 95 K. 2 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 389 K. 3 Wntomologica Americana, vol. 6, p. 14, 1890. Bul. 95, Part VII, Bureau of Entomology, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE Xl. THE ALFALFA LOOPER AND ITS PARASITES. Fig. 1.—Cocoon cluster of Apanteles hyslopi. Fig. 2.—Cocoon of alfalfa looper (Autographa gamma californica). Fig. 3—Larva of alfalfa looper with cocoon of Microplitis alaskensis. Fig. 4.—Pupa 6 avaua Weover: Fig. 5.—Adult alfalfa looper. Fig. 6.—Adult alfalfa looper at rest. All enlarged. riginal.) oe Sieben Sate ay ee ee a THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST. JEL} Fifth instar (fig. 45).—Body dark olive-green, dorsal edge of stigmatal line opposed by an almost black line which fades into the general body color dorsally ; head brilliant green, mandibles and palpi brown, a black oblong patch on posterior margin of eye extending from near median line almost to base of mandibles; thoracic legs almost black. Length, 21 mm. to 28 mm. THE PUPA. (Pl. XI, fig. 4.) “Pupa depressed somewhat above the wing cases at back of the thorax, the eyes prominent, the tongue case projecting below the wing cases, forming a round prominence over the first abdominal segment. The cremaster is short and blunt, and the hooks with which it is furnished are fastened in the silk of the cocoon. Wing cases slightly creased. Color brownisk-black, but paler at the joinings of the parts and between the abdominal joints. In occasional instances the whole pupa is pale.” The above description of the larval stages of this moth agrees in substance with that published by Dr. H. G. Dyar? for this species in California. The larve, however, are not constant in the matter of coloration. Adult larvee were found with- out the characteristic black markings, while others had the entire head black. Some larve were of the same pale-green color in the fifth instar as in the fourth, while others were almost white. Fic. 45.—The alfalfa looper (Autographa gamma cali- fornica) : a, Larva, dorsal aspect; 6, same, lateral That we had the first aspect. Enlarged 23 diameters. (Original.) instar is only an as- sumption from the number of subsequent molts obtained. Dr. Dyar’s description of the pupa is used, as it agrees identically with those found in the Northwest. The pupa is dark olive-green, with brown shadings and pale intersegmental bands when first formed, but soon becomes uniformly brown. THE ADULT.? (Pl. XI, figs. 5, 6.) The following is a translation of Speyer’s original description: Two California males from Moscbhler’s collections differ from the European gamma (which I can, however, only compare with native specimens) in the fol- lowing points: The color of the dorsal surface of the forewings is a clear, light-blue gray, except the punctuation which is rose colored or rust colored; this is exhibited in all the gamma found here by me, and also in several dis- tinct variations. 1 Hntomologica Americana, vol. 6, p. 14, 1890. 2Stett. Ent. Zeit., vol. 36, p. 164, 1875; syn: russea Hy Edwards. 114 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. The gamma mark is somewhat differently shaped: Both its upper arms di- verge, thus cutting off a broader equilateral triangle, through the upper median border, between them. The outer arm of this figure forms at its inner side an obtuse angle and is directed parallel with the hind edge (of the wing) while in the European species it is more basally directed. The lower arm of the gamma sign runs nearly horizontal. In this direction the black enclosed part, supported by the two outer arms, is