220 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 11 
i 
birds impale them on thorns. Hyslop (1912, p. 84) states that the 
records of the Bureau of Biological Survey list thirteen species of birds 
as feeding on the adults of Eleodes. Barrows and Schwarz (1895, p. 
64) found Eleodes in the stomach of crows in Kansas and Nebraska, 
and they state that these beetles fulfil most of the requirements of in¬ 
sect food preferred by the crows. Judd (1898, p. 25) records the log¬ 
gerhead strike as feeding on E. tricostata and Beal (1900, p. 70, and 
1911, p. 40) has found specimens of this species in the stomachs of 
the crow blackbird and the red-headed woodpecker. 
Parasites 
Very few parasites have been found attacking any of the Eleodes. 
Bruner (1892, p. 12) records eggs of a tachinid on the elytra of tricostata 
and opaca. Riley (1892, pp. 211 and 219) records a braconid parasite, 
Perilitus sp., from E. suturalis. Hyslop (1912, p. 35) found a nematode 
worm infesting the abdomen of a beetle. He states that the worm 
nearly filled the abdomen. Ellis (1913, pp. 282-283) describes a 
gregarine ( Stylocephalus giganteus) obtained from E. hispilabris Say 
and Eleodes sp. During the past summer, the writer found this same 
gregarine in the alimentary tract of tricostata and opaca. Aldrich 
(1915, p. 245) reports a Sarcophaga larvipositing on E. tricostata , E. 
hispilabris , and E. obsoleta Say. 
On August 7, 1916, a number of hymenopterous larvae were found 
in one of the tricostata cages. On examining the beetles, they were 
found to be coming out of the anal slit of a male. Shortly after emerg¬ 
ing they spun silken cocoons around the edge of the cage and pupated. 
The adult parasites emerged August 16 and were found to be Perilitus 
eleodis Viereck. 1 This same parasite was reared from E. opaca on 
August 23. 
A red mite, Trombidium sp., was found on a number of beetles col¬ 
lected July 3, 1917. These mites were attached to the legs and to the 
various sutures on the ventral side of the body. The beetles were 
placed in a cage but the mites soon disappeared and none of the beetles 
died. 
A little life-history work was carried on with Perilitus eleodis and it 
might be of interest to note some of the results obtained. The larvae 
emerge through the anal slit of the beetle and seek a place to pupate. 
As they move from place to place they leave a trail of silken thread 
and, where large numbers of larvae emerged in a cage, the soil was often 
webbed together. Shortly after emerging the larvae construct silken 
1 Determined by Mr. A. B. Gahan, of the Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture. 
