193 



Hayes (W. P.). A Study of the Life-History of the Maize Bill-Bug.— 



Jl. Econ. Entom., Concord, ix, no. 1, February 1916, pp. 120-130, 

 1 fig., 3 plates. 



The weevil, Sphenophorus maidis, Chittn., has been recorded from 

 Alabama, Georgia, South CaroUna, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, 

 Arkansas and Kansas. The most serious damage to maize occurs in 

 low-lying situations with heavy soils. Means of dispersal are floods, 

 driftwood and probably movements of agricultural supphes. Sugar- 

 cane, sorghum, sweet corn and feterita, in addition to maize, serve as 

 : food-plants. Transformation from the pupal to the adult state occurs 

 in the autumn ; some of the adults may emerge from the pupal cases 

 and hibernate in the soil, but the majority remain in the cells con- 

 structed in the maize stalks imtil the following April. In 1914, pairing 

 first occurred on 10th May and eggs were deposited 14 days later. 

 Adults usually die at the end of the egg-laying period, that is, between 

 the end of June and the beginning of August, but may survive until 

 late autumn. Eggs are usually deposited in the sheath surrounding 

 the stalk, either above or below the surface of the soil ; there is usually 



• one egg in each cavity. Moisture, furnished by the plant tissues, is 

 required for hatching. The average length of the larval stage passed 

 in a burrow in the stalk of maize was about 43 days in 1915. Pupation 

 takes place in cells formed in or near the tap-root ; the average length 



-of this stage in 1914 was about 11 days and in 1915 about 14 days. 

 'The natural enemies of S. maidis are an unidentified Dipterous parasite 



• of the egg and various predaceous insects, such as the adults and larvae 



• of Carabid beetles ; the ants, Monomorium pharaonis, L., and Solenopsis 

 molesta, Say, attacking the larvae ; Elaterid larvae, Lasius niger 



'americana, Emery (corn field ant), M. pharaonis and S. molesta, 

 attacking the pupa ; adult Carabids and S. molesta, attacking the 



.adult. The most satisfactory control measure is to practice rotation 



' of crops ; in southern Kansas infested fields are sown with lucerne 

 for several years. Swamp grass in and around infested areas, as well 



. as self-sown maize or sorghum should be destroyed. 



In the discussion following the paper, Mr. Z. P. Metcalf stated that 



rin North Carohna there is an autumn flight of the adults of an allied 

 species, S. callosus, Oliv. 



-ScHOENE (W. J.). The Economic Status of the Seed-Corn Maggot 



(Pegomyia fusciceps, Zett.)- — Jl- Econ. Entom., Concord, ix, no. 1, 

 February 1916, pp. 131-133. 



Chortophila {Pegomyia) fusciceps has hitherto been believed to be 



. injurious to sprouting beans and peas, seed potatoes and the roots of 



cabbages and onions. Specimens of this insect appear in all collections 



■of C. brassicae and are numerous in sweepings of pea-fields and wild 



. mustard. For several years the examination of fields of peas, beans, 



. and potatoes has been carried out in New York, in order to determine, 



if possible, the actual extent of the damage caused by this species. 



Very few infested plants were found. In 1911, material for breeding 



experiments was obtained from the remains of the crop of a cabbage 



field. Many of the heads were infested with larvae at the points at 



which new sprouts had arisen. Some of the decayed parts contained 



