THE 



f ra{[toal ®nt0m0l00fet 



A MONTHLY BULLETIN, 



Published by the American Entomological Society, for the dissemination of valuable 

 knowledge among Agriculturists and Horticulturists. 



Vol. II, No. 8. 



MAY, 1867. 



"Whole No. 20. 



®he fractica! dtittamolajist. 



i>ublislieil bv the Ahericax Entomological Society 

 at their Hall, No. 518 South Thirteenth St., Philadelphia. 



.^S-Edited by Benj. D. Walsh, Rock Island, Illinois. 



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PHILADELPHIA, MAY, 1867. 



THE GSAPE-VINE FIDIA. 



{Fidia viticida, new species.) 



The annexed figure represents a leaf-eating Bea- 

 tle, hitherto unnoticed by other writers as a nox- 

 ious insect, which preys extensively., 

 upon the grape-vine in Kentucky, 

 and probably in other Southern 

 States. It exists also on the wild 

 grape-vine in small numbers, as I 

 have myself observed, both in North 

 and South Illinois; and I once no- 

 ticed a single specimen on a Catawba CJiestnut-red, 



^ TT • hoary with 



vine in my own garden. Hence it whitish hairs. 

 is not improbable, that in some future year it may 

 swarm in Illinois, as abundantly as in 1866 it did 

 in Kentucky. The following account of its opera- 

 tions in the latter State in 1866 is reproduced from 

 the Practical Entomologist, Vol. I, p. 99. 



According to Mr. C. S. Jackson, of Kentucky, this beetle 

 is making great destruction in his vineyards. " It com- 

 mences," as he tells us, "about the middle of June, first 

 attacking the upper surface of the leaves by eating holes 

 into it, and if not checked, increases with the heat of the 

 season, until whole acres of leaves are changed into 

 worthless shreds, or become as full of holes as a sieve." 

 Most probably, as with the Flea-beetle of the Grape-vine, 

 it is in the larva state that it does the principal part of 

 the damage; and as the larva; of all beetles are altogether 

 unlike the perfect insect, its identity with the perfect in- 

 sect will often not be recognized. The larva of this spe- 

 cies, as we may infer from analogy, will be a six-legged 



grub, probably of some obscure shade of pale drab or 

 brown, and resembling in form that of the Colorado Po- 

 tato Bug, (figured Practical E.\tomologist, II, p. 1.3,) but 

 of course proportionally smaller. It will be found slug- 

 gishly feeding on the surface of the leaves, along with the 

 perfect insect, and as soon as ever they first appear in the 

 spring) every exertion should be used to destroy them, in 

 regions where they have been known to swarm. A single 

 female larva destroyed at that time, may prevent the 

 generation of a hundred thousand in the course of the 

 summer ; for I have little doubt that this species is many- 

 brooded, i. e., that there are several generations of them 

 in one year. 



It will be observed that there is considerable re- 

 semblance in the general shape and make of the 

 Grape-vine Fidia and of the Grape-vine Flea-beetle, 

 (Haltica chaJyhea, figured PRACTICAL ENTOMOLO- 

 GIST II, p. 50.) The latter insect, however, is dark 

 blue instead of chestnut-red, and smooth and pol- 

 ished instead of hairy and opaque ; and it differs 

 also in having the hind thighs much thickened, so 

 as to enable it to jump like a Flea, whereas the 

 Fidia has the hind thighs no stouter than the other 

 four thighs and has no power to jump. Both in- 

 sects, as well as the Striped Cucumber Bug, (Dia- 

 brotica vittata,) the 12-spotted Flower-beetle, (Z>ta- 

 hrotica VZ-punctata, figured Practical Entomo- 

 logist, I, p. 110, fig. 1,) the Colorado Potato Bug, 

 {Doryphora 10-lmeata,) the Gold Bug, ( Cassida 

 pallida,) which infests the Morning Glory and the 

 Sweet Potato, the Striped Tortoise-beetle ( Cassida 

 hivittata,) which infests the Sweet Potato in South- 

 ern regions, and the Grape-vine Colaspis (Colaspis 

 flavida, figured Practical Entomologist, II, 

 p. 68,) which in 1866 attacked the Grape-vine 

 very generally throughout the Northern States, be- 

 long to a large group of Beetles, (the great Chri/so- 

 mela family,) distinguished by having only four 

 joints to all their feet, (tarsi,) and by their larvae 

 almost universally feeding upon the leaves of vari- 

 ous plants. Hence they are many of them very 

 obnoxious to the Agriculturist. In comnlon with 

 another large group of Beetles — the great Curculio 

 family, known in English as the Snout-beetles — 

 almost all these beetles have the habit of doubling 

 up their legs, when they fancy that they are about 

 to be attacked, and dropping suddenly to the ground 

 where they lie still for a short time and pretend to 



