16 



THE PALE-STRIPED FLEA-BEETLE. 



y [Systena hlanda Mtih.) 



This species, a beet feeder of long standing-, has in recent j^ears 

 come to the front as an important enemy to sugar beets, and table 

 beets are also affected. In 1899 and 1900 much injury was done to 

 sugar-beet fields in Michigan, some having been practically destro3^ed 

 while the plants were quite young. During 1900 much injur}^ was 

 done in Colorado, the beetles appearing in swarms of millions ^nd 

 practically killing plants of two or three weeks' growth. Older plants 

 were considerably checked in development, but not destroyed. The 

 next year beets were injured in South Carolina and Indiana. 



This is one of our commonest, most nearly omnivorous, and most 

 destructive flea-beetles. It measures about an eighth of an inch, 



is cream-colored, with nearly 

 black abdomen and eyes, and 

 striped wing covers (fig. 8, h). 

 The larva is white and slender, 

 with light brownish-j^ellow 

 head. It is an American species 

 and of rather wide distribution, 

 from New Jersey and Penns}^- 

 vania southward to Georgia, 

 and westward to California. 



The pale-striped flea-beetle, 

 though a general feeder, is 

 particularly fond of the foliage 

 of beets and beans. Potatoes 

 and corn it also injures very 

 much, while considerable damage to melons and other cucurbits, tur- 

 nips and other crucifers, tomatoes, peas, carrots, and eggplant has 

 been observed. The beetles also attack strawberry, clover, cotton, 

 oats, and peanuts, and injure the leaves of pear, as also pear grafts, 

 b}^ eating out the terminals, thus stunting the growth of the trees. 

 They sometimes do severe injury in three or four days. 



The species hibernates as a beetle, and appears above ground in the 

 vicinity of the District of Columbia early in June; egg laying evi- 

 dently continues through that month and to the middle of July, if 

 not two or three weeks later; injury is usuall}' due to the beetles upon 

 their first appearance; and almost any valuable crop may be injured, 

 either in the absence or presence of the wild food plants. 



The larvae live below ground, and have been observed b}^ the writer 

 and others feeding on the roots of corn, lambsquarters, and James- 

 town weed. They probabl}" live also on pigweed (Ambrosia), cockle- 

 bur (Xanthium), and other weeds, as the beetles are commonly found 

 on these plants. 



Pig. 8. — Systena hlanda: a, larva; &, beetle; c, eggs 

 d, sculpture of egg; c, anal segment, from side 

 /, same from above — a-d, six times natural size 

 f, f, much enlarged (author's illustration, Division 

 of Entomology). 



