Dec. 15,1923 
Biology of Eleodes suturalis 
563 
McColloch (18, p. 220) in 1918 reared a number of adults oiPerilitus 
eleodis from Eleodes tricostata and fortunately secured considerable 
noteworthy information of value on the life history of the parasite. 
He also (79, p. 190) reared the same parasite from E. opaca Say. 
Several hundred specimens of Perilitus eleodis were reared at intervals 
from July 18 to October 22 from adults of Eleodes suturalis. They 
issued as larvae from the anal opening of the adult hosts and pupated as 
tiny silken cocoons occurring in clusters here and there over the bottom 
of the cages. These cocoons were sometimes attached to a portion of 
the cage walls and sometimes were matted together in the soil which 
had been placed in the cages to facilitate egg laying. The adult parasites 
soon after emergence became active and moved about restlessly over the 
cages, and when present in cages containing host beetles would crawl 
about over them and 
attempt to oviposit 
promiscuously at any 
of the body sutures, 
usually on the ventral 
side. The beetle ap¬ 
peared to be in extreme 
fear of these parasites 
and would scramble 
around in greatest ex¬ 
citement as soon as one 
of them drew near. It 
would also make frantic 
efforts to push off the 
parasites when at¬ 
tacked by them. Upon 
finding a soft spot in 
which to place the egg, 
the rather long and 
upcurved ovipositor of 
the adult parasite was 
thrust through a suture 
of the body wall of the beetle. Each beetle thus attacked was isolated 
for further parasites, but unfortunately in no instance were additional 
ones obtained. The beetles sometimes lived for several hours after the 
parasites issued. The maximum number of parasites secured from a 
single host individual was 121. Perilitus eleodis also was reared by the 
senior writer from adults of Eleodes hispilabris Say, E. obsoleta Say, E. 
tricostata Say, and E. extricata Say. 
CONTROL MEASURES 
Extensive experiments conducted some years ago by Curtis (6, p. 170- 
178 ), Treat (28, p. 82) , Ormerod (20, p. 111-118), Weed ( 34 , p . 213 ), 
Comstock and Slingerland (5, p. 199-230 ), and Forbes (8, p. 48-31) 
in attempting to find a remedy for true wireworms, afford clues in the 
search-for control measures for this pest, for although these entomologists 
failed to find remedies which were in every way satisfactory, their work 
was of great value in pointing out the uselessness of several suggested 
schemes for avoiding crop injury by subterranean pests. Bearing in 
mind the suggestions embodied in the published records of their work, 
Fig. 4.— Perilitus eleodis, a parasite of the adult of Eleodes suturalis: 
Adult female. 
