feed in the excavation made by the mother, but soon burrow down- 

 ward into the root, and before the 1st of August the majority of 

 them have become fully grown and passed into the pupal stage 

 (fig. 3). By October nearly all have become fully developed beetles, 

 but they make no attempt to leave the plant until the following 

 spring. Bach states that the adults fly at 

 Omegnen in March and April, while Eichhoff 

 has observed them near Miilhausen, swarming 

 during the warm afternoons about the middle 

 of June ; but these observations were all made 

 in different parts of Europe. In our own 

 country, in Ohio, the adults are abroad and 

 have been swept from clover fields early in 

 May ; but no swarming of the beetles has been 

 observed, though it is clear that they may 

 migrate about that time of the year. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



In Europe, besides red clover and alfalfa, 

 the species is known to attack Scotch broom, 

 Cytisus {Spartimn) scoparius, and goat root or 

 yellow-flowered rest-harrow (Ononis Tiatrix). 

 In America it has so far been especially de- 

 structive to red clover (Trifolium pratense), 

 yet with the recently increasing interest in 

 the growing of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in 

 the Northern States it may be expected to 

 become destructive to that crop also. Besides, 

 it is known to attack mammoth clover (Tri- 

 folimn medium) and alsike {T. Jiyhridum). 

 The fact that it also injures the garden pea 

 will be very suggestive to growers of peas for 

 canneries, and indicates the undesirability of 

 sowing peas early in the season on ground 

 that has recently been in these clovers or 

 lying adjacent to the infested clover fields. Late-sown peas, how- 

 ever, would probably not become sufRcienth^ large to invite attack 

 until after the beetles had appeared and gone. 



Fig. 4.— Clover root, showing 

 work of clover root-borer. 

 Slightly enlarged. (Author's 

 illustration. ) 



METHOD OF ATTACKING RED CLOVER. 



The insect's method of attack is well illustrated by figure 4, show- 

 ing a clover root split in two, exposing the excavations. In cases 

 of extreme abundance, however, almost the entire main loot, 

 except the bark, is eaten, the substance being displaced by 



[Clr. 119] 



