164 Notes upon the Food of Predaceous Beetles. 



earliest observations on this subject I noted the abun- 

 dance of Oarabidas about the shocks of wheat in a field 

 where a violent wind storm had blown down a large num- 

 ber of sheaves, under which, upon their being replaced, 

 large numbers of Harpalus caligiiiosus^ pennsylvanicus 

 and TierMvaqus^ PterostiGlius lucuhlaridtis and Anisodacty- 

 lus halti'inorensis were observed. 



The wheat was drawn in and threshed directly from the 

 field, and a large percentage of the kernels were badly 

 eaten. Previous to the threshing, in another field, a 

 specimen of H. pennsylvanicus was captured with a par- 

 tially eaten grain of wheat in its mandibles. The eaten 

 grains of the threshed wheat seemed to agree with the 

 fragments found in the jaws of the beetle, and as no other 

 destructive agencies were noted, the facts seemed to sug- 

 gest that the damage was done by the before-mentioned 

 Oarabidae. A few days after, H. pennsylvanicus was 

 found eating the now fully ripe seeds from a head of up- 

 right timothy grass, and was observed to detach them 

 from the glumes. The same species has since been seen 

 feeding largely upon ragweed, Anihros'ia artemisimfolia 

 Linn., during September, the seeds apparently being the 

 favorite part. A short time after it was found upon tim- 

 othy grass it was observed eating the seeds of prairie 

 grass, Panicum cfus-galli L. ; and the same day another 

 individual was found devouring an Ips fasciatus Oliv., one 

 of the Nitidulidae, thus proving its carnivorous propensi- 

 ties also. H. caliginosus is likewise found eating the seeds 

 of Atnbrosia artemisice folia. 



H. herhivagus feeds largely upon the tender shoots of 

 grass during March, cutting them off just below the sur- 

 face ; but later it selects the tender blades and the discol- 

 ored parts usually found under boards, etc. 



Amara angustata Say is found quite abundantly upon 

 the heads of June grass, Poa pratensis L. But the most 

 voracious Oarabid enemy of this grass is the Anisodacty- 

 lus sericeus Harris. 



Early in June, 1878, vast numbers of these beetles were 

 noted upon the heads of this grass ; in fact, spots several 

 yards in area were literally covered with them. After 



