17 



THE BANDED FLEA-BEETLiE. 



{Systen a tsenia ta Sa}'. ) 



The banded flea-beetle also frequently attacks beets, beans, and 

 other vegetables, particularly in the West and Southwest. It has simi- 

 lar habits to the preceding species and similar structure; it was, in 

 fact, until quite recently ver}^ generally confused 

 with the pale-striped form, and many references 

 to injuries by this species are really duo to the 

 latter. Like the latter it varies considerably as 

 regards color and punctation. It is polished black, ^'Hj'^ | 



with white stripes. A common dark form of the 

 beetle is shown in figure IK" 



THE RED-HEADED FLEA-BEETLE. 



[Systena fro^Hdlis Fall. ) 



Fir,. 9. — Systeiia tseniata, 

 dark variety — about 6 

 times natural size (au- 

 thor's illustration, Di- 

 vision of Entomology). 



This species (fig. 10) resembles in its habits the 

 two flea-beetles that have just been mentioned. 

 Its color is shining black throughout except the 

 major portion of the head, which is red. It has been known as an 

 enemy of beets since 1891. It also attacks potato and })eans, but is 

 not restricted to vegetalde crops, being quite fond of the foliage of 

 fruits, including grape, gooseberry", pear, and 

 others. It inhabits practically the entire arable 

 region east of the Rocky Mountains, including 

 southern Canada and the Southern States (Bui. 

 33, n. s., Div. Ent., pp. 111-113). 



THE SMARTWEED FLEA-BEETLE. 



{Systena hudsonias Fonst. ) 



From the red-headed flea-beetle thi,^ differs in 

 being uniformly shining black. Otherwise the 

 two species are very similar. Taken all in all, it 

 is perhaps the most abundant of the flea-beetles 

 which have been mentioned, but, although it shows 

 a fondness for a number of crop plants^ including sugar beet, potato, 

 grape, beans, and sweet corn, it is much more confined to weeds 

 (L. c, pp. 113-lU). 



The larval habits of the three species last mentioned have not been 

 positively ascertained, but there is little doubt that they will be found 

 to be much the same as those of the pale-striped flea- beetle, since the 

 beetles of all of them occur in greatest numbers on the same species 

 of weeds, and, even when occurring in moderate abundance, seem to 

 show little preference. 



Fig. 10. — Systena frontalis — 

 much enlarged (author's 

 illustration, Bivision of 

 Entomology). 



«This and the preceding species are discussed in Bui. 23, n. s., Div. Ent., p. 23. 

 11612— No. 43—03 2 



