52 



INSECT ENEMIES OF THE BOLL WEEVIL. 



Hahrocytus 'piercei Crawford. This is a brilliant, gieen parasite 

 resembling Catolaccus anthonomi Ashmead. It is reared from the boU 

 weevil mainly in the fall and from hibernated individuals in the spring. 

 It has been reared from Laria compressicornis Schaeffer in pods of 

 Acuan illinoensis. (See fig. 10.) 



Lariophagus texanus Crawford. There is every evidence that this 

 species is a true parasite of the boll weevil, although it has not been 

 positively reared by isolation from the boll weevil. On August 17 

 and 27, 1907, two specimens were reared from material collected at 

 Hallettsville, Tex., August 13; on August 19 and 23 three specimens 

 were reared from cotton squares collected at Victoria, Tex. ; on August 

 29 three specimens were reared from squares wliich were collected at 

 Eagle Lake, Tex., on August 14. The Victoria lot was pecuhar in that 

 it furnished the first records of Ceramhycohius cushmani Crawford, 

 Spilochalcis sp., and Eurytoma n. sp. This species is described as a 

 parasite of {Bruchus) Laria prosopis Le Conte. It 

 undoubtedly also attacks L. sallsei Sharp, which 

 also breeds in the pods of huisache; furthermore, 

 the species was reared from stem galls of Leucosyris 

 spinosus containing Anthonomus ligatus Dietz. 



Tetrasticlius liunteri Crawford. This interesting 

 new parasite of the boll weevil was first reared in 

 the fall of 1908 from isolated parasitized individuals 

 of the boll weevil collected at Natchez, Miss., by 

 H. S. Smith. It is internal in weevil larvae and 

 pupae and has even been reared from immature 

 adults. A parasitized individual can easily be told 

 by its brownish color and smoothening of the vari- 

 ous segmental wrinkles. In more advanced stages 

 of the parasite's development, the parasitized in- 

 dividual becomes a mere brown skin of parchment. This skin serves 

 as puparium for the parasite. The developmental period is of con- 

 siderable length in the fall. Specimens isolated in November do 

 not mature until April or May. In 1908 it was found only at Natchez, 

 Mss., and Monroe, La., but in 1909 it was reared at a number of places 

 in Louisiana and also at Arlington, Tex. This species gives an ex- 

 cellent example of the adjustment of native parasites to the boll 

 weevil. 



ICHNEUMONOIDEA. ICHNEUMONID.E. PIMPLIN.E. 



Fig. 10.— Habrocytus 

 piercei: Pupa. Much 

 enlarged. (Original.) 



Pimpla sp. On January 27, 1909, a larva of this species was 

 isolated from a weevil larva in squares collected at Nacogdoches, Tex. 

 This became a mature female on February 23. 



