260 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



figs. 6).— Up to witloin the past 5 years, except for a few scattering notices, 

 tbe sixicies of Eleodes, the larviB of which are known as false wireworms, have 

 been considered of only incidental if of any economic importance. Super- 

 ficially the larvae resemble the elaterid, or true wireworms, and on account of 

 their resemblance and the similarity of their depredations in grain fields the 

 two are often confused. On close examination, however, Eleodes larvae are 

 readily recognized by their structure. 



Reports of their Injury have been received or published from Nebraska, 

 Kansas, and Washingtoai. The results of 3 seasons' work in the Pacific North- 

 west are said to demonstrate quite conclusively that the false wireworms are 

 among the most destructive insects to recently planted wheat and corn in that 

 region, ranking second only to the true wireworms in importance. 



The genus Eleodes is very closely confined to the Upper and Lower Sonoran 

 Zones. The beetles do not fly and are therefore comparatively restricted in 

 their distribution. The mass of the species occur in the Southwest, while 

 several occur in the arid and semiarid regions of California, Oregon, Washing- 

 ton, 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. 



Investigations conducted in the liig Bend region of Washington, briefly 

 reported, are followed by technical descriptions of the egg, larva, pupa, and 

 adult of E. letcheri ■vandykei and E. pimelioides. " False wireworms are 

 known to feed on the seed of wheat, oats, and corn, on the tubers of potato, on 

 the fleshy roots. of sugar beet, and on several garden crops, as well as on a 

 variety of dead organic matter. . . . The adult beetles have been observed 

 feeding on the seed of wheat and corn, on the leaves of corn, on Polygonum 

 lUtorale and other weed leaves, and on decaying vegetable matter." 



The adults of E. letcheri vandykei, which emerge from hibernation in the 

 eaiiy spring, soon deposit their eggs a few at a time in the ground, the female 

 burrowing down through the soft dust to the moist soil below, usually to a depth 

 of from 2 to 4 in. The average number of eggs laid apiiears to be about 150. 

 The eggs hatch in about 18 days and the larvae feed throughout the summer, 

 usually on decaying vegetable matter, hibernate, and resume feeding as soon as 

 the soil becomes warm enough the following si»ring. At this time they seriously 

 injure spring sown grain. In June they transform to pupse and early in July the 

 newly emerged adults commence to ajipear. These adults feed during the re- 

 mainder of the summer, congregating in large numbers under grain sacks, 

 shocks, and any convenient shelter. They eat a small amount of grain and other 

 vegetable matter and go into hibernation without mating and in the spring 

 resume their activity. While the adults of the species here treated seera 

 normally to live but 1 season, Blaisdell records keeping adults of E. dentipes 

 in confinement for over 4 years. 



Mention is made of a number of bii'ds, horned toads or lizards (Phryno,W7na 

 sp.), and the garden toad {Bnfo sp.), which have been found to feed upon the 

 pest. A microgasterid parasite {PerUitus n. sp.) is said to have been reared 

 fi'om an adult E. suturalis, received from Belvidere, Nebr. A disease of the 

 larva has also been reported from Nebraska. 



The author reconmiends a modification of the farm practice as now followed. 

 " Disk as early as the land can be worked and the api^aratus is available, which 

 will usually be in April. This will conserve the moisture fully as well as plow- 

 ing. Then plow as late as possible ; if the land has been well disked and the men 

 and horses can be spared, It is well to defer this plowing to late July and early 

 August. At this time the beetles are in the pupal, or, as they are commonly 

 called, ' white-worm,' stage. They can not move through the ground as can the 



