INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE 451 



very abundantly in roots of uprooted maples and in diseased 

 tamarisk stems. In old, dry wood it will not breed, so far as 

 known, nor in vigorous live growth, but seems to need the dying 

 and partially drying conditions mentioned. The insect has but 

 one brood yearly. The beetles mature for the most part in the 

 fall, and generally remain in their larval burrows until the follow- 

 ing spring. A few may leave the burrows in the fall and con- 

 struct others in the twigs of apple or other plants in which to 

 hibernate. In the spring, however, they begin their destructive 

 work early, burrowing into the axils of the grape and occasionally 

 also into other plants. This is undoubtedly partly for food, but 

 seems largely malicious, for it certainly has nothing to do with 

 egg-laying. . . . The eggs are laid chiefly in May or April in 

 its southern range, and the Iarva3 develop during summer, trans- 

 forming to beetles and pupse in the fall. On the Pacific coast 

 a closely allied, but somewhat larger species (Amphicerus puncti- 

 pennis Lee.) . . . probably has similar . . . habits . . ." 



Control. All diseased wood and prunings should be removed 

 in late spring, thus destroying the material in which the larvae 

 develop. If this is neglected and the beetles appear in the vine- 

 yard, the only means of stopping their depredations is to cut 

 out by hand the affected parts and destroy the beetles. On 

 warm days the beetles may sometimes be collected while running 

 over the vines. 



The Grapevine Flea-beetle * 



When the grape buds are swollen in the spring they are often 

 attacked by numbers of little blue or greenish beetles which eat 

 out or entirely consume them. When abundant these little 

 beetles may destroy all the buds on a vine, thus greatly retarding 

 the leafing out or even occasionally killing the plant. The beetle 

 is about one-fifth inch long, of robust shape, and possesses the 

 thick thighs characteristic of flea-beetles, which enable it to jump 

 a considerable distance when disturbed. It is common through- 

 out the States east of the 100th meridian and nearly related 

 species do similar damage on the Pacific Coast. (See Quayle, 

 I.e.) The wild grape is undoubtedly the natural food-plant of 



* Haltica chalybea 111. Family Chrysomelidce. See Quaintance, I.e.; 

 Hartzell, I.e.; and M. V. Slingerland, Bulletin 157, Cornell Univ. Agr. Exp. 



Sta. 



