200 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



Popular Description of the beetle. Body black, 



thick set and about three- fifths of an inch long, 



head and thorax marked w.ith small round pits. 



The head apparently ending in an upturned border 



bearing three teeth (the teeth are borne on the 



clypeus). The wing cases (elytra) each marked 



with about nine longitudinal pitted furrows, those 



on the edge obscure ; legs stout, under side of 



body and legs reddish brown. The beetle is shown 



in Fig. 9, about one-fourth too large. The head 



Fig. 9. j s saowri turned down so that the suture between 



the clypeus and epicranium does not show, and the teeth and the 



clypeus projecting forward appear in relief. 



This species is distributed from Maine to Texas, but nothing is 

 known of its habits or transformations. It has not before, so far 

 as we can learn, been accused of doing injury to crops. The 

 writer received specimens of this beetle the past season from Mr. 

 Nathaniel H. Sleeper, Lewiston, Me., and from Mr. C. V. Manley, 

 Auburn, Me. It was accused by both parties of cutting corn in 

 the hill after the manner of the cut- worm. In the mouth of two 

 witnesses the guilt would seem to be established. 



Below we give the evidence found in the letters accompanying 

 the specimens. 



Lewiston, Me., June 23, 1891. 

 To W. H. Jordan, M. S. C: 



Dear Sir : — I herewith send to you some samples of a corn 

 destroyer that I found while hoeing my corn. What I want to 

 know is whether the bugs I send are enemies or friends ; whether 

 the bug eats the corn, or whether he is after something that does. 

 I found some ten or twelve of these bugs just by the stalks of corn 

 and sometimes one or two inches under the surface, and sometimes 

 there were two or three stalks eaten in one hill. In three 

 instances I found the black cut or corn worm ; once the worm and 

 bug in the same hill, and one time a worm in the midst of the 

 stalk eating his way up. 



If you can put me in the way of saving the corn you will oblige 

 me very much. 



Nathaniel H. Sleeper. 



When we received the above letter we were of the opinion that 

 the cut-worms were entirely responsible and we wrote Mr. Sleeper 

 to this effect and requested him to examine farther, and following 

 is the response. 