more snout-shaped while in the Ger- man forms this form is approximately a rectangular space, rounded at its apex. The ring spot is surrounded by a whitish margin, elongate, and inclined very obliquely basally. The posterior diagonal band runs from the subcostal to the inner branch of the median (branch 2), not in a smooth curve as in gamma but in an unbroken straight line and is not so strongly curved basally opposite the lower arm of the gamma sign as in the latter. On the under surface, as in the French forms, the wings are clear white with, especially on the forewings, Sharp black mottlings. The remainder of the border of the underside, as is also the color of the hind wings, is lighter colored than the European forms. This form may be easily separated from moderately light varieties in color and design by these important distinctions—the gamma sign and the posterior diagonal band. Whether we have to do with a distinct species, a local variety, or merely an accidental yariety, must be proved by more extensive comparisons. Specimens of gamma from the Atlantic States, where they are said to be indig- enous by Ruhordem, Koch, and Grote, I have not yet seen. They are, when - the californica form is considered with them, spread over the whole northern hemisphere from Greenland to Abyssinia. They should be found even in New Holland [Australia], cf., my Geographical Distribution of the Butterflies of Germany, etc., Volume II, page 219. PARASITES. This moth is severely parasitized. At the field laboratory in Pullman, Wash., we cbtained five hymenopterous and two dipterous parasites and observed a disease during the seasons of 1909 and 1910. On July 12, 1909, two small larve of the alfalfa looper, measuring about 14 mm. in length, had contracted to 8 mm., became turgid, quite hard, and changed to a rich ferruginous brown. On July 22 of the same year two specimens of Rhogas autographe Vier. (fig. 46) emerged. On close examination of this improvised puparium it is found to be almost entirely made up of the abdominal segments 7 to 12 of the lepidopterous larva (see fig. 47). The thoracic and anterior ab- dominal segments 1 to 6 contract to form an almost black annulated cap over one end of the puparium, with the transparent head shield terminating this cap. Segment 138, bearing the anal prolegs, termi- nates the other end of the puparium and 1s also transparent. Seg- ments 9 and 10 each bear the transparent skin of their respective prolegs. The hair papille on segments 7 to 10 are pale and col- lected in a darker elevated band around the middle of their respective segments. The adult in emerging gnaws a smooth, circular hole through the dorsum of the eleventh and twelfth segments. THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST. i 85) On July 29, 1909, a larva was observed with a cocoon fastened between the middle and anal prolegs (Pl. XI, fig. 3). The moth larva was still alive, though unable to move from the cocoon, and died the following day. On August 1 an adult hymenopteron, Micro- a i so a —— a Fic. 46.—Rhogas autographe, a hymenopterous parasite of the pupal stage of the alfalfa looper. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) plitis alaskensis Ashm., emerged from this cocoon. The cocoon of this parasite (fig. 48, c) is pale green, 5 mm. long, cylindri- cally ovoid, and shghtly pointed at the anterior end. In emerging the adult very neatly cuts a cap from the anterior end, this cap often remaining fastened to the co- coon by a few threads. On August 12 another larva was found bearing one of these cocoons, and on August 14 an adult parasite emerged. Microplitis n. sp., determined by Mr. H. L. Viereck, was reared from op the larvee of these moths on June 28, te. 47.