202 Bulletin 157. 



unsuccessful, yet we feel sure that these vines will be badly dam- 

 aged by the beetles in the following spring. Our observations 

 would indicate that the summer brood of these beetles must 

 sometimes feed upon several other plants beside the grape. Dr. 

 Fitch records that they fed upon one of his plum trees every 

 :summer for man\' years- 



Number of broods each year. — In 1865, Kirkpatrick thought 

 'there were several broods of this fiea-beetle each 3'ear. Most 

 later writers say one brood, while some suspect two broods in the 

 south. There is, as yet, no definite evidence to show that two 

 broods of the beetles and their grubs are produced in a year in 

 an}^ portion of the countr3^ although such a definite statement 

 'has crept into one of our best popular books upon injurious 

 insects. As the grubs get to work as early as March in Georgia 

 and Florida, it would seem very probable that another brood of 

 grubs would be developed there before autumn. Bruner has 

 noted but a single brood in Nebraska. In June, 1898, we col- 

 lected man}' of the first grubs to be found that had attained 

 nearl}^ their full growth and placed them in cages. The first 

 "beetles to develop from these appeared Jul}- 7th. We fed the 

 l)eetles for about two months, and during that time failed to see 

 any in copulation or any indications of egg-laying. They then 

 ceased feeding and prepared for hibernation. This indicates but 

 one brood, normally, in New York. 



As recorded on page 195, we found freshl}^ laid eggs on June 

 i5tli, 1898, and Mr. Lowe found some as late as July 14th. It 

 is possible this last case means that there maj^ sometimes be a 

 partial second brood of the grubs in New York, but we prefer to 

 believe it a case where the beetle emerged from hibernation much 

 later than usual in the spring, and possibly its egg-laying period 

 was unusuall}' long. 



Most writers speak of the beetles which appear in July as the 

 " second brood." There is but one brood of the beetles in a 

 year in northern latitudes at least. It is true, however, that 

 members of two different broods of beetles appear on the vines 

 during the same calendar year. But the beetles which appear 

 and feed on the leaves in July and August are the same ones that 

 one sees eating the buds the next May. 



