The Biology of Maine Species of Altica. 151 



(1899 5th Minn. Rept., p. 159) called the lesser grape vine flea- 

 beetle, although it certainly is not A. ignita 111. as he stated.* 



Three beetles described in this bulletin as new, A. corni, 

 A. rosae and A. ulmi, are all forms that in Horn's monograph 

 (1889. A synopsis of the Halticini of Boreal America. Tran. 

 Am. Ent. Soc. v. 16:163-320, pi. 5-6) would fall under the single 

 species ignita 111. It has been stated almost universally that 

 ignita 111. is a very variable species but ignita 111., as it has been 

 commonly interpreted by the best authorities is undoubtedly a 

 composite species which when it has been carefully studied 

 throughout the country will be found to consist of a greater or 

 less number of closely related but distinct species where the 

 characters remain constant and the range of variation is slight. 

 Such indeed is the opinion of Fall (1910. Trans. Am. Ent. 

 Soc. v. 36:153) who states: "In the case of ignita this variation 

 is assumed to be very great, but I think it probable that this 

 complex will ultimately be broken up. The opening wedge is 



here inserted by giving names to three forms which by 



the latest paper on the genus would pass as ignita/' Certainly 

 the 3 species of the ignita group discussed in this present paper 

 are distinct both structually and biologically, and such char- 

 acters as color, size, and proportionate length of antennae are 

 constant, as well as the food-habits and immature characteristics 

 which are definite and various. 



The writer has grave doubts whether it be permissible to 

 call any of our known American flea-beetles ignita 111., at least 

 until Illiger's type specimen — if it be in existence — has been 

 carefully compared with his description, and the latter proven 

 incorrect. It would not appear scientifically sound to set aside 

 a portion of an author's description arbitrarily merely because 



*This is a small green species which the writer has taken only twice 

 in the State, August 1917 and June 1918, both times on woodbine at 

 Orono. Unfortunately the writer has not been able to study this species 

 except very superficially since at present he is in the military service of 

 the United States. This species evidently comes in the ignita group, and 

 can be distinguished from the others by its color, size (about 3.5 mm) 

 and the fact that segment 3 of the antenna is equal in length to segment 

 4. The eggs are yellow, deposited by l's or 2's on the under surface of 

 the leaves. The ground color of the larva is dull yellow and the pupa 

 is yellow ; so far as the writer knows, they do not present any specific 

 characters to differentiate them from other members of this genus. 



