352 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



and being most troublesome in the Middle Atlantic States. The 

 beetle is nearly hemispherical in shape, slightly oval, about one- 

 third inch long, yellowish or reddish-brown, marked with seven 

 black spots on each wing-cover and four smaller ones on the 

 thorax as shown in Fig. 296. 



Life History. The life history, as given by Dr. Chittenden for 

 the District of Columbia and northward, is as follows: " The 

 insect hibernates in the adult condition under bark or other 

 convenient shelter and appears abroad sometime in May or 

 June. Egg deposition has been observed in the latter part of 



June, and there is evidence that 

 the eggs are deposited also much 

 later. ' ' The eggs are about three- 

 tenths inch long, elongate oval 

 of a yellow color, and laid in irreg- 

 ular clusters of from 12 to 50. 

 " They hatch in from six to nine 

 days, and the larvse begin to feed 



at once on the leaves, causing 

 them to wither and die." The 

 larva is yellow, with six rows of 

 black branching spines, and is 

 about one-half inch long when 

 grown. "The larva attains full 

 development in from two to four 

 weeks, ceases feeding, and attaches 

 itself by its anal extremity to 

 (After W. a leaf, and next day sheds its 

 larval skin, which is pushed down 

 toward the end of the body, when the pupa stage is assumed. The 

 larva matures anytime from the middle of July to near the middle 

 of September. In the pupa state the insect remains from six to 

 nine days, when the skin separates down the back and the perfect 

 beetle emerges, the new brood appearing as early as the last of 

 July. After feeding for some time the beetles disappear for hiber- 

 nation, . . . beginning about the middle of September." The 

 adults have the habit of marking out a circular area of the leaf, 

 \*hich seems to cause the tissue to wilt, and then feeding within 



FIG. 297. Work of the squash lady- 

 bird greatly reduced. 

 E. Britton.) 



