19 
were bred by the writer in July, 1897, from larve found in varrow, 
tortuous mines in the leaves of the above-mentioned plant. 
Reared in 1894 by Mr. W. E. Button, New Haven, Conn., from larve 
mining the leaves of the columbine. 
Phytomyza chrysanthemi Kowarz.—Issued December 30 and 31, 1886, 
and January 5, 6, 7, and 10, 1887, from larv mining the leaves of the 
cultivated chrysanthemum, received December 30, from Charles Hender- 
son, of New York; the larve pupate within their mines. 
Issued March 5, 1890, from larve mining the leaves of the Marguerite 
daisy, received February 28, from James Read, Irvington, N. Y. Also 
March 31 and April 2 and 3, 1890, from larvee mining the leaves of the 
above-mentioned plant, received March 27, from J. H. Ives, Danbury, 
Conn.; and April 5, 7, 8, 10, and 14, 1890, from leaves of the feverfew, 
received April 3, from the same person. 
Phytomyza obscurella Fall.—Reared by the writer May 8, 1887, from 
larvee found April 19, in long, tortuous mines in the leaves of Lupinus 
albicaulus at Los Angeles, Cal. 
THE TOBACCO FLEA-BEETLE. 
(EF pitrix parvula Fab.) 
By F. H. CHITTENDEN. 
LARVAL WABITS OF THE GENUS. 
Until within a year the larval habits of our flea-beetles of the genus 
Epitrix were unknown, a very general impression prevailing that the 
larve were leaf-miners. Writers on economic entomology have fos- 
tered this belief, and very recently one has made the positive statement 
that the larva of the common cucumber flea-beetle (Lpitrix cucumeris 
Harr.) “is a miner, feeding within the substance of the leaves of the 
infested plants.” It remained for Messrs. F. C. Stewart and F. A. Sir- 
rine to discover the true larval habit of the genus, namely, that it is 
subterranean, a hypothesis that had previously been entertained by 
Mr. E. A. Schwarz and the writer from the fact that the larve were not 
to be found in the leaves or stems. On this head Mr. Schwarz wrote of 
cucumeris (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., Vol. II, p. 184): * Its true food plant 
will, no doubt, prove to be one of the Solanacew, and the larva is prob- 
ably a root-feeder.” Messrs. Stewart and Sirrine found the larva of this 
species boring into the tubers, roots, and rootstalks of potato, this work 
resulting in the formation of “slivers” or ‘‘ pimples” as has been nar- 
rated in Bulletin 113 of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station 
and the Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences for 1896 (pp. 
170-172). Potatoes so affected sold for as much as 5 cents a bushel 
lower than the regular market: price. 
