FAMILY MELOLONTHIDJE. 7 3 



The hairs, both upon the thorax and elytra, are arranged in four rather interrupted lon- 

 gitudinal belts. Length eight- to nine-tenths of an inch. 



This species I had not observed in the vicinity of Albany till this uar, 1853 : many 

 individuals have been taken. 



It may be remarked that most of the species of this genus are much alike, although 

 gen 'rally smaller than that figured. The color varies from yellowish brown to chestnut, 

 according to the species. The breast is more or less hairy, and the elytra are in some cases 

 sp irsely famished with erect hairs. In the larva state they feed upon the roots of grass, 

 and probably of grain, and thus they commit great havoe upon pastures, whilst the adult 

 insects live upon the foliage of various plants. 



These beetles are well known in the country by the name of hombugs, and become 

 troublesome by flying into the open windows where a lamp is burning. Their proper name 

 is Mnj beetle, a designation implying the time of their appearance among us. They are 

 injurious both in their larva and perfect states : in the former, by their dejiredations upon 

 the roots of grass and other herbage ; and in the latter, by the destruction of the young 

 and tender leaves of fruit and other trees. They are supplied with strong jaws for cutting 

 the leaves of plants, for which they are admirably fitted ; and their feet are strong, and 

 fitted for digging in the soil after their transformations are effected. They were formerly 

 included in the Genus Melolontha. 



Maybugs have rarely been sufficiently numerous to inflict serious injury upon the 

 farmer : the Hon. Mr. Barlow, however, records an instance where they did much da- 

 mage in Madison county, in 1849 and 50 ; they ate the leaves of the cherry, elm, apple, 

 butternut, etc., sh jwing that they are by no means restricted to our cultivated fruit trees. 

 The most effectual method of destroying them was to kindle fires at night in the immediate 

 neighborhood of the trees they were injuring : attracted by the light of the blaze, thou- 

 sands were destroyed with little difficulty, or at a trifling cost. Shaking the trees to dis- 

 lodge them, was an effectual means of turning their attention to the light. They appeared 

 the last of May and first of June, and continued from eight to twelve days. 



Another instance is related by Dr. Fitch in the Journal of the New- York State Agri- 

 cultural Society, where the Pkyllophaga quercina appeared in great numbers and suddenly. 

 He states that on the farm of Milo Ingalsbe, an orchard, consisting of about seventy plum 

 together with many cherry trees, had their limbs stripped of leaves, buds, etc. while they 

 were in bloom : the bugs were hatched out in the course of two nights, and completely 

 destroyed all hopes of fruit for the season, even if the trees themselves survived defoliation. 

 Tb.3 duration of the individual life of this insect is short, a week or two being the term 

 during which it lives : there is, however, a succession of individuals of the species, so 

 that the period which they remain is more than a month. After the pairing of the sexeSj 



[ Agricultural Report — Vol. v.] 10 



