22 



the apple orchard this season for the destruction of the codhng 

 moth, we found the phim curcuho nearly half as prevalent as the 

 other insect. It is, in fact, everywhere in apple orchards, far more 

 common than the apple curculio itself in regions where no peach- 

 tree has been seen for years, and even the plum is very rare. That 

 it has been thoroughly habituated to the apple as its breeding place 

 can no longer be considered as doubtful. Indeed, a statement to 

 this effect was made by Mr. Walsh as early as 1867*. 



Similar information is conveyed in a note from Mr. S. T. Maynard, of 

 Massachusetts, published in the Report of the Secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture of that State for 1884, "It has often been 

 noticed early in the summer," he says, "that apples nearly all fall 

 from the trees when quite small. This was especially the case dur- 

 ing the past season, and a careful investigation was made to ascer- 

 tain the cause. A tree of the variety known as the Westfield Seek- 

 uo-further, which blossomed very abuudantly and set an unusually 

 large crop of fruit, was selected. When from one-half to one inch 

 in diameter, the fruit began to drop in large numbers, so that 

 not enough was lelt on the tree for half a crop. A large quantity 

 of them were collected and examined, and out of eight hundred it 

 was found that all but three v\ere punctured by the plum curculio, 

 leaving its peculiar cre:-cent-fchaped mark, and in every puncture 

 was found an egg or smnll larva. Tbe worms commonly found in 

 the apple at this time have generally been supposed to be the larvae 

 of the codling moth (Carjjocdpsa p(nnoHclla), yet in the number ex- 

 amined only four or five of the hirxie of the latter were found." 



Digging in an old pasture near Normal, June 13, 1883, I observed 

 some thick footless coleopterous larvse apparently feeding upon the 

 thick roots of grass. They were not at all abundant, and our at- 

 tempt to rear these specimens failed. On the 13 h of July, 1885, I 

 received from Mr. J. il. Gaston, of Normal, a number of specimens 

 of what was evidently the same larva, taken by him from the roots 

 of timothy in a field which had been about eight years in grass. 

 The crowns of the grass were here eaten out, from one-half to one per 

 cent, of the stalks being consequently killed. The same species 

 was found in timothy at Champaign, about the middle of July, eat- 

 ing directly into the crown of the grass from beneath, usually 

 throwing out a mealy mass by which the position of the larvae 

 could be recognized. On the 21st of July the grubs transferred to 

 our breeding cages were still active and feeding upon the grass, but 

 September 21 an examination of the eanh discovered a living Sphe- 

 iiophorus ])(trriiliis associated with a larval hkm and an empty pupa 

 case, in a way to indicate beyond all question its connection with 

 the footless larva under observation. October 5 another specimen 

 of the same species emerged. 



The larv-i of this species is a thick tieshy grub, white except the 

 head, which is reddish brown with black mandibles. The body is 

 much wrinkled, both transversely and longitudinally, destitute of 

 feet, provided with a few scattered straight brown hairs, somewhat 



*"I have found Its larv.'c very abundant in fho chorrius In Kankakee, and havo this 

 year bie 1 it irom nnmbHfs of tne Early Harvest apple takmi from M ■. (i. H. l>ak(u's or- 

 chard." Trans. 111. St. Hort. Soc. ISU?, p. 114. See also American Entomologist. Vol. ii. p. 

 27G. 



