260 EXPERIMENT STATI0:^r EECORD. [Vol. 41 



Eleodes opaca, an important enenay of wheat in the Great Plains area, 

 J. W. McCoLLocH {Jour. Econ. Eat., 12 (1^19), No. 2, jjp. 1SS-19J,, pi. i),— The 

 life history of the false wirewonn {E. oijuca), an insect which is becoming of 

 increasing importance, having caused considerable injury la western Kansas 

 and southwestern Xe]>raska, has been worked out by the author and is liere 

 reported upon. 



This species has a wide distribution throughout the Great Plains area, occur- 

 ring from Texas to South Dakota. Its principal injury is caused by the 

 larvie during the fall, at which time they attack the wheat seed immediately 

 after planting and destroy it before germination. After the seed germinates the 

 injury becomes less noticeable and often ceases altogether. In some cases, how- 

 ever, considerable damage may occur after the wheat is several inches high. 

 Occasionally some damage occurs in the spring due to the larvae burrowing 

 through the stalks or even cutting them off. In addition to wheat the worms 

 have been reared on sprouting corn, foxtail seeds, and crabgrass roots. 



The eggs deposited during midsummer hatch in from 6 to 10 days, while later 

 in the fall the period is prolonged to 19 days. The first oviposition recorded 

 occurred on July 5 and the last on October 4. The larvie which molt 11 times 

 between hatching and pupation require for each sttidiuni 4, 3, 4, 6. 8, 13, 15. 12, 

 18, 199, and 20 days, respectively, or an average total of 317.7 days for larval 

 development, based on 50 larvaj, extending over a period of 3 years. Most of the 

 larvae become full-grown by October, in which stage they pass the winter, be- 

 come active in early spring, and usually molt once in April. Pupation occurs 

 during the last of April and throughout the month of May, 14.1 days being 

 the average length of the pupal stage, based upon observations of 149 pupse ob- 

 served during a period of 4 years. The adults commence to emerge about the 

 middle of May and continue through June, the adults being found in the lield 

 until the middle of October, the greatest imujber being present in July and 

 early August. Most of the adults under observation lived from 60 to 90 days and 

 1 male lived 130 days. 



Three generations have been reared by the author from adults collected in 

 the field in 1915, 341.5 days being the average period required for each brood, 

 based upon the average length of the various stages. 



The hymenopterous parasite Perilitus elcodis has been reared each year from 

 a few beetles, and a gregarine (Stylocephaliis gigantcus) has frequently been 

 found in the alimentary tract of the adults. Two species of fungi have been 

 found attacking the larvtie, namely, ^porotrkhum <jlohitlifvn'.iii and Metar- 

 rhizium sp. 



While no extensive control experiments in the held have been carried out, the 

 author's studies suggest several promising methods of procedure which have 

 proved beneficial in controlling E. opaca or reducing the amount of injury. The 

 investigations show that in nearly all cases the greatest injury occurred on 

 land continuously cropped to wheat, while fields that have been in a row crop 

 or fallowed previous to wheat have suffered little damage. The rotation sug- 

 gested for western Kansas is wheat 2 years, Kafir or other sorghums 1 year, 

 and summer fallow 1 year. 



A list is given of 11 references to the literature cited. 



Avocado seed weevils, H. S. Barber (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 21 (1919), No. 

 S, pp. 5'i-UO, pi. 1 ). — An avocado weevil, distinct in habitus from Heilipm lauri 

 and de.scribed as //. plttieri n. sp., was taken at Washington, D. C, from seeds of 

 Persea pittieri from San Jose, Costa Kica. Cunotnicticlu.s perara;, reared from 

 avocado seed from Coban and Ouatemala City, Guatemala, is also described as 

 new. Several other insects reared from seeds of the avocado are also con- 

 sideretl. 



