INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 207 



and 1-40 inch long and half as wide. They are laid in masses of from 

 two to twenty or more and are firmly attached to the leaves. The larvae, 

 when newly hatched, are dirty-yellowish with large heads, but when 

 mature they are dull yellowish or dark olive-green with black tubercles. 

 The bodies are quite hairy. The length averages about T : v ; inch and 

 one fifth as wide. The pupa? are pale-orange with light heads and are 

 clothed with fine short hair. There is a pair of apical hooks at the 

 posterior end. The length is | inch and the width T \r inch. 



Life History. — The eggs are laid in small masses on the leaves as 

 soon as they appear in April and May. They hatch in about a week 

 and the larvae begin to feed at first almost exclusively upon the under 

 sides of the leaves, and later upon the upper surface. They mature 

 within two weeks and enter the ground for pupation, which requires 

 a week or ten days. The adults hibernate. There are two or three 

 broods a year. 175 



Nature of Work. — The larvae and adults feed usually upon the 

 leaves, into which are eaten small irregular holes. They often gather 

 in great numbers and do much damage. The buds of grapevines are 

 also destroyed by the adults. 



Distribution. — This species has been reported at Sacramento, Cal. 175 



Food Plants. — The strawberry and grape appear to suffer most from 

 the attacks of this beetle, but the following plants are also recorded as 

 hosts: 175 calico bush (Kalmia latifolia), swamp laurel (Kalmia glauca), 

 lire-weed (ErecMites hieracifoliua) , evening primrose ((Enothera 

 biennis), Virginia creeper and peach. 17 " 



Control. — Control measures are the same as for Unified carinata 

 Germ. 



THE COMMON ASPARAGUS BEETLE 

 Criocetis asparagi Linnseus 



(Fig. 259) 



Description. — T he beetles are slightly less than ] inch in length and 

 very slender. The color is metallic bluish-black with red thorax marked 

 with black dots. The reddish-yellow or cream-colored wing covers are 

 marked with black. The eggs are elongate, about ^ bich long, dark 

 brown or black and stuck to the shoots by one end. The larva' are shiny, 

 olive-gray with black heads and legs. The pupal stage is passed in the 

 ground in thin cocoons, the pupae being yellowish in color. 



Life History. — The adults hibernate under any protective 1 covering 

 and appear in the spring, about the time the young asparagus shoots 

 are coming through the ground. They immediately begin to feed upon 

 the tender sprouts and to lay their eggs upon them. The eggs hatch in 

 about a week and the larvae also begin to feed upon the sprouts. The 

 broods continue to work throughout the summer, eating all parts of the 

 asparagus plants. About two weeks after hatching the larvae are ready 

 to pupate. They then leave the plant and work into the soil, where 

 pupation takes place, and within eight or nine days they emerge as 



'"Bui. No. 23, Bur. Ent, U. S. Dept. Agric, pp. 70-71, 1900. 

 ""Gibson, A.: Ent. Cir. No. 2, Canada Dept. Agric, p. 7, 1913. 



