juiyis. I9IS Asparagus-Beetle Egg Parasite 305 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE PARASITE 



This insect has been recorded from Amherst and Concord, Mass., by 

 Dr. H. T. Femald; by Mr. D. E. Fink, of the Bureau of Entomology, 

 from Ithaca, N. Y. ; and the writer has observed it in considerable num- 

 bers on Long Island. During June and July, 191 1, specimens of this 

 insect were liberated at Jessup, Riverdale, and Rives, Md., but at the 

 present time it has not been retaken in these places. In all probability, 

 however, it is present in many localities in the northeastern part of the 

 United States, other than those mentioned. 



OCCURRENCE ON LONG ISLAND 



On June 10, 191 2, the author first observ^ed this parasite at Aque- 

 bogue, Long Island, while examining an asparagus field. Large num- 

 bers of this insect, together with the asparagus beetle {Crioceris asparagi) 

 and its eggs, were found on check rows of asparagus which had been 

 left in the field to attract the beetles from the main crop. At times 

 as many as six or seven parasites were to be seen on a single stalk. 

 These check rows had not been set aside as a trap for the beetles until 

 a short time before, and as a consequence the asparagus was not over a 

 foot high and had not branched out. As a result, the beetle eggs were 

 confined to a limited area, and it was fairly easy to follow the actions 

 of the parasites. 



FEEDING OF PARASITES 



This insect is an energetic feeder on its host's eggs and is evidently 

 as useful in checking the host in this way as by its parasitic development, 

 if not more so. 



When a careful examination of the beetle eggs on stalks of asparagus was 

 made, many were found that had collapsed and withered, and it was quite 

 evident that they would never hatch. On some asparagus stalks the 

 only viable eggs appeared to be those recently deposited. The cause of 

 this collapsed condition of the eggs was soon apparent. A female adult 

 parasite under observation approached an &gg, and, after carefully 

 examining it with her antennae, climbed upon it, inserted her ovipositor, 

 and worked it up and down with a pumping motion. This motion was 

 continued for varying lengths of time, from a few seconds to three or 

 four minutes, after which she withdrew the ovipositor, backed down 

 from the egg, and, applying her mouthparts to the puncture, sucked up 

 the egg contents. 



She usually fed from the Q.gg until the shell collapsed. At times it was 

 necessary for her to manipulate the ovipositor in the egg four or five 

 times before the contents were sufficiently loosened to permit their 

 extraction. This feeding of the parasite was so extensive that of 

 2,097 eggs counted on 28 stalks of asparagus, 1,495, ^^ 71-29 per cent, 

 had been destroyed. 

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