February', '16] SOMES: SOLANUM INSECTS 43 



and watched there as also on horse nettle. The leaves soon showed 

 innumerable black spots marking the feeding punctures, and, in the 

 cases of tomato and horse nettle, soon turned yellow. Egg clusters 

 noted on the plants hatched in from 8 to 9 days. Fink reports that his 

 averaged 6 days but the difference is doubtless due to the fact that 

 last summer was cooler than the summer of 1914 when his studies 

 were made. For more complete data on this insect I would refer any 

 one interested to the bulletin above mentioned. 



The species listed above, though feeding and breeding on this very 

 common weed, have been successfully transferred to both tomato and 

 potato and have made good growth on both of these economic plants. 

 If entomological prognostications are in order at this time it is 

 probable that we may look upon these insects as possible pests on one 

 or both of these plants under favorable conditions. 



Trichoharis trinotata Say 



This well-known pest is far more abundant in Missouri on Solanum 

 carolinense L. than on potato and its larva boring in the stems may, at 

 least in the earlier stages, be confused with that of Sesia rileyana, but 

 is legless, shoi'ter and more pointed at both ends. Transfers of these 

 larvse to potato were naturally successful but in tomato, also, when 

 transferred from the horse nettle it was equally at home and entered 

 in a perfectly normal manner, completed its maturation, plugged the 

 boring both above and below itself with sawdust and frass, pupated and 

 transformed to the adult within the boring. The beetles emerged late 

 in September and remain in the boring, evidently to pass the winter 

 there in hibernation. 



In most texts the statement is made that the eggs of this weevil 

 are laid at or near the surface of the ground but in all our many cages 

 as well as in all our field observations, the eggs were placed in shallow 

 holes gouged out in the axils of the upper leaves or branches and the 

 larvae gradually worked downward to the base of the' stem for trans- 

 formation. 



Epitrix fuscula Crotch and E. cucumeris Harr. 

 Both of these flea beetles were noted abundantly on horse nettle as 

 also on both tomato and potato, readily transferring their affections 

 from plant to plant without any of our assistance. While our studies 

 on these are far from complete yet we have data which indicates at 

 least three broods per season in Missouri. 



Phlegethontius Carolina Linn, and P. quinquemaculata Haw. 

 These two common Sphingids were both taken on the weed under 

 study and were readily transferred to both tomato and potato. When 



