428 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. li 



Quantity destroyed. — Beetles are taken every month of the 

 year, and form 21.3 per cent of the total food. Stomachs have 

 often been found filled with nothing but beetles. From twenty 

 to fifty have been found in a single stomach. 



Wireworms, the larvae of click-beetles (Elateridae), are taken 

 in large numbers where they are available. As they are less 

 often seen above ground than cutworms, it is only natural that 

 they do not form nearly so large a percentage of the food for 

 the year. The adult click-beetles are also taken (see pi. 24, fig. 8). 



Economic importance. — Wireworms are injurious to the roots 

 of plants. Damage by them to garden truck and pasture land 

 is of common occurrence. The ability of the meadowlark to 

 probe into and remove from the soil such insects increases its 

 value as an insect destroyer. The destruction of wireworms must 

 be considered a benefit of considerable importance, especially in 

 meadow and pasture land. 



By far the greater number of beetles taken as food are the 

 common ground beetles (Carabidae). These beetles are often 

 classified as beneficial insects, because they are supposed to feed 

 on other injurious insects. Certain ones are predacious and are 

 known to feed on fly and beetle larvae in California. Of the food 

 habits of others little is definitely known, and we are justified 

 in speaking of them as neutral, for they do practically no harm 

 and are not known to do any particular good. Tiger-beetles 

 (Cincindelidae) and carrion-beetles (Staphylinidae), eaten to 

 some extent, must be numbered among the beneficial beetles de- 

 stroyed. The meadowlark, however, does feed upon many injur- 

 ious beetles, chief of which are click-beetles (Elateridae), pina- 

 cate beetles (Eleodes sp.), leaf-beetles (Chrj'somelidae), snout- 

 beetles (Otiorhynchidae, Curculionidae), and weevils (Calan- 

 dridae). Among the leaf-beetles is numbered the destructive 

 California flower-beetle {Diahrotica soror). This and other 

 members of the family constitute some of the worst beetle enemies 

 of our crops. Snout-beetles (curculios) and weevils {Spheno- 

 phorus sp.) are well-known pests of fruit and grain. The con- 

 tinual destruction of large numbers of these injurious beetles 

 must be considered a decided benefit. 



