46 BULLETIN 189, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



PREDACEOUS INSECTS. 



It seems probable that many codling-moth larvae, after leaving the 

 fruit, are caught and destroyed by ants. A small red ant (Solenopsis 

 molesta Say) was frequently met with on the bark of apple trees and 

 under the bands engaged in killing and devouring the larvae. Colonies 

 of these ants that had their homes in the vicinity of banded trees 

 seemed to form a habit of visiting the bands to obtain food. The 

 collections of larvae from trees in several localities were very consid- 

 erably reduced in numbers from this cause. Lasius niger L. var. 

 americana Emery, a species less abundant about the trees than the 

 other, was also found killing the larvae. These ants were determined 

 by Prof. W. M. Wheeler. 



Several species of beetles were found to be predatory on the larvae 

 and pupae at the various stations. The most abundant of these was 

 Tenebroides corticalis Melsh., both the larvae and adults of which were 

 frequently found under the bands devouring the larvae and pupae. 

 Another beetle, Hololepta lucida Lee. (PL I, fig. 2), was found at Win- 

 chester with a codling-moth larva in its jaws. Two species of carabid 

 beetles (Calantlius opaculus Lee. and Platynus angustatus Dej.) were 

 common under the bands but were not observed to be feeding on the 

 codling-moth larvae. These beetles were determined by Mr. E. A. 

 Schwarz, of the Bureau of Entomology. A coleopterous larva, which 

 was determined as a species of Telephorus by Mr. H. S. Barber, was 

 observed in the act of eating a codling-moth larva at Hancock in 1911. 



HYMENOPTEROUS AND DIPTEROUS PARASITES. 



Six species of hymenopterous parasites were reared from the cod- 

 ling-moth larvae in the jars. Of these, Ascogaster carpocapsx Vier. 

 (PI. I, fig. 1) was found at Winchester, Hagerstown, Smithsburg, 

 Keyser, and French Creek, and outnumbered all others. An undeter- 

 mined secondary parasite was found to be destroying this species in 

 considerable numbers at Keyser in 1 9 1 1 . Itoplectis marginatus (Prov.) 

 (fig. 23) occurred at Greenwood, Hagerstown, Winchester, and French 

 Creek. A female of this species was observed on the trunk of an apple 

 tree at French Creek ovipositing in a larva that had spun up under a 

 scale of bark. Macrocentrus sp. 1 was reared at Greenwood in July, 

 1911 ; Meteorus sp., 2 at French Creek in July, 1913 ; ( Microdus) Bassus, 

 n. sp. (PI. I, fi-g. 4), at Smithsburg in July, 1911; and PJianerotoma 

 tibialis Hald. at Charlottesville in 1911. The last species was deter- 

 mined by Mr. H. L. Viereck and the others by Mr. R. A. Cushman, 

 of the Bureau of Entomology. 



i Quaintance No. 7457. 2 Quaintance No. 7569. 



