THE LEAF BEETIjES. 



1229 



(hiring life, but rapidly fading rifter being l?ept in the cabinet a 

 short time. 



The larv;^ are oval, flattened, prickly grubs, feeding upon the 

 surface of leaves, often in company with the adults. They occur 

 mostly npdii the morning-glory, wild sweet potato and other mem- 

 bers of the Couvolv'iihis Family, and sometimes do much damage to 

 the foliage of the cultivated plants. From the rear end of the body 

 the.y often extrvide a long forked process which is bent forward over 

 , the back and to which they attach pieces of their cast-off skins and 

 excrement, thus forming a sort of parasol to pirotect themselves from 

 birds and other natural enemies. Of the six genera recognized from 

 the T'nited State'i, four arc represented in Indiana. 



KEY TO INDIANA GENEEA OF CASSIDINI. 



a. Tlioi-ax rmiuded in frcnit, head concealed. 



6. Tlioi'iix with the extreme margin thiclcened; form oval, convex; 

 larger, !)-!! nun. LXXVII. Physonota. 



bb. Thorax with simple flattened margins; smaller, not over 7 mm. 

 r. Antenna' short, nol reaching lieynnd the l>ase of thorax. 



I.XXVIIT. Cassioa. 

 cc. Antennre longer, extending lieyoiid the base of thorax. 



LXXIX. COPTOCY'CLA. 



aa. Thorax less rounded in front, bisinuate at liase ; head partially exposed ; 

 larger, 9-11 mm. LXXX. Chelt.'moepha. 



LXXVII. Physonot.v Boh. 1854. (Gr., "swollen -t- back.") 



One large oblong-oval, strongly convex species belongs here. 



227fi (TOfir, ). Physonota unipunct.vta Say, Joiirn. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 

 Ill, 3 824. 4.34; iliid. II, 2011. 



Oblong-oval, convex. Pale greenish-yellow; thnr.ix 

 with three black dots, the middle one oblong ; apical half 

 of antenuiie, meso- and metasterna, and abdominal seg- 

 ments in part, black. Thorax smooth, the hind angles 

 rounded. Elytra fine, sparsely and irregularly punctate. 

 Length 9-11.5 mm. (Fig. 548.) 



Lake and Vigo counties; scai'ce. June "i-Au- 

 gust 14. Ocenrs on flowers of Cratcegus, on the 

 horse-mint (Monarda) and the rosin weed {SilpJi- Hg. 64s. 



T 1 f> T ii 1 ^j. (After Knobel.) 



ium), both larvic and adults feeding on the latter. 



LXXVIII. CvssiDA Linn. 1785. (XL., "helmet.") 



The members of this genus are known as "helmet-beetles," the 

 word Cax>iula being a Latin term for helmet or .shield. They are 

 oval in outline and have the head wholly concealed, the antennae 



