Natural Enemies. 



Several predaceous insects feed on the soft-bodied nymphs of this 

 laee-bug, among which are the Coccinelid beetles Megilla innonata 

 Vauls. and Cycloneda sanguinea Linn., and the Rerhiviid bugs Zelus 

 rt(hid4ts Lap. and Serv. and Z. longpipes Linn. 



Control. 



This insect may be effectively controlled by a soap-and-water 

 spray, eight pounds of soap to fifty gallons of water being a good 

 strength to use. The plants should be sprayed as soon after the 

 appearance of the lace-bugs as possible, since it is much easier to 

 control them then than later. 



LIFE HISTORY OF HALTICA JAMAICENSIS FABR. 



By R. T. Cotton, Assistant Entomologist, Insular Experiment Station. 



In 1792 Fabricius described this beetle under the name of Galle- 

 ruca jamaicensis, but a year later becoming uncertain of his species 

 he changed the name to G. hassiae. In 1808 Olivier gave the name of 

 G. plehja to this species, and Sturn in 1843 gave it the name of 

 Grapfodera farsata. In 1875 Harold recognized jamaicensis as the 

 correct name calling it Halfira jamairnisis Fab. and relegating the 

 other names to synonymy. 



It is recorded as occuring in Jamaica, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Porto 

 Rico, Costa Rica, and Cuba. It apparently varies, quite a little in 

 color in different localities, but there is doubtless but one species 

 concerned. 



This beetle is the largest of the flea-beetles found in Porto Rico 

 and at times is extremely abundant. Confining its attention chiefly 

 to one of the common weeds, Jnssiaea leptocarpa and two closely allied 

 plants '/. su-ffruticosa and /. erecta, it occasionally feeds on garden 

 beans and ccmceivably might do great damage if for any reason its 

 ordinary food supply should give out. 



Botli adult and larva feed very voraciously on the foliage of the 

 Jnssiaea plants, usually entirely stripping the plants in their imme- 

 diate vicinity. 



Life History. 



The eggs are laid in batches of from one to thirty, sometimes side 

 by side in a regular row, sometimes massed together one on top of 

 the other. They are a pale buff yellow color, oblong-oval in shape 



173 



