86 
Our official records contain the following note which probably refers 
to this species: Mr. A. F. Satterthwait collected a Lachnosterna bearing 
a Tiphia-like larva, in a field at Nortonville, Ky., August 6, 1915, and 
when received at Lafayette the following day the grub was dead and 
the larva spinning its cocoon. The cocoon proved to be that of an 
ichneumonid, but was accidentally lost before the adult issued. It is 
not unlikely that it was an Ophion cocoon. 
If this species is a parasite of Phyllophaga only, one would expect 
to find it common in infested fields, since the adults are said to be com- 
mon and wide-spread. The above questionable record is the only avail- 
able Bureau record bearing on this point, notwithstanding the fact that 
we have collected and reared thousands of grubs from all parts of the 
United States. 
PELECINUS POLYTURATOR Dru. 
Only one record of this species as a white-grub parasite has been 
published, and this by Dr. S. A. Forbes (25), who in 1892 reared it from 
a Phyllophaga grub obtained at Champaign, Ill., May 9, the adult issuing 
August 26 of the same year. There seems to be no question as to the 
authenticity of the record notwithstanding the fact that this still stands 
as the only observation on the larval history of Pelecinus. 
The female of this parasite is quite remarkable. The entire body 
is jet-black, and the abdomen an inch and a half long (PI. VII, Fig. 29), 
differing markedly from the male, which lacks the long, slender-jointed 
abdomen. 
In 1914 and 1915 female specimens of P. polyturator were found 
rather common by R. J. Kewley in an isolated area four miles north of 
Lafayette, Ind., although not a single male was observed. July 31, 1914, 
he collected nine females; August 3, eight; August 8, fifteen; August 27, 
three; September 5, one; and September 6, eleven. The following year 
(1915) he collected two on August 26; three August 31; and ten Septem- 
ber 8, none being found after this date although weekly searches were 
made, nor were we able to find the species in any other area. The 
locality in question is a wooded glen along the Wabash River and mostly 
shady and cool. The bottom is rather swampy from the overflow of a 
small stream of spring water, and is matted with grass, water plants, 
and other vegetation. The specimens mentioned above were collected in 
flight or resting on foliage. The females are slow fliers and travel close 
to the ground, seeming to prefer sunny spots near stagnant water, and 
never resting long in one spot. 
The females collected were placed in cages covering pots containing 
white-grubs. On two occasions a Pelecinus was seen with the abdomen 
inserted to the thorax in-a crack in the ground. In one case the insect 
withdrew the abdomen half a minute after being observed, and then 
spent several minutes in cleaning the body with the feet. In the other 
case the abdomen was thrust into the soil several times within two or 
three minutes. Probably the females oviposited in the soil, which was 
not examined at the time, but no Pelecinus was reared, nor could we 