—Larval skin of alfalfa looper 1910. This parasite spins a tan- from which Rhogas autographw has colored cocoon which measures 3.53 me Eee als Ganniers Hoes mm. in length (fig. 48, a). inal.) cee webstert sce. is one of the most numerous parasites of the alfalfa looper at Pullman, Wash. The first specimen obtained emerged on August 14,1909. The following year specimens emerged June 21, July 5, and July 25. This species spins a cocoon (fig. 48, }) 116 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. which is bluntly oval, mottled with brown, and measures 6.53 mm. in length. On August 27 a dead larva of the alfalfa looper with a mass of hymenopterous cocoons fastened to it (Pl. XI, fig. 1) was found in an alfalfa field in Pullman, Wash. The cecoons were enveloped in a loose, white, silken ball 18° mm. in diameter. On August 29, 34 specimens of A panteles hyslopi Vier. (fig. 49) emerged from this mass. Ameloctonus n. sp., determined by Mr. H. L. Viereck, was reared from the larva of this moth at Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1911, by Mr:-2... i Barks, of this -ottice: F fee ee Ce The cocoon of the parasite was spun on b, Sargaritis websteri; c, Micro. August 17,and the adult parasite emerged plitis Fe ei Enlarged 5 on August ey eo One of the alfalfa looper larvee in the insectary rearing cages started to spin a cocoon on January 11, 1909. On examining the cocoon two days later it was found to contain puparia of Plagia americana Van der Wulp, one entirely and one partly within the dried larval skin. On July 23 one adult emerged, ae a : PA aw Ve, » & = ~ Fig. 49.—Apanteles hyslopi, a hymenopterous parasite of the alfalfa looper. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) : and on either July 24 or 25 another emerged (fig. 50). Several more of these flies were reared, and the number that would emerge from a larva was always directly associated with the size of the larva. A very small larva in our cages produced one fly, a medium-sized larva two, and a full-grown larva produced five of these parasites. THE ALFALFA LOOPER IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 117 Two specimens of a dipterous fly, Phorocera saunders Will. (fig. 51), were reared from a larva of the alfalfa looper on May 18, 1910. 4) df f 0 ex) SG ue OSS “ — ors poe ies LS “St ES. Fic. 50.—Plagia americana, a dipterous parasite of the alfalfa looper. Greatly enlarged. (Original. ) - Mr. Koebele! records having reared 14 parasitic flies from a single larva of this moth at Los Angeles; but as the material is not now available, determination is impossible. These were probably not flies but Hymenoptera and very likely Apanteles hyslopi Vier. On Fig. 51.—Phorocera saundersii, a dipterous parasite of the alfalfa looper. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) the same note he also records rearing two flies from a larva of this: moth at Alameda, Cal. On July 8, 1909, two ants (Formica rufa obscuripes Forel) were found at Pullman, Wash., dragging a young larva of this insect that was alive and struggling. 1Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 95 K. 118 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Mr. T. H. Parks, of this office, also made a similar record near Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 16, 1911, wherein he observed a “ number of large ants (Formica subpolita Mayr) dragging one of these half- grown larvee to their nest in a field of alfalfa. The larva fought to free itself but was finally overcome and killed by the ants.” DISEASES. Early in July, 1909, many of the larve in cur rearing cages at Pullman, Wash., were killed by a disease. First, they became slug- gish and contracted, and then turned dark brown, often being reduced to a black purulent mass. In other cases they became mummified. Specimens cof these diseased ilarvee were sent to Dr. Flora W. Patter- son, Mycologist of the Bureau of Plant Industry, who reported that while she could find no fungi, the specimens were swarming with bacteria. 7 A note made by Mr. Theodore Pergande? February 21, 1883, records a fungous disease (Botrytis riley), having been found para- sitic on Plusia brassice, by Mr. W. G. Farlow, of Cambridge, Mass. REMEDIES AND PREVENTIVES. Attention has already been called to the fact that in this species we have an illustration of the influence of natural enemies of a pest in protecting the iaterests of farmers by keeping the insect so re-— duced in numbers as to prevent injury to his crops. So effectually was this being done in the case of the present species as actually to prevent the conducting of experiments for warding off such injuries; hence no recommendations can be given. The time may come, how- ever, when these natural enemies may themselves suffer reverses and temporarily fail to hold the pest in check; then the information here given will become of the utmost importance as a basis for experi- ments with restraining measures. 1 Bureau of Entomology Notes, No. 294°, oe COPIES of this publication may be procured from the SUPERINTEND- ENT OF DOCUMENTS, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., at 5 cents per copy INDEX. Page Agrepyron sp., host plant of Mordellistena ustulata._.-........-!......:...-- 2 VAG ROSH SralOGaaNOStaplamu OlmVoOnrdellistena USIUlAia™ 9-3-2 ea 2 Mialia ood plant or Autographa gamma californica =... . 2-2-2282. 52 oe 112 looper. (See Autographa gamma californica. ) Ameloctonus n. sp., parasite of Autographa gamma californica............---- 116 Anis plannnynchos. enemyror Mleodesiadults.. )5...5-02556-2255-.---522 268 84. ' Andropogon furcatus, hibernating shelter for chinch bug...........-....-.-..--. 34, 35 scopartus, hibernating shelter for chinch bug...........-.. 27, 29, 32, 34 Ant, Formica rufa obscuripes, enemy of Autographa gamma californica........ 117 subpolita, enemy of Autographa gamma californica. .......-.---- 118 Tetramorium cxespitum, enemy of Eleodes..........------ eae ee Nar 85 Apanteles hyslopi, parasite of Autographa gamma californica. .......-...---- 116, 117 Arsenate of lead ineffective as repellent against false wireworms (Eleodes). . .. 87 Arsenical sprays not very effective against maize hillbug (Sphenophorus maidis). 22, Astragalus sp., food plant of Ettella zinckenella schisticolor................... 89,91 PAIS UeSIUS LEWwusi. enemy; OL Bleodes adults. 2: 5. 52..-- 4-5 o22- acs seec-- ek 84 PAM LOGIUD LAO CML CAL ORTACH anew ays ie haps ere ite cj ees wets we yee .. 109-118 : ACD Valin? Teal) oraks NUS NA be Oley WG eee ese bodes eG oc 110 adults G(ESCEUPUIOM ste noms ae ee ee NEI Combroluby: Parasitess see ee Sees 109-110, 118 GESCripUl OMe eee eee inca an a cates 112-114 GIDC USCS eee arp Meee eee a os ena IM eA 118 DIS ial UNTO MP eee ee hohe se eee 110 early record of injury to alfalfa................- 109 CUO MES EHUD LOM ere eat iy Meanie fae Se icy mara es 112 LOOMIS Ma eee see Re ek ae nN eee pe a2 oe td 7 LARVA eGESCKUPELOMen ae: ceo ee we ee 112-113 outbrealeinyCalutormianimelSSGee: 55... ee 110 | OB UREYSINIS Siesta SA RSS ee tere RR ee se Re 114-118 pupa, description...... Rete ee nee. Vitec "Ope ke 113 remedies and preventives.....................