. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture. WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE CROPS. 25 related to these insects and the hirvse are so very wireworm-like that they can be treated, from an economic standpoint, as wireworms. The beetle is about three-fourths of an inch long, rather slender, with very prominent scythe-like jaws; the color is broAvn. The wireworm is cylindrical. The first joint of the body is very large and extends forward under the head, so that the head is partly inserted within it; the last joint is long and thimble-shaped. The wireworm when full grown me
. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture. WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE CROPS. 25 related to these insects and the hirvse are so very wireworm-like that they can be treated, from an economic standpoint, as wireworms. The beetle is about three-fourths of an inch long, rather slender, with very prominent scythe-like jaws; the color is broAvn. The wireworm is cylindrical. The first joint of the body is very large and extends forward under the head, so that the head is partly inserted within it; the last joint is long and thimble-shaped. The wireworm when full grown measures 1^ inches in length and is nearly an eighth of an inch thick. The color is reddish brown. The genus is recorded by Sehiodte ^ as living in moist earth in Europe. In the bureau files is a note - by C. V. Riley which records the finding of a pupa at the roots of a grapevine in July, 1874. No locality ac- companies the note, which is with other notes made at St. Louis, Mo. On July 11 an adult emerged. In the same files another note^ records this wdreworm as injuring peach and other deciduous tree roots near Fairmont, Cal. In April, 1911, Mr. G. G. Ainslic sent a larva of this species to the writer, stating that he found it feeding on oat plants near Jackson, Miss. He sent two other larva? of this insect to the writer from Orlando, Fla., where they were found in black, sandy soil. Another interesting record of a wireworm {Ludius Jiepaticus Germ.) of decidedly minor importance is found in the bureau files.* Four larva? of this species were found attacking cruciferous plants at Georgiana, Fla. Our only other record of this genus is one in which adults were actually reared from larvae of Ludius attenuatus (Say) found in rotten Avood; these larva? were predaceous. NATURAL ENEMIES. Probably the most important factor in keej)ing wireworms in check are the birds. The following list of birds known, by examina- 1 Sehiodte, J. C. De metamoiphosi eleiitheratorum observationes, pt. 5, p
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