New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 259 



to the above facts, observation in the field showed that there was 

 no tendency to mate during the fall. Hence it is evident that the 

 statement that there is more than one brood each year is wrong. 

 The numerous beetles seen in the spring are the same beetles 

 that were seen in the fall, which have hibernated. 



Summary. — At the present time, the known facts regarding 

 the life history and habits of the striped cucumber beetle, com- 

 bined with what is known of closely related species of beetles, 

 indicate the following cycle: The adult beetles hibernate in the 

 ground below the frost line. In the latitude of Long Island they 

 issue from the ground during May and the first of June, depend- 

 ing somewhat on the weather conditions. They feed ravenously 

 for a few days before they commence to pair. Wherever they 

 chance to be feeding during the latter part of June and during 

 July, there they drop their eggs. The larvse or grubs require 

 moist earth in which to live; they feed upon the vines and fruit 

 wherever these come in contact with the moist earth. About one 

 month is required by the larvae to feed and develop, after which 

 they form a small cavity or cell in the ground, and change within 

 this to the pupal or resting stage. The pupal stage lasts from one 

 to two weeks, when the adult beetles emerge. The new brood 

 of beetles commences to appear about the middle of September. 

 At this time but few of the old beetles are left. This new brood 

 feeds greedily until driven into hibernating quarters by frosts. 



DESCRIPTION. 



The adult striped cucumber beetle, or " striped bug," as it is 

 wrongly called, is too well known to need any description. 



As the eggs have never been described, and as the larval and 

 pupal stages are not so well kno^vn, they are given. 



Egrj}^ — To the unaided eye the egg, when first deposited, 

 appears to be very light yellow in color ; nearly round and but 



10 Shortly after the above description was ready for the printer, I received 

 U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., Bui. 10, n. ser., in which F. H. Chittenden de- 

 scribes the egg, hence his description has priority. 



