Flea-beetles. White-fly 435 



Flea-beetles. 



These are small -usually dark-colored leaf-beetles, that 

 have the hind legs fitted for jumping. The larvae usually 

 feed on the roots of plants but some of them mine the 

 leaves or petioles. The adults eat holes or pits in the 

 leaves. Most species spend the winter under leaves or 

 rubbish. Nearly a score of species of .flea-beetles has 

 been reported as attacking vegetable crops. 



Keep plants well sprayed with bordeaux mixture. It acts 

 as a deterrent, driving the flea-beetles away. It is most 

 effective when combined with 2 pounds paris green or 4 of 5 

 pounds arsenate of lead (paste) in 100 gallons. In some 

 cases it is good practice to dip plants in arsenate of lead 

 (paste), 1 pound in 10 gallons water before transplanting. 

 'Injury to plants in the seed-bed may be prevented by 

 screening with cheesecloth, as for cabbage root-maggot. 



Greenhouse white-fl,y {Aleyrodes vaporariorum) . 



The adult is a minute mealy white four-winged fly. In 

 its immature stage the insect is scale-like in form, pale 

 greenish in color and is found on the underside of the 

 leaves. The life cycle requires about five weeks and breed- 

 ing is continuous throughout the year under greenhouse 

 conditions. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and lettuce are 

 especially liable to attack when grown under glass. It 

 often happens that when plants are started under glass and 

 then transplanted in the open, they become infested while 

 young, and the white-flies continue to develop on them 

 out-of-doors, often causing serious injury. 



For destroying white-fly on tomatoes and cucumbers 

 grown under glass, potassium cyanide should be used at 



