February, '17] COOLEY: SPIXACH CARRION BEETLE 95 



done by Silpha opaca in Germany. He said that the larva of tliis 

 beetle was by all odds the most troublesome insect pest with which 

 beet growers in that country had to deal. Hand picking was the 

 remedy usually resorted to. He also stated that he had seen several 

 specimens of the insect during the past summer at West Point, this 

 State, upon sugar beets, and that he had killed them. He said that 

 he could not be mistaken about the insect, as he had seen too many 

 of them in Europe not to know them at sight. With this second 

 reported presence of this insect in beet fields at this one locality it 

 begins to appear that perhaps, after all, it is present in America. " 



In a letter from Prof. Mj^ron H. Swenk, associate entomologist of 

 the Nebraska Experiment Station, to the writer, dated November 2, 

 1916, we are informed that in discussing the occurrence of Silpha 

 hituberosa in Nebraska with Professor Bruner, he had learned that 

 this insect is occasionally found in that state and in beet fields and 

 that the record of Silpha opaca, quoted above, probably refers to S. 

 hituberosa rather than to S. opaca. It is also stated that the record of 

 S. opaca "having been taken several times in beet fields, and in gardens 

 where beets were growing" (Report of Nebraska State Board of Agri- 

 culture, p. 124, 1890) largely refers to S. bituberosa. If it were entirely 

 certain that these records refer to Silpha bituberosa then we could 

 record a somewhat earlier reference to the insect in economic literature. 



In his report for 1897, Doctor Fletcher mentions this insect again 

 and adopts as the common name ''The Spanish Carrion Beetle." 

 Doctor Fletcher states that the insect was sent to him from correspond- 

 ents at Saskatoon, in Saskatchewan and from Calgary, Alberta. Doc- 

 tor Horn in his "Synopsis of the Silphidse of the United States with 

 reference to the genera of other Countries" (Tran. Am. Ento. Soc, 

 vol. VIII, p. 242, 1890) states that Silpha hituberosa "occurs from 

 Kansas to Wyoming and Montana." 



Through correspondence with official entomologists of the northwest- 

 ern states, information regarding the geographical distribution of the 

 species has been obtained. On the authority of Professors Bruner 

 and Swenk, we have positive information of its occurrence in Nebraska 

 and from Professor A. C. Burrill we learn that it also occurs in Idaho. 

 From Mr. W. B. Bell, formerly of the North Dakota Experiment 

 Station, it was learned that the insect had not been taken in North 

 Dakota up to July, 1916. Prof. H. C. Severin, state entomologist of 

 South Dakota, informed us that he has no record showing it to be 

 present in his state. Prof. A. L. Melander has informed us that the 

 insect does not occur in Washington, so far as their collections show 

 nor had he heard of its presence in that state. Oregon likewise does 

 not have the species, according to Professor Lovett. According to 



