Inclement Weather, Diseases, Etc. 315 



ceous insects, but we must depend upon human agencies for 

 their destruction ; hopeless as the task may appear, they must 

 be gathered and destroyed by hand if we would save our crops 

 where they abound. They are sluggish, and easily caught, 

 when they may be destroyed by throwing into hot water. 

 The appearance of this insect is often quite local, being abun- 

 dant in one neighborhood, and rarely seen in others. 



The Haltica chalybea, or Grape-vine Flea-Beetle, is a very 

 annoying insect in some vineyards. Though quite small, be- 

 ing only o.i 6 of an inch in length, it is voracious, and eats 

 into the buds and young shoots as they swell and begin to 

 push. This beetle is oval, shiny, deep greenish-blue, or deep 

 green, or purple. The name " chalybea," is intended to 

 describe this varying, steel-blue color. 



The insect spends the winter in the ground near the foot 

 of the vine, feeding upon the roots. This beetle is referred 

 to in vol. II, page 60, of the Practical Entomologist, which 

 every vine-dresser should read ; and in vol. I, page 40, is a 

 description by J. Kirkpatrick, of Cleveland, Ohio, in which 

 neighborhood the haltica is quite troublesome. With regard 

 to the larval condition of these insects, he says, that " the 

 eggs are laid upon the leaves in May ; when hatched, they 

 feed upon the upper surface. They soon arrive at their full 

 growth, when they are about three-eighths of an inch long, 

 light-brown, with eight rows of black spots above, those of 

 the two dorsal being confluent ; head and feet black ; antennae 

 very short; on each of the spots on the back there is a single 

 hair, and from the breathing apertures, two. * * * 

 When in motion, it brings its body up with a jerk. About 

 the first of June, it enters the ground, and changes to a pupa, 

 emerging from it in about fourteen days, as a perfect insect. 

 There are several broods in the season. ***** 



It is difficult to capture the perfect insects, although much 

 may be done during cool weather, by careful hand-picking. 



