98 INSECTS OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



change to puparia ; the puparia are attached to the 

 stalk near the ground in sHts in the epidermis; 

 there are two generations, the winter being passed 

 as puparia at the bases of the old stalks. 



Control — Pull up infested stalks in spring and 

 burn them ; allow volunteer plants to grow as a trap 

 crop which should be destroyed in late June. 



CUCUMBER PESTS 



The STRIPED CUCUMBER BEETLE ^^ {Diabvotica vit- 



tata) 

 Order — Coleoptera 



As soon as squashes, cucumbers, etc., appear 

 above the ground in the spring they are attacked 

 by a small yellow and black striped beetle; this 

 beetle is distributed all over the United States east 

 of the Rockies; it is native to this country; the 

 beetles carry the organisms that cause bacterial wilt 

 disease of cucurbits; the bacteria of the wilt disease 

 pass the winter in bodies of hibernating beetles. 



The beetles feed upon the leaves and blossoms 

 and deposit their lemon-yellow eggs mostly in crev- 

 ices of the soil near stem of plant ; the long, slender, 

 whitish larvcT attack the stems by burrowing into 

 them. The larvae pupate in ground and the beetles 

 hibernate over winter in sheltered places ; there are 

 two generations a season. 



Control — Put in excess of seeds; protect plants 

 with boxes or wire screen; hand-pick beetles in 

 garden; dust plants with tobacco dust, ashes, or 

 Hme; spray with Bordeaux mixture and arsenate 

 of lead or arsenate of lead alone; keep plants cov- 

 ered with this material; practice clean culture. 



15 Chittenden— U. S. Bu. Ent., Circ. 3] 



