NO. II LARVAE OF THE ELATERID BEETLES GLEN 63 



larvae of Ltidius aeripennis (Kirby) and Limonius pcctoralis LeConte 

 and might have contributed to the damage to grain crops that was 

 reported in connection with the infestation. 



The material available for examination was limited to four speci- 

 mens that were not in good condition, having died and desiccated be- 

 fore being placed in preservative. In all specimens the mouthparts 

 were noticeably eroded and it is possible that erosion had shortened 

 the tips of the urogomphal prongs and the ungulae of the legs. 



The larvae attain a length in excess of 20 mm., probably exceeding 

 25 mm. when fully distended; greatest breadth exceeding 3 mm. 

 Prongs of urogomphi (fig. 16, c) relatively straight through most 

 of length, the converging tips being distinctly farther apart than in 

 sexnalis (fig. 16, d). Nasale much as in sexualis, but lateral projec- 

 tions usually present. Subnasale worn in specimens at hand, but 

 appears to have 4 or 5 short, forward-projecting denticles. Coxae of 

 prothoracic legs each bear up to 40 spinelike setae on anterior surface. 



The material examined is stored in the Canadian national collec- 

 tion. 



LUDIUS SPRETUS (Mannerheim) 



Corynibites spretus Mannerheim, Bull. Soc. Moscou, vol. 25, p. 285, 1852. 

 Corymbites (Selatosomus) spretus (Mannerheim), Schenkling, Coleopt. Cat. 

 (ed. Junk), vol. 2, pt. 88, p. 381, 1927. 



According to Masaitis (1931) this species is widely distributed over 

 Siberia, being particularly abundant in the central and western areas. 

 Pospelova (1937) includes spretus among the predominant wire- 

 worms in the steppe and forest steppe regions of western Siberia. 

 It is a well-known pest (Bei-Bienko, 1928; Masaitis, 1929, 1931 ; 

 Pospelova, 1937) of root and grain crops, becoming most abundant in 

 fields covered with Agropyron repens. Masaitis (1929) reports that 

 pupation occurs during the latter half of July, at from 3 to 6 inches 

 below the soil surface. The pupal period lasts 3 to 4 weeks. 



Larvae of this species have not been available for examination in 

 the present study. Knowledge of their morphology is limited to the 

 description and figures given by Masaitis (1931). Since Masaitis' 

 study was restricted to a comparison of the larvae of spretus and 

 Luditis latus (Fabricius) it is not possible, at present, to give struc- 

 tural characters separating spretus and its closer allies, and primary 

 reliance must still be upon geographical distribution. 



The following is a summary of the most significant characters of 

 the ninth abdominal segment, as described by Masaitis: Segment 

 subquadrangular, only slightly narrowed posteriorly ; dorsum convex, 

 finely wrinkled, bearing 6 setae arranged as 3 transverse rows of 2 



