12 



warm, damp box made no attempt to enter the soil until from fifteen to 

 twenty-nine hours old. Young, apparently freshly hatched larvae in 

 the field were often found in the soil near to the eggshell from which 

 they had probably emerged. Those larva? observed were not seen to 

 feed until at least twenty-four hours had elapsed, and then a slight 

 discoloration began to show through the thin skin. Fine particles of 

 dirt were found at this time in the digestive organs. The larvae are 

 very sluggish in their movements, unless turned out on a dry, warm 

 soil in the sun, when they hasten to burrow beneath the surface, going 

 only a short distance and soon making a tiny cell in the earth, where 

 they curl up in the characteristic manner of white grubs. 



The life history from the middle of May until the last of October is 

 not yet definitely knoAvn. The last of October larvae were found in the 

 fields in considerable numbers in the same positions as those seen in the 

 spring ; also in the mother cane, upright stubble cane, and even at the 



bases of growing cane stalks. 

 Quite a number of the larvae are 

 now in our breeding cages in 

 Washington (April 1), but none 

 have as yet transformed. Many 

 of those dug out of the cane 

 fields in October had formed 

 earthen cells of considerable 

 solidity and were evidently full 

 grown. These cells were usually 

 placed 5 to 6 inches below the 

 surface and often close to the 

 canes. A few were found in the 

 mother cane. Some were dis- 

 covered at the summit of stubble 

 cane, 3 to 4 inches beneath the surface, where they had apparently fed 

 for most of their lives (see fig. 4:). None of the cells found in the 

 cane fields had parasites in them, but Erax lateralis larvae, one to two- 

 thirds grown, were several times found near injured white grubs. 

 But two pupae were found in the fields, and from one of these, earh' 

 in November, there emerged an adult of Ligyrus rugice'ps. The other 

 pupa was injured in transportation and died. 



A few adults of Ligyrus rugiceps and one of L. gibhosiis were 

 found in earthen cells at Olivier and St. James. Adults are not usu- 

 ally common in the fields in October, but a few may be found in the 

 soil of fields that have shown the most injur}^ the previous spring, 

 some being in earthen cells, others in the loose soil. A few adults 

 were also found in the soil at the bases of clumps of " Grand Marais " 

 grass {Pas2)alum dilatatum). Adults did not appear at lights at any 

 time in October and very rarely in the spring, nor were they seen 



Fig. S.— Ligyrus rugiceps: larvR slightly en 

 larged; b, leg; c, face view of head, more en 

 larged (original). 



