VEGETABLE CROPS. 



November. They swarm on the upper surfaces of the leaves, eating off the 

 tissues till nothing but the dried skeleton remains; then they start on the 

 next leaf. The flowers are also, attacked from the edges and eaten off in 

 the same manner. 



The adult beetle is of a general rich orange yellow colour, marked with 

 black, and measures about a quarter of an inch in length. It is rounded on 

 the upper surface, and can be easily distinguished from the true ladybird 

 beetles by its general form being elongated, and the thorax forming a neck 

 between the head and body, whereas in the ladybirds the head and thorax 

 fit so closely into the hind portion that the whole is almost circular. Ad 

 there are a number of closely-allied species, the following more detailed 

 description will enable anyone who has the beetle before him to identify it: 

 Colour — upper surface rich orange yellow, with the first three basal joints 

 of the long eight-jointed antennas yellow, and the five terminal ones black. 

 The prominent rounded eyes are black, so also are the jaws; though the 

 thorax is apparently all yellow, the edges are 

 finely marked with black. The wing covers, 

 narrow behind the shoulders, or hind margin of 

 the thorax, are elongated and broadly rounded 

 to the extremities, are of a rich orange yellow, 

 with the base a broad transverse band across 

 the lower half of the wing-covers, a faint dorsal 

 stripe towards the tips, and the whole of the 

 tips rich blue black. On the under surface the 

 shanks and feet (tibia? and tarsi) are black, 

 with the segment between the middle and hind 

 legs black, so that connected with the black 

 blotches on the wing-covers it forms a con- 

 tinuous band round the body. The last two M h /; Ban il P ^'i Beetle 



J (Aulocophora olwiert). 



segments of the body are all black on the B .-indicating the natural sue of 

 under surface, but on the upper surface the the Beetle. 



first of them is barred with yellow on either side. 



The larva? are dull whitish coloured, elongate grubs, with the hind portion 

 yellow, and measuring about two-fifths of an inch. They are active little 

 creatures, feeding on the stem and roots of the vines, and sometimes gnawing 

 their way into the base of the stem. When full grown they pupate at a 

 distance varying from 1 to 6 inches below the surface of the soil, and later 

 emerge as the perfect beetle, ready to make a fresh attack on the surround- 

 ing vegetation. 



Dusting the plants with one of the following mixtures has been found most 

 effective : — (1) quarter of an ounce of Paris Green to 1 lb. fine slaked lime ; 

 (2) one part of tobacco dust to four parts of lime. Whichever of these 

 mixtures is used it should be dusted lightly over the whole of the foliage 

 (from a tin with a perforated lid or through a hessian bag). Dusting is 

 best done in the early morning when the dew is on the plants, or, if the 

 foliage is dry, sprinkle with the watering-can or hose before dusting. 

 Numerous dustings may be required in order to keep the pest in check. 

 Spraying with arsenic of lead has also been found to be effective. 



The discovery a few years ago that the larvae infested the stems and 

 roots, and the pupa? the soil beneath, indicated another important means of 

 control. It is obvious that if all dead pumpkin and melon plants are 



