ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



295 



Its name is lulus, and from its form and hard- 

 ness it is known in some sections of our country 

 as the '■■ wire-worm."' Tlie true " wire-worms," 

 baptized long before, liowcver, arc the larva; of 

 the Snapping-beetles, or Elatcrs. This lulus 

 will preserve well in alcohol. 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE-YINE.-Xo, 11. 



The Spotted Peliduota. 



(Pelidrota punctata, Liniuuus.) 



[Fig. IS.-,.] 



Colors — (tt) glassy-white; (b) yellowish; (r) clay-yellow 



with black spots. 



Tliis is the largest and most conspicuous 

 beetle that attacks the foliage of the Grape-vine, 

 and in the beetle state it seems to subsist entirely 

 on the leaves of this plant, and of the closely 

 allied Virginia Creeper. Though some years it 

 becomes so abundant as to badly riddle the 

 foliage of our vineyards, yet such instances are 

 exceptional ; and it usually occurs in such small 

 numbers, and is so large and clumsy, that it can 

 not be considered a very redoubtable enemy. 



Its larva has, for a number of years, been 

 known to feed on the decaying roots of ditrerent 

 trees, but has never, so far as we are aware, 

 been described, for which reason we append 

 below a description of it. It is a large clumsy 

 grub (Fig. \^'>, fi) bearing a clo.se resemblance 

 to the common "White Grub of our meadows, 

 and differs from that species principally in being 

 less wrinkled, and in having the chitinous cover- 

 ing (or skin, so-called) more polished and of a 

 purer white color, and in the distinct heart-shaped 

 swelling above the aims (Fig. 18.'), d). Towards 

 the latter part of June we have found this larva 

 in abundance, in company with the pupa (Fig. 

 lis."), b), in rotten stumps and roots of the I'ear. 

 In preparing for the pupa state, the larva forms 

 a rather unsubstantial cocoon of its own excre- 

 ment, mixed with the surrounding wood. The 



pupa state lasts but from eight to ten days, and 

 the beetle (Fig. 18.3, c) is found on our vines dur- 

 ing the months of July, August and September. 

 It is not yet known how long a time is required 

 for the development of the larva, but from 

 analogy we may infer that (he insect lives in 

 that state upwards of three years. 



This beetle was named about a century ago 

 by Linnieus, who met with a specimen in the 

 magnificent collection of shells and insects be- 

 longing to Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden. It 

 occurs throughout the States and Upper Canada, 

 and is even met with in the AVest Indies. It 

 flies ami feeds by day. The wing-covers are of 

 a slightly metallic clay-yellow color, with three 

 distinct black spots on each, and the wings 

 themselves are dark-brown inclining to black; 

 the thorax is usually a little darker than the 

 wing-covers, with one spot each side ; the abdo- 

 men beneath, and legs, are of a bronzed-green. 

 It is easily kept in check by hand-picking. 



Tklidnota ihnctat.v, Linn.— Larua (Fig. IS."), a) — 

 Lenjjth 2 inche.^; clunisy, movinpr on the side. Head, bright 

 cliistnut-bntwn. smooth, rounilnl, with a short, impressed, 

 longiliiiliiKil liiH'onthi- top, Mild llirre shallow impressions 

 in In. Ill; cpisLiiiKi iiMpe/oiihil aud dai-kcr; lalinim rough, 

 in.jiidarlv pniu-tat.-, iiiid ln-.^-t on tin- margin with a few 

 still' roroils hairs; :uili-iiii;e (t'ig. Is'i, e) lis long as cpistoma 

 andbdirninto;;i-lhi'r, 4-ioiiit.d .■.\,-lii.,h c- ..Ibiillms or tubi-rcle 

 in winch tliev are inserted; it.iiits ivliiidri.al. proporlioned 

 in length :is •>, (i, 4, 1. ihe t.rmiiial i.iiuf lu-ing ollcii a mere 

 bnd; mandibles strong ;inil blac'U, witli Ihrr.- dinlienlalious 

 at tip, and a very sliillit loolli ;it inner basal p.nlion; max- 

 illicWown and snbi'.j lindiieal on outside, :uignbited on in- 

 side, bearing two lobes, eaeli leniiiiKiling in an inwardly 

 curved coriaceons looih, ;uid inch fiirnisheil on their inner 

 narrow edge with slitV bristles, Mic oniside one arising close 

 by base ofpaliins, the inside one cNlcinling lower down, and 

 recalling, by its form, Ihe terminal joint of the front legof a 

 scorpion; maxillary palpi f-join ted, joints cvlindrical, short, 

 very gradnally longer and longer from I t'o I.Uic terminal 

 joint more pointed and narrower Ihan the ,.ili,r.^; hd)ium 

 qnadraiiirnlar, labial palni 'J-joiiUcd, ihc piilpigcrons piece 

 strongly' beset with bristles, lloih/. smooth with bnt a few 

 wrinkles on thorax; polislicd tnnislncciit while, with faint 

 bluish iiiarliliiigs on all liut tlioi;icic joints, which are slightly 

 narrower than tin- rest ; ;i narrow vesicular dors;iI line, and a 

 very slight yellowish horny plate in a depres.sion on joint 1: 

 a very slight pubescence observable, and a transverse tergal 

 row of sparse bnt tolerably long hairs on posterior part of 

 each joint; more dense and conspicuous hairs on lower sides 

 of anal joint, which joint is short, out oil' squarely, with a 

 heai't-shapetl swelling (Fig. IS.*), d) sunk into a circular de- 

 pression, each lobe of the heart with a darker oval coriaceous 

 elevation; spiracles sub-elliptical, diirk chestnut-brown, 

 placial on a prominent swelling, the lateral oiienings all fac- 

 ing the head, the 1st on joini I, the rest on joints 4, .I, 0, 7, 

 s,9, 10 and 11, graiUially becoming smaller and smaller from 

 Ilrst to last Legs (Kig l.s.-. /) horny, light-brown and 

 covered sparsclv with hairs; cox:c long and slont, with a 

 roimdcd swcllinL' ;it lu« n- ;,iit,ii.ir c.lg,-; l'cmoi:i cvlindrical. 

 sometime, .U-rnHll\ , iit olliers iii.listincllv, sc|iar;ilcd from 

 lilii;e,somcliiiic,- |.r..l,,ii-,il into a lliorn below , with a distinct 

 carina along the inside, at olliers not; lilii;e cylindrical, in- 

 crasaated anteriorly, especially below; tarsi cylindrical and 

 terminating in a distinct claw. 



Pupa tFig. IS.-*, b) of the form nT Lachnosterna. 



Described from 13 living specimens. 



ly We loarn that the Chinch Bug did much 

 damage in some parts of Illinois and AVisconsin 

 during the dry weather. 



CF" Upwards of 1,200 lbs. of Paris green h.avc 

 been sold at LaCrosse this season for the destruc- 

 tion of potato bugs. 



