38 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU IX. 



Practically nothing is known of the life history of any species of 

 the genus, of which there are quite a number. The beetles are par- 

 tial to Astragalus and Aragallus and feed also on lupines and related 

 plants. The larvae are undoubtedly root or stalk feeders. The pres- 

 ent species in the larval stage affects the roots and transforms in the 

 ground in comparatively large earthen cocoons, such as are show^n in 

 the illustration (fig. 11). 



Fig. 11. — Four-lined loco weevil (Cleonus qnadi Uineaius\ : Cocoon. (Original.) 



THE YELLOW LOCO FLY. 



(Tritoxa incurva Loew.) 



This species was collected at Hugo, Colo., on Aragallus lamherti. 

 It is a two-winged fly of the family Ortalidse and is recorded as 

 having the same habits as the black onion fly {Tritoxa fexa AVied.), 

 w^hose larva or maggot lives in the bulbs of onions ; indeed, it was at 

 one time considered a color variety of the latter. The wing markings 

 are almost identical, but the face, thorax, and most of the abdomen 

 are brownish yellow, wdiereas in the onion fly these parts are black. 

 Its body is about one-third of an inch long, each wing having a little 

 shorter measurement. Neither species under consideration is, as a 

 rule, especially abundant, but both are capable of being very destruc- 

 tive to plant life when they multiply in numbers, as may happen any 

 year in some localities. 



THE SPOTTED ROOT ELY. 



(Euxesta notata Wied.) 



This pretty little fly of omnivorous habits was reared from Asfj'a- 

 galvs mollissimiis from Hugo, Colo., in June and July, 1005, being 

 associated with the fickle midge and the loco root-maggot. In its 



