CLASSIFICATION^, SYNONYMY, AND COMMON NAMES. 13 
wireworms. The latter is considerably the smaller of the two, and 
only an occasional individual has come under observation. -The 
other wireworms are white, with a slight yellow tinge. Two of them 
belong to the genus Cardiophorus, one having been identified by Mr. 
E. A. Schwarz, of this bureau, as Cardiophorus seneus Horn. The 
other has not yet been reared, but as several adult specimens of 
C. crinitus Blanch, have been taken in the fields, it is probable that 
it belongs to this species. The other wireworm found in the fields 
is a large, robust, whitish one, considerably larger than Limonius 
calif ornicus. This has not been reared and remains undetermined. 
In the spring, when the adults are found in the beet fields, four 
other elaterids are found with them, though in lesser numbers. The 
most common one resembles in general characteristics Limonius 
calif ornicus . It is of about the same size and outline, but differs 
from L. californicus in the color of its elytra, which are a decided buff 
instead of a deep brown. Dr. Chittenden has stated that this may 
prove to be a new variety of californicus, since, while it resembles that 
species quite closely, it seems to disagree in several small particulars. 
From the numbers of these which were found with L. californicus it 
is possible that they may be of economic importance. This species 
may be called the lesser sugar-beet wireworm to distinguish it from 
L. californicus. 
The other elaterids which were found occurred in very small num- 
bers, so that they may be disregarded from an economic standpoint. 
These have been determined as Drasterius livens, Cardiophorus seneus, 
and C. crinitus { ?). These three are considerably smaller than L. cali- 
fornicus and there is therefore little chance of their being mistaken 
for the latter. 
Another beetle commonly noted in the fields is a carabid, Platynus 
sp., slightly larger than L. californicus, robust, black in color, with a 
slight metallic tinge. 
Two species of tenebrionids are also commonly found with LimoTV- 
ius californicus. Both are short, very robust, and dull black in color. 
One is Blapstinus sp., the other a species of Coniontis. 
CLASSIFICATION, SYNONYMY, AND COMMON NAMES. 
Limonius californicus (PI. I; PI. 11, fig. a) belongs to the common 
genus Limonius of the family Elateridse. It further belongs to the 
tribe Elaterini and group Athoi. 
It was described from America in 1843 by Mannerheim as Cardio- 
phorus californicus and has since been referred to the genus Limonius. 
Cardiophorus californicus is its only known synonym. 
The larvae of this entire family of insects are commonly known as 
wireworms. The adults, due to their habit of throwino: themselves 
into the air when placed on their backs, have received the names 
''skipjacks," ''chck-beetles," ''spring-beetles/' and ''blacksmiths." 
