AND PREDATORS OF MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE 



L e bean beetle collected at Birmingham, Ala., July 28, 

 >ercent, showed injury ranging from 3.7 to 93 percent 

 )ly by C . fuseilabris. 2 The effectiveness of C. fuscila- 

 \ not a constant factor because of the variable abun- 

 cies from year to year (7, 12). 



dults of Coccinellidae prey chiefly on the eggs and 

 i the bean beetle. The relative values of the more 

 s, as determined by feeding experiments conducted in 

 Birmingham, are shown in table 4. 



nportant coccinellids (in adult stage) recorded r/.s- feeding 

 the Mexican bean hectic at Birmingham, Ala, 



Species 



Average host stages eaten per 

 day- 



Eggs 



First 



instar 



Second 

 instar 





Number 



12.13 



3.50 



1.99 



1.23 



.82 



Number 

 7.28 



Number 

 3.64 









1.19 



.74 



















wtata fed slightly on eggs of the bean beetle in the 

 Ihilocorus bivwlnems was observed feeding on eggs 

 Birmingham. Hippodamia ambigua, received from 

 ests with the bean beetle, fed slightly on eggs in the 



'lochia varivestis feed on their own eggs in the field 

 m foliage is present {12). In the absence of green 

 nd larvae feed very commonly on eggs, very young 

 sionally on pupae of E. varivestis. 

 etle, Coll ops bipuMctatus, was observed feeding on 

 i beetle in the field, and laboratory tests at Estancia, 

 led the field observations (4)- 



^arabids in the control of the bean beetle is problem- 

 species are nocturnal, much of their feeding passes 

 lit carabids kept in cages containing soil dug bur- 

 host stages were carried before. they were consumed, 

 inized parts of bean beetles are often found under 

 san fields and in winter hibernation quarters. Doug- 

 , ''During July 1930, 122 beetles were found stuck in 

 3 of these are preyed on by ground beetles (Cara- 



species, Calosoma sayi and Harpalus caliginosus, and 



es subterraneus were collected from bean fields and 



ages of the bean beetle at Birmingham. One adult 



days, an adult H. caliginosus 43 days, and a larva 



us 32 days. None of these species fed to any appre- 



confineinent, although H. caliginosus was observed 



1'Mt 



in 



grateful to H. L. Weatherby, J. R. Douglass, and L. W. Brannon for 

 ie notes on feeding ha hits of predacious insects at Birmingham, Ala. 



