August, '15] 



YICKERY: THREE HELIOPHILAS 



391 



be limited to the far south because of its preference for sorghum hay 

 and sugar-cane. Corn, and sorghum grown for syrup, are cultivated 

 and do not afford shelter for the larvae. 



These larvae are controlled by the following parasites: From small 

 larvae, Meteorus laphygmce Tier., Apanteles harnedi Vier., and MicrO' 

 plitis sp.; from large larvae, Enicospihis purgatus Say, Rhogas atricornis 

 Cress., Peleteria rohusta Wied., Apanteles militaris Walsh, Apanteles 

 rufocoxalis, Paniscus sp., Euplectrus platypypence y . d. Wulp.; from the 

 pupae. Ichneumon sp. Archytas analis Fabr., and Archytas piliventris 

 How. 



We encounter then in connection with these species 13 primary 

 parasites, only 4 of which {Meteorus laphygmce ^ Apanteles harnedi, 

 Euplectrus platypypence, and Archytas piliventris) have been reared 

 from Laphygma frugiperda at Brownsville, and only two of which {Me- 

 teorus and Euplectrus) have been reared from other hosts. We have 

 not worked out the life histories of the parasites but have already 

 started work with several of them. We have not certainly reared 

 any parasites from H. midtilinea but it probably has the same para- 

 sites as H. subpunctata as its habits and life history seem to be similar 

 to those of that species. 



As these primary parasites all have their own peculiar life histories, 

 habits, parasites and diseases, and are differently influenced by changes 

 in temperature and humidity, they vary very much in their abund- 

 ance throughout the year and in different localities. Usually they 

 become numerous enough in spring to almost exterminate their hosts. 

 We have made a collection of 100 larvae that was more than 100 per 

 cent parasitized. Apanteles militaris appears to be most efficient of 

 all these parasites but at times A. rufocoxalis is very numerous. 



We have reared 12 secondary parasites from the primary parasites 

 but 9 of these have been encountered in connection with Laphygma 

 frugiperda. There are probably many other secondary parasites but 

 it will require considerable time and labor to discover them. 



We have reared three parasites from the cocoons of Apanteles mili- 

 taris and they are different from those reared from A. harnedi and 

 from Meteorus. 



^Meteorus of course has the same parasites that were reared from it 

 in the work with Laphygma which are: Myrmicomorpha perniciosa 

 Vier., Spilochalcis pallens Cress., Spilochalcis delira Cress., Dihrachys 

 meteori Gahan, Hemiteles sp., Mesochorus sp., Eupelmus meteori 

 Gahan, and Elasmus apanteli Gahan. Some of these parasites also 

 attack Apanteles harnedi Vier. 



Euplectrus has the parasite Tetrastichus euplectri Gahan in some 

 parts of the country, but this species has not been reared at Brownsville. 



