﻿124 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  Rhubarb 
  Flea-beetle. 
  

   Psylliodes 
  punctiilata 
  Melsh. 
  

  

  This 
  and 
  the 
  following 
  species 
  are 
  about 
  a 
  twelfth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  

   length, 
  of 
  a 
  bronzy 
  luster, 
  elongate-oval 
  in 
  form, 
  and 
  readily 
  recognized 
  

   by 
  the 
  curious 
  mode 
  of 
  attachment 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  tarsi. 
  P. 
  punctulata 
  

   attacks 
  beet, 
  cucumber, 
  and 
  radish 
  leaves. 
  We 
  have 
  noticed 
  it 
  several 
  

   times 
  on 
  sugar 
  beets 
  in 
  Illinois, 
  but 
  never 
  in 
  numbers 
  to 
  be 
  seriously- 
  

   injurious. 
  Its 
  favorite 
  food 
  is 
  apparently 
  the 
  rhubarb 
  leaf, 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  

   burrows 
  small 
  superficial 
  pits 
  about 
  a 
  tenth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  It 
  

   is 
  apparently 
  single-brooded, 
  the 
  hibernating 
  beetles 
  appearing 
  in 
  May 
  

   and 
  disappearing 
  in 
  June. 
  The 
  larvae 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  bore 
  the 
  stems 
  of 
  

   succulent 
  plants, 
  but 
  their 
  depredations 
  have 
  attracted 
  no 
  special 
  atten- 
  

   tion. 
  This 
  species 
  ranges 
  from 
  Canada 
  to 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  and 
  westward 
  

   to 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast. 
  

  

  Psylliodes 
  co7ivexior 
  Lee. 
  

  

  The 
  range 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  more 
  southerly 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  preced- 
  

   ing, 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  to 
  Florida 
  and 
  the 
  District 
  of 
  

   Columbia. 
  Like 
  P. 
  punctulata 
  it 
  is 
  somewhat 
  elongate-oval, 
  about 
  a 
  

   twelfth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length, 
  with 
  a 
  bronzy 
  luster, 
  but 
  broader 
  and 
  more 
  

   convex 
  than 
  the 
  preceding 
  species. 
  The 
  beetles 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  

   abundant 
  and 
  injurious 
  to 
  beets 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  Nebraska. 
  They 
  are 
  re- 
  

   corded 
  as 
  injuring 
  corn 
  in 
  Indiana, 
  eating 
  pits 
  in 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  not 
  

   perforating 
  them, 
  and 
  also 
  as 
  feeding 
  on 
  panic-grass. 
  

  

  The 
  European 
  Beet-tortoise-beetle. 
  

   Casslda 
  nebulosa 
  Linn. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  European 
  beet 
  insect 
  of 
  considerable 
  importance 
  which 
  

   has 
  lately 
  made 
  its 
  appearance 
  in 
  California 
  as 
  an 
  entomological 
  rarity. 
  

   If 
  it 
  should 
  maintain 
  itself 
  in 
  this 
  country 
  it 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  require 
  the 
  at- 
  

   tention 
  of 
  beet 
  growers, 
  who 
  should 
  consequently 
  be 
  forewarned 
  against 
  

   it. 
  Its 
  principal 
  European 
  food 
  is 
  lamb's-quarters 
  {Chenopodium 
  albuni) 
  

   and 
  other 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  Clienopodium 
  family, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  these 
  

   it 
  turns 
  its 
  attentions 
  to 
  beets, 
  sometimes 
  devastating 
  large 
  areas 
  by 
  eat- 
  

   ing 
  out 
  the 
  parenchyma 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  leaving 
  only 
  the 
  principal 
  veins. 
  

   In 
  this 
  country 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  morning-glories, 
  sweet-potatoes, 
  

   and 
  Irish 
  potatoes. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  hibernates 
  as 
  an 
  imago, 
  and 
  lays 
  its 
  eggs, 
  in 
  groups 
  of 
  

   several, 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  The 
  larvae, 
  — 
  

   which 
  feed 
  in 
  groups 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  

   riddling 
  them 
  with 
  small 
  holes, 
  — 
  are 
  oval, 
  flat, 
  and 
  spinose, 
  light 
  green 
  

   with 
  white 
  markings, 
  and 
  with 
  two 
  long 
  tails 
  turned 
  over 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  

  

  