ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY — ENTOMOLOGY. 661 



and northeast to Cokeville, Wyo., Randolph and Laketown, Utah, and Fish 

 Haven, Idaho." 



While previously reported to be Phytonomus murinus, a further study has 

 shown the pest to be P. posticus, a closely related insect, which is much more 

 common and injuriuus to alfalfa in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, 

 where it is generally known as P. varinhilis. A much larger species, Ilypera 

 punctata, the clover-leaf weevil, has recently been collected at Malad, Idaho, 

 and Ogdeu, Utah. 



It has been found that the females do not always confine themselves to 

 alfalfa stems in ovipositing, eggs having been discovered in the stems of the 

 ground plum (Astragalus arictinus) and larvai found feeding on A. utahcnsis. 

 In 3910 oviposition was found to commence early in March and was at its 

 height by the middle of May. Evidence was found of a partial second genera- 

 tion. In cage experiments it was found that in combination witli alfalfa the 

 larvae fed freely on sweet pea, Utah milk vetch, string bean, obtuse-leaved vetch, 

 narrow-leaved vetch, white clover, red clover, alsike clover, yellow sweet clover, 

 white sweet clover, Medicago lupulina, M. echinus, M. hispida nigra, M. hispida 

 confinis, M. hispida terchellum, M. muricata, .11, orbicularis, M. scutcUata, black 

 locust, and fenugreek. When no other food was offered the larva; fed upon 

 lledysurum inackcnzii. Astragalus orcophilus, downy lupine, chick pea, Vicia 

 atropurpurea, V. dispema, spring vetch, hairy or winter vetch, and spider plant, 

 but these were refused when offered alfalfa. 



Field experiments in destroying the weevil by means of street sweepers, 

 brushing with a wire brush machine, which crushes the larvae and pupse, culti- 

 vation in connection with irrigation, and by a burning machine are briefly re- 

 ported. The results seem to indicate that as a protection for the second crop 

 the use of the street sweeper is of considerable value. In experiments with the 

 brush machine it proved very effective in crushing the larva? rud pupa; among 

 the stubble. An examination showed that w'hile the treated field was in good 

 condition with few hirvfe, the nearby, untreated field was bare and brown 

 from weevil attack. Good results were obtained from cultivation in connection 

 with irrigation. Experiments were carried out with a machine constructed with 

 the idea of burning over alfalfa fields after the removal of the first crop for the 

 purpose of destroying the weevils in any state of development remaining in the 

 field. "Oil was pumped from a barrel in the conveyance to which this machine 

 was attached and forced through a rubber hose into a supply pipe which fed 

 the nozzles and burners underneath. The oil under pressure came forth from 

 the burners as a mist of fire blowing into the stubble and against the ground." 

 A sheet-iron cover served to hold the heat down while an oven passed slowly 

 over the surface. In its unperfected state the machine did effective work and 

 offered ideas of value, w^arranting the construction of more efficient burners. 



The predaceous enemies of the weevil include 3 species of lady beetles (Coc- 

 cinclla 9-notata, Ilippodamia spuria, and U. co nvcr gens ), -the malachid beetle 

 Collops hipunctatiis, the tenebrionid beetle Elcodes sulcipennis, and the mite 

 Erythraus arvensi^. The predaceous mite Pcdiculoides ventricosus introduced 

 from Indiana in March, 1911, did not attack either the larvae or pupae and 

 while it fed freely upon the eggs of the weevil, where they were easily acces- 

 sible, it seemed unable to gain access into many of the egg masses through the 

 ordinary egg punctures. Only one specimen of a single true parasite of the 

 alfalfa weevil, namely, Mnopleginiorpha phytonomi, has thus far been found in 

 America. Two egg parasites, Anaphes sp. and an undetermined pteromalid, 

 the latter of which is very effective in controlling the alfalfa weevil in Italy, 

 were introduced from that country. Five parasites of the lafvae and pupae, 

 namely, an undetermined pteromalid, v.-hich attacks the larvie and has actually 



