80 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OP 



teristic, because the color varies from steel-blue to metallic-green and 

 purple, and because there are many other Ilea beetles to which it 

 would equally apply. 



The Grape-vine Flea-beetle is found in all parts of the United 

 States and in the Oanadas, and it habitually feeds on the Alder (Al- 

 nus serrulata), as well as upon the wild and cultivated Grape-vine. 

 Its depredations seem first to have been noticed in 1831, by Judge 

 Darling, of Connecticut, and in 1831 Mr. David Thomas, of New York, 

 published an account of it in the 26th volume of Silliman's American 

 Journal of Science- Its transformations were, however, unknown till 

 some time after Dr. Harris wrote his excellent work on Injurious In- 

 sects, and the figure of the larva was first published by myself last 

 fall. 



The beetles hibernate in a torpid state under any shelter which 

 is afforded them in the vineyard, such as the loose bark and crevices 

 of stakes, etc., etc., and they are roused to activity quite early in the 

 spring. The greatest damage is done by them at this early season, 

 for they often bore into and scoop out the unopened buds, and thus 

 blight the grape-grower's bright expectations. As the leaves expand, 

 the little jumping rascals feed on the leaves, and soon pair and de- 

 posit their small orange eggs in clusters, very much as in the case of 

 the Colorado Potato- beetle. These eggs soon hatch into dark-col- 

 ored larvae, which may be found of all sizes during the latter part of 

 May and early part of June. They are generally found on the upper 

 surface of the leaf, which they so riddle and devour as to give it the 

 appearance represented at Figure 35, a. When very numerous they 

 devour all but the very largest leaf-ribs, and I have seen the wild 

 vines throughout whole strips of country rendered most unsightly by 

 the utter denudation which these insects had wrought. The larvae 

 feed for nearly a month, and when full grown present the appearance 

 of Figure 35, J, the hair line at the side showing the natural size. 

 They then descend from the vine and bury themselves a short dis- 

 tance in the earth, where, after each forming a little earthen cell (Fig. 

 35, c), they change to pupae of a deep dull yellow color, and in about 

 three weeks more issue as beetles. These beetles leave the ground 

 from the middle of June to the middle of July, and, so far as I am 

 aware, do not breed again till the following spring — there being but 

 one brood each year. They subsist on the leaves during the fall, but 

 the damage they inflict is trifling compared to that which they cause 



Like all other Flea-beetles, this species has very stout, 

 swollen hind thighs, which, though hidden in Figure 35, d, 

 are well represented in the accompanying cut (Fig. 30). By 

 means of these strong thighs they are enabled to jump 

 about very energetically, and are consequently very diffi- 

 cult to manage during the summer months. In the winter 

 time, however, they can be destroyed in great numbers while hiuden 



