20 



Bulletin of the New York State Museum. 



not stated — showing this interesting order of events: The larva 

 of a large Coleopterous insect (Lacknosterna fused) is destroyed 

 by a hymenopterous larva (Tiphia inornata) ; this in turn by a 

 Coleopterous larva (Rhipiphorus pectinatus) ; and this again by a 



Hymenopterous larva ( ). 



In connection with the parasitic attack on the 

 white grub, it is of interest to note that Dr. F. 

 Brauer has lately discovered a very interesting 

 parasite upon Rhizotregus, an European genus 

 belonging to the same group with Lachnosterna. 

 Within its nearly formed pupa, he has found the 

 second larval stage of a dipterous insect, Hirmo- 

 veura obscura — one of the bee-flies, the genus of 

 which is represented in the United States. It is 

 still not known when and in what manner the para- 

 site enters the Khizotrogus grub, btft it was thought 

 to be while the latter is in the larval state {Science, 

 iii, April 18, 1884, p. 488). 



The White Grub Fungus, — For another destroyer 

 of the white grub, and the most interesting of all 

 that we have referred to, we have to turn to the vege- 

 table kingdom — to that low class of plants known 

 as fungi. From its being so often found upon this 

 species, it has beerj popularly named the white grub 

 fungus. Scientifically, it is known as Cordyceps 

 Ravenelii Berkeley.* It was described in 1857, but 

 its economic importance in its association with the 

 white grub was not known until brought to notice 

 by Walsh in 1867 (Practical Entomologist, ii, 1867, 

 p. 116) upon the reception of specimens from a 

 large number of the grub killed by this growth, 

 which had been plowed up in a field in Iowa. Its 

 character Avas not understood at the time, Mr. 

 Walsh suggesting that, but for the numbers found, 

 the grub might have swallowed a seed which sub- 

 sequently sprouted and grew. Later, its fungoid 

 character was disclosed. Its general appearance 

 Fig. 5— The winte ^ s ^ m ^ Q | a p a j r Q f e l OU o; a ted horns, green at first, 



grub attacked by a L f ... 



fungus. but subsequently changing to brown, issuing from 



* Originally described as a Cordyceps, and subsequently referred to other 

 genera, it has recently been restored to the Cordyceps of Fries, in Sylloge 

 Fungorum of P. A. Saccardo (vol. ii, 1883, p. 573). 