- 118 SeasOmahistonye ac ee ever ke see ae 110-112 Bacteria in diseased larvee of Autographa gamma californica... . . - Spe se UNIS Bacterial disease, possible cause of death of larvee of Sabeno morn coon. ee 71 Badger, adults of Hileodes*ovscura sulcrpennits 1 DUTTOWSS 222-5. -2--5.- 02-05 - 76 ENEILyaO Hytd | Se aWATC OLMIS oe mime yh Rey emis Nun La 75 Baldpate. (See Mareca americana.) anlev. ood) plant of Autographa gamma calijornica: 92. 2s 2..22 22 112 Darnlencam COdletalemac alnlsthe MIC My WO meee ce i pear le eee 37-38 ChuSi-eag aumst ee line ny DUS pam eee ope te oe ks yal ee he ek ek 37 SLreen-COMmla UNsapistactony, ataimsichineh bUG. 22.2.2 222) ). 222s 39. Bartiamia longicauda, enemy ot Hleodes adult... - 2.22.22. 225. eee Ss 84 Bean, lima, food plant of Hivella zinckenella schisticolor..............2....--- 89, 90 Beard-grass, broom. (See Andropogon scoparius.) forked. (See Andropogon furcatus.) 71312°—Bull. 95—13——2 119 120 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. : Page. Beet, sugar, roots food of falsetwiareworms ss =. §2 Billbug, maize. (See Sphenophorus maidis.) Bisulphid of carbon against legume pod moth (Etiella zinckenella schisticolor).. 104 Blackbird, Brewer’s. (See Huphagus cyanocephalus. ) Bluebird, western. (See Sialia mexicana occidentalis.) Bluegrass. (See Poa spp.) Botryus riley, fungous parasite ot Pisa brassicae 118 Braconsp., parasite of Hivella zinckenella schisticolorss 5 104 Braconid parasite of Hhella zinekenella schisticolor. =. ee ae ee 89, 104 Bromus secalinus, probable food plant of Mordellistena ustulata.............. 2 > Budworm,” ‘colloquial name tor )igirea spon come = ee 69 Buso.sp., enemy of Wleodess 2 ai. es es ae ee ee 85 Burning against chinch bug (Blissus leucopterus)..._-27.-= 5.4.2.2. sa 36-37 maize billbug (Sphenophorus maidis)=.-2) 72...) ee 22 Butcher bird; enemiy-of Mleodes=. 2: 3 ee ee ee 85 Cabbage, food plant of Autographa gamma californica. .........-.-.....---.- 112 Tileodestinvcostata <5 G25 ee eee ae ee ees 73-74 Calandra callosa—S phenophonus callosttsas sso se2 3 ee ee ee 54 Calomagrostis; hibernating shelter of chinch bug. 3.99. .° > =~ = eee 3H Cane in’ piles, hibernating place of chinch bug 222 92. ee ee 32 Cannibalism in false wireworms in confinement...................-.-..----- 82 Carex franku, food plant-ot Sphenophorws callostss seen 57, 58, 60 vulpinordea, food plant of Sphenophorus callosus.........---.-..------ 58 Cecidomyia spp., hosts of Holaspis parellina and Holaspis papaveris.......--- 108 Centrocercus urophasianus, enemy of Eleodes adults................-...-----. 84 Chaleidids parasiticon ‘Pegomya plant pal pissa-= = ee ees 108 Cheat. (See Bromus secalinus.) Chickens, enemies of Kleodes'adults:....<22-5- 55-2 5 ee eee 84 Chinch bug; ‘control by parasitic fumed) 22 em 6) ee ee ee ee 40-50 descriptonin. fie Nes ae Se ee ee eee ee 24 destruction of those m-hibernation =<. 2222 22. 92) ae 36-37 whichienter corn fields 72). gaa Peso =39 distribution west of Mississippi River:=:-~... 20-42. oe 23-24 generations, number: 22525. 2253-45 o se oe ee 24 hibernation: - 2 22S Sie ee es. win a 32-36 in Kansas, 1901. 3) ses. ence ee ee ee ee 30-32 southern Kansas and northern Gunners TOUO Ces sens 29-30 MiIgTatlonse) 2s 2s ae Oe oe ee ee ee ee ee 24-26 parasitic fungi. oo. 2 sie es ee ae ee 40-50 plowing under infested crops for its destruction..............--- 39-40 preventive measures seus nee eer rae es aN at hs, 36-38 remedial measures... 