180 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1918. 



The Prepupa. 



Formation of the prepupal cell. As soon as it enters the 

 soil the prepupa constructs a rude cell not far below the surface 

 of the ground. The formation of the cell is discussed in more 

 detail under the dogwood flea-beetle (page 168). 



Coloration. The color fades out during prepupal life, and 

 in the late prepupa, the legs and head are brown, the tubercles 

 dull brown, and the general aspect of the body is dull yellowish. 



The Pupa. 



The molt from the prepupa to the pupa. This molt is ac- 

 complished in the same way in all of the flea-beetles studied,: 

 and is described in detail under the elm flea-beetle on page 190. 



Color cycle. The pupae of the rose flea-beetle pass through 

 a series of color changes correlated with the progress of inter- 

 nal metamorphosis, as do the other chrysomelids which the 

 writer has studied- 



On the third day, the eyes become light brown, dark brown 

 on the fourth, and black on the fifth. The mandibles turn red-; 

 dish brown also, usually on the fifth day. The wings appear 

 very light gray 48 hours before the adult is ready to emerge; 

 (usually on the sixth day), and dark gray 24 hours before emer-i 

 gence. 



There is, of course, some variation as to the time in which 

 these characters appear, but the appearance and sequence of 

 these pigmentations is perfectly constant. 



The Adult. 



Emergence. The process of emergence is the same in all 

 of the flea-beetles studied, and is described in detail under the 

 dogwood flea-beetle on page 169. 



Coloration. When the beetle first emerges, it is soft-bodied, 

 and prevailingly yellow in color. It requires about 24 hours 

 before it is fully hardened and colored, and the beetle remains 

 up to this time in the pupal cell. 



Feeding habits. The adults feed freely both in the fall 

 and in the spring on the leaves of their food plants. They eat 



