246 



INJURIOUS AND BENFF1CIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



Distribution. — This is a very common beetle throughout the entire 

 State, but is rare in the San Francisco Bay region. 



Food Plants. — The exact status of the feeding habits of the grubs 

 is so confused with that of the grubs of the June beetles that it is 

 impossible to give a list of host plants. It is believed, however, that 

 the roots of grasses and wild plants as well as a great many cultivated 

 plants are injured. The adults are reported as feeding upon the roots 

 of carrots, beets, etc., and upon the foliage of oak and elm trees. 



Control. — Control measures are the same as for the California 

 Lachnosterna. Eeal profitable control measures are out of the ques- 

 tion where large fields are infested. 



THE HAIRY PHOBETUS 



Phobetus comatus Lecoutc 



(Fig. 235) 



Description. — The beetles are usually light amber-brown with the 

 elytra, abdomen and head somewhat darker. The prothorax is very 

 light yellow with a brown spot on each side. The coxre and femora of the 



legs are light, while the tibiae 

 and tarsi are dusky. The 

 dorsum of the prothorax is 

 clothed with short fine yel- 

 low hairs and the ventral 

 surface of the entire thorax 

 is covered with similar hairs, 

 which are much longer. The 

 hair on the abdomen and 

 legs is of the same color, but 

 not so long or thick. The 

 antennae are short and small. 

 The beetles average T % inch 

 in length and T 5 ff inch in 

 width. 



Life History. — The adults 



Fig. 235. — The hairy Phobetus, Phobetus or*r>PflT» in tnp onrincr f Anril 



comatus Lee. Dorsal and ventral views of adults. S PP e{ ^ in , tUe n SP " n ? V^Pril 



Enlarged one third. Specimens taken at Auburn and May) and feed princi- 



by H. H. Bowman. (Original) pally ^ n j gh ^ though some 



continue through the day. Those feeding by night bury themselves 

 in the ground near the bases of the trees during the day. The larval 

 stage is unknown, but the grubs probably live in the ground and feed 

 upon the roots of wild grasses and other plants. 



Nature of Work.— The beetles devour the leaves. The work of the 

 larva? is unknown. 



Distribution. — Numbers of the beetles were collected in Placer 

 County, April 27, 1914, by Horticultural Commissioner H. H. Bowman. 

 Fall 152 records it from Catalina Island and from San Diego and Los 

 Angeles counties and the San Joaquin Valley. It is, therefore, quite 

 generally distributed throughout the State. 



55 Fall, TT. C, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci.. VIII, p. 141, 1901. 



