LIFE HISTORY OF EUBIOMYIA CALOSOMAE, A TACHINID 

 PARASITE OF CALOSOMA BEETLES 



By C. W. Collins, Entomological Assistant, and Clifford E. Hood, Scientific 

 Assistant, Gipsy Moth and Brown-tail Moth Investigations, Bureau of Entomology, 

 United States Department of Agriculture 



INTRODUCTION ^ 



In May, 1906, the first adult colony of Calosoma sycophanta L. from 

 Europe was liberated in Saugus, Mass. Importations were con- 

 tinued to the close of 1910, and colonizations were made from the 

 material received. During this period rearings were made from the 

 foreign parents, and colonizations were made with the larvae. During 

 191 2, adults collected in the field for breeding experiments at Melrose 

 Highlands, Mass., died, and from them issued several specimens of a 

 tachinid parasite now known as Euhiomyia calosomae Coq. This was the 

 first indication of tachinid parasites from foreign or native material 

 attacking C. sycophanta since the introduction of the beetles in 1906, 

 although many beetles arriving dead from Zurich, Switzerland, were 

 placed in tight containers for the purpose of determining whether they 

 were parasitized. No parasites were reared from any foreign material. 



The parasite was again recovered from native adults of Calosoma 

 sycophanta in 1914. Its importance as a parasite of this economic 

 predacious species was realized, and investigations were begun the fol- 

 lowing year to secure biological data on the species in order to determine 

 its present and possible future effect on the beetles. 



In 1896 Burgess (2) ^ collected an adult specimen of Calosoma calidum 

 Fab. in Maiden, Mass. (although the literature does not give this locality), 

 from which were reared seven flies. These specimens were forwarded to 

 the Bureau of Entomology from Amherst, Mass., and were erroneously 

 labeled and recorded as from that locality. They were determined by 

 Coquillett (2) as Pseudatractocera calosomae Coq. He stated further that 

 he had bred the same species from C. peregrinator Guer. in California. 

 In 1 89 1 Brauer and Bergenstamm (i) described a tachinid sent them from 

 the State of Georgia as Vimania georgiae B. and B., which they regarded 

 as a distinct species. This form is closely allied to V. cinerea Fall., a 



• The writers are indebted to Dr. L. O. Howard for the loan of specimens from the United States National 

 Museum for comparison; to A. F. Burgess for valuable suggestions in obtaining notes on the life history of 

 the species; to the late Frederick Knab, of the United States National Museum; to C. W. Johnson, of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History, and to R. T. Webber, of the Bureau of Entomology, for comparison and 

 determination of material; and to various men of this bureau stationed at the Gipsy Moth Laboratory, Mel- 

 rose Highlands, Mass., for collection of beetles yielding parasites. 



2 Reference is made by number (italic) to "Literature cited," p. 497. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XVIII, No. 9 



Washington, D. C. Feb. 2, 1920 



to Key No. K-83 



156106°— 20 3 (483) 



