76 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 
Eleodes opaca is apparently confined to the Plains region east of 
the Rocky Mountains, specimens having been collected in central 
and eastern Colorado, western Kansas and Oklahoma, northern 
Texas, all of Nebraska, and southern and eastern South Dakota. 
Eleodes suturalis occurs over about the same region as /. opaca, 
with its variety terana Lec. extending southward into New Mexico 
and southern Texas. 
THE WORK IN THE BIG BEND REGION OF WASHINGTON. 
On May 28, 1909, an oat field at Govan, Wash., was examined. 
This field had been almost completely destroyed by true wireworms; 
besides these, many larvee of Eleodes letcheri vandykei were found on 
the surface of the ground, evidently forced out by the unusually late 
heavy rains of the preceding day. These latter were by far too few 
in numbers to have destroyed the oats. Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana 
occidentalis) were noticed feeding in the fields in large numbers on 
the exposed Eleodes larve. Many of the larvae were also found in 
the ground at a depth of from 3 to 5 inches, in small spherical cells, 
wherein they lay in a-curled position. These were considerably 
softer and paler colored than those found in an active condition. 
The work in 1910 started early in April when the false wireworms 
were to be found scatteringly throughout the grain fields, the grain 
having just sprouted. 
Adults were first observed in 1911 on April 17, the day being 
quite hot, but the weather up to this time having been very cool. 
The beetles were to be seen at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon in 
great numbers along all the roadsides, where they were either awk- 
wardly hurrying over the ground or nibbling at the foliage of the 
very young Polygonum littorale, which is very abundant in this 
region. 
Adults of the larger species, Eleodes obscura sulcipennis, were 
usually to be found in or about the burrows of the ground squirrel 
(Citellus townsend2) and the badger. 
When disturbed, the species of Eleodes have the ludicrous habit of 
standing still and elevating the abdomen so that the long axis of the 
body approaches the perpendicular instead of the nearly horizontal 
position it normally maintains while walking or at rest. The two 
beetles to the right in figure 22 are in this attitude. Thus they will 
remain motionless for several minutes and finally, if they are not 
further disturbed, they walk off. If one places the finger near the 
insect, an oily liquid is excreted from the anal aperture, which flows 
down over the elytra and abdomen. This liquid is pale yellow in 
color and makes a dark-brown stain; it has a very characteristic, 
strong, astringent, and offensive odor, and is evidently protective in 
