82 PAPERS ON CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS. 



sculptured with small tubercles, which may be rounded or reclinate and more or less 

 piliferous. Head densely punctate, antennae somewhat slender, ninth joint trian- 

 gulo-orbicular to transversely oval, tenth more or less transversely oval. 



Pronotum subcordate to transversely suboval, widest near the middle, a fourth to 

 scarcely a half wider than long; sides evenly and quite strongly arcuate to basal sev- 

 enth, or subangulate at middle, rounded in front and quite rapidly converging pos- 

 teriorly and sinuate at basal fourth, thence in each instance quite straight and par- 

 allel to the basal angles; base equal to the length or in some males shorter than the 

 length; apical angles obtuse, frequently not in the least rounded, at other times more 

 or less so. 



Elytra quite broadly ovalto subquadrate, widest at or behind the middle, a fourth 

 to a third longer than wide; disc more or less deplanate on the dorsum, strongly, arcu- 

 ately, and vertically declivous posteriorly; surface densely tuberculate, tubercles 

 apparently arranged in rows on tha dorsum or irregular throughout; each bears a very 

 short, black seta near the apex; when arranged in rows there are very small murk-ate 

 punctures scattered sparsely and irregularly between, always less distinct along the 

 suture centrally; the tubercles are more or less rounded and shining, the interstices 

 between more or less opaque. Otherwise as in cordata. 



Male. — First two joints of the protarsi with tuft of yellowish pubescence near tip 

 beneath; that of the second joint is rather small; tuft on the first joint of the mesotarsi 

 quite small. Tufts somewhat long and truncate at tips. Otherwise as in cordata. 



Female. — First joint of the anterior tarsi distinctly thickened at tip beneath. Oth- 

 erwise as in cordata. 



Measurements. — Males: Length, 12-14.5 mm.; width, 6-7 mm. Females: Length, 

 13-15.2 mm.; width, 6.5-8 mm. 



Genital characters, male. — As in cordata. 



Female. — Genital segment triangular, surface quite plain and slightly setose. 



Valvula. — Dorsal plate oblong, feeble or scarcely narrowed apically, slightly explan- 

 ate externally; apical margin nearly transverse to feebly oblique, inwardly not de- 

 fined from the surface of the apex, angle obtuse and more or less feebly rounded. 



Ventrolateral surfaces. — Submarginal groove distinct and well defined beneath the 

 expanded external border of the dorsal plate. Otherwise as in cordata. 



FOOD SUBSTANCES. 



False wireworms are known to feed on the seed of wheat, oats, 

 and corn, on the tubers of potato, on the fleshy roots of sugar beet, 

 and on several garden crops, as well as on a variety of dead organic 

 matter. 



If several larvae are placed in a small rearing cage with insuf- 

 ficient food they invariably prey upon one another until there is 

 but a single survivor. Mr Swenk 1 observed that in cages where 

 larvae died of a disease their more fortunate survivors ate the dead 

 individuals. 



The adult beetles have been observed feeding on the seed of 

 wheat and corn, on the leaves of corn, on Polygonum littorale and other 

 weed leaves, and on decaying vegetable matter. An adult beetle was 

 kept alive for several months in our laboratory. It was fed on 

 wheat and occasionally drank from a piece of wet cotton. 



i Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 2, p. 336, 1909. 



