NO. II LARVAE OF THE ELATERID BEETLES GLEN 55 



of M. C. Lane, who obtained larvae from mated adults that he 

 personally identified. The parent adults apparently were not retained. 



3; Bradshaw, Alberta; May 28, 1942; i reared to adult Aug. 10; R. Glen 

 (C.N.C.). 



LUDIUS INFLATUS (Say) (?) 



Elater inflatus Say, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, p. 258, 1825. — LeConte, 



Complete writings of Thomas Say, vol. i, p. 392, 1859. 

 Elater metal liais Say, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, p. 258, 1825. 

 Liidius inflatus (Say), Brown, Canadian Ent, vol. 68, p. 134, 1936. 



According to Brown (1936c, p. 135), inflatus is an eastern species, 

 adults being known from South Carolina to southern Quebec and 

 Ontario and as far west as Indiana. 



Blatchley (1910, p. 767) found the adults in low open woods, but 

 the larval habitat has not been described. However, larvae believed 

 to be of this species were taken from soil in the "University Woods," 

 an elm-maple forest located about 5 miles northeast of the campus of 

 the University of Illinois. Describing the "University Woods," Weese 

 (1924, p. 8) states, "The drainage is poor, so that in wet seasons 

 the soil becomes saturated with moisture, and water may stand for 

 some time in the Spring in depressions even in the higher parts of 

 the woods. The soil is yellow-gray silt loam, an upland timber 

 soil." This area has an average annual rainfall believed to be in 

 excess of 35 inches. 



These facts suggest that inflatus is primarily a forest or parkland 

 species, probably restricted to well-watered soils. There are no pub- 

 lished records of inflatus (sensu stricto) causing injury to cultivated 

 plants. 



Structurally the larva of inflatus is very similar to that of glaucus. 

 On the basis of the rather inadequate material that was available for 

 study, the two species may be separated as follows: in inflatus the 

 punctation is slightly less conspicuous, and the transverse branches 

 of impressions on the abdominal mediotergites are slightly longer. 

 In glaucus the transverse branch of each impression reaches from 

 one-eighth to one-sixth the distance from the longitudinal branch to 

 the mediodorsal suture, in inflatus from one-fifth to one-fourth that 

 distance. 



To determine the constancy and reliability of the above differences 

 it will be necessary to obtain additional material, the greatest need 

 being for inflatus larvae identified through rearing. At present, the 

 principal reliance in the identification of these species must be upon 

 geographic distribution. 



