40 



THE PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The Grape Vine Flea Beetle. 



In spring, before the buds of the vine have burst, 

 it will often be found, on esaniination, that the pro- 

 mised crop of grapes is destroyed in the germ, the 

 buds having been bored to the centre, and in many 

 cases almost scooped out by an insect. When this 

 is the case, the vine-grower may bid farewell to all 

 his anticipations of a remuugrative yield of grapes; 

 for the insect is pretty sure to select the best and 

 most promising buds on which to make a repast, 

 thus eating at a mouthful, as it were, two or three 

 bunches of grapes. This little pest has become 

 more numerous lately than it was a few years ago, 

 for although indigenous on our wild vines, it is but 

 recently that its ravages have extended to the vine- 

 yard. Now it may be found in great numbers in 

 many of our city gardens, especially in the north 

 part of the State [Ohio.] 



Last year, the crops of several vineyards were 

 entirely destroyed by it in that section, and near 

 the shore of Lake Erie. 



It is a beautiful little beetle, belonging to the old 

 genus Hallica or flea-beetles, so called from their 

 galtatorial powers, and is called the Graptodera 

 chah/hca or steel-blue flea-beetle. All, however, 

 are not steel-blue, for some are of a brown tinge, 

 and many of a beautiful green, violet or purple. 

 But, whatever the tint, all have the same brilliant 

 metallic lustre. The most common color is green- 

 ish-blue above, and dark green beneath ; the hind 

 thighs are thick and strong ; the body of an oblong, 

 oval form. Length about 0.16 of an inch. 



This beetle issues from the ground during the 

 first warm days in April, and immediately proceeds 

 to attack the vine buds, eating its way to the inte- 

 rior, and devouring the entire centre. In May, the 

 sexes pair, and the female lays her eggs in the leaves 

 of the vine. When the young are hatched, they 

 feed on the upper surface of the leaf, and if very 

 numerous, soon devour the soft parts, leaving the 

 leaf an unsightly object, covered with dirty brown 

 blotches. They appear about the middle of 5Iay, 

 and soon arrive at their full growth. The color of 

 the full grown larva is light brown, with eight rows 

 of black spots above, those of the two dorsal being 

 confluent; head and feet black; antennfe very short. 

 On each of the spots on the back there is a single 

 hair, and from the breathing apertures two. Length 

 about three-eighths of an inch. There are six true 

 legs and a fleshy anal proleg; the under side of the 

 segments are swollen, giving the appearance of short 

 prolegs. When in motion, it brings its body up 

 with a jerk like that of the caterpillars of the geo- 

 meter moths. About the first of June, it enters the 

 ground and changes to a pupa, emerging in trom 

 fourteen to sixteen days, as a perfect insect. There 

 are several broods in the season. 



The grape vine flea-beetle being a near relative 

 of the dreaded turnip-fly Haltica nemorum, has 

 nearly the same habits, with the difi'erence of food. 

 It is equally difficult to capture when in the perfect 

 state, although much may be done during cool wea- 

 ther, even at that period of their existence, to thin 

 their numbers by careful hand picking. The larvae 



are rather tenacious of life, and will live through a 

 hard course of treatment. When not numerous, 

 the most certain method of shortening their days is 

 to pick ofi" the infested leaves and burn them ; but 

 this cannot be done when very numerous. I do not 

 know any application not injurious to the vine, that 

 can be easily applied and will kill the larvae, but 

 would recommend syringing with lime' or very strong 

 soap suds — that made from whale oil soap is the best; 

 dusting newly air-slaked lime on the leaves when 

 dry, will prolsably have a good effect. All these 

 means are worth trying. — [./. Kirhjiatrick in Field 

 Notes. 



[extract from a letter from dr. J. p. KIRTLAND, OHIO.] 



Having succeeded in effectually checking the in- 

 crease of the Bee-moth in my extensive Apiary, 

 by a combination of agencies, I am encouraged in 

 the belief that, by the exercise of a similar amount 

 of care, and the employment of analogous aids, other 

 species of depredating insects may, in many in- 

 stances, be exterminated or counteracted. 



Will you not be kind enough to furnish the read- 

 ers of the Practical Entomologist with a de- 

 tailed account of the agencies you employ in check- 

 ing the increase of the Bee-moth ? — Eds. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



We thankfully acknowledge the receipt of the following 

 sums, donated for the support of the Practical Entomo- 



LOfilST: — 



John S. Haines, Pennsylvania $25.00 



F. W. Putnam, Massachusetts 6.00 



Robert W. DeForest, New York 5.00 



Prof. Edward D. Cope, Pennsylvania 5.00 



Mrs. Eliza Barney, New York 3.00 



George W. Peck, New York 3.00 



George B. Dixon, Pennsylvania 3.00 



Benjamin F. Long, Illinois 3.00 



William Saunders, Canada West 2.00 



Alfred Cope, Pennsylvania 1.00 



Joseph Cope, Pennsylvania 1.00 



William Green, Pennsylvania 1.00 



Edward J. Evans, Pennsylvania 1.00 



J. H. Foster, Jr., Pennsylvania 1.00 



E. Ivins, Pennsylvania 1.00 



Henry Breiner, M. D., Pennsylvania 1.00 



J.J.Thomas, New York 1.00 



E. B. Gilman, New York 1.00 



E. C. Patterson, New York 1.00 



W. A. Woodward, New York 1.00 



W. H. Goldsmith, New Jersey 1.00 



Anthony I. Olmsted, New Jersey 1.00 



S. W. Cone, Massachusetts 1.00 



Frank P. Atkinson, Massachusetts „.. 1.00 



A. Perry Peck, Massachusetts 1.00 



William Cocks, Ohio 1.00 



Lawrence Young, Kentucky 1.00 



Sanford Howard, Michigan 1.00 



Dr. Velie, Illinois 1.00 



W. H. R. Lykins, Kansas 1.00 



Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, Canada West 1.00 



S. S. H., Pennsylvania 1.00 



A Friend, Newburgh, N. Y 1.00 



