18 



pastures far away from farms. The habits of this species are not well 

 known, but it seems probable that the grasshoppers deposit their eggs 

 in grass land, as it is said that they are not injurious where hogs are 

 allowed free range. .They ma}'^ be controlled by a liberal use of the 

 poisoned bran mash above described, but it should be applied as soon 

 as they appear. 



WINGLESS MAY BEETLES. 



Vui. 10. — Lurliiunflrntn lanceo- 

 lata: female — somewhat 

 enlarged (original). 



L. crihro.sa (rig. 11) 



Two species of wingless May beetles {Lachnosterna lanceolata Say 

 and L. ci'ihro^a Lee.) often seriously injure young cotton, as well as 

 various other crops, especially garden truck, in 

 the arable land west of the ninetj^-seventh merid- 

 ian. Frequently they occur in immense numbers 

 and cut off the young cotton plants over a large 

 field. As thej^ are wingless they may be readily 

 caught by hand picking or they may be poisoned 

 by dusting the plants and all weeds with Paris 

 green. 



The first of these species (fig. 10) is of a gra^'ish 

 tinge, and is more injurious in west-central coun- 

 ties than elsewhere, although it also occurs in 

 northern Texas. It feeds upon careless weed 

 (Amaranthus) and wild sunflower (Helianthus). 

 has been reported from all parts of northwestern Texas as injurious 

 to cotton and all sorts of garden stuff. It prefers the ragweed to all 



other food plants. A third species (Z.,/'rt/v'2^(^ 

 Lee.) is more common in the southwestern 

 part of the State, where it has often ])een in- 

 jurious. It has similar habits to the wingless 

 species, but is usually provided with wings. 

 The species have much in common, al- 

 though the complete life histories and habits 

 are not known. The last two species emerge 

 from the soil — where the}' remain hidden 

 during the day — about an hour before sun- 

 down and feed from then until dusk, when 

 they return to the holes left or make new 

 ones. Their globular, colorless eggs are 

 laid in June about two inches deep in the 

 soil, and the larvse feed on the roots of various weeds and grasses, 

 but have never been observed as injurious. It has been noted that 

 the beetles are the most injurious where a field has been allowed to 

 grow up to weeds the previous summer, and that where the land has 



Fig. \\.~-lMChno»lerna cribiosa: ft 

 male— enlarged (original). 



