16 THE SUGAR-BEET WIREWORM. 



those of other Elateridfe. All of the posterior pau-, excepting the 

 tai-si, are covered by the wing cases, which are curved around and 

 almost meet on the ventral side, at the distal end of the third abdomi- 

 nal segment. 



The abdomen is contracted sharply at the seventh segment, so 

 that the eighth segment is only a little more than half as wide as 

 the anterior end of the seventh. 



The anal segment bears two long, heavy spines on its posterior 

 angles. These spines are slightly divergent, are pitted, and the 

 distal half of each is brown, changing to black at the tip. 



The pupae vary greatly in size. Measurements taken from sev- 

 eral individuals give an average length of 11.5 mm. and a width of 



3.6 mm. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



This wdreworin is found quite generally throughout the western 

 half of California. It is abundant in the lower sugar-beet lands of 

 southern California. The main districts affected by it are those of 

 Ventura, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. These three districts 

 comprise probably the choicest sugar-beet land in southern Cali- 

 fornia. The station for the study of this insect was located in 

 Compton, in Los Angeles County, about 10 miles from the coast, 

 and surrounded by about 12,000 acres of sugar beets. 



Limonius californicus has been reported from the following 

 places, all in California: Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, 

 Lake, Monterey, and El Dorado Counties, by Prof. H. C. Fall; near 

 Owens Lake, collected by Dr. A. Fenyes; Marin County, specimens 

 in the collection of the University of California; Orange, Ventura, and 

 San Diego Counties. (See fig. 2.) 



Prof. A. L. Melander, entomologist of the Washington Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, Pulhnan, Wash., reports that in the collection 

 there they have a single specimen which was collected in eastern 

 Washington. 



It is thus seen that this species is fairly well scattered along the 

 western half of California. It is probably not of economic impor- 

 tance outside this State. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



The larv« of Limoniut^ californicus have been noted to feed on 

 the following plants: 



Sugar beet. 



Wild beet {Beta sp.). 



Potato {Solanum tuberosum). 



Lima bean (all varieties). 



Corn (all varieties). 



Johnson grass {Sonjhum halepense). 



Dock {Rumex hymenoscpalus). 



Alfalfa { Medicago spp.). 



Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) . 



Chrysanthemum . 



Nettle (reported by H. M. Russell). 



Wild aster (reported by H. M. Russell). 



Mustard {Brassica niger). 



