360 Repoet of the Entomologists of the 



• 



under the circumstances to review briefly the life history of this 

 insect, and state the methods of combating it which have thus far 

 been found successful. 



LIFE HISTOEY AND DESCRIPTIONS. 



The adults. — The adult insects are shining steel blue flea beetles 

 measuring about one-fifth of an inch in length. (Plate XXX, Fig. 

 3, a.) They jump quickly upon being disturbed. This flea-like 

 habit has given them their name. They live during the winter in 

 rubbish about the field or under the loose bark of the old vines. 

 Last year they were active before the middle of April, and soon 

 began feeding voraciously on the buds. So severe was this at- 

 tack in some of the Keuka Lake vineyards that nearly all of the 

 first and second buds were destroyed. 



The egg. — Eggs are laid during the latter part of April or early 

 in May. It is the commonly accepted statement that the eggs 

 are placed in clusters on the under side of the leaves. Erom the 

 writer's observations there appear to be many exceptions to this, 

 if indeed it is usually the case. A number of beetles which were 

 kept in a breeding cage in the insectary deposited all of their eggs 

 near or upon the buds or in the angles at the base of the leaf stem 

 as shown at Plate XXX, Figs. 1 and 2. The eggs were not de- 

 posited in clusters but singly. Although it was late in the season 

 before field observations were made the eggs then found had been 

 placed singly, either at the base of the buds or, occasionally, upon 

 the upper or under surface of the leaves. Most of the eggs proba- 

 bly hatch early in May. 



The larva. — The young larva? are dark brown in color. At 

 first they devour only the soft parts of the leaf, but finally eat 

 clear through the tissue, making irregular holes. They are full 

 grown in about four weeks.- The full grown larva measures 

 nearly one-fourth of an inch in length and is lighter brown than 

 when first hatched. The head is black and each segment of the 

 body is distinctly marked with shining black dots and patches from 



