10 BULLETIN 843, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF' AGRICULTURE. 



In experiments conducted in New Mexico by Merrill (21) the 

 period of incubation was between 4 and 9 days. The duration of the 

 larval stage was between 15 and 21 days. The pupal period was 

 between 3 and 5 days, and the total developmental period lasted be- 

 tween 22 and 28 days. 



HISTORY AND LITERATURE. 



The bean ladybird was described by Mulsant in 1850 (1) from 

 Mexico as Epilachna corruptee and its injuries were observed in New 

 Mexico at about the same period. 



In 1883 Riley (1) published an editorial on this species with quo- 

 tations from a letter from Prof. George H. Stone, which contains our 

 first known account of the food and injurious habits of this insect. 

 Attack by larvae and adults was observed on leaves and pods of wax 

 beans at Colorado Springs, Colo., August 26, 1882. 



It was not until a lapse of six years that attention was called to 

 further injury by this insect. At that time Judge J. F. "Weilandy 

 (5, 6) wrote, July 23, 1889, of injuries at Springer, N. Mex., stating 

 that this " bean bug " committed great depredations in bean fields, 

 often destroying them entirely. The Mexicans had found that late 

 planting, about the middle of July, acted as a preventive of its rav- 

 ages. In a letter dated July 30, in the same year, he directed atten- 

 tion to injury at Watrous, N. Mex., and stated that the pest had been 

 known in that region for about 40 years. He also furnished speci- 

 mens from which were recorded, editorially, the habits of two pre- 

 dacious ladybirds, which will be mentioned later under " Natural 

 enemies," of feeding on the eggs of this species. 



In 1892 Prof. C. P. Gillette (7) gave an account of this pest in 

 Colorado, furnishing illustrations of the stages and manner of work. 



In 1897 Rev. Henry S. Gorham (8) considered this species with 

 the Coccinellidae of Central America, indicating the synonymy, and 

 the distribution in Mexico. Guatemala, and Panama, with notes on 

 variation and colored illustrations of the adult and of the larva. 

 In this year also Mr. H. Griffin (9) reported injury at San Juan, N. 

 Mex. Judge Weilandy furnished a list of the varieties of beans 

 affected and reported on the effectiveness of Paris green which, 

 although it killed the beetles, destroyed the plants as well. 



In 1899 Col. Thos. L. Casey (11, p. 103) furnished a characteriza- 

 tion of the beetle, comparing it with E. ~borecdis. In 1900 Cockerell 

 (13) stated that this species was the " bane of bean growers in New 

 Mexico, from Chicorico Canon * * * to the Mesilla valley." 

 In 1902 A. N. Caudell (14) cited an instance of extreme injury to 

 beans at Fort Collins, Colo., in 1901. The statement made by W. 

 Knaus (15), in 1906, that this insect was damaging potato near 

 Wootens, N. Mex., is, of course, incorrect. During 1907 Messrs. 



