Xew York Agricultural Experiment Station. 331 



under surface of the leaves, usually upon the upper half of the 

 willow or upon blades of grass or weeds growing in the willow 

 rows. The are shining black on the anterior half and dark brown 

 on the posterior. They vary in length but measure on the aver- 

 age, when first formed, about 9 mm. and are about one-third as 

 broad on the anterior half, tapering from the middle to the pos- 

 terior extremity. (Plate XX, Figures 3 and 4.) 



As the time approaches for the mature insect to come forth, the 

 outline of the pupa becomes more distinct. The posterior half 

 which becomes an empty skin, shrivels and the true pupa stands 

 out prominently. It is oval in outline, more or less obtusely 

 rounded at each end, and measures about 6 mm. by 3.5 mm. The 

 pupa stage lasts from 10 days to 2 weeks. 



The mature insect. — The mature insects, beetles, vary in length 

 from 5 mm. to 8 mm. and are a little more than half as broad as 

 long. The general color is black and gold above and dark metallic 

 green beneath. The head and thorax are black, the latter having 

 broad lateral margins of brick-red partially interrupted at the 

 middle by a more or less distinct black mark. The elytra are 

 marked with black and gold, the black being in three interrupted 

 longitudinal lines on each elytron. The lateral and posterior 

 margins are brick-red. The inner margins are black and when 

 the elytra are at rest form a broad, median line of black. The 

 other markings on the elytra vary. In some individuals the gold 

 predominates, while in others the black is more prominent. 



The legs are brick-red and black, the former color usually pre- 

 vailing on the posterior third of the femur and the anterior two- 

 thirds of the tibia. The tarsi are marked more or less regularly 

 with brick-red and black. Plate XX, Figure 5, is from a photo- 

 graph showing the mature insect natural size and enlarged. 



The beetles or " hard shells " as they are commonly known 

 among willow-growers, are most numerous on the willows, about 

 Syracuse, from the middle or latter part of June until the second 

 or third week in July. During this time the willows grow rapidly, 

 about three feet being a fair growth, and as the beetles feed vora- 



