December, '13] WILSON: PODABRUS HABITS 457 



Barbados, a large number of Tiphia cocoons are being gathered and 

 these will be sent to Mauritius in cold storage. Spencer's plantation, 

 Christ church, where the cocoons were being dug up, was visited. 

 Mr. A. A. Evelyn, the manager, had five or seven men at work digging 

 to a depth of two and sometimes three feet around the edge of the 

 cane fields, where the grubs of Phytalus smithi were most abundant. 

 Judging by the results of my own work in Illinois, they were having 

 only moderate success, as on many days they would discover nothing, 

 although sometimes they would get a dozen or more cocoons in a 

 few hours. As the shipment of cocoons was soon to be despatched 

 to Mauritius, arrangements were made with Mr. Evelyn to continue 

 the work of digging the cocoons of Tiphia parallela that some might 

 be sent to Portp Rico and an attempt made to estabhsh the species 

 as a parasite of the smaller species of native Lachnosterna. 



NOTES ON PODABRUS PRUINOSUS 



By H. F. Wilson, Entomologist, Oregon AgricuUural College, Corvallis, Ore. 



During the past two years this insect has been very abundant in 

 the Willamette Valley and is one of the most important agencies in 

 the control of all forms of plant lice. 



The three principal species held in check by this pest are the rosy 

 apple aphis (Aphis sorbi Kalt?), the black cherry aphis (Myzus cerasi 

 Fab.), and the vetch aphis {Macrosiphum pisi Kalt?). 



The. adults begin to appear about the first of May and by June 

 first are very abundant. By July first, only a few individuals can 

 be found. During the warm days along about the first of June the 

 beetles are flying about everywhere, apparently in search of food. 

 They are also quite commonly found in the vetch fields and in the rolls 

 of infested apple and cherry leaves. 



Thej^ undoubtedly destroy many aphids in a day and are of great 

 economic value. The manner of devouring an individual aphis re- 

 sembles very much that of a hungry dog with a piece of fresh meat 

 and several companions watching the operation. The aphid is not 

 exactly eaten, as the beetle crushes it with the mandibles and extracts 

 the juices. The remains are then cast to one side and another morsel 

 is sought for. 



When disturbed the beetles try to escape from the folds of the 

 leaves and, if resting or crawling on the leaf, will quickly drop to the 

 ground. 



