ENTOMOLOGY 205 



among which, perhaps, the most generally applied are meadow- 

 maggots, leather-jackets, grubs, and cutworms. The larvai, for it is 

 in tha larval stage of development exclusively that these insects are 

 of economic importance to the farmer, are really the young of sev- 

 eral species of crane-flies also known as gallinippers, giant mos- 

 quitoes, and daddy-long-legs. The last name, however, is sometimes 

 applied to the eight-legged and wingless harvest-spiders. Early in 

 October the adults of this species are abroad in great numbers among 

 tall, rank grass, clover, and weeds, from which they rise awkwardly, 

 as one approaches, flying but a few yards before alighting. They 

 continue abundant in the field during the greater part of October. 



The larvae, which often occur in enormous numbers, as many 

 as 200 having been found in an area covering a little over 1 square 

 foot, feed upon the roots of various plants, seeming to prefer the 

 Leguminoste, and contrary to most published accounts of the habits 

 of these larva}, they riot only suck the juices of the roots but devour 

 the plant tissue itself, as is evidenced by the stomach contents of 

 .several larva) examined in this of lice. Moreover, the well-developed 

 biting mandibles would indicate a tissue feeding habit. They feed 

 during the early fall and hibernate as half-grown larvae, resuming 

 activities in the spring. In feeding, these larvae move about in the 

 ground quite freely, as is evidenced by the small molehill-like ridges 

 which they leave, in going from plant to plant just under the sur- 

 face of the ground. They become full grown about the middle of 

 July, form perpendicular cells about 3 or 4 inches underground, and 

 remain inactive until about the middle of September, when they 

 pupate. The pupal stage lasts from a week to ten days. 



Several remedial measures have been recommended against 

 tipulids in general by different writers, from time to time, among 

 which might be mentioned sprinkling the ground with salt, herding 

 sheep and hogs in infested fields, and rolling the ground with a 

 heavy roller. Probably the best method of treating an infested field 

 is to plow the sod under in the early fall and either to run the field 

 into corn, potatoes, and such crops, or to leave it fallow the ensuing 

 summer. Pastures and hay fields in localities where this species is 

 known to be abundant should be grazed off by the middle of Sep- 

 tember and kept so until late in November, as the adult flies usually 

 congregate in rank growths of grass, clover, weeds, etc., and there 

 lay their eggs. (U. S. D. A. B. E. Bui. 85, Part VII.) 



The Alfalfa Weevil. This insect is not native to America, but 

 has been accidentally introduced from Europe, western Asia, or 

 northern Africa, where it is common, and where, while more or less 

 destructive to alfalfa, it is probably prevented by its natural ene- 

 mies from working serious and widespread ravages. Just where or 

 in what manner it was brought to this country no one knows, but it 

 was first discovered in the spring of 1904 in a small field of alfalfa 

 near Salt Lake City, Utah, and attention promptly called to its 

 presence there by the entomologist of the Utah Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. 



