ee ee 
BULLETIN OF THE 
eee) USDEPARITIENT OTAQNCULIURE *.g 
No. 156 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chief. 
January 27, 1915. 
(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 
WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE 
CROPS. 
By J. A. HyYSLop, 
Entomological Assistant; Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Wireworms are the larve of several kinds of hard-shelled beetles 
belonging to the family Elateride. The beetles are known collo- 
quially as “click-beetles,” “ skip-jacks,” snapping beetles, ete.* 
These names are all derived from the beetles’ unique habit of snap- 
ping the forepart of the body when placed upon their backs or held 
between the fingers. This habit is undoubtedly of use to the beetles 
in righting themselves when accidently overturned, and may also be 
a means of escape from their predatory natural enemies. 
Wireworms are elongate, more or less cylindrical, having a very 
highly chitinized cuticle, and measuring, according to the species, 
from one-half inch to over 3 inches in length. They have three pairs 
of short legs near the anterior end of the body. The color is usually 
yellow or reddish-brown. The cotton and corn wireworm is an 
exception to this description. 
The false wireworms (fig. 1, a) will also answer to the above 
description, but can easily be distinguished by their ability to move 
very rapidly and by the clavate last joint of the antenne; the true 
wireworms, though able to move rapidly in the soil, are not very 
agile when placed on the surface of the ground, and their antenne 
never have clavate terminal joints. The term “ wireworm” is also, 
though erroneously, applied to these false wireworms, which are, 
however, the larve of another group of beetles, the darkling beetles 
(Tenebrionide). These beetles can not snap the forepart of the 
body. One species of darkling beetle (Zenebrio molitor L., fig. 1, b) 
is common throughout the United States, and its larva, the meal- 
1The Cherokee Indians recognize the large-eyed elater (Alaus sp.) by the name 
“tulskuwa,’’ which means “one that snaps with his head.’’ This interesting note was 
made by Dr. J. W. Fewkes and communicated to the writer by Mr. F. M. Webster. 
61121°—Bull. 156—15 1 
