1362 



FAMILY LXIV. MELOID/TS. 



Throughout the State; common, but apparently much less so 

 than a score of years ago. June il-July 20. The best known of 

 the "okl-fashioned potato bugs," or blister beetles. Feeds on toma- 

 toes, potatoes and various weeds in low grounds. The writer's 

 father, H. S. Blatchley, of Bainl)ridge, Indiana, always raised a 

 great many potatoes, which each season were more or less damaged 

 by these beetles. On one occasion, after sprinkling with London 

 purple and trampling and nuishing five bushels, moi'e or less, of the 

 beetles into the ground, he wrote of his experience a.s follows : ' ' On 

 the next day, for every one that had been killed a dozen had come 

 to their funerals. A dashing rain having washed the poison from 

 the vines, the bugs went for them again and not until after they 

 had devoured the last leaf and sucked the juice from the stalks 

 did they leave for greener pastures. I have heard some pe^ople hint, 

 in a sly kind of way, as thouch they were fearful of offending some 

 august personage, that these blister beetles were the devil's own. 

 This I have come to believe, and 



"It's my firm conviction and it makes me free to say 



That we're indebted for their visits to 'Old vSeratch.' 



I judge from observation that from every egg they hiy 

 A dozen little blister beetles hatch. 



If ever they should visit yon, you'll find they've come to stay. 

 And there's nothing that their greediness can match. 



If you undertake to hustle 'em it's 'possum they will play. 

 And a bushel in a minute .vou can catch. 



The devil take his tater bugs, if I could have my way, 



I'd tumble into Tophet the whole batch. 

 If such a I)listering avalanche old Satan should dismay, 



lie probably would hump himself and scratch." 



2520 (S(l!>7). Epicauta cinerea Forst., Nov. Spec 

 Ins., 1771, 62. 



Elongate, rather robust. Black, uniforndy 

 clothed with gray i)ubescence. Head and thorax 

 densely and finely punctured. Elytra finely granu- 

 late-punctate. Length 10-17 nun. (Pig. 593.) 



Vigo County; scarce. September 22. 

 Kr<own as the "grav blister beetle." 



(- 



-). 



Epicauta marginata Fab.. Syst. Ent., 

 1775. 260. 

 I]|(pngate, robust. Black; head and sides of tho 

 rax densely clothed witli gray pubescence, the lat- 

 ter with a large triaiigidar discal space black, this 

 divided by a gi'ay median inii>ressed line. Color of 

 elytra given in key. Sculpture of upper surface as in cincrca. Length 12- 

 17 mm. (Fig. 591.) 



Fig .')93- (After Chittcmicn in 

 Bull 43, U. S. Div. Ent.) 



