166- EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 41 



possible in years wlien the first heavy showers are followed by a drought of 

 two or three months. 



" The past may be controlled by the collection of beetles in October by 

 means of fresh weeds pulled out along with roots and spread along the bunds. 

 There are three enemies, an acarid on the adult, a wasp, and an ichneumon 

 on the larva. These are not efficient checks." 



The life cycle of Lachnosterna lanceolata, W. P. Hayes {Jour. Econ. Ent., 

 12 (1919), No. 1, pp. 109-117, figs. ^).— This is a report of studies conducted at 

 the Kansas Experiment Station. 



L. lanceolata, an important enemy of growing wheat in Kansas and Oklahoma, 

 is regarded as most injurious in west central Texas. During the past few 

 years grubs of this species have come into prominence every fall soon after 

 wheat planting time in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma, where they 

 annually damage thousands of acres of young winter wheat. The species 

 is practically confined to the region bounded on the west by the Rocky Moun- 

 tains and on the east by the Mississippi River. 



The eggs are laid singly or in small groups of three or four in clumps of 

 soil at depths ranging from 1 to 7 in. during the months of June and July. 

 They hatch in an average of 16 days (9 to 29) during July and August and the 

 larviB are present until June of the second year, giving a larval stage of 

 slightly over 22 months. The pupae, which occur in June and July, require an 

 average of 13.8 days (8 to 20). Two full years are required for development,, 

 and in some cases where the larval stage is prolonged, three years may be 

 required. The generations overlap each other so that all stages appear every 

 season. 



A list is given of 27 food plants upon which the species has been observed 

 feeding in the fields. 



Sarcophaga prohibita has been reared and is thought to be a true pax'asite 

 of the pest. Rotation of crops is one of the best means of control thus far 

 known. 



Biological notes on some flat-headed bark borers of the g'enus Melanophila, 

 H. E. BuKKE {Jour. Econ. Ent., 12 {1919), No. 1, pp. 105-108) .—This paper deals 

 with 12 species of flat-headed bark borers of the genus Melanophila that have 

 been most destructive to forest trees. One species, M. drummondi. is of partic- 

 ular interest because it attacks the Sitka spruce, used in the manufacture of 

 aeroplanes, while M. genitilis, M. fulvoguttata, and M. californica attack and 

 kill some of the most important coniferous forest trees. Many sugar pine, 

 yellow pine, Douglas spruce, true firs, true spruces, hemlocks, and larches 

 have been killed at various times past and are now being killed by these pests. 



Comprehensive demonstration of Arg'entine ant control, R. S. Woglum and 

 A. D. Borden {Cal. Citrogr., 4 {1919), No. 6, pp. 147, 171, figs. 3).— It is pointed 

 out that the very direct relation of the Argentine ant in the control of mealy 

 l)ugs of citrus trees was demonstrated in 1915-16 in several infested orchards 

 in the San Gabriel Valley of California during an investigation of the common 

 mealy bug. The trees rid of this ant quickly became freed of mealy bugs and 

 continued in a commercially clean condition, while trees frequented by ants 

 remained severely infested. 



The following formula for a poison sirup, the Barber formula (E. S. R., 35, 

 p. 761) modified to meet arid conditions, is recommended by the authors after 

 two years of successful use in combating the Argentine ant in more than 

 600 acres of citrus orchards: Granulated sugar 12 lbs., w^ater (distilled) 10 

 pints, tartaric acid (crystallized) 0.25 oz. Boil 30 minutes, cool, add dis- 

 tilled water to allow for evaporation. Dissolve sodium arsenite (C. P. only) 



