The Bulletin. 51 



when placed on their backs they have the power to spring suddenly 

 into the air and usually land on their feet. These adult beetles pass 

 the winter in all sorts of sheltered places, in deadwood, under the 

 barks of trees, under fences, sticks, leaves, stones, etc. In the summer 

 they pair and lay eggs, usually in lowland fields covered with grasses. 

 The larvae hatching from these eggs are smooth, tough, yellowish- 

 brown wireworms. They burrow through the ground, feeding upon 

 the roots and seeds of plants which happen to come in their way. It 

 is thought that it requires some of these larvse two or three years be- 

 fore they become full-grown and change to the pupae. The pupae are 

 found in a little cell just below the surface of the ground. After a 

 few weeks the adult beetles emerge from the pupae ; usually, however, 

 most of the beetles do not come to the surface, but remain over winter 

 in their little cell under the ground. 



Fig. 39:— Stock of Young Transplanted Tobacco Plant, showing injury by 



Wireworms, enlarged. 



(Author's illustration.) 



Wireworms are pests of various crops, especially corn, which they 

 inj ure by feeding upon the seed or upon the young plants. Beside the 

 kind (Pith Worm) which injures tobacco by eating out the center of 

 the stock, Wireworms often injure tobacco by tunneling through the 

 stalk below ground and cutting off the roots. (Fig. 39.) Injury in 

 this way is often very great where tobacco follows sedge grass. Plants 

 in the field which have remained for a long time without making any 

 growth will be found upon examination to have their stalks below 

 ground tunneled through in various directions or their larger roots 

 cut off. Further search in the soil about the plant usually reveals 

 one or more hidden wireworms. Plants which have their stalks in- 



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