380 CLOVER LEAF BEETLE. 



after the fully developed beetles begin to appear. They are seen 

 to emerge from the hollowed stems from August to October. 

 There is only one brood a year. Like many ot our noxious 

 beetles, the imago hibernates and waits for the vigorous plants 

 of genial June before dropping her precious burden of eggs. 



If this pest promises to do any serious harm we have only to 

 cut the clover early in July, when we shall save the crop, and 

 probably destroy the insects. This would give chance for a sec- 

 ond crop of hay or fine pasture or crop of seed from the same 

 plants. It is a welcome fact that Prof Comstock found two 

 parasites working on these beetles, in such abundance that we 

 understand why the latter are no more numerous and destructive. 

 One a Chalcid and the other an Ichneumon fly. 



Phytoiiomus piinctatus, Fabr., Clover Leaf Beetle. 



Order Coleoptera. Family Curculionidce. 



Le Conte, Rhyncophora, p. 124, 1853. 



RUey, Am. Naturalist, Vol. XV., p. 913, Nov., 1881, HI. 



Riley, Rep. Comm. Ag. 1881-83, p. 171, 111. 



Kilman, 15th Rep. Ont. En. See, 1884, p. 32. 

 This, like many of our most destructive insects, is an im- 

 ported species. It is a common insect in Germany, and has 

 probably been in this country for years, as Dr. LeConte received 

 it from Canada in 1853, when he described it as Phy. opimus. 

 As it does not exist in collections of American Caleopterists, it 

 is possible that the insect described by Dr. LeConte by mistake 

 was reported as Canadian, it really being itself foreign. In 1881 

 a serious invasion of Western Xew York, Yates county, was ex- 

 perienced, when Dr. Riley, of the Agricultural Department, in- 

 vestigated and gave a detailed description of the species, in- 

 cluding its work and habits. It is worthy of remark that Phy- 

 tonomus nigrirostris, also imported, exists in the United States, 

 and doubtless works as a larva on the clover, as it is known to 

 do in Europe. I have taken this species in considerable num- 

 bers along on our Western Michigan lake shore. 



