No. 2323. LARVAE OF THE CLERIDAE—BOVINO AND VHAMPLAIN. 629 



An article by Dr. A. D. Hopkins that appeared in the West Vir- 

 ginia Agriculture Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 56, published 

 April, 1899, gives a good account of this species, as follows: 



The American barkbeetle destroyer is often quite common on the bark of 

 spruce trees infested witli barkbeetles. It passes the winter in all stages from 

 larva to adult in the bark in which it is bi"ed, the latter sometimes in the 

 loose bark and moss at the base of the tree. The adults appear in the spring, 

 soon after the barkbeetles commence to emerge from their winter quarters and 

 fly to the trees, logs, or tops, which are infested with barkbeetles. There they 

 station themselves beneath loose flakes of bark, awaiting an opportunity to 

 pouuce upon any bai'kbeetle that comes near. They also move rapidly about 

 over the bark in search of the prey, or the entrances to the barkbeetle gal- 

 leries in which the females deposit their eggs. The eggs soon hatch into 

 minute-active worms, which find their way into the egg and brood galleries of 

 the barkbeetles where they feast upon the eggs and young found there until 

 they have attained their full growth, when they leave the inner bark and 

 excavite cavities in the outer corky bark in which they change to pupae and 

 adults. 



This clerid attacks and feeds upon all kinds of barkbeetles which infest 

 spruce and pine and has been found attacking barkbeetles in deciduous trees. 

 It is widely distributed over the State (West Virginia) and doubtless has a 

 wide range throughout North America. 



It is a common insect v,'herever the pines and spruces grow in the State, and 

 doubtless exerts a considerable influence in preventing the undue increase and 

 devastations of pine and spruce barkbeetles. 



Distribution, eastern United States southwest to Texas. 



THANASIMUS UNBULATUS Say, and variety NUBILIS King. 



Is a predator on Dendroctonus and other barkbeetles in coniferous 

 trees, Finus, Plcea, Pseudotsuga, Larix, Abies, and Cedar, and 

 occurs wherever these trees are found. 



Habits very similar to T. dubius. Observed at elevations ranging 

 to 10,000 feet. Adults fly May to September. 



Observations by Hopkins, Burke, Fiske, Champlain. 



THANASIMUS NIGRIVENTRIS (Le Conte) (==ENOCLERUS NIGRIVENTRIS LcConte). 



Is a predator on barkbeetles on coniferous trees. 



Adults are active during sunny days from April to October, run- 

 ning over newly cut trees and branches. They feed upon the small 

 Scolytoids that attack these trees, such as Ips, Pityophthoi'us, etc., 

 and Dendroctonus in larger trees. 



Mr. J. L, Webb describes the feeding of this species in his notes, 

 as follows: 



Elmore, S. Dak., Aug. 23, 1902. — Pine. Clerid discovered on bark of experi- 

 ment tree, preying on Dendroctonus ponderosa. Dendroctonus not dead. Jaws 

 of Clerid inserted between prothorax and mesothorax. When dropped into 

 a dry vial, Clerid, after running about a little while, still holding the Dendroc- 

 tonus, braced itself against the cork of the bottle, bottle being held horizon- 

 tally. With the two hind feet holding on to the cork and the posterior end of 

 the body against the cork, the Clerid proceeded to make its meal. 



