Report of the State Entomologist. 221 



form. The skeletonizing of the leaves of the alder by the European 

 insect, of which there are also specimens in the Museum in connection 

 with the insects, was apparently, the same as ours. 



Has it been Confounded with Haltica chalybea ? 



Prof. Eiley states (in American Entomologist, ii, 1870, pp. 327-8, and 



in the same article reproduced in the 3d Missouri Eeport, pp. 80-81) 



that the grapevine flea-beetle, Haltica chalybea 111., " habituall}^ feeds 



on the alder (Alnus .^errulata), as well as on the wild and cultivated 



grapevine," and that it is " apt to be most troublesome where alder 



abounds in the woods." Is alder a common food-plant of this species, 



or has the larva of H. himarginata been mistaken for it ? The two larvse 



resemble one another so closely, that were the figure of H. chalybea, 



given on p. 216 more elongated in proportion to its breadth, it would 



be an excellent representation, in position and proj)ortionate size of 



tubercles and in other features, of H. bimarginata. This resemblance 



is not traceable in the figure of the larva given in the Third Missouri 



Report. 



Remedies. 



The alder upon which the operations of the beetle have thus far 

 been observed — Alnus serrulata, is a very common road-side and field 

 shrub of extensive distribution, and is seldom regarded as of any 

 special value. If from its introduction in clumps in landscape gar- 

 dening or from employment as hedges, some degree of value may 

 have been given it, attack upon it may readily be checked by spraying 

 the foliage at the commencement of the injury with any of the arsen- 

 ical poisons or with p^^rethrum water. 



Crepidodera rufipes (Linn.). 



The Red-footed Flea-Beetle. 



(Ord. Coleoptera: Fam. CnRYSOMELiDJi:.) 



Chrijsomela 7-ufipes Linn^us: Syst. Nat., ii, 1767, p. 595, No. 65. 



Altica rufipes Fabr. : Syst. Ent., 1775, p. 114, No. 14; Sp. Ins., i, 1781, p. 135, 



No. 108; Mant. Ins., i, 1787, p. 77, No. 140. 

 Crepidodera erythropus Melsheimer: in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., iii, 



1847, p. 165. 

 Crepidodera ruflpes Crotch : in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil, [xxiv], 1873, p. 71. 

 Crepidodera ruflpes Henshaw : List Coleop. N. Amer., 1885, p. 112, No. 6979. 



An Apple-tree Pest. 

 This little beetle, belonging to the group of flea-beetles, which 

 embraces those that by means of their stout hind legs, are able to 

 leap to a considerable distance, is a member of the destructive family 

 of ChrysomelidcB, or leaf-eaters. 



