. 12 



killiug the side blades or without ciittiug the plant down. He gave no 

 particulars as to the amount of damage. (This instance is recorded in 

 Bulletin ^o. 12, Division of Entomology, j). 33). 



In May, 188G, the same iusect was received from a new localit}-. Mr. 

 G. W. Smith-Taniz, of Canton, Miss., writing to the Division under date 

 of May 27, says : '' I herewith mail you specim'ens of a bug that is verj- 

 destructive to growing corn, especially in wet land. The section of 

 corn plant sent with bug within it, where he was at work when taken, 

 shows how complete is the work of destruction. I first noticed this 

 pest last season (1885), though of course it may have been here before. 

 There is general complaint of damage from it this year. Tt continues 

 its ravages through the growing season, causing stalks to fall even 

 when in ear." June 27 he again wrote : " I have delayed writing, 

 awaiting further developments. The gravid females are at this time 

 very numerous. I find a few eggs here and there singly through the 

 earth, near to roots of the corn where the beetles are at work. These 

 eggs are similar to those within the beetle. They hatch out a white 

 grub with a horny, red head. I have not yet succeeded in geiting any 

 eggs from beetles io confinement, neither as yet have any eggs dissected 

 from the beetles hatched. There is no abatement of the work of de- 

 struction, successiv^e plantings only furnishing a fresh supply of favor- 

 ite food to the insect. This is the worst insect enemy to the corn plant 

 we have yet had on heavy, wet land. * * * ^Ve have had an ex- 

 cessively wet June, 8f inches of rain-fall to the present time during the 

 present month, and still raining every day. I cannot say whether this 

 is favorable or unfavorable to the beetle." 



July 9 he sent a shipment of eggs and larvji^, though most of the for. 

 mer were destroyed by mold, lie stated that a few days of hot sun- 

 shine, though with occasional showers, had made it hard to find tlie 

 beetles. In a quite extensive search he found only one beetle, and that 

 was a dead one. There was evidence, however, that the beetles had been 

 at work the previous night. July 19 he wrote that although up to July 

 9 he had had little difiiculty in finding eggs, young larviie, and perfect 

 beetles, yet after a week of dry weather they had entirely disa])peared, 

 and he could onl\' find an occasional large white grub (hirva of Lccflnios- 

 ternafusca). He still, however, continued to find fresh work of the 

 beetle, evidently done at night, and judged that they sought shelter 

 from the sun elsewhere during the day. Once or twice, however, he 

 took a lantern into the field at uight, but the beetle was not attracted, 

 and moreover it never found its way to the lights in the neigliborifig 

 liouses. 



Mr. Smith-Vani/ also sent us at various times the allied beetles, Li- 

 (/yri(S riKjinasKs Lee, and AnomaJaJiavipennis Burm., found among the 

 Corn-beetles, but not identified in any way with their work. 



Although the greatest care was taken with the eggs and young larva' 

 received in July, we were able to do nothing with them, and they die<l 

 before fall. 



