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‘are stout, and armed with brown spines. ‘The last segment is charac- 
teristic of the species. Anteriorly it is quite convex, and marked with 
four longitudinal nearly parallel impressed lines, the inner pair diverg- 
ing anteriorly; posteriorly it is flattened a little, especially at the tip. 
The surface is covered, as usual in Melanotus, with small tubercles, 
more numerous near the tip, and is also rather coarsely punctate over 
the posterior two thirds, more closely near the tip. In M. communis 
the punctures are finer, sparser, and much less conspicuous. At the tip 
of the segment is a short, feebly elevated margin, ending on either side 
in an angle or blunt tooth, and bearing a third angle or tooth at middle; 
the outline between the teeth often scarcely concave. The sides of the 
segment are rounded, not evidently margined or angulate. 
Imago. (Plate VII., Fig. 1)—Length 9-11 mm. Pubescent; 
color brownish fuscous, lighter than in communis, and tapering less 
posteriorly. The front is not concave or margined, The thorax above 
coarsely and rather densely punctate, shining; sides nearly straight in 
male, rounded in female; posterior angles unicarinate, Claws pectinate 
as usual in Melanotus. 
Asaphes decoloratus, Say. 
(Plate VII., Fig. 2-4.) 
This widely distributed species, occurring through all the Northern 
States east of the Mississippi River, is fairly abundant in our collec- 
tions, nearly one third of them coming from corn fields. Otherwise the 
larvee have been collected in meadows and pastures and freshly plowed 
sod, from oats fields (twice) and clover, and once from woodlands. 
Of the frequency and amount of its injuries to corn, as compared 
with other species infesting that crop, we have no very precise informa- 
tion. The general drift of our observations is, however, to the effect 
that it is of little significance as a corn insect; a conclusion of some 
interest, since its life history differs from that of the other species in a 
way to render it less subject to destruction by fall plowing—almost the 
only preventive measure hitherto found practically useful for wire- 
worms. Indeed, the early date at which larval activity ceases, makes it 
unlikely that injuries by this species will be as serious as those whose 
period of pupation comes later in the season. 
Life History.—Shortened larvee enclosed in oblong oval cavities 
were turned out by the plow in a corn field in Urbana April 20, 1886. 
They were placed in a breeding cage, and by May 15 one of them had 
pupated on the surface of the earth. June 7 one beetle of the lot emerged, 
and another partially escaped from its pupal skin, but died before com- 
pleting the transformation. In other breeding cages larvae were found 
to have pupated May 16 and June 13, 1886, and a beetle was obtained 
from the earlier one on June 2. On May 16, 1887, a pupa was turned 
out by the plow in a corn field, and the beetle from it appeared May 265. 
In a cage containing larvee taken in a clover field, both larve and pups 
were found July 19, 1887. Again, larve kept in an insecure cage out- 
doors had formed cells as late as June 17, 1890, but they had not pu- 
pated on July 1. Subsequently, when the cage was examined, all had 
escaped. 
