OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XVIII, 1916 169 



that a committee consisting of Messrs. Howard, Schwarz and 

 Barber had been appointed to prepare a biographical sketch for 

 the Proceedings. 



Dr. A. T. Speare and Mr. H. L. Viereck were elected active 

 members. 



The following program was presented : 



PRISTOGERA ARMIFERA (SAY) PARASITIC ON LIMONIUS 



AGONUS (SAY). 



BY J. A. HYSLOP, Bureau of Entomology. 



References to the rearing of parasitic Hymenoptera from Ela- 

 teridae are very rare in Entomological literature. In 1860 Curtis 1 

 recorded the rearing of a Proctrotrupes from an elaterid larva in 

 England, and in 1898 Dr. -S. A. Forbes 2 mentions rearing a para- 

 sitic fly (?) from an elaterid larva. The writer has recorded 3 the 

 rinding of a Tiphia like cocoon with an elaterid skin firmly woven 

 into it from which the adult parasite had emerged. And Mr. J. 

 J. Davis has made an identical observation in Indiana. 



Late in July, 1915 the writer investigated a serious wireworm 

 infested region near Brattleboro, Vermont. Limonius agonus 

 (Say) was doing very serious damage to corn, in the narrow val- 

 leys in this region, especially in the more poorly drained fields. 

 While digging in one of these fields, a larva was found which was 

 at first thought to have been disemboweled in digging. On closer 

 examination, however, it was found to have a Hymenopterous 

 larva firmly affixed to its ventral surface. The wireworm was 

 still alive and quite active, although the parasite was nearly one- 

 third as long as its host and quite as stout. The host was about 

 six inches below the surface of the ground and about eighteen 

 inches from the nearest corn hill. The wireworms had for the 

 most part ceased feeding in this field. This host and its parasite 

 with several other wireworms was placed in a tin box filled with 

 moist sphagnum moss and brought into the Laboratory. Three 

 days later the box was examined and all but one wireworm be- 

 sides the host removed. On the following day the parasite aban- 

 doned its original host, which it had reduced to a mere empty 

 skin, and attached itself to the ventral surface of the other wire- 

 worm in the same cage. The parasitic fixed itself to the host by 



1 Curtis, John, Farm Insects, p. 181, 1860. 



* Forbes, Dr. S. A., 111. Agri. Exp. Sta. Bui. No. 44, p. 228, 1896. 



3 U. S. D. A. Bull. 156, p. 29, 1915. 



