1362 



FAMILY IjXIV. — MELOID^E. 



Throughout the State; common, but apparently much less so 

 than a score of years ago. June 11-JuJy 20. The best known of 

 the "old-fashioned potato bugs," or blister beetles. Feeds on toma- 

 toes, potatoes and various weeds in low grounds. The writer's 

 father, H. S. Blatehley, of Bainbridge, Indiana, always raised a 

 great many potatoes, which each season were more or less damaged 

 by these beetles. On one occasion, after sjjrinkling with London 

 purple and trampling and mashing five bushels, more or less, of the 

 beetles into the ground, he wrote of his experience as follows : "On 

 the next day. for every one that had been killed a dozen had come 

 to their funerals, A dashing rain having washed the poison from 

 the vines, the bugs went for them again and not until after they 

 had devoured the last leaf and sucked the juice from the stalks 

 did they leave for greener pastures. I have heard some people hint, 

 in a sly kind of way, as though they were fearful of offending some 

 august personage, that these blister beetles were the de^dl's own. 

 This I have come to believe, and 



"It's iny firm eonviction find it makes me free to say 

 That we're indebted for their visits to 'Old Scrnti-h.' 



I judge from observation that from every egg they lay 

 A dozen little blister beetles hatch. 



If ever they should visit you, you'll find they've (-ome to stay. 



And there's nothing that their greediness can match. 

 If you undertake to hustle 'em it's 'possum they will play, 



And a bushel in a minute you can catch. 

 The devil take his tater hugs, if I could have my way. 



I'd tumble into Tophet the whole batch. 

 If such a blistering avalanche old Satan should dismay, 



He probably would hump himself and scratch." 



I'.jJIi (.SllOTl. El-ICAUTA (I^TEKEA Fcirst.. Nov. Spn- 

 Ins., 1771, 02. 

 Elongate, rathor robust. I'.Liek, uniformly 

 cli.thed with gray pubi-s.-cnic. Head and thora.x 

 dei]s<dy and finely puneture<I. El.xtra finely -ranu- 

 late-punctate. Lougth 10-17 mm. ( Fig. .-,0:;. i 



Vigo County; scarce. September '22. 

 Known as the "gray blister lieetle." 



-''-'' ' )■ Epicauta mabgi.\ata Fall., Syst. Ent.. 



177.''i, I'lio. 

 Elongate, robust. Black ; liead and sides of tho- 

 Fie wf (M,. n;, A ■ ''''^ 'l''ii^'^l.v elothe.1 with gray piibeseence. the lat- 



rig 3»J (Alter (Tiillcnden in ,..,. ,,.:i-i, „ , . . 



Bull 43,U S.Div Ent.) " '*" ^ '■"■*-''^' triangul;ir disenl s]i,-iee black, this 



divided liy a gray iiii-dlaii imjiressed line Color of 

 elytra given in key. Sculpture of upper surface as in rinm., length 1- 

 1 1 mm. (Fig. 501.) 



