202 MANUAL OF VEGETABLE-GARDEN INSECTS 



covers vary greatly even in specimens from the same locality. 

 The inner margin of each wing-cover is bluish black ; the 

 outer margin and the tip are orange. The intervening space 

 is yellowish white broken into three spots by bluish black 

 bands which are usually connected with the inner marginal 



stripe. In some cases 

 these bands are 

 broken into spots. 

 Sometimes the two 

 wing-covers on the 

 same insect are not 

 marked alike. Varia- 



FiG. 128. — Diagram to show variations in the tions in the pattern 

 pattern on the wing-covers of the common aspar- •■ . t^. 



agus beetle. are shown m Pig. 



128. There is a 

 tendency in the South for the beetles to be lighter in color. 



The beetles pass the winter under any convenient shelter 

 such as piles of rubbish, under the bark of trees or in similar 

 situations. They have often been found in great numbers in 

 heaps of old asparagus roots where the field has been plowed up. 

 The beetles emerge from their winter quarters at the time 

 the young shoots are just coming up. They attack the tender 

 tips, eating out holes 

 and producing a 

 brownish discolora- 

 tion of the tissue. 

 When abundant the 

 crop may be seriously 

 damaged. The beetles soon begin to lay their eggs on the young 

 shoots. The egg (Fig. 129) is elongate oval, blackish brown and 

 about iV ii^<^'h in length. The eggs are laid on end singly or 

 in rows from two to eight. Early in the season they are laid 

 on the tips, but later are attached to the leaves and flower- 

 stems. The eggs hatch in three to eight days and the young 



Fig. 129. 



Eggs of the common asparagus 

 beetle (X 6). 



