New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 527 



or the larvae of this species early in the season, although the 

 beetles were found during the summer and late in the fall. Later 

 in the season, however, when the asparagus berries were ripen- 

 ing, many of them were found to be infested with this species 

 in nearly all stages of development, including the larva?, pupae 

 and mature insects. 



The following extract from a letter to the writer from Mr. S. 

 J. Robbins, of Brighton, N. Y., will give some idea of the im- 

 portance of these insects to farmers interested in growing aspar- 

 agus. Mr. Robbins says, in part: " We have two kinds of aspar- 

 agus beetles here, the six-spotted or gray beetle and the twelve- 

 spotted oir red beetle. They are about the same size and must 

 be related, for they are both hustlers. They live anywhere 

 during the winter — under the bark of trees and vines or in the 

 ground. I have found plenty of them under the bark on grape 

 vine. , 



" During the first warm days of spring they come out and wait 

 for the first shoots of asparagus to appear. When they are 

 ready to make the attack they sweep everything before them. 

 They like warm weather, and during a cool spell will go down 

 into the ground, and, if hungry, gnaw the asparagus under the 

 ground. As soon as vegetation starts, generally, they are not 

 as troublesome on old beds, for they have more to eat in other 

 places. 



" For the past three years I have noticed only six-spotted 

 beetles in the early spring, with rarely a' red one among them. 

 After two weeks' time the order seems reversed. Twelve-spotted 

 or red ones are now present, with very few of the six-spotted. 



" These insects are causing us much anxiety. Whether they will 

 exterminate our asparagus or whether we will exterminate them 

 is the question. Several about here have given up the fight and 

 plowed up their asparagus beds. We might destroy the insects 

 on our own premises, but the asparagus plants grow wild under 

 the trees in all parts of the country, where the birds have carried 

 the seed, thus making fine broediug [)laces for the beetles, with 

 none to molest." 



