﻿764 
  

  

  KEPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  forms 
  a 
  brown, 
  oval 
  cocoon 
  of 
  grains 
  of 
  dirt. 
  Here 
  it 
  remains 
  three 
  

   weeks 
  in 
  the 
  pupa 
  state, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  third 
  week 
  in 
  July 
  the 
  beetle 
  

  

  appears. 
  Mr. 
  Curtis, 
  

   whose 
  account 
  we 
  

   have 
  reproduced, 
  

   thinks 
  that 
  the 
  female 
  

   J 
  lays 
  its 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  

   I 
  embryo 
  pods. 
  

  

  As 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  before 
  

   been 
  noticed 
  in 
  this 
  

   country, 
  and 
  may 
  be- 
  

   come 
  in 
  future 
  years 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  a; 
  

  

  Fig. 
  32.— 
  a, 
  beetle 
  ; 
  c, 
  larva 
  ; 
  h, 
  pupa 
  ; 
  e, 
  pod 
  with 
  hole 
  out 
  of 
  f^^^j^^' 
  ^^ 
  . 
  fF^ 
  ^J 
  

   which 
  the 
  grub 
  has 
  come 
  ; 
  d, 
  earthen 
  cocoon. 
  From 
  Curtis, 
  briei 
  description 
  01 
  , 
  

   The 
  right-hand 
  figure 
  drawn 
  from 
  an 
  American 
  specimen. 
  the 
  insect: 
  : 
  

  

  1 
  

   Description. 
  — 
  The 
  beetle 
  is 
  minute 
  and 
  pale 
  gray, 
  with 
  a 
  remarkably 
  long, 
  slender, 
  i 
  

   curved 
  snout, 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  which 
  arise 
  the 
  long 
  elbowed, 
  slender 
  antennae 
  ; 
  the,, 
  

   basal 
  joint 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  slender 
  arnd 
  succeeded 
  by 
  seven 
  spherical 
  joints 
  ; 
  the 
  oval 
  clubj 
  

   pale 
  at 
  tip, 
  consisting 
  of 
  four 
  joints. 
  The 
  body 
  is 
  black, 
  but 
  so 
  densely 
  covered 
  with, 
  

   gray, 
  flattened 
  hair 
  and 
  scales 
  that 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  uniformly 
  pale 
  gray. 
  These 
  hairs 
  | 
  

   become 
  broad, 
  flattened 
  scales 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  The 
  prothorax 
  is 
  triangular, 
  

   seen 
  from 
  above, 
  swollen 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  and 
  the 
  head, 
  exclusive 
  of 
  the 
  snout, 
  is 
  very,, 
  

   small. 
  The 
  body 
  behind 
  is 
  unusually 
  broad 
  ; 
  the 
  wing-covers 
  have 
  each 
  nine 
  (Curtis, 
  

   mentions 
  only 
  eight) 
  longitudinal, 
  fine, 
  punctate 
  furrows, 
  the 
  ridges 
  between 
  being 
  ( 
  

   much 
  flattened. 
  The 
  legs 
  are 
  rather 
  short, 
  and 
  pale 
  gray, 
  like 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  body., 
  

   Curtis 
  mentions 
  that 
  the 
  hindermost 
  thighs 
  have 
  a 
  short, 
  thick 
  tooth 
  beneath. 
  I 
  find 
  

   one 
  on 
  the 
  thighs 
  of 
  both 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  hind 
  legs. 
  However, 
  the 
  insect 
  may 
  be 
  

   considered 
  identical 
  with 
  the 
  European 
  species, 
  until 
  proved 
  otherwise 
  by 
  comparison 
  

   of 
  specimens, 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  probably 
  been 
  imported 
  in 
  radish 
  and 
  turnip 
  seed. 
  

  

  i 
  

  

  INSECTS 
  INFESTING 
  LETTUCE. 
  

  

  The 
  Lettuce 
  Earth-Louse, 
  BMzoUus 
  lactucce 
  Fitch.— 
  On 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  lettuce 
  often! 
  

   in 
  great 
  numbers; 
  very 
  small, 
  oval, 
  white 
  and 
  pale-yellow 
  lice, 
  with 
  dusky 
  legs 
  and, 
  

   antennae, 
  their 
  bodies 
  dusted 
  over 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  powder. 
  

  

  These 
  little 
  lice 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  family 
  of 
  true 
  plant-lice 
  (Aphidw), 
  but 
  

   are 
  always 
  wingless, 
  and 
  with 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  white 
  powder 
  on 
  the 
  body 
  than" 
  

   usual 
  in 
  the 
  family, 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  resembling 
  the 
  coccus 
  or 
  scale-insects.' 
  

   These 
  little 
  root-lice 
  cluster 
  about 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  lettuce, 
  appearing- 
  

   soon 
  after 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  up, 
  and 
  becoming 
  more 
  numerous 
  toward 
  the'; 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  season. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  them 
  on 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  aster, 
  and^ 
  

   they 
  also 
  occur 
  on 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  verbena. 
  By 
  watering 
  the 
  earth 
  aroundl 
  

   the 
  plants 
  with 
  tobacco-water 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  INSECTS 
  INFESTING 
  ASPARAGUS. 
  

  

  The 
  European 
  Asparagus-Beetle, 
  Crioceris 
  asparagi 
  Linn.— 
  Eating 
  irregular, 
  

   rounded 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  bark 
  ; 
  an 
  oblong, 
  shining 
  blue-black 
  beetle 
  a 
  quarter 
  of 
  an 
  inchi 
  

   long, 
  with 
  a 
  red 
  prothorax 
  and 
  head 
  and 
  three 
  bright-yellow 
  spots 
  on 
  each 
  wing-cover 
  jj 
  

   with 
  a 
  soft-bodied 
  larva, 
  thrice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  thick, 
  larger 
  behind, 
  of 
  a 
  dull 
  ash-gray 
  or, 
  

  

  obscure 
  olive, 
  with 
  a 
  black 
  head 
  and 
  legs. 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  This 
  beetle 
  was 
  first 
  found 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  in 
  1858 
  or 
  1859, 
  and 
  in 
  1862j 
  

   became 
  very 
  destructive 
  on 
  Long 
  Island. 
  Early 
  in 
  May, 
  soon 
  after 
  the, 
  

   season 
  for 
  cutting 
  the 
  asparagus 
  for 
  the 
  market 
  has 
  begun, 
  these 
  beetles, 
  

   says 
  Fitch, 
  come 
  forth 
  from 
  their 
  winter-quarters 
  and 
  commence 
  feed- 
  

   ing 
  upon 
  it, 
  gnawing 
  and 
  marring 
  it, 
  and 
  scattering 
  their 
  eggs 
  upon, 
  

   the 
  stalks. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  dark 
  brown, 
  small, 
  .and 
  are 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  

   stalk 
  or 
  leaves. 
  " 
  They 
  hatch 
  in 
  eight 
  days, 
  and 
  the 
  larva 
  becomes 
  fully 
  

  

  