8 NEW YOEK STATE MUSEUM 



Description. The work of this pest is so striking as to excite 

 the attention of even the most casual observer. The majority 

 have little idea of the appearance of the insect in its various 

 stages and but faint conception of its life history. In order to 

 control the pest it must be recognized and its nature understood 

 to a certain extent. 



The parent insect may be recognized by aid of the colored 

 figure (pi. 1, fig. 2), although care should be taken not to confound 

 it with the striped cucumber beetle, Diabrotica vittata Fabr., 

 which it resembles in a general manner. The elm-leaf beetle is 

 about i of an inch long with the head, thorax and margin of the 

 wing covers a reddish-yellow. The coal black eyes and median 

 spot of the same color on the head are prominent. On the thorax 

 there is a median black spot of variable shape and a pair of 

 lateral ovoid ones. The median black line of the wing covers 

 is separated from the broad lateral stripes of the same color by 

 greenish-yellow. The elytra are minutely and irregularly punc- 

 tured, bear a fine pubescence and at the base of each elytron 

 there is an elongated black spot in the middle of the greenish- 

 yellow stripe. The markings are usually constant in the adult, 

 but the color is quite variable during life and changes more or 

 less after death. In some beetles emerging from winter quart- 

 ers, the conspicuous greenish-yellow stripes of the wing covers 

 are nearly black. The antennae are a golden yellow with more 

 or less brownish markings. The legs are yellowish with the 

 tibiae and tarsi marked with brown. The under surface of the 

 head and prothorax is yellowish, that of the metathorax and ab- 

 domen black. 



The orange yellow eggs are deposited in irregular rows side 

 by side, forming clusters of from five to 26 or more on the 

 under surface of the leaf. Each egg is somewhat fusiform, 

 attached vertically by its larger end, with the free extremity 

 tapering to a paler, rounded point (pi. 1, fig. 3). Under a power- 

 ful lens, the fine reticulations of the egg shell are easily seen. 



The recently hatched larva is about -^\ inch long, with 

 the head, thoracic shield, numerous tubercles, hairs and legs jet 



