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in June. That the eggs are laid the preceding year is highly prob- 
able, in which case the species hibernates in the egg. 
Paria, on the other hand, certainly passes the winter as an adult, 
doubtless laying its eggs in spring, and making its principal attack 
upon the plants in June and July, the beetles emerging in the latter 
part of July and early in August. Scelodonta hibernates in the 
larval condition, (most of the worms having gained their growth the 
previous autumn,) pupates in the spring, and emerges in May and June. 
The eggs are probably laid in July, and the larve make their attack 
upon the plant in August and September, continuing it, possibly, to 
October as well. Certainly by November they have formed cells 
in the ground for their hibernation. 
The beetles of all these species live in part upon the leaves of 
the strawberry, especially at first, but scatter afterwards elsewhere, 
finding their food in various kinds of vegetation,—Colaspis, especially 
upon the grape, Paria upon the Juniper and crab apple, and Scelo- 
donta upon the evening primrose, and probably also upon heads. 
of grass. 
In their larval stage all, as far as known, depend strictly on the 
roots of strawberries for food, devouring especially the smaller fib- 
rous roots, but also penetrating and perforating the crowns. 
An attack in force is extremely destructive, and rapidly kills the 
plants affected. Often as many as fifteen and twenty larve occur 
in and about an infested stool. This mischief is maintained through- 
out the season, the species attacking the plant successively, Colaspis. 
first, Paria next, and Scelodonta last.* 
It should be especially noted that the damage generally attributed 
to the true crown-borer, Tyloderma fragarie, in Southern Illinois, 
is really largely, perhaps chiefly, due to the root-worms treated in 
this article. 
Finally, in the absence of conclusive experiment for the artificial 
destruction of these pests, it will be worth while to say only that 
Paris green or London purple applied cautiously to the leaves from June 
to August, will take effect upon the mature beetles as they emerge 
from the earth, and will thus unquestionally limit the increase of 
the larve, while it is not impossible that applications of carbolic 
acid, bisalphide of carbon, or similar substances destructive to larval 
life, muy be profitably made to the earth of infested fields, with a view 
to destroying the larve in the ground. It is especially likely that this. 
last, or some similar measure, will prove worth while if used in 
time, for the destruction of the root-worms when they first make 
ther appearance in the field in isolated patches. 
To destroy plants and insects together the field may be plowed 
up immediately after picking, although this remedy will actually kill 
only the larve of Colaspis, which at this time will be partly grown 
in the ground. The emerging adults of Scelodonta and the beetles 
of Paria already abroad, will, however, be forced elsewhere for food, 
and liability to subsequent infection of the field will not be great. 
*It is possible that other species of Chrysomelide occur as root-worms in the straw- 
berry, especially as other forms are common upon the leaves in spring. Prominent 
among these is Cryplocepalus quadrimaculatus. 
