WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE CROPS. 29 
Bierkander obtained through a correspondent a Filaria from a 
wireworm.' The author found a skin of a Melanotus larva firmly 
attached to the pupa case of a hymenopteron from which the parasite 
had emerged. The case was very similar to that of Z'yphia sp. 
Several records have been made of elaterid larve being attacked 
by fungous diseases. An interesting note is made by Girard? in 
which he records Cordyceps attacking wireworms in Trinidad. A 
note in the files of this office * records a larva of Agriotes sp. received 
from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and placed in a rearing cage in the in- 
sectary at Washington, as being found later dead and filled with the 
mycelium of a fungus which Dr. Flora W. Patterson, of the Bureau 
of Plant Industry, determined as Penicillium anisopliw Viull. This 
fungus is known as a parasitic disease of other insects and without 
doubt killed the larva in question. Comstock records? larvee in his 
rearing cages being killed by Metarrhizium anisoplic. 
The writer found a larva of Corymbites inflatus in a rearing 
cage at the laboratory in Pullman, Wash., which had evidently been 
killed by a parasitic fungus. It was filled with white mycelium, which 
distended the body and even grew out between the segments. The 
specimen was sent in to Washington, but was received in too poor 
condition for determination. 
Early in June, 1913, a large amount of the culture of the white- 
erub fungus (Metarrhizium anisopliw) was sent to the writer by 
Mr. J. J. Davis. This material was introduced into a field at Nisbet. 
Pa. On revisiting the inoculated field on July 14 of that year, a 
larva of Melanotus was found dead and completely covered with a 
green fungus. This specimen was sent to Mr. Davis, who tentatively 
determined the fungus as J/. anisopliw. From this culture material 
the insectary room at the Hagerstown Laboratory became infected, 
and during the past summer, despite all precautions, at least one- 
half of the Elateride in our rearing cages were killed by this disease. 
REMEDIAL MEASURES. 
Remedial measures have been given with each of the more impor- 
tant wireworms treated in this paper. Here we wish to report on a 
number of measures that have been suggested from time to time as 
efficient in combating these insects. We have actually tried most 
of these measures, and to prevent repetition of these more or less 
costly experiments we publish here the results. 
1 Gardner’s Chronicle, London [y. 3], p. 433, June 24, 1843. 
2Girard, A. Une nouvelle espéce d’Entomophyte. Cordyceps hunti, n. sp. (Cham- 
pignon), parasite d’une larve d’Elateride. Jn Ann. Soc. Ent. France, Bul. des seances, 
1895, p. CLXXXI—CLXXXII. 
2U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent.. Webster Note No. 4751. 
4 Comstock, J. H., and Slingerland, M. V. Wireworms. N. Y. Cornell Univ.. Agr. Exp. 
Sta., Bul. 33, p. 211, November, 1891. 
