20 
occur under carcasses of small animals, such as rabbits and birds, and 
in garbage. 
The eggs are probably laid usually in decomposing material, but it 
has not been ascertained where they are deposited in beet fields. 
The larvae are nocturnal, feeding chiefl}^ in the evening and early 
morning, and concealing themselves during the heat of the day about 
the roots of the plants aflPected. They first attack the parench3^ma 
or outer surface of a leaf, leaving the skeleton more or less intact; 
but when in numbers they consume entire leaves, sometimes eating 
them down to the ground. Afterwards they attack the roots. Where 
the leaves are not severeh^ eaten the plants recover, but if the foliage 
is destro^^ed the plants usually die. The species is probabl}^ single- 
brooded. As soon as the larvee become full fed injur}^ ceases and the 
plants, if not too seriously damaged, begin to take on new growth. 
Larvee descend into the soil to a depth of three or four inches and 
there change to pupae and afterwards to 
beetles, in which stage they pass the 
winter undisturbed and free from nat- 
ural enemies until the following spring,' 
when the}^ reappear. 
THE SPINACH CARRION BEETLE. 
{Silpha hituherosa Lee.) 
This species resembles the preced- 
ing, both in appearance and habits, but 
differs in some important particulars, 
Fig. i2.-siipha hituherosa: adult-much being a native species and restricted, 
enlarged (original, Division of Ento- gQ f^^ as injurious occurrenccs are con- 
cerned, to the Northwest Territories and 
neighboring portions of British America. It occurs, however, also 
in northern Kansas, from which State it was originally described in 
1859, and in Wyoming and Montana. Unlike the preceding species, 
it attacks other vegetation than beets, although it seems probable that 
it fed originally on plants of that famih^, such as lambsquarters and 
another weed native to the l^oY{h.v^Q^t{2Ionolej)is nuttalliana). Other 
food plants are squash and pumpkin. The insect seems capable of 
being quite destructive to all of these crops. Some vines of the 
pumpkin have been entireh^ destroj^ed. In Alberta the larvae have 
been reported as swarming in gardens in the spring, devouring leaves 
of spinach and beet. 
The spinach carrion beetle (fig. 12) is much broader than the beet 
carrion beetle, being more nearl}^ oval, whereas the latter is elongate 
oval. It measures nearh' half an inch and is of the same black color. 
The larva is polished black and does not appear to have been differ- 
entiated from that of the preceding. 
