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  139 
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  throughout. 
  Cantharis 
  nuttalli 
  (Fig. 
  67) 
  has 
  brilliant 
  metallic 
  colors 
  — 
  

   coppery, 
  green, 
  or 
  blue. 
  Like 
  E. 
  maculata 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  western 
  species. 
  

  

  Megetra 
  vittata 
  Lee. 
  

  

  This 
  insect 
  is 
  reported 
  by 
  Cockerell 
  to 
  injure 
  sugar 
  beets 
  in 
  New 
  

   Mexico 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  Arizona, 
  and 
  is 
  probably 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  stage 
  a 
  bee 
  

   parasite 
  and 
  honey 
  eater. 
  

  

  The 
  Common 
  Gray 
  Blister-beetle. 
  

  

  Macrobasis 
  unicolor 
  Kirby. 
  

  

  This 
  beetle, 
  although 
  common 
  in 
  Illinois, 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  found 
  

   by 
  us 
  in 
  the 
  beet 
  field, 
  but 
  in 
  Nebraska 
  it 
  is 
  

   reported 
  as 
  injurious 
  to 
  the 
  sugar 
  beet. 
  It 
  in- 
  

   habits 
  the 
  entire 
  western 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  is 
  

   especially 
  destructive 
  to 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  bean 
  

   family, 
  including 
  beans, 
  peas, 
  clover, 
  black 
  

   locust, 
  honey-locust, 
  wild 
  indigo, 
  lupines, 
  and 
  

   Astragalus. 
  It 
  also 
  seriously 
  damages 
  the 
  

   potato 
  and 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  injure 
  tomatoes 
  and 
  

   sweet-potatoes 
  and 
  to 
  eat 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  

   cherry, 
  anemone, 
  and 
  chrysanthemum. 
  In 
  the 
  

   latitude 
  of 
  central 
  Illinois 
  the 
  beetles 
  have 
  

   been 
  found 
  from 
  May 
  19th 
  to 
  October. 
  They 
  

   are 
  most 
  abundant 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  June, 
  

   and 
  are 
  actively 
  injurious 
  for 
  a 
  month 
  or 
  more. 
  

   Specimens 
  collected 
  June 
  13th 
  soon 
  laid 
  their 
  

   eggs 
  abundantly, 
  the 
  female 
  burrowing 
  into 
  the 
  

   earth 
  for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  sometimes 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  two 
  

   inches, 
  and 
  depositing 
  a 
  batch 
  of 
  sixty 
  to 
  one 
  hun- 
  

   dred 
  and 
  twenty 
  eggs 
  irregularly 
  stuck 
  together. 
  

  

  The 
  Spotted 
  Blister-beetle. 
  

  

  Epicauta 
  rnaci/lata 
  Say. 
  

  

  This 
  abundant 
  western 
  species, 
  ranging 
  from 
  

   New 
  Mexico 
  to 
  Dakota 
  and 
  west 
  to 
  California 
  

   and 
  Oregon, 
  is 
  reported 
  as 
  decidedly 
  injurious 
  to 
  

   beets 
  in 
  Kansas, 
  Nebraska, 
  and 
  South 
  Dakota. 
  

   It 
  is 
  especially 
  fond 
  of 
  lamb's-quarters 
  and 
  other 
  

   weeds 
  of 
  the 
  Chenopodiiim 
  family, 
  and 
  also 
  feeds 
  

   upon 
  the 
  potato, 
  clover, 
  and 
  greasewood. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  62. 
  The 
  Common 
  Gray 
  

   Blister-beetle, 
  Macrobasis 
  uni- 
  

   color, 
  adult. 
  (Bruner.) 
  

  

  Fig. 
  63. 
  The 
  Spotted 
  

   Blister-beetle, 
  Epicauta 
  

   maculata. 
  (Bruner.) 
  

  

  