32 
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ALFALFA WEEVIL. 
The tenebrionid beetle, Eleodes sulcipennis Mann., was accused by 
farmers of feeding upon the larvae of the weevil and when taken to 
the laboratory it readily 
did this in confinement. 
An allied species, E. 
suturalis Say, was ob- 
served by Mr. E. O. G. 
Kelly to devour chinch 
bugs in the neighborhood 
of Wellington, Kans. In 
the latter instance the 
beetles seemed to prefer 
the p ar tially decaying 
leaves of corn under 
which the chinch bugs 
were hiding. It is prob- 
able that while these in- 
sects may devour a few of 
the weevil larvse they prefer 
other and vegetable food. 
The predsiceous mite, Pediculoides ventricosus ^ew]). (figs. 12, 13), 
was introduced from Indiana in March, 1911, but was afterwards 
Fig. 11.— The two-spotted Collops ( CoUops bipunctatus) 
Enlarged. (Original.) 
Adult. 
Fig. 12. — Pediculoides ventricosus, 
a mite predatory on the alfalfa 
weevil: Adult female before the 
abdomen has become inflated 
with eggs and young. In this 
condition the mite is nomadic 
and predatory. Greatly en- 
large d. (Redrawn from 
Brucker.) 
Fig. 13.— Pediculoides ventricosus: Adult female after the 
abdomen has become inflated with eggs and young. 
Greatly enlarged. (Redrawn from Brucker.) 
found a sufficient distance away from the points of introduction to 
show plainly that it was already an inhabitant of Utah, The results 
