U. S. D. A., B. E. Bui. 95, Part V. C. F. I. I., April 22, 1912. 



PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



THE FALSE WIREWORMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 



By James A. HysXop, 

 Agent and Expert, Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Up to within the past five years, except for a few scattering notices, 

 the species of Eleodes have been considered of only incidental, if of 

 any, economic importance. The Tenebrionida?, to which this genus 

 belongs, are sometimes saprophagous, feeding on dead vegetable 

 matter in the soil, and occasionally on dead animal tissue as well 

 as on stored grain and other food products. 



Superficially the larvae resemble the true wireworms (elaterid 

 larvae), and on account of this resemblance and the similarity of their 



Fig. 22. — The false wireworm, Eleodes letcheri vandykei: Adults in characteristic attitudes. Some- 

 what enlarged . ( O riginal . ) 



depredations in the grain fields the two are often confused. On 

 closer examination, however, Eleodes larvae can be easily recognized; 

 the antennae are rather long and very conspicuously clavate, the 

 body is not flattened, and the forelegs are long and stout. These 

 larvae can move with great rapidity as compared with true wireworms 

 The confusion of Eleodes with the true wireworms is unfortunate, 

 as the preventive and remedial measures for the two pests are quite 

 distinct, what is efficient treatment in one case being quite useless 

 in the other. 



HISTORICAL. 



Among the earliest references to the economic importance of these 

 beetles in this country is a note by Prof. Lawrence Bruner, 1 in which 

 the species Eleodes tricostata Say is recorded as attacking cabbage 



1 Bui. 26 (old series), Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 11-12, 1892. 



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