1899] HOP FLEA BEETLE. 71 



until the notes of the mischief they had been causing on Hops were 

 sent me (see p. 72 following) from near Hereford in May of the past 

 season. 



These beetles very much resemble many others of the great division 

 of "Flea Beetles," of which the Turnip and Cabbage Flea Beetles are 

 only too well known, and like them they have the thighs of the hind 

 legs much enlarged and formed for leaping, but are distinguishable (as 

 figured at p. 70) by the foot of the hind legs being appended, not at the 

 tip of the shank, but a little way above it. The Hop Flea Beetle 

 (P. attemiato) is elongate ovate, rather than oblong ovate, in shape, 

 somewhat over a line in length (two and a third to two and three- 

 quarter millimetres), brassy or greenish brassy in colour, with the tip 

 of the wing-cases to some degree of a reddish tint, and these about 

 three times as long as broad, with deep punctured strise, the spaces 

 between also distinctly punctured. The head small, "with two distinct 

 furrows between the eyes which cross one another and form an X " ; 

 legs somewhat reddish, with the hinder thighs and the base of the 

 foremost and intermediate thighs dark. 



The great distinction of Psylliodes from the other allied genera, 

 however, consists (as mentioned above) in the hind pair of feet (tarsi) 

 being inserted, not as is commonly the case at the tip of the shank 

 (tibia), but a little way up ; and by this, with the presence also of 

 the X-shaped mark on the forehead, which is commonly although not 

 invariably present, Psylliodes attenuata may be clearly recognised. It 

 is of a good deal of convenience to bear these distinctions in mind in 

 identification of Hop Flea Beetles, as there is another kind, Plectroscelis 

 concinna, Marsh, (the dentipes of Koch), known popularly as the "Tooth- 

 legged " or "Brassy" Flea Beetle, which occurs on Hops, as well as 

 Turnips, and much resembles P. attemiata in general appearance. 



The distinction of this species (P. concinna) is that it has a tooth on 

 the outer side of the shank of both of its two hinder pairs of legs, whence it 

 takes its name. It is smaller than attemiata, being from rather under 

 to rather over a line in length, of a less elongate shape, and, though 

 resembling in colour, is more of a bronzy tint, and is black beneath ; 

 the legs also differ in having more or less of the shanks and feet dark. 



As attenuata especially frequents Hops, and concinna is one of the 

 Turnip as well as Hop Flea Beetles, the distinctions between the two 

 kinds are of some importance in agricultural service. 



On May 15th I was favoured by the following observations on 

 presence and method of injury of the beetles of the species attenuata 

 to Hops, sent me from Buryhill Lodge, near Hereford, by Mr. 

 Geo. Bonnor : — 



" I have seen these beetles on the Hops several years ago, but they 

 never did any damage before last year, only on the leaves when two 



