159 



taken for this species, but a careful comparison with the full specific 

 characters given below will enable any one to distiuguish it. 



The larva may be distinguished from all other insects that feed 

 upon the potato by its habit of covering itself with its own excre- 

 ment, which, remaining attached to the prolongations of the last seg- 

 ment in a mass is thrown forward over the back. They are short, 

 thick, slug-like worms, enlarged and arched in the middle, the thickest 

 portion being behind the middle. When young they are of a dull 

 yellow color, growing brighter as they increase in age; a faint stripe 

 is visible along the sides low down and a dark line along the back; 

 head and legs black. They are usually more or less moistened with 

 a viscid fluid secreted from the skin. 



The eggs are of a golden yellow color, oval in form and about four- 

 hundredths of an inch long (according to Dr. Fitch's measurement), 

 placed in clusters of from half a dozen to a dozen, usually on the 

 underside of the leaf, though occasionally they are placed on the up- 

 per side. According to Dr. Harris, the eggs hatch in about two 

 weeks after being deposited and the larvae complete their growth in 

 about two weeks more. Having completed their growth they descend 

 into the ground, where they form a small oval cell and remain during 

 the pupa state, which lasts about two weeks, when they emerge as 

 perfect beetles. 



The species appears to be two-brooded during the season, the first 

 beetles appearing, as a general rule, in the latter part of May and 

 early in June and again in the latter part of July or first of August, 

 but there appears t© be much irregularity in this respect, as they can 

 be found in all sizes during the season after they have appeared. 



They pass the winter in the perfect state, hiding beneath rubbish, 

 leaves, bark, etc., and remaining torpid during the cold weather. 



They feed upon the leaves of the potato plant, both in the perfect 

 and larval state, but they are not limited to this plant alone, as they 

 flourish on other species of Solonaceous plants. 



Remedies. — This species seldom occurs in such numbers to excite 

 any great fear for the potato crop, but if it should at any time prove 

 seriously injurious, it is probable the same remedies recommended for 

 the Colorado potato beetle will be equally efficacious with this. 



Spec. char. Imago. — Oblong in form ; the wing-cases parallel on the 

 side ; rounded behind and squarely docked in front ; nearly twice the 

 width of the thorax; width about half the entire length; thorax 

 about as broad as it is long, narrowed and constricted behind just in 

 front of the hind border; an tenure about half the length of the body, 

 slightly enlarged toward the tip ; ground or general color lemon or 

 orange-yellow ; the head is of this color and unspotted ; eyes very 

 prominent, black, with a notch in front ; a transverse impressed line 

 across the head behind the eyes; antennae, one or two^basal joints 

 shining yellow, rest dull black. Thorax shining lemon or honey- 

 yellow, a black dot or point on each side a little before the middle, 

 but these are sometimes wanting. The wing cases, when closed, present 

 three very distinct black stripes extending nearly or quite their 

 entire length, one rather broad on each case near the outer margin. 

 The central one at the suture formed by the inner black margins of 

 each case; the outer stripes do not reach quite to the tip of the ely- 



