FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 83 
SEASONAL HISTORY. 
The following life history was worked out for Eleodes letcherr 
vandykei at Govan, in the Big Bend region of Washington, and unless 
otherwise indicated the data refer to this species. 
The adults emerge from hibernation in the early spring, about 
the middle of April, and after feeding for a short time on the leaves 
of various -weeds, principally Polygonum littorale, mate and start 
oviposition. The eggs are deposited a few at a time in the ground, 
the adult female burrowing down through the soft dust to the moist 
soil below, usually to a depth of from 2 to 4 inches. The average 
number of eggs laid by one female is probably about 150. Five 
specimens of female Eleodes letcheri vandykei that were collected on 
April 30, 1911, were dissected and found to contain 199, 138, 161, 
157, and 92 eggs, respectively. Most of these eggs were full-sized 
and probably mature, though one female contained 45 eggs and 
another 91 eggs which were about one-third full size. A female 
Eleodes pimelioides, collected May 1, 1911, at Pullman, Wash., was 
found to contain 167 eggs and 2 females of Eleodes nigrina collected 
late in April contained 96 and 58 eggs, respectively. 
The eggs hatch in about 18 days, the recently emerged larve 
being cream-white, but rapidly assuming the nena amber-yellow 
color. 
The larvee feed throughout the ensuing summer, usually on decay- 
ing vegetable matter, hibernate, and resume feodinet as soon as 
the soil becomes warm enough the following spring, but this time 
disastrously to the spring-sown grain. In June the larve trans- 
form to pupe, and early in July the newly emerged adults commence 
to appear. They are quite soft on first emerging and take two or 
three days to become thoroughly hardened. These adults feed during 
the remainder of the summer, congregating in large numbers under 
the grain sacks, shocks, and any convenient shelter. They eat a 
small amount of grain and other vegetable matter and go into hiber- 
nation without mating. In the spring they resume activity and 
mate, thus completing the life cycle. They hibernate under boards, 
in squirrel holes, and in the ground. Prof. W. T. Shaw, of the Wash- 
ington State College, in digging out burrows of a ground squirrel 
(Citellus columbianus), found specimens at a depth of 6 feet below 
the surface in the burrows. I have dug out the hibernating beetles 
at a depth of about 6 inches in the soil in wheat fields and also in 
barrel root-cages. 
Larve of Eleodes suturalis were received by Mr. Theo. Pergande ! 
on October 26, 1898, from McPherson, Kans. These pupated before 
May 19 and adults emerged May 30. From this note it would seem 
that Eleodes suturalis varies from Eleodes letcheri vandykei in its life 
1 Bureau of aha eee Roe No. 8186. 


