232 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE GRAPEVINE HOPLIA, 



*Hoplia callipyge Lee. (Family Scarabseidse ) . 

 (Fig. 229.) 



General Appearance. — The adult beetles vary from five sixteenths 

 to three eighths of an inch in length. The head and thorax are dark 

 brown, being the darkest portions of the entire body. They are often 

 covered with fine golden pubescence, giving them a mottled appear- 

 ance. The wing covers or elytra are brown — nearly as dark as the 



Fig. -!:i9. — The grupi'vine hoplia {Hop- 

 lia callipyge Lee), showing dorsal and 

 ventral aspects. 



head and thorax or considerably lighter in some species. They are 

 also pubescent and often appear white mottled, due to the fact that 

 the fine hair or powder is removed in certain places. The entire ven- 

 tral surface, excepting the head, is beautifully iridescent silvery green, 

 as are also the blunt posterior end of the abdomen, the coxfe and 

 femora of the legs. The rest of the legs and antenna? are brown. The 

 larvae are white grubs and live in the soil. 



Life History. — The life history of this beetle has not been worked 

 out, but it probably resembles that of the other chafers. The glossy 

 white eggs are laid in old pastures. The grubs feed upon the plant 

 roots and grow very slowly, requiring from one to two years to become 



♦Another species, Hoplin sackenii Lee, also occurs in the central and southern part 

 of the State and works upon the grapevine. 



Hoplia pubicollis Lee. is lighter in color than H. callipyge Lee. and occurs in the 

 Sierra foothills, but apparently is not a pest. 



