THE GRAPE-VINE FLEA-BEETLE. 129 



The wavy-striped flea-beetle, Haltica siriolata* (Fig. 57), 

 may be seen in great abundance on the horse-rad- iig 57- 

 ish, various kinds of cresses, and on the mustard 

 and turnip, early in May, and indeed at other 

 times throughout the summer. It is very injurious 

 to young plants, destroying their seed-leaves as 

 soon as the latter expand. Should it multiply to 

 any extent, it may in time become as great a pest as the 

 European turnip flea-beetle, which it closely resembles in its 

 appearance, and in all its habits. Though rather larger than 

 the cucumber flea-beetle, and of a longer oval shape, it is 

 considerably less than one tenth of an inch in length. It is 

 of a polished black color, with a broad wavy buff-colored 

 stripe on each wing-cover, and the knees and feet are reddish 

 yellow. Specimens are sometimes found having two buff- 

 yellow spots on each wing-cover instead of the wavy stripe. 

 These were not known by Fabricius to be merely varieties 

 of the striolata, and accordingly he described them as distinct, 

 under the name of bipustulata^ the two-spotted. 



The steel-blue flea-beetle, Haltica chalybea of Illiger, (Fig. 

 58, and Plate II. Fig. 5,) or the grape-vine 

 flea-beetle, as it might be called on account of 

 its habits, is found in almost all parts of the 

 United States, on wild and cultivated grape- 

 vines, the buds and leaves of which it destroys. 

 Though it has received the specific name of 

 chalybea, meaning steel-blue, it is exceedingly 

 variable in its color, specimens being often seen on the same 

 vine of a dark purple, violet, Prussian blue, greenish blue, 

 and deep green color. The most common tint of the upper 

 side is a glossy, deep, greenish blue ; the under side is dark 

 green ; and the antennas and feet are dull black. The body 

 is oblong-oval, and the hinder part of the thorax is marked 

 with a transverse furrow. It measures rather more than 

 three twentieths of an inch in length. In this part of the 



* Crioceris striolata, Fabricius. f Crioceris bijnistitlata. Fabricius 



17 



