56 The Bulletin. 



rudimentary mouth parts and legs and of a very clumsy aspect. 

 Soon another molt takes place, but only slight changes are seen in 

 this form of larvae. After eating the remaining eggs in the pod, and 

 leaving it, it grows in the soil, where it forms a smooth cavity, within 

 which it rests. Soon it splits its skin again, disclosing now quite 

 rudimentary, tuberculous mouth parts and legs. The semi-pupa thus 

 formed is rigid and of a deep yellow color. It hibernates in this 

 condition. In spring the skin is again torn open and a larva appears 

 looking like that of the second shape, but smaller and whiter ; it is 

 quite active, but does not seem to require any food. It changes into 

 a true pupa and eventually into a winged beetle." (Luggar.) The 

 adult beetles are apt to congregate in great numbers, and as they 

 are strong flyers, they often descend on a field and literally strip it 

 in a very short time. 



Food Plants. — Potatoes, beans, peas, beets, clematis, nightshades, 

 and horse nettle are all favorite foods of this beetle. 



Control. 



Preventives. — Evidently clean culture is one of the best means of 

 control. It is doubtful if these insects would ever prove injurious to 

 tobacco save where they are driven to it as a last resort after they have 

 exhausted other available sources of food. As mentioned again and 

 again, weeds closely related to tobacco should be kept out of the to- 

 bacco field, as they simply act in the capacity of breeding and harbor- 

 ing places for insects which when their normal food plant gives out 

 are almost sure to turn their attention to tobacco with disastrous 

 results. 



Remedies. — Either of the arsenates may be used rather successfully 

 against these pests, especially if they do not occur in great numbers. 

 However, when blister beetles occur in great swarms, arsenates are 

 apt to prove of very little avail. In such cases there is, perhaps, no 

 better remedy than collecting them by hand. For this purpose shal- 

 low tin pans should be used. In the bottom of these pans a few rags 

 liberally saturated with kerosene (coal oil) should be placed. A per- 

 son walking down a row of tobacco, with a pan in one hand and a 

 pine brush in the other, can brush most of the beetles directly into the 

 pan, where they come in contact with the kerosene, which kills them. 



The Little Brown Burrowing Cricket. 1 

 (Order Orthoptera.) 



A brownish cricket-like insect (Fig. 44) which lives in deep tunnels 

 in the ground and works in the early spring upon transplanted tobacco, 

 which it cuts off at the surface of the ground much after the manner of 



l Anorogry]his muttons. 



