UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 967 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



October 14, 1921 



RESULTS OF WORK ON BLISTER BEETLES IN 



KANSAS. 



F. B. Milliken, Scientific Assistant, Truck-Crop Insect Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Economic importance 2 



Injury to crops 3 



Food plants 3 



Classification of species studied 4 



Description of Meloe sp 4 



Description of Cantharis reticu- 

 lata Say 5 



Key to species of Epicauta and 

 Macrobasis collected at Garden 



City, Kans 5 



Character of additional data on Mac- 

 robasis and Epicauta __ 7 



Results of work on Macrobasis 7 



Descriptive 7 



Macrobasis immaculata Say 7 



Macrobasis unicolor Kirby 9 



Life history and habits 10 



Macrobasis immaculata Say 10 



Macrobasis unicolor Kirby 12 



Page. 



Results of work on Epicauta I- 12 



Descriptive 12 



Epicauta maculata Say 12 



Epicauta cinerea Forst 13 



Epicauta sericans Lee 14 



Epicauta pennsylvanica De G 15 



Life history and habits 15 



Epicauta maculata Say 15 



Epicauta cinerea Forst 16 



Epicauta sericans Lee 17 



Epicauta pennsylvanica De G 17 



Irregular development 17 



Control measures 21 



Effect of arsenicals, contact insec- 

 ticides, and repellents 21 



Control measures in infested fields- 23 



Driving 25 



Summary of control measures 25 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the drier portions of Avestern Kansas and adjoining States the 

 insect fauna is particularly rich in blister beetles. Besides those of 

 common occurrence elsewhere there are several species that are char- 

 acteristic of the region. The native grasshoppers develop regularly 

 in considerable numbers, thus insuring sustenance for some, at least. 

 of the blister-beetle larvae. The beetles feed on native legumes and 

 other plants that root deeply and make some growth even when 

 cultivated crops and shallow-rooted weeds die of drought. 



The abundance of blister beetles in this region was noted by early 

 entomologists, mostly systomatists, who chanced through the western 

 and southwestern United States ; but it remained for Dr. C. V. Riley, 



4So62°— 21 1 



