171 



Dolcnts sp. Xo. 1, — Fiill^rowii hnvm (tf toriii (1) were tbimtl by Mr. 

 Lugger June 18, 1886, near Baltimore cutting- ott" the heads of wheat. 

 Larvje apparently identical with these, but too badl>' deconii)()sed for 

 ])ositive identification, were received May .'31, 1887, from Mr. II. A. New 

 land, of Middletown, Del., with the report that they were very injurious 

 to wheat in that locality. Additional specimens in good condition and 

 apparently full-fed were received from the sanu' part>- June -l, 1887, and 

 on June 10 still others were forwarded by V. F. Kreider, of Lebanon, 

 Pa., who reported their doing considerable damage to wheat. 



Mr. Newland writes of them that they are seldom so damaging to 

 wheat as this year (1887) and last. He says that they cut off the stalk 

 about four inches below the head. They do not work very rapidly, but 

 take about fifteen minutes to cut off a single head. Last year they de- 

 stroyed in many fields from three to probably five bushels to the acre. 

 No adults wers obtained. 



Dolerus arvensis Say. Wo. 2. — The larvte (form 2) which have been re- 

 ferred to this species are only so placed provisionally. The difficulty 

 of i)roperly separating the larvie into lots, referable to distinct species 

 before any material for comparison has been obtained, will be readily 

 apparent. Larv« evidently of different species were very commonly 

 associated on the wheat or grasses and were placed together in breed- 

 ing cages, so that the reference of particular larvie to adults can not be 

 made with certainty. 



Larvie (form 2) taken on timothy were received from Mr. Webster, 

 June 14, 1884. These specimens were full grown, and an unsuccessful 

 attempt was made to breed one of them. Again on May 28 and 29 of 

 the year following additional larvse in various stages of growth were 

 sent by Mr. Webster. A quantity of these were saved in alcohol and the 

 others were placed on growing wheat. March 22 of the following year 

 a specimen of D. arvensis was obtained from this material. The only 

 doubt as to the correctness of the reference of these larvje to arvensis 

 comes from the fact that one of the larvae is recorded to have possessed 

 the characteristic markings of form 4, and it may have been fi'om this 

 specimen that the adult came. 



A single larva (form 2) was received June 18, 188G, from G. H. Cook, 

 New Brunswick, N. J., who found it feeding on a wheat stalk, the ear 

 of which it had cut off". 



Larvic received in 1883 from Mr. J. C. Hostetter, Minerva, Ohio, and 

 mentioned in Bulletin No. 4 of the Division of Entomology, are in poor 

 condition, but probably belong to this form. The attemi^t to rear these 

 larva' failed. The same larva* were reported at about the same time 

 by W. S. Chamberlain, secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, as 

 occurring on wheat at Ooliunbns, Ohio. Mr. Hostetter's letters are in 

 teresting in this connection and may be quoted in full: 



I have as tiue a field of wheat as I have seeu this seasou. This morning, in look- 

 iujf over it, I find upon the heads quite a number of such worms as are here inclosed. 



