18 BULLETIN 1336, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Winthemia quadripustulata Fab. 14 was reared by F. M. Moody 

 at Charleston, Mo., and by the writer at Knoxville, Tenn., in 1916. 

 The caterpillars from which the latter were reared each bore two 

 small, oval white eggs on its thorax ; and, when swept from the field, 

 one was a prepupa, while the other was still feeding. The former 

 pupated a few days after capture, and when examined three days 

 later a large puparium was found filling over two-thirds of its interior, 

 leaving only the end of the abdomen empty. The other caterpillar also 

 pupated; but in this case the parasite larva, a yellowish- white 

 maggot 8 millimeters long, emerged from the pupa and formed its 

 puparium outside. 



In addition to the foregoing Diptera, Sherman (10) listed as reared 

 in North Carolina the following five species : 



Bombyliidae: Anthrax lateralis Say. 



Tachinidae: Euphorocera jloridensis Tns., Exorista boarmiae Coq., 

 Frontina aletiae Riley. 



Sarcophagidae : Sarcophaga cimbicis Tns. 



HEMIPTERA 



NABIDAE 



Nobis ferus L. 15 — This slender gray bug has been found in the field 

 at different times feeding on the young Plathypena scabra. As it has 

 usually been found exceedingly abundant in infested fields in Tennes- 

 see examined by the writer, it undoubtedly aids considerably in the 

 destruction of the caterpillars. The nymphs as early as the first and 

 second instars have been observed to attack and kill the young 

 arvse. Bugs kept in captivity deposited eggs in rows along the 

 stems of the alfalfa plants, each egg inserted deeply, with only one 

 end showing on the surface as a tiny white spot. 



PENTATOMIDAE 



Podisus maculiventris Say, the spined soldier-bug, has been found 

 numerous in infested fields and undoubtedly kills many of the cater- 

 pillars. One bug was found in the field with a Plathypena scabra 

 larva pierced by its beak. This specimen was determined as Podisus 

 maculiventris Say by O. Heidemann. Individuals kept in captivity 

 fed readily on the caterpillars, one destroying five in the course of 

 five days' captivity. It pierced the larva with its beak and sucked 

 its contents, leaving only a shrunken remnant of skin and solid parts. 



FUNGOUS DISEASE 



In the fall of the year great numbers of larvse are killed off by the 

 fungus Botrytis rileyi Farl. 16 Both at Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn., 

 they have been severely attacked by this disease, and similar reports 

 have come from Hagerstown, Md. 



14 Three specimens from Tennessee determined by W. E. Walton. 



15 An individual found by the writer feeding on a Plathypena scabra larva was identified by Herbert 

 Osborn as Nabis ferus L. 



16 Infestation on Plathypena scabra larvse collected by the writer at Knoxville, Tenn., was determined as 

 this fungus by Alden T. Speare. 



