FOOD PLANTS. 13 



In literature the insect is reported from the following States: 

 Arkansas (Riley, Howard, and Stimson) ; Illinois (Walsh and Riley) ; 

 Iowa (Kridelbaugh) ; Kansas (Webster); Kentucky (Walsh); Mis- 

 souri (Riley) ; New Jersey (Smith) ; New York (Lintner, Slingerland, 

 and Felt) ; Ohio (Webster) ; Pennsylvania (Slingerland and Felt) . 



According to records of the Bureau of Entomology the insect 

 occurs in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New 

 York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and 

 West Virginia. 



In the collections of the National Museum are specimens from the 

 following States: District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, 

 Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Texas, and Virginia. 



From the following localities it has not yet been recorded, but 

 probably does occur as these are neighboring sections of infested 

 places: Southern parts of Indian Territory, Tennessee, and Wiscon- 

 sin; northern parts of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and South 

 Carolina. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



From early records of this insect it is evident that the beetle of 

 the grape root-worm was observed feeding upon wild grapes long 

 before it was known to infest cultivated varieties. Riley reported 

 the beetle feeding upon the leaves of wild grapes and upon the red- 

 bud {Cercis canadensis). Several writers have found it feeding 

 upon the foliage of the Virginia creeper (Ampelopsis quinquefolia) . 

 With the extensive cultivation of improved varieties of native 

 species of grapes, the insect has found in these a more available food 

 plant. The larval form and its underground habits became first 

 known through its abundance and destructiveness in vineyards. 



On the wild grapevine the grape root-worm does not breed in 

 extensive numbers, because the conditions in woodlands are less 

 favorable than those existing in vineyards. The chances for the 

 newly hatched larvae to reach the roots of the wild grapevine are 

 greatly limited, since the plants spread their aerial growth exten- 

 sively and in such a manner that the parts of the vine above ground 

 are not directly above the root system. Under such conditions 

 numbers of the larvae on dropping to the ground do not reach the 

 needed food plant and probably perish. A single female beetle, 

 however, lays a considerable number of eggs, and out of the many 

 hatching larvae the chances are that always several will survive to 

 perpetuate the species. 



In the course of this investigation at North East, Pa., several 

 attempts were made to locate the larvae on roots of wild grapevines, 

 but in no instance were larvae found or any signs of feeding observed on 



