October, 'OS] JiHRXAL of economic extomolocy 297 



the winter, and in due time facts would be at hand enabling us to 

 judge intelligently concerning the actual effectiveness of parasitic 

 checks, for some species at least. 



There is always a good chance of being misunderstood, hence it 

 may be in place for me to say that I do not mean to suggest that 

 parasites are of no use in checking insect increase. I know that they 

 are.' But I do claim that we do not know just where parasites rank 

 in effectiveness as compared with other conditions, and I do claim also 

 that, however much under parasitic control some species may be, that 

 is no proof that therefore all other species may be or are similarly 

 controlled. The contrary proposition is, of course, equally true. 



NOTES ON THE LESSER CLOVER-LEAF BEETLE 



{Pliytonomns nigrirostris Fab.) 

 By C. 0. HouGiiTox, Neivark, Del. 



This species is quite common in Delaware, where, in company with 

 its near relative, P. piuiciatus Fab., it at times does considerable dam- 

 age to clover. 



The earliest date on which I have taken this species in the field in 

 Delaware is April 12 ; this w^as in 1906. On that, day I found a 

 single brightly-colored specimen several inches down in a hollow weed- 

 stalk, three or four feet high, in a field. I also took, on the same 

 date, about a dozen specimens as they M^ere floating on the water in 

 a small ice-poncl near Newark. There must have been several hun- 

 dred specimens on the pond at this time, as a large number of others 

 were seen. Apparently they had fallen into the water as they were 

 flying over it, possibly due to the fact that quite a strong wind was 

 blowing. 



In 1905 my first specimens were taken on May 9, on which date I 

 found three at the bases of clover plants in a sunny spot beside a 

 railroad track. All three specimens were bright and fresh, the green 

 being very brilliant. I placed these specimens together in a shell 

 vial containing a few clover leaves, and soon after noticed two of the 

 beetles apparently pairing. The next day two more specimens were 

 taken and enclosed with the others, and that evening two pairs were 

 observed mating. They did not appear to mind confinement and 

 fed freely upon the clover leaves, eating smaU irregular holes or slits 

 in them ; they also fed somewhat upon the stems. 



On the morning of May 11th the pairs were still together, and 



2 



