THE CLOVER-ROOT CUECULIO. • 37 



partly on blue-grass roots, as the only clover present was T. repens, 

 and this was rather scattering in the field. From this it would seem 

 that some of the grasses may be host plants. 



Of the genus Trif olium, red clover appears to be the most common 

 choice as a food, while white clover (T. repens), crimson clover (T. 

 incamatum), and alsike clover (T. hybridum) are all fed upon to a 

 greater or less extent by both the adults and larvae. Alfalfa (Medi- 

 cago sativa) seems to be a common food plant for both larvae and 

 adults. On June 17 the writer collected numerous larvse from among 

 alfalfa roots in a field at Somerset Heights, Md., and while sweep- 

 ing over a field of alfalfa with an insect net at Muirkirk, Md., on 

 April 28, experienced no difficulty whatever in securing from six to 

 eight adults with each sweep of the net. It seems likely that, with 

 the increasing acreage of alfalfa, this insect may become a destructive 

 pest and also menace this crop. The fact that alfalfa is always left 

 standing on the same land for a fairly long period, from three to six 

 years, may greatly accelerate the rapidity with which the insect will 

 be able to increase in numbers. 



NATURAL CHECKS. 



The larva was found to be attacked by a fungus, one of the Ento- 

 mpphthorse, which no doubt assists in keeping the insect in check. 

 The larvse, because of their sluggish movements, might be easily cap- 

 tured and fed upon by predaceous beetles, but the fact that the larvae 

 and pupa? are subterranean in their habits is a semiprotection from 

 parasitic insects as well as from many predaceous enemies. No Hy- 

 menopterous or Dipterous parasites were observed. 



BIRD ENEMIES. 



The Biological Survey, in its work on the food habits of birds, 

 has found that the following birds feed upon the adults of this 

 beetle: Upland plover (BartramAa longicauda) ; killdeer or killdee 

 (Oxyechus vociferus) ; ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) ; broad- 

 winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) ; flicker (Colaptes auratus) ; night- 

 hawk (Chordeiles virginianus) ; chimney swift (Chcetura pelagica) ; 

 wood pewee {Myiochanes virens) ; crow blackbird (Quiscalus qiiis- 

 cula) ; meadowlark (Sturnella m.agna) ; Lincoln finch (Melospiza 

 lincolni) ; song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) ; chipping sparrow 

 (Spizella passerina) ; and the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia 

 albicollis). 



Of these birds the chimney swift and song sparrow were found to 

 be the greatest feeders on the insect, as many as fifteen adult beetles 

 being found in the stomach of one chimney swift, while but few less 

 were found in stomachs of song sparrows. 



99370°— Bull. 85—11 4 



