III. The Cottonwood Leaf Beetle at Liverpool, 



N. Y. 



During the latter part of May, 1894, Mr. Joseph P. Kennedy, a 

 leading willow grower of Liverpool, N. Y., sent us a number of 

 these beetles, stating in his aecompaning letter that serious injury 

 had been done to the willow industry in that vicinity the previous 

 season, and as the beetles were again very numerous he feared even 

 more serious destruction the coming summer. 



July 5, the writer visited Liverpool, and in company with 

 Mr. Kennedy went through some of the infested fields. Although 

 the beetles were not as numerous as they had been a few weeks 

 previous, their injurious work was apparent on every hand. 



Apijewrance of the l)eetles. — The beetles vary in size from three 

 to five-eighths of an inch in length and are a little more than half 

 as broad as long. Although the markings vary, the head is usually 

 black, the thorax has a broad margin on either side of brick red, 

 partially interrupted about midway by an obscure black spot. The 

 elytra (wing covers) are marked with black and gold, the black 

 being in the form of three interrupted lines extending longitudi- 

 nally along each elytron. The legs vary in markings, although in 

 the average specimens examined they were brick red and black. 

 Some of the beetles are very dark in color, the lighter markings 

 being almost obscure. Plate 1, fig. 2, represents two of these 

 beetles greatly enlarged. 



Injuries to young willows. — The willow growing industry is a 

 very important one in the vicinity of Liverpool. About three 

 thousand tons are produced there annually and last year the prices 

 ranged from $16 to $40 per ton. The willows are cut the third 

 year and made into baskets. 



Although the beetles were very numerous last year on old willow 

 trees throughout the section around Syracuse, there was probably 

 no more damage done by them than to the young willows on the 

 willow farms about Liverpool. One willow grower in that vicinity 

 who states that his farm usually yields $2,000 worth of willows 



