740 



FAMILY XXXVII. ELATER1IXE. 



(4271)). AGRIOTES MANCTS Say. Journ. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sri.. III. 1823. 



171 ; ibid. II. 111. 



Oblong, subconvex. Dull brownish- 

 yellow, dusky beneath, sparsely clothed 

 with short yellowish pubescence: head 

 and thorax often fuscous; tibia' and 

 tarsi paler. Thorax slightly wider than 

 long, sides regularly curved from base 

 to apex; hind angles short, feebly di- 

 vergent; disk with a shallow median 

 line on basal half. Elytra with sides 

 parallel on basal half, thence gradually 

 rounded to apex; striate, the stri.-e fine- 

 ly punctate; intervals nearly flat, finely 

 and transversely wrinkled. Length 7.5- 

 s.5 mm. (Fig. 283.) 



Lake County ; frequent. March 

 26 June '24. Should be found 

 throughout the State. The larva is 

 known as the "wheat wireworip." 

 and is injurious to corn, wheat and other cereals espec ally those grow- 

 ing in low. wet lands. It is a cylindrical, pale brownish-yellow 

 species, having two conspicuous black circular pits near the front 

 margin of upper surface of last; segment. (Fig. 

 I.) It bores into the stems of corn from the time 



\ 



\ 



Fig. 2S3. X 1. (After Forbes.) 



the lalter appears above 1 the ground until it is a 

 foot or more high, causing the infested stalks to 

 wither and die. About three years are necessary 

 for the larva to reach maturity, when it pupates in 

 rai then cells. If disturbed by fall plowing, many 

 cf the pupa 1 or matured beetles are killed. As yet 

 no other effective remedy has been discovered. 



1 ."'.<; i 42M.)). AGRIOTES STABILIS Lee., Trans. Amer. Phil. 

 Soc., X, 1853, 457. 



Elongate, rather robust. Color variable, head and 

 thorax usually pieemis; elytra often dull red, pubescent; 

 antenna' and legs reddish-brown. Thorax one-third longer 

 than wide, sides nearly parallel, rounded in front; hind 

 angles feebly divergent, not, or very obtusely, cariuate; 

 surface distinctly but finely punctate in front, very dense- 

 ly and finely punctate behind the middle. Elytral stria- 

 finely and deeply punctured; intervals Hat. minutely punc- 

 tulatc and with fine transverse wrinkles. Length 9-11 mm. 



Lake and Steuben counties; rare. June 17. 

 Beaten from sassafras. A member of the Alie- 

 ns. 284. (After Fori.cs.j o'liatiian fauna. 



