INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CORN. 



245 



straightening out with a snapping sound, which results in a considerable 

 jerk; and also on account of the fact that if these beetles be placed on 

 their backs on a hard substance,, they will go through this snapping 

 motion and thereby be thrown into the air for a considerable height and 

 perhaps alight on their feet. This habit enables these beetles to regain 

 their feet should they fall and lie on their backs, for otherwise they 

 would be unable to turn over. 



There are in Missouri about one hundred species of these insects, 

 and while a great many of them are injurious in the larval stage, we 

 will confine our remarks more especially to the 

 two most injurious species infesting the corn 

 plant, one of which has gained the common 

 name of the Corn Wireworm. This insect is 

 by far the most common wireworm found in 

 the corn field, but the wheat wireworm is a 

 close second. There are other species, however, 

 that quite commonly infest corn, viz., the Dras- 

 teriiis elegans Faber., which is in many places 

 at times almost as injurious to corn as is either 

 the corn wireworm or the wheat wireworm. 

 The adult of Drasterius elegans is represented 

 in figure 7, enlarged seven and one-half diam- 



* ' '^ Fig. 5.— Adult Corn Wire- 



eters. ■ A larva enlarged seven diameters is also worm, Meianotus cnhuiosus. 



° Lee, enlarged four and one- 



represented at figure 7. I do not think it neces- ^aif diameters, 

 sary to enter into a discussion of the life history and methods of work 

 of this insect, since it is so nearly related to the other two which we will 

 discuss more fully. 



The corn wireworm, like practically all wireworms that infest 

 corn fields, do a great amount of their damage by eating into the kernel 

 of corn soon after it is planted in the ground and hollowing out the inside, 

 sometimes eating the entire kernel. They will also eat of the kernel 

 after it has swollen 

 as well as before, 

 and after it has 

 sprouted, and they 

 will also attack the 

 young corn plant, 



eating the roots or Fig. 6. — corn wireworm ; enlarged four diameters. 



eating through the stem near the surface of the ground, thus killing the 

 plant even after it has become a foot or two in height. These insects, as 

 a rule, infest more especially certain localities of a large corn field, and 



