Nov. 5, 1921 Biology of Embaphion muricatum 325 



July, J. S. Wade; Meade, altitude 2,503 feet, July, J. S. Wade; Morton County, alti- 

 tude 3,000 feet, F. H. Snow {10); Norton, altitude 2,284 feet, August, J. S. Wade; 

 Rice Coimty, June, H. F, Wickham; Scott City, altitude 2,971 feet, August, J. S. 

 Wade; Wallace County, altitude 3,000 feet, F. H. Snow (7); Wellington, altitude 

 1,205 feet, July, J. S- Wade; "Kansas to Texas," G. H. Horn (5), "Western Kansas: 

 In Arkansas and Smoky Hill Valleys," E. A. Popenoe ((5). 



North Dakota: Dickinson, altitude 2,411 feet, August, H. F. Wickham; "Dakota," 

 W. G. Dietz; "Dakota," May to August, H. F. Wickham {8). 



Colorado: Bellevue, altitude 8,993, H. F. Wickham (p); Colorado Springs, altitude 

 6,072 feet, H. F. Wickham {g) ; Denver, altitude 5,279 feet, April, H. Soltau; Greeley, 

 altitude 4,652 feet, June, H. F. Wickham; Fort Collins, altitude 4,994 feet, H. F. 

 Wickham (p); LaSalle, altitude 4,676 feet, September, H. F. Wickham; Pueblo, 

 altitude 4,685 feet, October, H. Soltau; West Las Animas, H. F. Wickham (p); 

 "Colorado," May to August, H. F. Wickham (8). 



Texas: Amarillo, altitude 3,676 feet, August, H. F. Wickham; Canadian, altitude 

 2,340 feet, August, H. F. Wickham ; Mobeete, July, H. S. Barber; Texline, altitude 

 4,694 feet, September, I. R. Crawford. 



Montana: Assinniboine Mountains, Hubbard and Schwarz; "Montana," May to 

 August, H. F. Wickham (8). 



South Dakota: Alexandria, altitude 1,354 feet. 



Mexico: Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Hoge. 



INJURY 



The principal damage caused by these insects is that wrought by the 

 larvae during the fall in devouring recently sown or newly sprouted wheat 

 grains shortly after the seed wheat has been drilled. These larvee often 

 may be found in large numbers in infested fields at such periods working 

 steadily along through the soft soil of the drill rows, either wholly devouring 

 or destroying for germination purposes every wheat grain within a drill row 

 for many yards. Within the region of greatest infestation the principal 

 injury is done between September 20 and October 15. The injury to the 

 grain is characteristic of this family. Sometimes the entire contents of 

 the grain are removed, lea\'ing all or part of the shriveled outer husk; in 

 some cases the ends of the grain are nibbled away or portions of the ven- 

 tral crease are neatly fmrowed out. The adults also are known to feed 

 upon wheat grains and other seeds, being present around the bases of 

 wheat stacks in July, where they may be found tearing away the spikelets 

 of grain in newly cut wheat heads to devour the kernel within, or they 

 may be found feeding upon the scattered grains. The extent of the injury 

 varies annually in accordance with seasonal conditions, little or no damage 

 being done in localities where an abundance of rainfall occurs, and where 

 temperature and other factors are favorable to growing crops, whereas 

 at the same time considerable loss may be experienced in other localities, 

 varying from 10 to 50 per cent or more of the wheat of an entire neighbor- 

 hood, where weather and other conditions render normal development 

 of this crop impossible. In view of the fact that the larvae of this pest 

 usually may be found working with those of other nearly related species 

 of true and false wireworms, it becomes increasingly difficult to isolate and 

 estimate singly the exact amount of injury wrought by this particular pest. 



