THE SO-CALLED " CURLEW BUG." 



57 



by the beetle of this species to chufa. The larva was at this time 

 operating in the crown of the plant at the base of the leaves. It was 

 observed that the insect was capable of doing considerable damage 

 even at this early date, as crowns were then found completely honey- 

 combed. On June 28 Mr. I. J. Condit, detailed by Dr. F. H. Chittenden, 

 in charge of Truck Crop and Stored Product Insect Investigations for 

 the purpose of obtaining material, visited the infested locality and ob- 

 tained numerous specimens of hibernated beetles and larvse. It was 

 then estimated that the damage would amount to about 20 per cent of 

 the crop. June 30 a larva was found nearly grown. Eggs were 

 also obtained at that time and until the end of the first week of 

 August. Search was made for the natural food of the insects, and 

 this was found in Frank's sedge (Carex frankii). 



May 22, 1907, Mr. R. I. Smith sent this species from Atlanta, Ga., 

 with the statement that these billbugs were reported as quite abun- 

 dant and doing great damage to corn at Statesboro, Ga. They had 

 been present at the date of that writing for about three weeks. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



As will be observed by consulting the accompanying map (fig. 17) 

 this species covers a wider range than SplienopTiorus maidis. It seems 

 to center in point of abundance in eastern North Carolina, extend- 



Fig. 17.— Map showing distribution of the "curlew bug*' (Sphenophorus callosus) and the maize 



billbug (Sphenophorus maidis). (Original.) 



ing southward to southern Florida, northward to Maryland, thence 

 northwest to northwestern Illinois, southwest to extreme south- 

 eastern Arizona and northern Mexico, and eastward to the Gulf 



coast. 



24091°— Bull. 95, pt 4—12 2 



