8 BULLETIN 263, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is widely distributed throughout the United States, but previous 

 to its discovery on the cranberry it was not regarded as of economic 

 importance. 



The number of its known food plants is few. 



The chief injury to the cranberry is produced by the feeding of the 

 larvae on the roots. The beetles feed on the foliage and fruit. 



Its injury occurs mainly on sandy land or savannas, where the root 

 system of the vines is not so extensive as on muck or peat bottoms. 



The beetles appear in numbers about the end of June, deposit 

 eggs in the soil, and die before fall. 



The larvae feed on the fibrous roots and bark of the larger roots 

 until late fall, when they hibernate in cells formed in the soil. 



Some spring feeding of the larvae occurs. 



Pupation commences early in June, the average duration of the 

 stage being 14^ days. 



No satisfactory practice in the use of the winter flowage or the 

 spring renowage to exterminate an infestation of iarvae or pupae has 

 been developed. 



Invigorating the vines by the application of fertilizers or sand prom- 

 ises excellent results. 



LITERATURE CITED. 



Olivier, A. G. 



1808. Entomologie, ou Histoire Naturelle des Insectes . . . Coleopteres. v. 6, 

 p. 886, pi. 2, fig. 15. Paris, 1808. 

 Say, Thomas. 



1824. Descriptions of coleopterous insects collected in the late expedition to 

 the Rocky Mountains . . . In Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., v. 3, p. 

 403-462, 1824. 

 Colaspis prctexta, p. 442. 



Sat, Thomas. 



1859. Complete Writings on the Entomology of North America, edited by John 

 L. Le Conte, v. 2, p. 211. New York, 1859. 

 Horn, G. H. 



1892. The Eumolpmi of boreal America. In Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, v. 19, 

 p. 195-234, July, 1892. 

 Blatchley, W. S. 



1910. The Coleoptera or beetles of Indiana (Indiana Dept. Geol. and Nat. 

 Resources, Bui. 1), p. 1147. Indianapolis, 1910. 

 Smith, J. B. 



1910. Annual Report of the New Jersey State Museum Including a Report of 

 the Insects of New Jersey— 1909, p. 344. Trenton, 1910. 

 Systematic list. 

 QUAINTANCE, A. L. 



1912. [Rhabdopterus pitipes Oliv.] In Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., v. 14, p. 212, 1912. 

 Scammell, H. B. 



1914. Cranberry insect investigations in 1914. In Proc. Amer. Cranberry 

 Growers' Assoc:, 45th Ann. Conv., Aug. 22, 1914, p. 12-17. 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1915 



