15 



get eggs from adults in captivity were unsuccessful, but eggs, appar- 

 ently fully developed, were dissected' from these beetles. 



Ligyrus gihhosns occurs in the fields, but not commonly. It was 

 bred from larvae found beneath young cotton plants in recently 

 manured soil. It was also noticed in a few instances cutting cane. 

 Its eggs are a trifle smaller than those of the sugar-cane beetle and are 

 placed in the same positions about the roots of the cane. Adults 

 bred from the cotton fields emerged early in May from pupte formed 

 in captivity about ten days previous. In the northern part of Louis- 

 iana this species has at times been very destructive to corn in early 

 spring, and its ravages in the northern corn States are well known. 

 At times it occurs in truck gardens and will doubtless be found l)reed- 

 ing wherever the soil is enriched sufficiently with stable manure. 



ENEMIES. 



Birds. — Blackbirds may be considered as one of the most efficient 

 enemies of white grubs throughout the South. Unfortunately, how- 

 ever, they are becoming each year more scarce in many parts of 

 Louisiana, owing to the fact that the class of immigrants now coming 

 into the State as plantation laborers are constantly, in their spare 

 time, on the outlook for birds, and especiall}^ all small birds, for use 

 as food. In the evenings I have several times noticed laborers com- 

 ing home from a hunt with blackbirds, quail, sparrows, and other 

 small birds. None of these seem to come amiss for food and the 

 direct result is rather hard on the bird jwpulation. 



Insects. — Cocoons of a hymenopterous parasite, i)rol)ably a species 

 of Tiphia, were found in the cells of a Cyclocephala and a Ligyrus 

 in a few fields at Olivier, and in several places in cells of white 

 grubs beneath the roots of Grand Marais grass. But one specimen 

 was bred out, and this was too badly damaged to admit of iden- 

 tification. 



Dipterous larva? {Erax lateralis Macq.) (fig. G), were not uncom- 

 mon at several places in the sugar-cane region. These usually 

 occurred at the base of stubble cane or in decaying mother cane, but 

 a few were found among grass roots. In almost every instance there 

 were found with them either injured white-grub larva? or portions of 

 the harder remains of such larvae or pupiie. From nearly full-grown 

 larvje taken in the spring there emerged, during the latter part of 

 June and early July, several specimens of a predaceous fly deter- 

 mined by Mr. Coquillett as Erax lateralis Macq. 



The full-grown larva' are about 20 to 25 mm. long, very slender, 

 shining white, with darker spiracles and a dark chitinous head. 



The puparia are deep brown in color, the spines being almost black. 



Adult flies vary considerably in size, being from 20 to 28 mm. in 

 length; the thorax is dark brown, more or less covered with a gray 



