102 Forty-first Report on the State Museuil 



It measures one-tenth of an incli in length, and is of an oblong 

 ovate form. It is shining, with the head, antennae, thorax and legs, 

 red; the wing-covers are blue, and punctate in lines; the breast and 

 abdomen are black. Its range is given as Middle and Southern States. 

 No differences are apparent between it and the European form. 



Examples of the beetle have been sent to me from Coleman's Falls, 

 Va., by Mr. George E. Murrell, where it seems to have developed a 

 habit hitherto unrecorded of it, in feeding upon the buds of apple 

 trees. Mr. Murrell detected its operations during the latter part of 

 May. He has written as follows of it: 



Its Injuries to Apple Buds. 



The beetles appeared upon my apple trees as the buds began to 

 swell, and beginning with the topmost ones they gradually worked 

 downward, leaving behind them holes that penetrated to the heart of 

 the scion, and having the apj)earance of being gouged out with a 

 chisel or burned out with a hot wire. The twigs of my bearing orchard 

 were attacked in this manner, and of 650 young trees set out this 

 spring very few escajDed; but beyond a loss of symmetry and a foot or 

 two of wood in some cases, they do not now show any serious effects 

 from the attack. In the same field with the young trees just men- 

 tioned were several thousand of one year old, set out at the same 

 time, but in nursery rows; but although of the same varieties of, and 

 interspersed with, the injured ones, they entirely escaped injury. I 

 did not observe how long the beetles remained, but noticed tliat they 

 left during a heavy rain in the latter part of May. I have not heard 

 of the insect in other orchards in my vicinity. My orchards are in 

 narrow mountain valleys inclosed by woods. 



Injuries to Leaves by C. Helxines. 



This, we believe, is the first time that Crepidodera rufipes has been 

 reported as injurious to apple trees, although one of its congeners, 

 resembling it in appearance, G. Helxines (Linn.), has been detected by 

 Professor Forbes, State Entomologist of Illinois, in riddling the 

 leaves of apple trees near Normal, 111. (14th i^epif. Insects of Illinois, 

 1885, p. 98). As the last named species — a common and wide- 

 spread insect both in this country and in Eiirope — commonly occurs 

 on willows, but is also found not unfrequently on the Lombardy pop- 

 lar and Balm of Gilead {Populus dilatata and P. halsamifera), it is to 

 be hoiked that neither of the above-named beetles will acquire the 

 habit of feeding on the apple tree, so as to become one of its regular 



pests. 



Another Bud-eating Chrysomelid. 



This bud-eating projDensity, has recently been displayed by another 

 member of the same sub-tribe of Halticini to which Crepidodera per- 

 tains, which, unfortunately, is one of the most common and broadly 



