JOURNAL 



OF 



ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



OFFICIAL ORGAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS 



Vol. 3 JUXE, 1910 No. 3 



ON THE HABIT WITH CERTAIN CHALCIDOIDEA OF 



FEEDING AT PUNCTURE HOLES MADE BY THE 



OVIPOSITOR 



By L. 0. Howard 



In his article on the importation of Tetrastichus xanthomelcence- 

 in the Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume I, No. 5, 1908, pages 

 281-289, the writer described the observations of Paul Marchal on this 

 European Tetrastichus in which he showed that in many cases the 

 ovipositor is used as a pin to pierce the shell of the egg in order that 

 the adult may suck its contents. He showed that many punctures 

 were made in this way without oviposition and apparently for the 

 purpose of feeding. Similar observations were made by Mr. W. F. 

 Fiske when this same parasite was imported into this country. 



Again in the Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume II, No. 

 4, August, 1909, page 278, Dr. H. T. Femald mentions an undeter- 

 mined parasite of the eggs of the asparagus beetle (Crioceris 

 asparagi) and in a circular of the Massachusetts Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station (No. 23, published July, 1909) Doctor Fernald states 

 that one of the observers of this insect at Concord, Mass., reports 

 seeing the parasite occasionally attack the eggs with its mouth parts, 

 consuming the contents of the eggs. He stated that he had not ob- 

 served this himself and was of the opinion that the observation needed 

 verifying. Mr. C. W. Prescott, of Concord, Mass., on May 23rd no- 

 ticed that a number of the eggs of the asparagus beetle were empty 

 and dead. He told Mr. J. B. S. Norton, of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, who was there, about it, and together Mr. Prescott and ]Mr. 

 Norton examined the eggs carefully. They saw the parasite thrust 



