74 GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



It is well to record here the occurrence 

 last summer, 1912, of another "bill bug" 

 larger and more robust than the one above 

 described. It can evidently be referred to 

 Sphenophorus ochreus. 



We received specimens of this insect 

 during the summer from a farmer who 

 complained that they were "killing his 

 chickens." These beetles have very sharp 

 claws, and when seized by chickens they 

 probably scratched and perhaps bit the 

 fowls in the soft parts about the mouth, 

 being quite able, on account of their size 

 and strength, to draw blood and cause 

 some distress to the fowls so afflicted. A 

 little later, July 11th, one of our field men 

 discovered this same beetle causing consid- 

 erable damage to wheat at Redwood Falls 

 on the farm of Mr, Winn. He reports as follows : 



Fig. 54. <S. iirhretiK, dorsal 

 view. Original. 



"I noted the following conditions: Damage may be done in either or both 

 of two ways depending upon the stage of plant growth at which the insect 

 first attacks the wheat. In the first case, where the insect attacks the wheat 

 before it has 'headed out,' the weevil's attack is made by slitting the stem 

 and feeding upon the inner portions of this stem; in such cases when the 

 head appears it is white and without substance in the berries. When the 

 attack is made later and after the head had opened the weevil simply feeds upon 

 the berries of the wheat while still in the milk. Its position in feeding is 

 characteristic,^ — it forces its way down among the 'beards', head downward, 

 clinging to the beards or spines and eating through the "husk" feeds at 

 leisure upon the soft grain. To escape capture or to change its feeding place 

 it backs up the spines until free. 



All the damage which I have noted has 

 been upon Velvet Chaff", a bearded wheat, 

 while the Blue stem, a smooth or beardless 

 variety was left notably untouched. Re- 

 ferring to map herewith attached, it will 

 be noted that this first field examined, 

 which was typical of others noted, is in 

 large part a low tract of land, which in the 

 meadow "A" is a rather marshy spot "a." 

 The whole tract "B" is "Velvet "Chaif" and 

 throughout this we found the weevils pres- 

 ent in large numbers — as many as three or 

 four insects were found on single heads of wheat. The tract '"C" which is ex- 

 actly similar as to soils and drainage is of "Blue Stem" and yet here although 

 there is ro interval between the fields (not even a ditch or furrow) we found 

 none of the weevils. But another fact enters here which may have some sig- 

 nificance although this is as yet uncertain; the tract "D" is also of "Blue 

 Stem" but here we found a very few of the weevils in the low ground at "d." 

 Upon my inquiry I learned that "B" and "D" were both plowed in the Fall 



Fig-. 55. 



(S*. ofhffiis. side view. 

 Original. 



