INSECT NOTES. 359 



Diholia borealis Chev. 



Plantain Flea Beetles. Lot 279. Every season the bronze 

 green flea beetles of the plantain, Plantago major, are found 

 feeding upon the leaves of this plant early in the season and 

 again later in the summer. This year they were found very 

 plentiful near Portland mating May 25. At Lewiston, July 3, 

 plantain leaves thoroughly mined, (See Figure 53) were found 

 over an area of several square rods. The leaf miners in the 

 trails were at that time full fed. A collection of leaves was 

 made and the larvae deserted the trails and buried themselves 

 in the earth furnished them for pupation. On July 27 several 

 of the fully developed beetles had emerged from the soil and 

 proved to be Diholia borealis Cherv. (^aerea Melsch). This 

 beetle passes both the larval and adult life on the plantain. 

 Whether there is a second brood for Maine has not been ascer- 

 tained. 



Oherea biinaculata. 



The Raspberry Cane Borer. Lot 261. For the past two 

 seasons this insect which had been very little in evidence for 

 some time came to the front again. The writer is informed 

 that about 12 years ago the injury by this borer to blackberry 

 canes in this State was quite extensive, and it is blackberries 

 that have been most attacked for the past two seasons although 

 both at Orono and elsewhere the raspberries have been taken 

 also. One man explained : "The tops of my blackberries kept 

 lopping down and I thought at first the children were doing the 

 injury in thoughtless sport. But I sat where I could watch the 

 vines one day and saw several tops go down without apparent 

 cause. When I looked at these lopping canes I found two 

 magic rings upon them. The thing is pure witchcraft," the 

 owner of the canes added with a puzzled laugh. 



Two ''magic" rings (See Figure 54) are indeed at the base 

 of the drooping portion of all canes affected in this manner. 

 They are about one-half inch' apart and are the two rows of 

 punctures made by the adult beetle with her jaws. Between 

 them the beetle makes a small hole through which she deposits 

 her egg. 



Were the drooping tops the end of the injury usually not 

 much damage would be done but the grubs which hatch from 



