Report of the State Entomologist. 217 



First Notice of its Injuries. 



The first mention that we find of the operations of this insect is that 

 given in the Entomological Correspondence of Dr. Harris, 1869, page 

 267, where, of "Haltica alni Harr. MSS." it is stated : 



In traveling from Centre Harbor, N. H., to Conway, on the second 

 of August, 1854, * * * * I ga,-^ ^j^e alders {Alnus serrulata) 

 everywhere ravaged by insects which destroyed the leaves in the 

 manner of canker-worms. Upon examination the spoilers were found 

 not to be all dispersed, and several were seen upon the leaves still 

 continuing their work: at the same time were found in Conway 

 numerous beetles, which proved to be a species of Haltica, eating the 

 leaves of the same alders. The larvse which had ravaged these shrubs 

 were doubtless those of the Haltica before mentioned {^H. alni]. 



Its Operations in Maine and New HampsMre. 

 Dr. A. S. Packard appears next to have noticed the ravages made 

 by this insect in Maine and New Hampshire. As it seems to be only 

 at intervals and in certain localities that these serious demonstrations 

 are made, they are of considerable interest as often as they occur. 

 We therefore copy Dr. Packard's recital, from Bulletin No. 13, Divi- 

 sion of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1887, together 

 with his excellent description of the insect : 



At Merepoint, near Brunswick, Me., during the middle of August, 

 1886, we noticed clumps of alders standing in dry soil partly 

 defoliated or with skeletonized, brown or blackish leaves, on which, 

 as well as the still remaining green leaves, were black grubs, some- 

 times seven or eight on a leaf. All of the alders in the region were 

 not molested, the grubs occurring locally. August fifteenth, we found a 

 single beetle. On placing a number of leaves with the grubs in a tin 

 box, we found a white j)upa lying loosely on the bottom of the box, 

 August twentieth; soon more pupae appeared, and the beetles began to 

 appear in considerable numbers the last v/eek of August. It is evi- 

 dent that in nature the larva falls to the ground to transform, the 

 pupse entering the earth. 



Afterwards, September tenth, we found whole clumps of alders at the 

 base of Iron Mountain, Jackson, N. H., stripped by the grubs, nearly 

 all the riddled, brown, dead leaves having fallen off and thickly 

 covering the ground under the bushes. Such a wholesale devastation 

 of alders we never saw. By this time the beetles had become very 

 abundant, and were apparently feeding on the few leaves still 

 attached to the tree. ***** There seems to be a pei'iodicity 

 in the appearance of this beetle, Harris having seen the same grubs 

 in great abundance in the same place in 1854. We have never 

 observed it so common and destructive before in Maine. It is 

 most probable that the beetles hibernate under the leaves, and soon 

 after the leaves expand in May, lay their egg in masses on them, the 

 grubs scarcely stirring from the leaves on which they are born, until 

 ready to pupate. The grubs are probably distasteful to birds, other- 

 wise they would fall an easy prey to them and be kept within due 

 limits. 



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