1282 Rural School Leaflet 



Story 0} its lije. — In the fall of the year the adult beetles burrow into 

 the ground, where they pass the winter. In spring they work their way 

 out of the ground early, and, after feeding on the potato plants for a few 

 days, deposit their orange-colored eggs' in clusters on the undersides of 

 the leaves. The eggs hatch in a week or ten days, and the soft red grubs 

 begin eating the leaves of the plant greedily. The grubs become full- 

 grown in two or three weeks and go down into the ground, where each one 

 changes to a pupa. The pupa, after resting for ten days or two weeks, 

 transforms to a beetle, which comes forth ready to lay eggs for another 

 generation. 



Injury and control. — The beetles and grubs eat the plants and destroy 

 whole fields of potatoes if not checked. Moreover, the tubers in the 

 ground are of a poorer quality when the plants are injured by this insect. 



Since the beetles and grubs have biting mouth parts, they may be 

 controlled by spraying the plants with paris green, i pound to 100 gallons 

 of water, to which 2 or 3 pounds of freshly slaked lime should be added 

 in order to prevent burning of the plants. Arsenate of lead may be 

 substituted for the paris green, and should be used at the rate of 4 pounds 

 to 50 gallons of water. In many cases two or more applications of poison 

 may be necessary. 



Natural enemies. — Perhaps the most efficient enemies of the potato 

 beetles are the ladybird beetles. At least eight different kinds of lady- 

 birds attack and destroy the potato beetle in some of its stages. Both 

 the adult ladybirds and their larvae feed on the eggs and grubs of the 

 potato beetle and destroy great numbers of them. 



There are also several kinds of rather large, dark-colored beetles, 

 known as groimd beetles, which prey on the potato beetle and its grubs. 



A certain fiy, called a tachina fly, lays its eggs on the grubs. The 

 eggs hatch and the maggots bore through the skin of the grub and live 

 inside its body, finally killing it. 



THE HOUSE FLY 



Musca domestica 

 Glenn W. Herrick 



Appearance of the fiy- — ■ Several kinds of flies are often mistaken for 

 house flies. House flies vary in size according to the quantity of food 

 that the maggots obtain and to the temperature surrounding them while 

 they are growing. 



The house fly is grayish brown in color, with four dark lines on the thorax 

 just behind the head; and the fifth vein in each wing turns abruptly up- 

 ward at the end. The body and the legs are covered with rather long, 

 stiff hairs. 



