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antennae pale at base, remainder dusky ; thorax narrower than the 

 elytra, yellow, smooth, not punctured, two central indentations; ely- 

 tra yellow, not punctured, with six, oblong, black spots on each ely- 

 tron, placed two-and-two side by side; posterior breast black; abdo- 

 men yellow ; basal half of the thighs yellow ; remainder of the legs 

 black ; length one-fourth of an inch ; width nearly one-eighth. 



Blepharida rhois — Forst. (The Jumping Sumach-beetle.) 



This and the two following species belong to the group Halticini or 

 flea-beetles, so-called from their small size and leaping habits. This 

 species, which is one of our largest species of the group, is about one- 

 fourth of an inch long, and nearly two-thirds as broad, regularly oval 

 in shape ; the claws of the feet are bified or split, which distinguishes 

 the genus to which it belongs from all the rest of our flea-beetles. It 

 is regularly oval in form and convex, of rust or reddish-brown color ; 

 the head and thorax yellow ; wing cases with eleven rows of large 

 punctures, irregularly mottled with yellow; antennae black. It is 

 very variable in color, the head and thorax sometimes being a bright, 

 shining green or greenish yellow, and the wing-cases dark brown, with 

 whitish mottlings. 



Prof. Riley has ascertained that it depredates upon the various 

 species of wild sumach, and also the smoke tree or Venetian sumach ; 

 the larvae eating the leaves, and thus defoliating the trees. 



The larva when full grown is about half an inch long, lubberly in 

 shape, being smallest in front and gradually increasing in size back- 

 wards ; of a yellow color, with paler stripes of the same color ; head 

 small and black. This larva has the habit of covering itself with its 

 own excrement while feeding, probably as a protection against birds. 



According to Riley, who first traced the transformations of this 

 species, the eggs are laid in little pellets of excrement, which are 

 fastened to the stem or branches, occasionally on the leaves. The 

 species is two brooded, passing the winter in the perfect state and ap- 

 pearing early in the spring. He recommends jarring as a means of 

 catching the beetles and destroying them. 



Haltica (Epitrix) cucumeris — Harr. (The Cucumber or Hairy 



Flea-beetle.) 



This minute species, which is only about one-sixteenth of an inch 

 long, is of a black color, with clay-yellow antennae and legs, except the 

 hind thighs, which are brown. It feeds in the perfect state on a 

 variety of vegetables, notably the potato and cucumber, eating round 

 holes in the leaves, not always penetrating through, but only into the 

 substance of the leaf. The larva, which are minute, slender grubs, 

 reside in the substance of the leaf, forming slender worm-like furrows. 

 Sometimes they appear in such numbers as to affect materially the 

 health of the plants attacked, but usually the injury is slight. 



The remedies applicable to the Striped Flea-beetle hereafter men- 

 tioned, will answer equally well with this species. 



It is proper to remark that Dr. Fitch contends, notwithstanding the 

 doubt expressed by Dr. LeConte and others, that this and H. pubescens 

 are the same, under which name he gives his account of its habits, 

 changing the common name so as to accord with the scientific name. 



