43 
Mr. Webster reports seeing a larva of Chrysopa feeding on young 
inch-bugs in a field of corn at Normal, on the 30th of July, and 
•other was detected in the act on the 5tli of August, in some corn 
rich had been transplanted to the laboratory for experiment. 
?gs of this insect were also noticed in a field infested by the 
inch-bug, but neither bugs nor eggs were very numerous. 
The following additional insect enemies are mentioned by Prof, 
ley, in his seventh report as State Entomologist of Missouri: 
“ The insidious flower-bug (Anthocoris insidiosus, Say) which is so 
ten found preying on the leaf-inhabiting form of the grape Pliyl- 
^era, and which is not unfrequently mistaken for the chinch-bug, 
quite commonly found in connection with this last, and in all 
obability preys upon it. The many-banded robber (Harpactor 
ictus , Fabr.,) also preys upon the chinch-bug. It is quite frequently 
et with, and I have detected it in the act.” 
Concerning these, Prof. Thomas says, in the Cliinch-bug Bulletin, 
sued by the Department of the Interior, in 1S79: “The most 
icient of these aids appears to be the Harpactor ductus, or banded- 
J g. I received, in 1878, notice from points in the Northwest 
i at it was doing much service in destroying chinch-bugs, but it 
es not develop in sufficient numbers to make any serious impres- 
E>n on them in the years when they are abundant.” 
In a field of corn near Normal, I noticed in July on the groand 
out the stalks and occasionally crawling over the lower parts of 
ese, numerous specimens of an extremely abundant, small, preda- 
ous beetle, (Agonoderus comma), which was at that time evidently 
t just emerging as a perfect insect. As the lower parts of these 
ilk s were likewise covered more or less completely with young 
inch-bugs in stages preceding the third molt, and as the beetles 
ire often seen wandering about, it seemed probable that the latter were 
iding, at least in part, upon the bogs. Ten specimens were dis- 
bted from this field, in four of which fragments of voimg chinch¬ 
es were detected, amounting to fully one-fifth of the food of the 
'tire number. One had eaten an ant, of a species likewise very 
undant in the same situation. In one, a trace of some insect 
va was discovered, while the entire remainder of their food, 
lounting to about half the whole, consisted of fragments of vege- 
uon, the source of uhich could not positively be determined. It 
d every appearance, however, of having been partly derived 
1 'm the roots of the corn. This abundant predaceous beetle must 
brefore be added to the list of the active enemies of Jthe chinch- 
g. In the field in question, which was not very seriously infested, 
3 number destroyed by them must have been sufficient to diminish 
preciably the following brood. 
The only mention of ants, in this connection, which I have seen, 
, in the paper of Prof. Riley, already cited, where he says that 
3 correspondents have reported to him that this insect destroys the 
rs of chinch-bugs. This statement, however, lacks verification by 
■section. The little ant (Lasius flavus) mentioned above, was 
md by me very common in all fields infested by the chinch-bug, 
d is, in fact, excessively abundant everywhere. In many fields of 
'ghum and broom-corn, their extraordinary numbers had attracted 
