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Show , 166 Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters rVol. XIV, including 227 adult and 4 nymphal false chinch bugs in 38 stomachs and 2 Pentatomidae; 1678 Homoptera, including 1250 beet leafhoppers i 83 stomachs, 444 aphids in 6 stomachs, and 22 mealy bugs in 4 stomachs· Lepidoptera in 22 stomachs, 43 being larvae in 21 39 tera 16 in stomachs; ColeoPter 18. stomach; including 4 Curculionidae in 2 stomachs; 105 Hymenoptera, 78 being ants 18 stomachs; 6 Diptera in 3 stomachs; 1598 weed seeds in 49 insect and some plant fragments. This bird is an im portant factor in the control of the beet leafhopper in certain desert breeding areas of Utah, particularly when the birds are in large flocks upon the beet leafhopper breeding areas during the fall. stomachs; in numerous Gambel's Sparrow.-Z onatrichia gambeli (Nuttall). Seventy-five stom achs contained 17 Orthoptera in 11 stomachs, 10 being grasshoppers; 6 Odnata in 5 stomachs; 12 Hemiptera in 6 stomachs, 6 being false chinch bugs in 2 stomachs; 96 Homoptera in 13 stomachs consisting of 22 adults and 74 nymphs of the beet leafhopper; 22 Coleoptera in 16 stomachs; 1_1 Lepidoptera, 10 being larvae in 5 stomachs; 3 Diptera, 2 being mosquitoes in 1 stomach; 60 Hymenoptera in 20 stomachs, 45 being ants in 10 stomachs; 1 solpugid; 3136 weed seeds in 39 stomachs, including 37 sunflower seeds in 2. stomachs : 68 wheat seeds in 7 stomachs; numerous insect and plant fragments. Lincoln Sparro.w.-Melospiza lincolni linea lni (Audubon). Six speci mens had recently taken 1 damsel fly; 3 Hemiptera, false chinch bugs; 37 Homoptera, including 15 adult and 20 nymphal beet leafhoppers in 4 stom achs, 1 mealy bug, and 1 leafhopper nymph; 1 Coleoptera; 1 dipterous maggot; 2 snails; 14 weed seeds; numerous insect and plant fragments. Turkeys play an important role in the control of grasshoppers in Utah. Eight thousand turkeys were ranged out over the Genola area during 1936, with the effect of noticeably decreasing a heavy grasshopper infestation. Ap proximately 800,000 turkeys have been raised in Utah during 1936, with grass hoppers and other insects comprising a very important part of the diet of approximately 500,000 of the birds (about 300,000 turkeys being fed otherwise). During the time they are ranged out, large bands of turkeys often are moved into areas where outbreaks of Mormon crickets and grasshoppers occur, the turkeys consuming millions of the pests as food. Turkeys feed upon young Mormon crickets more readily and effectively than upon mature crickets. Chickens, when allowed to range, are of help in controlling, grasshoppers which occur around farm and ranches. However, chickens do not forage as far as turkeys (and many are kept in coops and runs all of the time). The effectiveness of chickens in grasshopper control usually is rather local. Dur ing the severe 1931 outbreak of grasshoppers in Utah, chickens were observed This to keep the grasshoppers under control within their usual feeding range. condition was noticed particularly on certain farms in the vicinity of Delta, Trenton, North Ogden, Flowell, and Meadow. ' , ' Conclusions large quantities of injurious insects every season in Utah, over for the moderate injury caused by a compensating fe,,: of the species. The eating of large quantities of beet leafhoppers, false chinch bugs, ants, injurious species of pentatomids, alfalfa weevils and leaf bugs, as well as the consuming of injurious rodents, is decidedly helpful to he .farmes and substantially reduces injury upon large areas of range grazmg land 10 Birds consume many times stomachs Uta\he number of beneficial parasites and predators found in thetaken. T.he was very small compared with the number of injurious average food habits of birds should be considered, before any particular specles specimens. of bird is considered as being injurious. |
