76 PAPERS ON CEEEAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



TLleodes opaca is apparently confined to the Plains region east of 

 the Rocky Mountains, specimens having been collected in central 

 and eastern Colorado, western Kansas and Oklahoma, northern 

 Texas, all of Nebraska, and southern and eastern South Dakota. 



Eleodes suturalis occurs over about the same region as E. opaca, 

 with its variety texana Lee. extending southward into New Mexico 

 and southern Texas. 



THE WORK IN THE BIG BEND REGION OF WASHINGTON. 



On May 28, 1909, an oat field at Govan, Wash., was examined. 

 This field had been almost completely destroyed by true wireworms; 

 besides these, many larvae of Eleodes letcheri vandykei were found on 

 the surface of the ground, evidently forced out by the unusually late 

 heavy rains of the preceding day. These latter were by far too few 

 in numbers to have destroyed the oats. Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana 

 occidentalis) were noticed feeding in the fields in large numbers on 

 the exposed Eleodes larvae. Many of the larvae were also found in 

 the ground at a depth of from 3 to 5 inches, in small spherical cells, 

 wherein they lay in a curled position. These were considerably 

 softer and paler colored than those found in an active condition. 



The work in 1910 started early in April when the false wireworms 

 were to be found scatteringly throughout the grain fields, the grain 

 having just sprouted. 



Adults were first observed in 1911 on April 17, the day being 

 quite hot, but the weather up to this time having been very cool. 

 The beetles were to be seen at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon in 

 great numbers along all the roadsides, where they were either awk- 

 wardly hurrying over the ground or nibbling at the foliage of the 

 very young Polygonum littorale, which is very abundant in this 

 region. 



Adults of the larger species, Eleodes ooscura sulcipennis, were 

 usually to be found in or about the burrows of the ground squirrel 

 (Citellus townsendi) and the badger. 



When disturbed, the species of Eleodes have the ludicrous habit of 

 standing still and elevating the abdomen so that the long axis of the 

 body approaches the perpendicular instead of the nearly horizontal 

 position it normally maintains while walking or at rest. The two 

 beetles to the right in figure 22 are 'in tins attitude. Thus they will 

 remain motionless for several minutes and finally, if they are not 

 further disturbed, they walk off. If one places the finger near the 

 insect, an oily liquid is excreted from the anal aperture, which flows 

 down over the elytra and abdomen. This liquid is pale yellow in 

 color and makes a dark-brown stain; it has a very characteristic, 

 strong, astringent, and offensive odor, and is evidently protective in 



