BULLETIN 







OF THE 



No. 156 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chie 

 January 27, 1915. 



(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 



WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE 



CROPS. 



By J. A. Hyslop, 



Entomological Assistant, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Wireworms are the larvae of several kinds of hard-shelled beetles 

 belonging to the family Elateridae. The beetles are known collo- 

 quially as " click-beetles," " skip-jacks," snapping beetles, etc. 1 

 These names are all derived from the beetles' unique habit of snap- 

 ping the forepart of the body when placed upon their backs or held 

 between the fingers. This habit is undoubtedly of use to the beetles 

 in righting themselves when accidently overturned, and may also be 

 a means of escape from their predatory natural enemies. 



Wireworms are elongate, more or less cylindrical, having a very 

 highly chitinized cuticle, and measuring, according to the species, 

 from one-half inch to over 3 inches in length. They have three, pairs 

 of short legs near the anterior end of the bod} 7 . The color is usually 

 yellow or reddish-brown. The cotton and corn wireworm is an 

 exception to this description. 



The false wireworms (fig. 1, a) will also answer to the above 

 description, but can easily be distinguished by their ability to move 

 very rapidly and by the clavate last joint of the antennae; the true 

 wireworms, though able to move rapidly in the soil, are not very 

 agile when placed on the surface of the ground, and their antennae 

 never have clavate terminal joints. The term "wireworm" is also, 

 though erroneously, applied to these false wireworms, which are, 

 however, the larvae of another group of beetles, the darkling beetles 

 (Tenebrionidae). These beetles can not snap the forepart of the 

 bod} 7 . One species of darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor L., fig. 1, b) 

 is common throughout the United States, and its larva, the meal- 



1 The Cherokee Indians recognize the large-eyed elater (Alaus sp.) by the name 

 " tulskuwa," which means " one that snaps with his head." This interesting note was 

 made by Dr. J. W. Fewkes and communicated to the writer by Mr. F. M. Webster. 



61121°— Bull. 156—15 1 



