﻿FOOD OF AMERICAN PHALAUOPES, AVOCETS, AND STILTS 11 



able that in addition to furnishing some nutriment they also serve 

 as substitutes for bits of gravel, often difficult to get in the silt of 

 lowland marshes but useful in grinding up food. 



SUMMARY 



In its apparent predilection for mosquito larvge the Wilson phala- 

 rope is perhaps more useful than either of the other two species, as 

 it ranges throughout the summer season on the fresh-water marshes, 

 where mosquitoes often abound. Its destruction of larvse of horse- 

 flies should also be placed to its credit. A large part of the food is 

 composed of other marsh-haunting insects, which, so far as known 

 at present, are of neutral economic significance. From no item can 

 it be charged that this phalarope is injurious, and there could be no 

 excuse for removing it from the protected list. The inroads of agri- 

 culture will restrict its breeding grounds, but with the adequate 

 protection now accorded it the bird should maintain its numbers. 

 Fortunately its body is so small that there is no incentive for poachers 

 to kill it as o-ame. 



Table 2. — Material identified in the food of the Wilso7i phalarope as determined 

 from the examination of 106 stomachs, and the number of stomachs in which each 

 item was found 



Animal Matter 



Phyllopoda 



Artemia fertilis (brine shrimps) 



Daphniidse (water fleas) (winter eggs).. 



Amphipoda (shrimplets) 



Unidentified amphipods 



Odonata (dragonflies) 



Dragonfly larva 



Ephemertda (Mayflies) 



Ephemeridae (larvae) 



Heteboptera (true bugs) 



Saldasp 



Notonectidae (back-swimmers). 



Corixidse (water-boatmen) 



Other heteropterans . . . 



Trichoptera (caddisflies) 

 Unidentified caddisfly larva... 



Lefidopteea (butterflies and moths) 

 Caterpillars 



Coleoptera (beetles) 



Bembidion sp 



Stenolophus limbalis 



Other Carahidae (ground beetles) 



IJaliplus ruficoUis 



Haliplassp 



Other Ilaliplida; (crawling water-beetles) 



Canthydru3 bicolor 



Cofilambus punctatus 



rVx;lamV)us sp 



ifydrofwrus morio 



Dytiscida; (larvift; 



Other Dytiseidic (predacious diving beetles) . 



Ilcloithorus infiulnatus 



Helophorus sp 



Berwiis strialus 



Bcrosus sp 



Phllhydrussp 



Animal Matter — Continued 



Coleoptera (beetles)— Continued 



Hydrophilidae Garvse) 



other Hydrophilidae (water-scavenger bee- 

 tles) 



Staphylinidae (larva) 



other Staphyhnidae (rove beetles) 



Hister sp 



Cytilus sericeus. 



Heterocerus sp 



Aphodius sp 



Monoxia sp 



other Chrysomehdae (leaf beetles) 



Tenebrionidae.. 



Phytonomus posticus (alfalfa weevil) 



Onychilis nigrirostris 



Anchodemus angustus 



Bagous restrictus 



Bagous sp 



Mecopeltus aeneosquamosus. 



Other Curculionidae (weevils) 



Sphenophorus sp... 



Unidentified weevils 



Other coleopterans-- 



Diptera (flies) 



Tipulidae (larvae) 



Adult Tipulidae (crane flies) 



Chironomidae (larvae and pupae) 



Adult Chironomidae (midges) 



APdcs (Heteronycha) dorsalis (larva).. 

 At'des (Heteronycha) spenccrii (larva). 

 Other CulicidoB (mostiuitoes) (larvae).. 

 Stratiomyiidae (soldier flics) (larvae)... 



Tabimus sp. (horscflii^s) (larvae) 



Dolicliopoclidae (long-fooled flies) 



Syrphidie dlowcr flies) (larvaa) 



Kpliydra gracilis (larvae and pupae) 



Kjihyclra hians (larvae) 



Kphydra sp 



I'",l)livdra s]). (larvae and pupae)... 



Ol.hci- Kpliyilrida; (alkali flies) 



()\,\\i:\- dipterous larvae and pupaa 



Other diptorans 



ilYMENOPTERA (ants, bces, and wasps) 



Ijiiidcntiflod ants.. 



Clcnjinaliiii 



ChcloDUS sp 



Other liyiiienopter: 



