﻿96 



NINTH ANNUAL KEPORT 



Undetermined Egg-parasite of R 

 Locust. 



M. 



Undetermined Species. — Next to the Anthomyia Egg-parasite, in 

 imtportance, is a much larger, more sluggish, yellowish grub, (Fig. 24) 



measuring about \ an inch when ex- 

 tended, which is found within or be- 

 neath the locust eggs, lying in a curved 

 position, the body being bent so that 

 the head and tail nearly touch each 

 other. It is a smooth grub, with a very 

 small, brown, flattened head, with the 

 joints near the head swollen and the 

 hind end tapering, and with deep, trans- 

 lucent sutures beneath the joints, which 

 sutures show certain vinous marks and mottlings, especially along 

 the middle of the back. It exhausts the eggs, and leaves nothing but 

 the shrunken and discolored shells. It has not yet been reared to the 

 perfect state, but from the structure of its mouth it is evidently Hy- 

 menopterous, and will produce, without much doubt, some Ichneu- 

 mon-fly. It has hQ^xi found in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, 

 and has destroyed about one per cent, of the eggs. 



The following letters refer to this species : 



The other day as I was strolling throuofh the fields, I stopped to examine some 

 egfifs. I found the ground in spots quite lull of white grubs, worms or maoro:ots, what- 

 ever they may be called. Many of them were in the eg^gr-pods, busy at work. I col- 

 lected a "few, and sent to you in a small vial by mail for your examination. The ground 

 was high and di^^ where "found.— [From S. D. Payne, Kasota, Le Sueur county, Minn., 

 Sept. 28, 1876. 



I think the silky mite has done good service in destroying eggs in one or two 

 counties, particularlv Noble. But we are getting, in addition, continual newspaper 

 reports of white grubs destroying the eggs. I started out to see for myself, and have 

 found a number which I send you.— [From A. Whitman, St. Paul, Minn., September 

 7, 1876. 



This grub is found of various sizes as Winter sets in, and hiber- 

 nates without change. It will doubtless be reared to the perfect state 

 the coming Summer, and I give a more detailed description herewith. 



Average length 0.50 inch. Body curved, glabrous, tapering posteriorly, swollen 

 anteriorly. Color opaque whitish, with translucent yellowish mottlings and some 

 vinous marks at sutures, especially along medio-dorsum. Sutures deep. A lateral row 

 of swellings. Head small, flattened, dark-brown, in five pieces, consisting above of a 

 frontal ovoid piece and two lateral pieces of somewhat similar form, and each bearing 

 near tip a minute, 2-jointed palpus; beneath of two broad, sub-triangular jaws having 

 forward and lateral motion, and each also bearing near the center, in a depression, a 

 2-jointed feeler. A spiracle each side in a fold between joints 2 and 3, and another on 

 each side of the penultimate joint, 12. None otherwise perceptible. 



Besides the three preceding species which have been found des- 

 troying the eggs the past year, and which, from their being generally 



