INJURIOUS TO CUCUMBER, SQUASH AND MELON 115 



on the roots of pea, alfalfa, peanut and beet and are said to 

 mine into the stems and rinds of melons, cucumber and squash 

 where they touch the ground. The larvae become mature in 

 five weeks to two months, those hatching first requiring the 

 longer period. The full-grown grub is a little less than ^ inch 

 in length, elongate, cylindrical, white or yellowish in color, 

 with the head, thoracic shield and anal plate brown. The 

 larvse pupate in earthen cells in the ground and in about two 

 weeks the beetles emerge. In Oregon the beetles of the new 

 brood become abundant in early July ; in California somewhat 

 earlier. 



The western twelve-spotted cucumber beetle can be con- 

 trolled by the same measures as recommended for the striped 

 cucumber beetle. 



The Belted Cucumber Beetle 



Diabrotica bnlteata Leconte 



In the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas truck crops are 

 often subject to attack by the belted cucumber beetle. This 

 beetle is about i inch in length, 

 the head red and the prothorax 

 and wing-covers bluish green, each 

 of the latter marked with two spots 

 in front, two transverse bands and 

 a spot near the apex which are yel- 

 lowish. The femora are greenish, 

 the remainder of the legs blackish 

 (Fig. 71). The beetles feed on 

 pea, bean, potato, pepper, turnip, 

 peanut, squash, cantaloupe, cucum- ^'i"- ^i- - The belted cucumber 

 ber, watermelon, pumpkm, okra, 



spinach, beet, lettuce, onion, asparagus, corn, cotton, alfalfa, 

 cowpea and other leguminous crops. They seriously injure 



