June, '19] VICKERY AND WILSON: WINGLESS MAY BEETLES 239 



diameter w^hich are plainly visible where the ground has not been 

 pulverized by cultivation. Just before sundown L. cribrosa may often 

 be observed sitting quietly with the head projecting out of the exit. 

 These holes are shown in the photograph (Fig. 4, pi. 13). These beetles 

 began to emerge in the field about sundown and by 9 o'clock they were 

 out in countless numbers, sometimes as many as five to a single plant. 



Lachnosterna farcta 



Reports began coming to our office during the latter part of March, 

 1918, from the people of San Antonio who had gardens attacked by the 

 common large brown June beetle (Lachnosterna farcta) . By the first 

 of May these beetles were very numerous and the reports of damage 

 were coming to us almost every day. The ravages of this pest were 

 so great that many gardens were replanted several times, the plants 

 being defoliated each time. The gardens in the northern part of the 

 city suffered most. 



Many acres of cotton were destroyed by this species in Bexar County 

 and perhaps the damage extends into other counties. In four fields 

 visited the cotton had been completely destroyed in areas of from five to 

 twenty acres. Other fields were damaged in smaller patches. 



In one field observed these beetles had finished a fifteen acre tract 

 of cotton and attacked young corn adjacent to the cotton, but as the 

 corn was too large to be destroyed only the lower leaves w^ere damaged. 



This species did not entirely disappear until about the middle of 

 July. One beetle was observed in a garden in the northwest part of 

 the city on the night of July 14, and one was caught in a barrier at the 

 United States Entomological Laboratory on July 15. 



Food Plants. — Beans seemed to be the favorite food plant of this 

 species in the gardens. As many as four or five beetles fed on a single 

 plant, eating off the leaves and buds and leaving only the stalk. Large 

 numbers of these beetles were observed feeding on Bermuda grass in 

 lawns and in vacant lots at the edge of the city. Among field crops 

 cotton was the favorite. Young plants with two to four leaves were 

 entirely defoliated, causing the stems to die soon afterwards. The 

 older plants suffered considerable damage but were not killed outright. 

 We observed the beetles feeding on corn in the station garden. They 

 usually remained on the ground and fed on the lower leaves which hung 

 down, although a few were observed climbing the young plants. 



We observed these beetles feeding on the following plants: Amaran- 

 thus spp., beans, beets, Bermuda grass, black eye peas, corn, cotton, 

 cabbage, castor bean, cucuml)er, fig, grape, lettuce, okra, radish, rape, 

 Russian sunHower, rutabaga, spinach, turnip, and velvet bean. 



People who cultivated small gardens reported that the l)cetles 



