317 



fields such as potato fields underneath clods of earth, in any small 

 hollow that will serve as a protection to their young. After, depositing 

 the majority of her eggs within such a cavity, the female advances 

 towards the opening of the retreat, leaving the last of them close to 

 the entrance. The primary larvae hatch in about 23 days. While 

 seeking suitable food for those that were kept in the laboratory, they 

 were left for more than 20 days without nourishment, without appar- 

 ently suffering any inconvenience. It is well known that the primary 

 larvae of various Meloids feed on the eggs of locusts. That of Epicauta 

 vittata is found in the nests of Melanoplus (Caloptenus) dijferentialis 

 and M. (C) spretus, and that of Mylabris schreiberi in the nests of 

 Dociosfaurns (Stauronotiis) maroccanus. E. adspersa was found 

 experimentally to attack the oothecae of locusts, such as Schisto- 

 cerca {Dichroplus) vittigera, and in \4ew of the fact that this Meloid 

 is always more abundant in the years following locust invasions, 'it 

 seems possible that it may also be an enemy of Schistocerca paranensis. 

 It is hoped that this point may soon be elucidated. The chief aim 

 of the first stage larva is to reach the eggs of locusts or grasshoppers, 

 and having obtained a sufficient supply of food from this source, 

 metamorphosis to the second stage occurs in 4 or 5 days. When 

 the larva has exhausted the supply of locust eggs, it burrows deeper 

 into the earth to complete its successive transformations. It lives as 

 a pseudopupa throughout the \^dnter and reappears in the following 

 spring as a fairly active larva, transforming after a few days into 

 a true pupa, the adult beetle emerging a week later. The pseudo- 

 pupa may however live for two years or more without undergoing 

 any change ; this phenomenon has not yet been explained. 



E. adspersa is known to be injurious in the adult stage, but is cer- 

 tainly beneficial during its larval period, especially if it should prove 

 destructive to the eggs of Schistocerca paranensis. Wherever possible, 

 the adults should therefore be driven by means of smudge fires from 

 fields where they may do damage. If it is necessary to destroy 

 them, copper arsenate appears to be the best material for the purpose. 



The therapeutic properties of this insect have been studied since 

 1855, and it is believed that it would prove a good substitute for the 

 well-know^n European cantharidin. Adults should be collected in the 

 morning or evening, when they are least active, by shaking the plants 

 over a sack. 



Dyscinetus gagates, Burm. , has appeared for the first time for several 

 years in wheat fields in numbers that constitute a serious infestation. 

 The beetles bite the young plant exactly at the ground level, quickly 

 causing them to wither and die. The damage done by the larva is 

 greater still, as the insect lives in this stage for three years at least 

 underground, where it feeds on plant roots. It is suggested that the 

 infested ground should be ploughed and that domestic birds should 

 be allowed access to the ploughed land. For the adults, Bordeaux 

 mixture or arsenical sprays are suggested. 



Beethes (J.). Los Pulgones de las Plantas. [Plant Aphids.] — Anales 

 Soc. Rural Argentina, Buenos Aires, li, no. 9, November 1917, 

 pp. 666-668, 1 fig. [Received 24th May 1918]. 



This paper gives a popular and general account of Aphids and 

 their habits. The species occurring in Argentina are not yet definitely 



