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  The 
  Striped 
  Blister-beetle. 
  

  

  Epicatita 
  vittata 
  Fabr., 
  and 
  var. 
  lemniscata 
  Fabr.* 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  common 
  striped 
  blister-beetle 
  of 
  

   Illinois, 
  the 
  one 
  most 
  generally 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  potato 
  

   beetle. 
  The 
  variety 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  six 
  black 
  stripes 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   instead 
  of 
  four. 
  It 
  is 
  distributed 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  from 
  Florida 
  to 
  Canada, 
  and 
  west 
  

   to 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  well-known 
  

   destroyer 
  of 
  the 
  potato 
  and 
  tomato, 
  and 
  feeds 
  

   frequently 
  with 
  injurious 
  effect 
  on 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  

   sugar 
  beet. 
  It 
  scatters 
  more 
  widely 
  in 
  feeding 
  

   than 
  the 
  black 
  species 
  does, 
  and 
  is 
  consequently 
  

   less 
  injurious 
  to 
  individual 
  plants 
  attacked. 
  It 
  

   devours 
  also 
  buckwheat, 
  carrots, 
  corn, 
  some 
  of 
  

  

  Fig. 
  64. 
  The 
  Striped 
  Blister 
  

  

  beetle, 
  Epicauta 
  vittata. 
  the 
  leguminous 
  plants, 
  cabbage, 
  the 
  arrowleaf 
  

   (Bruner.) 
  {Sagittaria) 
  , 
  clematis, 
  and 
  the 
  common 
  pigweed 
  

  

  {Amaranius). 
  The 
  adults 
  occur 
  from 
  June 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  part 
  of 
  Sep- 
  

   tember, 
  most 
  abundantly 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  half 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  in 
  August. 
  Dr. 
  

   Riley 
  found 
  them 
  at 
  St. 
  Louis 
  in 
  October, 
  and 
  a 
  second 
  brood 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  complete 
  may 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  South. 
  With 
  us, 
  however, 
  the 
  species 
  

   is 
  apparently 
  single-brooded, 
  the 
  female 
  laying 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  hundred 
  

   eggs, 
  about 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  thirty 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  Ash-colored 
  Blister-beetle. 
  

  

  Epicauta 
  cinerea 
  Forst. 
  

  

  This 
  species, 
  extremely 
  like 
  the 
  gray 
  blister-beetle, 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  

   has 
  evidently 
  often 
  been 
  confused, 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  abundant 
  west- 
  

   ward, 
  principally 
  in 
  Nebraska 
  and 
  adjacent 
  states. 
  It 
  occurs, 
  however, 
  

   in 
  small 
  numbers 
  in 
  Illinois 
  and 
  probably 
  farther 
  east. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  

   destructive 
  to 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  bean 
  family 
  in 
  Nebraska, 
  and 
  almost 
  de- 
  

   stroyed 
  a 
  small 
  beet 
  field 
  near 
  Lincoln 
  in 
  that 
  state. 
  It 
  often 
  completely 
  

   defoliates 
  the 
  hornbeam, 
  honey-locust, 
  and 
  black 
  locust 
  trees. 
  It 
  has 
  

   been 
  taken 
  sparingly 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August 
  in 
  both 
  northern 
  and 
  southern 
  

   Illinois, 
  most 
  commonly 
  on 
  the 
  Virginia 
  creeper. 
  

  

  *This 
  form 
  is 
  so 
  generally 
  found 
  pairing 
  with 
  typical 
  zu'ttata, 
  that 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  of 
  their 
  

   specific 
  identity. 
  

  

  