14 



feeding- on the roots of timothy and other g^rasses, and Indian corn, in 

 addition to clover, strawberry, and grape, which Avould lead to the 

 belief that the species might haye been originally a grass-feeding one. 

 There is little doubt that the insect is single-brooded, and it has 

 been surmised that it hibernates as a partly grown larva. The beetles 

 which arc to be found from June to September probably also 

 hibernate. 



THE BEET TORTOISE BEETLE. 



Fig. G.—Cas^idd ncbidotia: beetle, 

 about 4 times natural size 

 (original, Division of Ento- 

 mology). 



An illustration of this species (fig. 6) and a short notice of it is pre- 

 sented, for the reason that it is one of the few insects which derive 

 their common names from the beet, and })ecause it is destructive to sugar 

 beet in Europe. There is, moreover, some likelihood of its becoming 



a pest in our own country if it should ever be 

 Nk ^ able to obtain a permanent foothold here. It 



f J^A^ € ig reported as having been observed in Cali- 



fornia in 1894, but as we have hoard little of 

 the insect since that time some doubt exists as 

 to its actual establishment in America. It 

 ranges through Europe and in Asia from 

 Persia to Siberia, and it may be that it is 

 destined to become cosmopolitan. Therefore 

 beet growers should be warned against it. 

 In Europe this beetle feeds on lambsquarters, 

 Atriplex, and related plants, but when these 

 plants become exhausted it devastates large 

 areas of sugar beets. There are said to be 

 two generations of the beetles produced annually, one appearing in 

 August, the other in the autumn. The beetle is about one-fourth of 

 an inch long and yellowish gray or pale green in color. 



Remedies. — The same remedies advised against other leaf -beetles 

 would apply to the present species. 



THE SPINACH FLEA-BEETLE. 



{l}imiiycha xanthorneUena Diilin. ) 



Flea-beetles are among the most important enemies of the sugar 

 beet, and of growing importance, as recent reports bear testimon}'. 

 No less than a score of species have been observed to attack beets. 

 Among the most destructive of these are the spinach flea-beetle, the 

 pale-striped flea-beetle, and the ])lack and red-headed flea-beetles, well- 

 known forms in the East; but in some portions of the West and else- 

 where others do more damage. They are most troublesome on very 

 young plants. 



Reports of injuries by the spinach flea-beetle to cultivated plants 



