1911] Hypera and Phytonomus in America Mji 



Enemies: The enemies in America are very scarce and do 

 little to aid in checking the insect. Several undetermined 

 Carabids feed upon the weevil, its pupa and larva ; three Heret- 

 optera, Acanthorocis muscuhis, Reduviolus roseipennis Reut. 

 (Det. Otto Heidemann), and Miris affinis have been seen eating 

 the eggs, while several species of ants, including Pogonomyrmex 

 occidentalis Cress. (Det. W. M. Wheeler), capture the larva? 

 when crawling on the ground and more rarely ascend the plants 

 for them. Several spiders that frequent alfalfa fields occasion- 

 ally capture larvae. Frogs, toads, horned toads, lizards and 

 swifts all do a small part each toward the control. Blackbirds 

 and the western grosbeak often eat them. Even the English 

 sparrow will get one once in a while and very rarely a few are 

 fed to its young. Chickens and turkeys readily feed on them, 

 but soon become satiated and will eat no more until the next 

 day. A vole killed in an alfalfa field where they were very 

 numerous had one beetle in its stomach. 



At the present time the Bureau of Entomology is endeavor- 

 ing to introduce egg-parasites (Mymarids) from Italy, and other 

 parasitic enemies from Europe. 



In Europe, Audouin, Girard, Fabre and others have reported 

 the capture of the larvae of this and another species {Phytonomus 

 murinus Fab.) by a wasp, Odynerus spinipes. The wasp stings 

 the larvae and then stores them in its burrows for the feeding of 

 its young. One of the most fascinating of Fabre's papers is 

 upon the life-history and habits of this wasp. Bertolini reports 

 that Carpentier cites a Pteromalus as feeding on this species. 

 A species of Canidia is also reported as parasitic. 



Dr. L. O. Howard of the Bureau of Entomology at Washing- 

 ton very kindly sent me a translation of a paper by Dr. G. 

 Martelli of the Experiment Station at Portici, Italy. In it is 

 recorded Canidia curculionis Thorns. This species hibernates 

 in its cocoon in the cocoon of the weevil, emerges in February, 

 and deposits its eggs in the small larvae of the Phytonomus. 

 The weevil larvae attain maturity and spin their cocoon, the 

 mature parasite then feeds on the internal organs, kills the 

 larvae and later issues from the skin and spins its own cocoon. 

 This is at first white, but in a day or so becomes dark red and 

 later develops a testaceous brown color with a white band. Its 

 length is 2 to 2.5 mm., and its width over 1 mm. Martelli had 

 adults issue 24 April from parasites born 24 March. He states 



