BLUEBERRY INSECTS IN MAINE. 28/ 



The larva. None of the several hundred eggs deposited in the 

 laboratory hatched although they were kept under the same con- 

 ditions as Haltica eggs, nearly all of which developed; and even 

 when the eggs were placed on moistened cheesecloth they dried 

 up and shriveled. Larvae were swept abundantly in the field on 

 August 6, 191 5. Nearly all were in the last instar on this date. 

 There are probably 3 larval instars as is the case with the various 

 species of Haltica which the writer has reared. In the next to 

 the last instar the head measures .55-.60 mm. across, and in the 

 last .75-. 825 mm., .80 mm. being the normal. The ground color 

 of the larva is very light greenish gray ; the tubercles are a darker 

 gray; the prothoracic shield is grayish; the legs brownish black; 

 and the head brown. Immediately after molting the entire body, 

 including head and legs, is light creamy yellowish, except the 

 eyes which are nearly black. 



A larva which molted on August 9, 1915, to the last instar 

 entered the soil as a prepupa on August 21, a period of 12 day?. 

 This is probably but little, if any, longer than the other instars, 

 and 30-35 days is the probable length of larval life. 



The insects are voracious feeders and the larvae eat the leaves 

 very rapidly and in great amount. The leaves are skeletonized, 

 and only the brown ribs and upper epidermis is left. They soon 

 wither and fall off. Bushes which are defoliated 2 or 3 years 

 in succession usually are killed. 



The pupa. The larvae enter the ground before transforming 

 to pupae, burrowing to a depth of an inch or more. Both in 

 1914 and in 1915 the majority entered the soil about August 10, 

 but the writer has swept larvae as late as September i. The 

 prepupal period varies from 4 to 6 days, but averages about 5. 

 The pupal period lasts 8 or 9 days. When first formed the pupa 

 is straw yellow, with black eyes. Gradually the wings become 

 gray, and the legs, antennae and mandibles dark. 



The adult. The adult is yellowish when it emerges but colors 

 up reddish brown in about 20 hours. These beetles can be swept 

 abundantly on the blueberry all summer. The adults of the new 

 generation emerge principally in the latter half of August and 

 in early September. There is but one generation each year. 



Like the larvae, the adults are very voracious and eat the 

 leaves greedily in exactly the same way as do the larvae so that 

 the work of the 2 stages is indistinguishable. Occasionally the 



