Dec. 15,1923 
Biology of Eleodes suturalis 
5^1 
bundles, shocks, and edges of stacks, in burrows of small mammals, 
beneath piles of manure and dried Russian thistles, along fence rows, 
or beneath other convenient shade or cover. The adult does not crawl up 
into such bundles or shocks to any noticeable degree, but remains on the 
ground beneath them, and appears to prefer shocks or bundles which 
have settled rather closely to the ground instead of those resting lightly 
upon the stubble. It also selects for shelter the old dried piles of weeds 
and trash rather than fresh, green, newly cut piles of such debris. The 
amount of excrement present with the adult when found indicates that 
it often remains for a considerable period in the same spot. It also has 
been noted that an adult is occasionally present at night beneath street 
lights in towns within the infested areas, but it is not attracted to lights 
in large numbers. Webster (52, p. 32) in 1912 stated that an adult of 
Eleodes suturalis was observed devouring chinch bugs (Blissus leucopterus 
Say) at Wellington, Kans. D. J. Caffrey in 1915, while conducting a 
series of observations relating to insects predacious upon the New Mexico 
range caterpillar ( Hemileuca oliviae Ckll.) noted that adults of Eleodes 
suturalis would not feed upon dead Hemileuca larvae. 
At the approach of cold weather in late fall the adult seeks a hibernating 
place, usually beneath the rubbish previously used as shade and cover, 
and there it often penetrates to a considerable depth in the soil. It is 
probable that little or no food is taken during hibernation, and at such 
times, when an adult has been dug out or uncovered, it seems to be in a 
semidormant condition, and even after being taken into a warm room 
does not resume its normal activity for some hours. If kept out of 
hibernation and subjected to winter weather it speedily perishes. 
NATURAL ENEMIES 
Swenk (27, p. 335-336) in 1909 and McColloch (19, p. 191) in 1919 
recorded that they experienced more or less difficulty in conducting suc¬ 
cessful rearings of false wireworms because of the presence of what was 
presumably a bacterial disease of the larvae. A disease similar to that 
discussed by them also was encountered by the writer in rearing work 
with Eleodes suturalis . The presence of this upon a larva would first be 
noticed in the form of one or more small, irregular, reddish-brown spots 
on the thoracic and abdominal segments, and these spots usually would 
become larger in area until the death of the larva. In a number of in¬ 
stances it appeared to cause the death of the larva without having in¬ 
creased appreciably in size; at other times it would become larger until 
it encircled the body, and the larva notwithstanding would remain alive 
and reach the adult stage apparently without serious inconvenience; 
normally, however, the spot increased steadily in diameter and in doing 
so sooner or later caused the death of the larva. Presumably the disease 
was capable of spreading to other larvae, for healthy larvae, when placed 
with sick ones, frequently contracted the disease, though the customary 
isolation of the larvae in individual cages probably was responsible for 
preventing its general spread. 
The larva, while under laboratory conditions, occasionally was at¬ 
tacked by fungi, notably Sporotrichum globuliferum Speg. and Metarr- 
hizium anisopliae Metschn. McColloch (19, p. 191) also noted the 
presence of fungi, presumably of these species, in his rearing work. 
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