1138 
In 1896 Mr. W. 8. Blatchley mentioned this flea-beetle in connec- 
tion with its occurrence at Indianapolis, Ind., stating that it occurred 
commonly in June on the leaves of the great ragweed, Ambrosia tii- 
jida, and that it had once been taken under bark in February (Psyche, 
Vol. VII, p. 437). a, 
~ In 1900 Messrs. Forbes and Hart (Bul. 60, Univ. Ill. Agr. Exp. 
Station, 1900, p. 468) made brief mention of this species as an enemy 
of the sugar beet, introducing an original illustration of the adult. 
The red-headed flea-beetle, as its scientific name shows, is congeneric 
with the pale-striped flea-beetle (Systena blanda), which has been 
treated in preceding pages and more in detail in an article by the 
writer in Bulletin No. 23 of the present series (pp. 22-29). It is of 
very similar form, a little more elongate and considerably larger, and 
differs, moreover, in being shining black throughout, except for the 
greater portion of the head, which is red. It is not likely to be con- 
fused with any other flea-beetle, and is nearest related to Systena 
hudsonias, which is entirely black and a little smaller. Apart from 
the color of the head, frontu/is may also be distinguished from /ad- 
sonias by its somewhat broader form, the elytral punctation being 
less coarse, but rather more dense. It is shown five times enlarged at 
figure 28. The immature stages seem not to have been recognized. 
The habitat of this species has been outlined by Mr. H. F. Wickham 
so as to include the entire region east of the Rocky Mountains (Proc. 
Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci., 1896, p. 162). From a statement made by 
Dr. Horn concerning it (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc., Vol. X V1, 1889, p. 
270), it might be inferred that its range extends from the Canadian 
region to the Southern States. Judging from reports of injury this 
species may be said to be a Transition form, extending southward 
through the Upper into the Lower Austral region. The list of local- 
ities in which it is known to occur includes: Vermont; Springfield, 
Mass.; Buffalo, Ithaca, Syracuse, Geneva, and New York, N. Y.; New 
Jersey, generally distributed (Smith); Iowa City, Iowa; Michigan; 
Westpoint and Lincoln, Nebr.; Coitumbus, Tex. (June 16); Florida; 
Ottawa and Oakville, Ontario, Canada. 
The Smartweed Flea-beetle (Systena hudsonias Forst.).—July 26, 1599, 
Mr. George G. Atwood, Geneva, N. Y., transmitted specimens of this. 
flea-beetle with the report that it was destructive to sugar beet in that 
vicinity. There is an earlier unpublished Divisional record of attack 
made to this office May 23, 1896, by Mr. B. F. Ferris, Sunman, Ind., 
who sent beetles with S. blanda, and the report that they were injur- 
ing corn in his neighborhood. It is only in recent years that this 
species has attracted any attention as a pest, the first record of injury 
known to the writer having been published in 1887 (Report Dept. 
Agr., 1887, p. 151). In that year Mr. F. M. Webster observed dam- 
age by this insect to potato at Wea, Ind., attack being shared, as in the 
23987—No. 33—02 
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