INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE 515 



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 larva? develop during summer, trans- 

 forming to beetles and pupae 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 

 the species, though it is occasionally found on plum, apple, pear, 

 quince, blue beech and elm. 



Life History. After feeding a few days the female beetles 

 commence to lay their eggs in cracks of the bark at the base of 

 the buds, or in any crevice or in the cavity eaten out of the bud 

 by the beetle, or sometimes on the foliage. The eggs are a long 



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

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

 Sta. 



