410 FOETY-IIGHTH KEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM 



manner, as if they were hunting for something, and were in such num- 

 bers as to sound like a swarm of bees. Later in the evening they were 

 seen to have settled on some grapevines. If the vines were shaken 

 they would drop readily and " play possum " for a few minutes, and 

 then fly up and commence feeding again. The following morning 

 not a beetle was found on the leaves, but they had eaten one-half of 

 the foliage from two hundred and fifty vines. In searching for them, 

 large numbers were found on the ground under the vines. 



Of several vineyards attacked at the same time, only a particular 

 variety, known as Norton's Virginia, was eaten. Their feeding seemed 

 to be confined to the night-time, notwithstanding their specific name 

 of lucicola. 



Reported Feeding on Pine. 

 With a single exception all writers on this insect in giving its 

 observed feeding, have reported it on the grape. Dr. Melsheimer has 

 described as ^1. /)m?coZa, beetles ''very abundant in Pennsylvania, in 

 July, on the Red or Pitch Pine." Dr. Fitch, loc. cit., mentions the 

 same as "feeding on the leaves of pine in June and July," but prob- 

 ably from no knowledge of his own, as he only knew it in specimens 

 received from the south (? Pennsylvania). Dr. Horn and Dr. Hamil- 

 ton agree in their reference of MeUheimer's A. pinicola to A. lucicola. 



Remedy. 

 When the beetles are not very abundant on the grapevines, their 

 feeding may be largely prevented by dusting the foliage with air-slaked 

 lime, but probably the best method of protection would be jarring 

 them from the foliage on cloths stretched on a frame or spread on the 

 ground beneath,' and quickly turning them into a vessel of water and 

 kerosene. 



Distribution. 



The insect is pretty generally distributed over the Northern, Middle, 

 and Eastern States, but does not frequently make its appearance in 

 destructive numbers. For this reason it has not been given special 

 study, and but little seems to be known of its life-history. 



From the Fabrician references and synonymy as above given, it 

 would seem that in strict obedience to the rules of priority this insect 

 should be known as Ayiomala mcerens, as in each of the works cited, 

 while the three names appear upon the same page, moerejis precedes 

 the other two. 



