244 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



A NEW PREDACEOUS ENEMY OF THE COTTON BOLL 



WEEVIL 



WiLMOX Newell and R. C. Treherxe, Baton Rouge, La. 



So far as known to tlie writers there is no published record of any 

 Carabid which attacks the boll weevil. Anthonomus grandis Boh. 



While conducting some experiments with boll weevils in cages, 

 during May of the present year, it was noticed that the adult weevils 

 in one cage disappeared with remarkable rapidity. It may be re- 

 marked, by way of parenthesis, that in cages of the character used, 

 weevils dying in the cages are usually found with ease on the ground 

 around the growing plants. Especially is this true when daily ex- 

 aminations of the cages are made. In the cage referred to but few 

 dead weevils could be found and the mortality among the weevils con- 

 fined therein was several hundred per cent higher than the mortality 

 in other cages under similar conditions. Upon close examination of 

 this cage upon May 11th a small hole was noticed in the earth in one 

 corner of the cage and at a depth of five inches in this hole was found 

 a live Carabid together with elytra and other fragments remaining 

 from the destruction of at least nine boll weevils. 



This beetle we have identified as Evarthrus sodalis Lee, and from 

 the number of weevil remains found with it, it seems not improbable 

 that boll weevils constitute an important part of its food in the 

 weevil-infested section. 



A few days later another species of Evarthrus, as yet undetermined, 

 was captured and placed in a glass jar with several live boll weevils. 

 In the course of a few hours this Carabid caught and ate two of them. 



It therefore seems that the several species of this genus may be 

 regarded as probable enemies of the boll Aveevil and the part played 

 by them in the natural control of the latter insect may prove to be of 

 some little importance. 



Baton Rouge. La.. June 27. 1908. 



