CHAPTER XVII 

 FLEA-BEETLES 



Amonc. the most troublesome of garden pests are several 

 species of small, usually dark-colored leaf-beetles which have 

 the hind femora enlarged for jumping. When alarmed they 

 spring suddenly into the air to a distance of a foot or more and 

 thus escape the pursuer. This habit of jumping has given the 

 insects the highly appropriate name of flea-beetles. Flea- 

 beetles, as a rule, eat out pits or holes in the leaves, causing the 

 death of the surrounding tissue. Badly injured leaves become 

 riddled with holes, turn brown and die. The beetles are most 

 destructive to young plants early in the season. In most 

 species the larvse feed on the roots, but in some cases they may 

 live as ininers in the leaves or as borers in the petioles. Usually 

 the beetles hibernate in dry sheltered places, under the bark 

 of trees, under rubbish and in hedgerows. It often happens 

 that their injuries to cultivated crops are first apparent along 

 the edge of the field nearest to such shelter. Some species are 

 closely restricted to one or two food plants, while others attack 

 a large variety of plants in widely separated families. As 

 a rule, however, each species shows a decided preference for 

 some particular group. For instance, one prefers the cabbage, 

 turnip, mustard and their relatives, another is more or less 

 restricted to the potato and other solanaceous plants, while 

 a third is partial to the beet, spinach, lamb's quarters and others 

 of the same family. 



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