2o5 2s Oe hoe eee es ee 38-39 status in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma...................... 26-32 unsatisfactory remedialimeasurest-=-- 4-2 5222 Sacer = seen 39 west of Mississippi: Rivers: (2.4 2. 3 eo a a ee ee 23-02 SUMMAry 222 SG eed fe Se eee 50-52 Chordeiles acutipennis texensis, enemy of Sphenophorus callosus........------ 71 Chrysolophus amhersiz and adult Eleodes:-=. 385. =46e ++ 2 ee 84 pictus and adult Eleodes: == = = sss a ee ee 84 Chufa. (See Cyperus esculentus.) Citellus columbianus, adults of Eleodes letchert vandykei in burrows. ....-.----- 83 townsendi, adults of Eleodes obscura sulcipennis in burrows. .-.-.------ 76 53 “‘Clewbug,’’ colloquial name for Sphenophorus callosus.....-...-..--------- INDEX. Tot Page. Clover, red, food plant of Autographa gamma californica...........-...2+------ lal? ‘“‘Clue bug,’’ colloquial name for Sphenophorus callosus...............--+----- bd Coak-tamharcters-aeaiurst chimelr bugs: 2.20 eek oboe eee see eee ees 37-38 ineffective as a repellent against false wireworms (Eleodes).......... 87 Cormiodder hibernating place of chineh bugs--322.2..2.-422-2.-....5_--. 33 HOOME lA OTYS DICNO MOTUS COWOSUS os sot aint n/N wey ey es oe be oe 57, 59 CLAORU CES RRNA ESS oe he nS) Sa ie ANC Aaah eh repent 15 huskshuibermatine: place otiebinchwbue.:. = 225522 meee eee oe 32 leaveswioodsotmileodes adultsa2.5 98s ee ana Se A ue ne 82 Seeds food: oimbileodesiadulise ise. tens ee Ee ees Wo ee aye 82 false wireworms (Eleodes)..........-. See neared Am er Dads 82 Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis, enemy of Eleodes adults.................------ 84 Conymuitesan latus destrovyane wheat tieldys i. . 25sec i ess os et 74 Crop rotation against ‘‘curlew bug’’ (Sphenophorus callosus).......-.-...------ 70-71 timothy stem-borer ( Mordellistena ustulata)........---.-- 9 Crotolaria incana, food plant of Etiella zinckenella schisticolor..........------- 89, 91 sagittalis, food plant of Etiella zinckenella schisticolor.........------ 89, 91 Crow, western. (See Corvus brachyrhynchos hesperis.) Cultural methods against ‘‘curlew bug’’ (Sphenophorus callosus)............-- 70-71 false warewormis (Mleodes):25 2 t.: 2242-5... 22 es 86-87 legume pod moth (EHtiella zinckenella schisticolor).... 104 “Curlew bug.’”’ (See Sphenophorus callosus. ) Cyperus esculentus, food plant of Sphenophorus callosus............-.------ 55, 57, 58 Craltatis, 100d plant: o1- Sphenophorus callosus sic: 5.2). 228 et 59 rovundatus: 100d plant of Sphenophorus callosus-3.222 20. 262. 58 strigosus, food plant of Sphenophorus callosus........----- Pe Mae 58 Dactylis glomerata, host plant of Mordellistena ustulata...........-...+.------ 2 Diatrexa saccharalis, remedies similar to those employed against Sphenophorus TT CLUOUS mse CL Maree EELS Se UG eR NR Ph ey ky we 22 resemblance of injury to that of phenopione TOUS = nue Seon conn KMoOwaNas a. DUG WOrimiy nate es Iie yee es A 69 Dicitaniaenibernating shelter of chineh bugs s.2 22-2 22 oe: Bead gee 35 Miseaseaiectines lanyes Ole Wleodes ie. 2. she ees) eles ek ee ee ee 85-86 bacterial. (See Bacterial disease.) fungous. (See Sporotrichum globuliferum. ) Dock. (See Rumezx sp.) Dryobates villosus, enemy of Eleodes adults.............-....2..-2--..-- Bee 84 Wucks; enemies oi leodesraduitser cs saa a eee ed ee aoe 84 Dus barriers acaimsthchin che ploy wees Goa emia eae wae ek ee 37 Early varieties of peas, use in micoatine injury by legume pod moth (Etiella ZEMCMCIDCLLONSCIAUSTICOU OID) yates oie ne etn tee MC ee pies SIGs Nata Boy il Ame NaN Nay 104 Elder. (See Sambucus sp.) Bleodesadults, detensive habitsiamdzsecretion: 2.202502... .002 2 22 76-77 TOOES UNS UDICES sy eerey sae cept erence 8o I Oe cA 82 Nakina lpenemilessandaparasitess= sss .t). 