ISO 



S(\\V10NGER-REKTI,i:s. 



Cldviconiid, Lanulliconnd. otc 

 A larm' miinhiM' of our coiumoii vcm'v small lioi'lli's {'o\uc uinlrr this! 

 general lu\nl. the elub-shapeii antenna, which snguestiNl tlu> ttM'ni Clavi- 

 cornia, hehig usnally. tiuniiih not always, associated with a pivCerenee 

 for deail animal and vesivtaMe snbstanees. \'erv few oi them are eviM' 

 serious erop pests, allhouiih a numhcM' are ({uile ilestrnetive to stored 

 grain and to other vegetable and dry animal substances. t)eeasional 

 species have appeared on corn plants for various reasons, sometimes 

 causing miniu- injurit^s. such as tlu> gnawing of ripe grains in the i>ar. 

 These belong to the families Staplnfliiii(hr. riuilacn'dtv, NUiduliiia\ Latri- 

 diidiv. Tnnjositidiv, and Scarabaidiv. 



The Rovi>ni^ETLEs. 

 Stap}nilini(hr. 



These activi^ betUles are remarkabU^ t\ir their viM'y short wing-covers, 

 which leave a large part oi the abdomen exposeil alio\e. They are 

 rather elongate, mostly ipiite small, and very conunon imder sticks 

 and boards lying on the ground. Sometimes they iill the air. looking 

 like small gnats, and t'aus(> much annoyance by gtMting into tlu^ (\\es 

 of people in moticui. They an> usually scavengers, or p^^la^ory on 

 other insects. Two species have been noticed in mnubers in corn (wrs. 

 but were ^■ery likely f(H\ling on exudations or organic debris. 



Professor Harvey, of Maine, found Anci/ropliorus phiiius feeding on 

 the exudations in an old burrow o( the corn ear-worm. 



A numlier of s[HH'imens of a spei'ii\s identilied for us by Casey as 

 Bolitoclntra sp. were found 1\\- us on ears of fallen corn. 



PUAl. VCKllVK. 



These tiny, polished, black or brown, luvirly hemis{)herical. oval 

 oeetles are found on flowers and leavt^s of \arious ]ilants. and under 

 boards and sticks on the ground in (>arly spring. They are belie\ed to 

 subsist mostly on polJiMi and fungus spores and similar vegetable sub- 

 stances. 



Phalacrus politus. a conunon bhu'k species, has been taken by us 

 eating corn pollen ami the snuU on broom-corn. Pintner mentitms its 

 feeding on wheat snuit in Nebraska, luistilbus apicalifi. a black species, 

 with yellow-brown tips to tlu> wing-covei-s, was found by us in injured 

 corn grains at the tip of the ear and on the leaves, and very abundantly 

 in shocked wheat at Anna. Illinois. Orlliopcnis scutvllan's we have found 

 crawling in nmnlnM-s over corn silk and c^xcavatcnl gi-ains probably 

 previously injured by some insect. It was also reporteil to us as very 

 abundant on apple-trees at Petersburg. 111.. es[iecially on blighted twigs. 



