INSECT PESTS 169 



The Black Blister Beetle. Epicauta 

 pennsylvanica DeG. As the name implies, 

 this bettle is uniformly black. It meas- 

 ures a little over a quarter of an inch in 

 length. It feeds on a wide range of plants 

 such as the potato, tomato, cabbage, carrot, 

 beet, corn, bean, aster, clematis, zinia, 

 sweet pea, and a number of other ornamen- 

 tals. In the absence of other food it is 

 commonly found feeding on different rag- 

 weeds (Ambrosia sp.), on golden rod, on 

 amaranth, and on iron weed. This beetle, 

 too, has a wide range of territory. 



The Striped Blister Beetle. Epi- 

 cauta vittata Fab. This species is about 

 half an inch in length with blackish wing 

 covers, each of which is bordered with yel- 

 low and has a yellow stripe down the cen- 

 ter (fig. 38). It injures potatoes, toma- 

 toes, beets and mangels, turnips, beans, 

 peas, radishes, melons, corn, clover, alfalfa. 