02 ose ee 84-86 larvee. (See Wireworms, false.) Bilcodesndentipes longevityot adults imveanfinements. . 4... 20222./0502.. 2222 84 CLUVCOLM SOCCULLCNEe imelactiCc NOFLMWeStIsee2 222. 22. hes ee 74 hispilabris, occurrence in Pacific Northwest.......... eer ea a 74, 75 humerais occurrence im) Pacnie Northwest....2.2..202.2..2....822%.: 74 letcheri vandykei, adult, description. ....... ee whet ce eh eho 80 GeGeI NP LTOMGM as eee Py mie Ne ey ers 28 8O) distribution..... AES ab itty ee MEME RUN Ne ITIN PCR eral ce LARISSA 75 Loe PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Page Eleodes letcher: vandykei, eve description= 292 ae a se ee ee 78 investigations in Big Bend region of Washington.... 76-78 larva, deseriphion/ 2 2.2252 5) 4b oe ee 78-79 occurrence in Pacific Northwest.................... 74, 75 pupa, descriptions sf sc-5) S722. et ee eee 79-80 seasonal history:s< et eee eee 83-84 manni, occurrence in-Pacitic Northwest aeee 95-2 eek = 2 es See ae te 74 nigring, number of Cees’ is eee ee 83 occurrence in’ Paciic Norihwests---4 44-2 ee es ee ee 74, 75 obscura suleipennis, adults found in burrows of Citellus townsendi and badgers 50: cites Se hoi Se ree roe pee 76 oecurrence in Pacific Northwest... 5.0 2250 ees 74, 75 opaca, damage:to seed -wheat.222 222 32 See ee ee ee 74 disthibwbiOns PsF BOs A ee TS eee ee fh pimelioides, adult; descnipiiom= sss 22) nae ee ee 81-82 CESCFIPTONS! 2 52 ae eS ee ee ee 80-82 distribution 4.24248 ons oe See Se eee 75 epo descriptionic: 2.254) 2eee aS SS Se ee eee 80 esas, mum ber ayo Sg 4 eS ae ee ee ee ee 83 in wheat field in Pacific Northwest..............- CS ae 74,75 larva; CeSCripiomisces t= Ble Fe ae ee As re ee 80-81 pupa,-déseriptions: 4.2 4 ee ee ee 8 Schwarz, occurrence in Paciic Northwest.) 95. saa a ey 7 suturalis, distribution 3242/5538 se a ee 76 early record asunjurimeswheatss-2-9.2> S85 eee 74 host of Pertlius m.sp..<. 252 ese oe ee ee 85 seasonal histonyxic 2. she Se ee eee 83-84 terand, distributions 2-2 ay ee eee 76 tricostata, distribution. ..... Gs eae dc wee Sele Ee ee 75 early records as injuring cabbage..-..-- Vials: a oe ee 73-74 “Elephant bug,’’ colloquial name for Sphenophorus maidis...-.......-------- 14 Entomophthora aphidis, parasite of chinch bug:-&. 2: 2.2122. 2-3 5222 40 raz lateralis, enemy of Sphenophorus callosus.......-.--- SE ec Pere Tesh Sail Hihvella villosa=Hivella zinckenellax.=2 24.) eee ee 90 zinckenella; synonymy, 2:2 <5 ee ee ee ee ee ee 90 Schisticolor 2 vgs Sos ee ees ee ee eee 89-104 adult, description 34922 51222 ee 92 deseription..-2 225.5) 2 ee eee dissemination, artificial 2. ge] ae ene 103 distribution). 264 ces ee ee ee ee : 90 epg, description: 2255-2 oe eee ate 91 field work, 191021ls.23 1 oe. ). sss 5e te oe ae 53 remedial and-preventive measures....-....--.--.--.--- 69-71 Sphenophorus sculptilis Horn a synonym........--------- 54 cariosus, name incorrectly used for Sphenophorus callosus...-.-- 55 Sphenophorus sculptilis Uhler a synonym...........--- 54 maidis, adult, description and lite history. =22: - 22-2 es 20-22 comparison of larva with that of Sphenophorus callosus. . 60 depredations,; records 2.221258 Sa eee ee 22 description, and life history222 52555-— 9) -- eee 16-22 distribution: ee S90 eS Ee Se ee eee 15 compared with that of Sphenophorus callosus . Oe early record s2 0204s © MES ee ee pee 11-12 ego, description and lite history 2s-2--5—--- 4) 16 food plants.,...i- 2.5 555 Sn ee Se Se 15-16 generations; numbers: 25 2 eee se eee oie 22. history of'specitess 22-5 22-- =: 22 es ee eee 12-14 INDEX. [27 Page. Sphenoprerus maids, imyuries simee 189.02 2.) 