TURNIP FLY, OR FLEA BEETLE. 181 



flight) is the kind more especially known as the Turnip Fly, 

 or Flea Beetle. This is from a twelfth to an eighth of an inch 

 in length, oblong-ovate in shape, black or greenish black, 

 shining and punctm'ed ; the wing-cases have a distinct broad 

 ochre- or sulphur-yellow streak running down the middle 

 almost to the tips, where it bends slightly inward ; the horns 

 are eleven-jointed and black, excepting the three joints 

 nearest the head, which are some shade of yellow ; the thighs 

 pitch}^ shanks red-5'ellow, feet red-yellow or testaceous, or 

 tipped with pitch-colour. But with regard to its appearance 

 little description is needed for general use ; we all know the 

 small blackish shiny beetles to be found in myriads, in fine 

 sunny weather, gnawing holes in the Turnip-leaves as long as 

 they are undisturbed, but skipping off as briskly as the fleas 

 from which they take one of their names, on being meddled 

 with. 



Besides the above kind there is the P. undulata, much 

 resembling it but slightly smaller ; the P. concinna, which is 

 brassy, with a tooth on the second and hinder pairs of legs ; 

 another kind is black, and dark blue above ; another is of a 

 brighter blue above ; but these are (as far as we know) alike 

 in their method of living, in the harm they do, and the way 

 in which they do it. The same methods of prevention or 

 cure apply alike to all ; it is almost impossible to distinguish 

 them unless they are caught, and however much they may 

 vary in marking, still in the point of view in which we are 

 concerned with them here, they may all be classed together 

 as Turnip Flea Beetles. 



During winter the Turnip Flea Beetles may be found 

 sheltered under bark, fallen leaves, clods of earth, and the 

 like places ; also amongst stubble, and especially in heaps of 

 long strawy manure left on the fields ; and on particularly fine 

 days they may be seen coming out to sun themselves. 



On the return of spring warmth they begin work, and, till 

 the crops are ready for them, are especially to be found on 

 weeds of the same family as the Turnii^ and Cabbage, such as 

 Charlock, Shepherd's Purse, and Jack-by-the-Hedge. 



When the attack begins on the Turnip the female lays her 

 eggs, which are few in number, for successive days on the 

 under side of the rough leaf. The maggots, which hatch 

 from these in ten days, are white or yellowish, fleshy, and 

 cylindrical ; with three pairs of feet in front, and a sucker- 

 foot at the end of the tail. The head is furnished with 

 cutting jaws, and has large dark eyes. Directly they are 

 hatched they gnaw through the lower skin into the pulp 

 of the leaf, and make their way onwards, forming winding 

 burrows inside it. Here they feed for about six days, then 



