38 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMEXT STATION. I913. 



Though SO common every year throughout the state, there 

 are still many farmers who are quite unfamiliar with this flea- 

 beetle. This is due to the fact that the insect is so small and 

 active and feeds largely on the underside of the leaves. 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION. 



In 1807 Illiger published a paper entitled "Portugiesische 

 Kafer" in wdiich he mentions the species Haltica puhescens as 

 occurring in Coimbra and Lisbon (Portugal) stating further 

 that he also had the species from North America (Pennsylva- 

 nia). In 1835 Dr. T. W. Harris records the name Haltica 

 ciicumcris in his Catalogue of the Insects of Massachusetts. 

 The same author published in 1841 his "Report on the Insects 

 of ^Massachusetts Injurious to A^egetation" in wdiich he says 

 (p. 103) : 



"The most destructive species (i. e. of the Halticini) in this vicinity 

 is that which attacks the cucumber plant as soon as the latter appears 

 above the ground eating the seed-leaves, and thereby destroying the 

 plant immediately. Supposing this to be an undescribed insect, I for- 

 merly named it Haltica cucumeris, the cucumber flea-beetle ; but Mr. 

 Say subsequently informed me that it was the put? esc ens of Illiger, so 

 named because it is very slightly pubescent or downy." In a later edi^ 

 tion Dr. Harris says "Count Dejean, who gave to it the specific name 

 ■of jusciila considered it as distinct from the pubcscens^ and it differs 

 from the descriptions of the latter in the color of its thighs, and in 

 never having the tips and shoulders of the wing-covers yellowish ; so 

 that it may still bear the name given to it in my catalogue. It is 

 only one sixteenth of an inch long, of a black color, with clay-yellow 

 .antennae and legs, except the hindmost thighs, which are brown. The 

 -upper side of the body is covered with punctures, which are arranged 

 in rows on the wing-cases ; and there is a deep transverse furrow across 

 :the hinder part of the thorax." 



Subsec[uent investigations have shown that the species des- 

 cribed by Dr. Harris is distinct from puhescens and may there- 

 fore rightfully bear the name cucumeris. The specimens from 

 Pennsylvania mentioned by Illiger were cucumeris and there- 

 fore differed from those collected in Portugal. The synonymy 

 now stands as follows : 



Epitrix cucumeris Harris. In Catalogue of Insects of Mass., 

 1835; Rept. on the Insects of Mass., 1841 ; Journal of Agricul- 

 ture, I, 103, 185 1. 



E. fuscula Dejean, Cat'l. 3 ed. 415. 