2.2 eel ee ese ee a 14-15 larva deseription and life-history: .. 225-56. 2222.22 16-19 life! history and! description’ of stages. 22.22.20... -2 5... 22: 16-22 pupa, description andilife history. -. 2. 220.2.-22 5...) 0.! 19-20 related to Sphenophonus callosuse. 02285550 G15 ee 53 nemedialemaeasuresics secs ece eee 2 sees ee te 22 pertinax, name incorrectly used for Sphenophorus maidis....-.-- - 12 robustus, name incorrectly used for Sphenophorus maidis...... - - 11-12 SGM DUNS mil OTIS) DILCIOPIVORUSTCOULOSUS= = =e. Se seem ot are te 54 Wihtler—S/piienomnonus COmosuse sons esc eee 54 Sporobolus, hibernating shelteritorchimch bugs: - 1-22. 5---22-+2----5--8=5-- 35 Sporotrichum globuliferum (see also Fungi parasitic on chinch bug). ellectioidry weather thereons=.23 2.22222 5--82 2 see 32 experiments in inoculation of dead chinch bugs.... 47-48 live chinch bugs..-.. 48-50 HUM OUSHPArAasiesor ChimMClw DUO 25 een ee nee 40-50 artificial introduction, field studies... ...- 44-46 conclusions as to prac- tical efficiency... -- 50 Squirrel, ground. (See Citellus townsend.) Stalk-borer, lesser corn. (See Diatrxa saccharalis.) Stem-borer, timothy. (See Mordellistena ustulata. ) Siang piles. snibernat ne place otehime bus 222... 2. ee 33 Strychnia sulphate ineffective as repellent against false wireworms (Eleodes). - 87 Sugar sirup, food of Autographa gamma californica moths in confinement. . -- - - 110 Tar, coal. (See Coal tar.) Heinamoniunu. ces piuim- enemy, Of Wleodes 9 %).. 1255 2s ee 85 Thrasher, curve-billed. (See Toxostoma curvirostre.) imornye Wost-plamtiot Mordellistendwstulata.. 522) 225.2200... 09.2. 2 stem borer. (See Mordellistena ustulata.) Toad, garden. (See Bufo sp.) horned (see also Phrynosoma cornutum). (Phrynosoma douglasii), enemy of false wireworms (Eleodes)..-.- 75, 85 little horned, colloquial name for Phrynosoma douglasw.......-..-------- 85 sand, colloquial name for Phrynosoma douglasti.................-------- 85 doxastoma cunurostre enemy,or Mleodes adults 4-2 425- 640-6 oe ee 84 Tripsacum dactyloides, food plant of Sphenophorus callosus ..........--.-------- 58 TUUL VOLS ees atest a AU celigie | a NN 15-16, 21 Tumbleweed. (See Panicum capillare.) Turkeys, Eleodes adults distasteful and not eaten......................------- 84 Tussock moth, white-marked. (See Hemerocampa leucostigma. ) Wecetablenmatien, decayine food of Kleodesiadults 2 j.07.-0)..22. 202.22 7.22. 82 Vetch, milk. (See Astragalus sp.) Wesster, F. M., paper, “‘The So-Called Curlew Bug (Sphenophorus callosus COURT VS Sees 3 poe tse an IE eee gee tel co mt ape a Se mR 53-71 Pate ate SCCM MOOG OLCORI NUDES ANlAUUS en tane as eel oit as te ee 74 Bileodesyachullitss or wer ea sree ees alt th pmol ds oss ele 82 SBUAO IAS OPOGICUY, gs AN NA Pee ee PaO nN EE Dane er ER Pe 74 SUA ROMA es ae SS BE ae AROSE Pte ei ene Re Fae 74 128 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. Page. Wireworms, false (Eleodes), comparison with true wireworms (elaterid larve). 73 distitbution?:s-. {2 a2he eee eee ee ee 75-76 food, substances: 225 2) = he oe 82 historical 2.25. Sr oon ee 73-75 investigations in Big Bend Region of Washington. 76-78 natural enemies and parasites....25-..-. 22 ..2. 225 84-86 of ‘the Pacific Northwest --s 26.2 eee 73-87 remedial and preventive measures........--.----- 86-87 Woodpecker, hairy. (See Dryobates villosus.) Lewis’s. (See Asyndesmus lewisi.) red-headed. 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