THE CRAMBIDJ] OF NOETH AMERICA. 



The insects included in the family Orambidce are, so far 

 as known, injurious to the grasses (Graminece), some living 

 in tubular habitations which they construct near the roots, 

 others boring into the stems of the plants on which they feed, 

 while a few occasionally feed on plants of other families. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The species of this family are distributed very widely over 

 the globe, but apparently are most numerous in the temper- 

 ate zones. They are well represented in Europe and North 

 America, and even Australia and New Zealand have a com- 

 paratively large number of species. 



INJURIES. 



These insects feed at the roots of the grasses, fc and are 

 therefore often overlooked, except where they are so abun- 

 dant as to seriously injure the crops. They undoubtedly 

 destroy a large amount of grass without being discovered, 

 the injury being attributed to some other cause. Prof. F. 

 M. Webster, entomologist to the Ohio Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, wrote me, Dec. 12, 1895, that the larvae of 

 some species of Crambus, probably trisectus and laqueatellus, 

 during May of that year were the most abundant and de- 

 structive that he had ever known them to be in the West ; 

 hundreds of acres of both corn and oats, which had been 

 planted on spring-ploughed meadow or pasture lands, were 

 as completely swept out of existence as if burned over, and 

 the damage done by these insects would probably amount to 

 several hundred thousand dollars. Professor Webster also 



