INSECT ENEMIES OP WHITE GRUBS. 79 



INSECT ENEMIES OP WHITE GRUBS. 



Of the insect enemies of white grubs the following parasitic and 

 predaceous species have been observed at this office. Although some 

 of these insects were not observed attacking L. arcuata, they are all 

 probable enemies of that species : 



Ophion bifoveolatum Say, received July 24, 1890, from Mr. F. M. 

 Webster, Lafayette, Ind., with the report that it had issued from a 

 rearing cage in which he had placed a lot of larvae of Lachnosterna, 

 probably fusca. Dr. Forbes mentions the reariug of the same or a 

 related species under similar circumstances at Champaign, 111. 



Pelecinus polytiirator Dru. — Seen in the act of emerging from its 

 pupal envelope, which had been observed in a grub of L. gibbosa, at 

 Champaign, 111., August 25, 1892, as recorded by Dr. Forbes. 



Cryptomeigenia thelitis Walk. — In and among the dead bodies of 

 adult L. inversa a puparium of this tachinid was found at this office 

 October 28, 1892. May 23 of the following year the fly was reared. 



Eutrixa masuria Walk, was reared from the adult of L. arcuata col- 

 lected at Washington, the parasite issuing March 12-23, 1895. 



Microphthalmia disjuncta Wied. issued October 15, 1891, found in 

 the skin of a larva of L. arcuata August 12 by Mr. Pergande at 

 Washington. 



The three species of Tachinid?e mentioned are all considered, to- 

 gether with their host relations, in Mr. Coquillett's Revision of the 

 Tachinidie (Tech. ser. No. 7, Div. Ent.), but it is well to bring these 

 data together in connection with the following observations on egg 

 deposit, which occurs on the external surface of living beetles. 



At one of the meetings of the Entomological Society of Washington 

 Dr. Howard exhibited specimens of an adult of L. fusca captured by 

 him in June, 1897, in Greene County, N. Y., on the thorax of which 

 were glued the eggs of some species of tachiiiid fly, probably one of 

 the above or a related species. A specimen of L. inversa was received 

 from Dr. H. Shaffer, Keokuk, Iowa, on the thorax of which appeared 

 similar eggs. On another species, L. micans Knoch., a single egg was 

 discovered, placed on the middle of an elytron near the suture. This 

 last specimen was received from Mr. R. E. Spivey, Sharon, Miss. 



Drasterius elegans Fab.(?) — An elatericl larva, presumably of this 

 species, was received August 26, 1897, from Mr. A. Moxcey, Penn Yan, 

 N. Y.. with the statement that it had been found fastened by its 

 mandibles to a grub of L. arcuata. 



Tetramorium ccespitum Linn. — There is also mention in our notes of 

 17 larvae of L. arcuata, which were being used for experimental pur- 

 poses, falling prey to the household aut above mentioned, which killed 

 and devoured them. 



