136 FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



occasionally as they increase in size. In three or four 

 weeks, they become full-grown as larvae. Then they make 

 their way into the soil and change to pupae. Ten days 

 later they change again to adult beetles. The number of 

 broods varies with the latitude, there being from two to 

 four each year. The eggs are eaten by lady-bird beetles, 

 and the adults are devoured by certain birds, notably the 

 grosbeaks and the bobwhite. Both larvae and adults are 

 readily killed by spraying or dusting the potato vines with 

 arsenical poisons. 



Another leaf beetle that is very often destructive is the 

 Asparagus Beetle. This is one of those numerous pests 

 that have been introduced into America from Europe. It 

 is not yet generally distributed, but is constantly being in- 

 troduced into new localities where asparagus is grown. 

 The adult beetle is rather slender, less than half an inch 

 long, and is easily recognized by the brilliant combination 

 of black marked with red or yellow. When such a beetle 

 is found feeding upon asparagus, it is pretty certain to be 

 this Asparagus Beetle. If there are twelve spots, however, 

 it is probably the less common Twelve-spotted Aspar- 

 agus Beetle, which has also been lately introduced from 

 Europe. 



The eggs of the common Asparagus Beetle are deposited 

 upon the leaves and stems of the plants, and soon hatch 

 into small grublike larvae that feed freely upon the leaves, 

 often doing great damage to young plantations. These 

 larvae pupate in the ground and soon emerge again as 

 adult beetles. 



Various methods of checking Asparagus Beetles have 

 been found successful on young plantations. Dusting the 

 vines when they are wet with dew with fresh, dry air-slaked 

 lime has been found to kill the larvae. On older planta- 



