22 



other solanaceous crops, asparagus and other vegetables, and this sug- 

 gests the use of the small grains and the other field and garden plants 

 as alternate crops. It is not likely that the insect could be reached 

 with insecticides. 



THE PALE-STRIPED FLEA-BEETLE. 



{Systena Wanda Mels.) 



The frequency of the occurrence of the little flea-beetle, Systena 

 Uanda Mels., on cultivated crops in recent years, as shown by pub- 

 lished record as well as by personal experience, has led the writer to 

 look carefully through our literature and our divisional notebooks 

 and to make such observations as have been possible toward a comple- 

 tion of our knowledge of the species. In the vicinity of Washington, 



D. C, the beetle has been no- 

 ticed most often in connection 

 with observations on the insect 

 enemies of beans, but the larva 

 has not been found on, and may 

 not live at the expense of, this 

 plant. The beetle is more 

 often associated with corn than 

 with any other crop plant, and 

 the larva, although on one 

 occasion found upon corn, 

 without doubt feeds normally 

 on certain common species of 

 weeds, one of which was posi- 

 tively identified during the 

 past season, while a second is more than probable. The still more 

 common occurrence of the beetles on certain other forms of weeds indi- 

 cates these as also larval food plants. 



m 



Fig. 5. — Systena Uanda: a, larva; 6, beetle; r, eggs; 

 d, sculpture of egg; e, anal segment, from side; /, 

 same from above — a-d, six times natural size; e, f, 

 mucb enlarged (original) . 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADULT. 



The beetle known as Systena hlanda measures about an eighth of an 

 inch (3-3.5 mm.) in length and is about a third as wide as long. It is 

 cream colored, with nearly black abdomen and eyes, and the elytra are 

 ornamented with a broad sutural and two narrower marginal stripes 

 of a dull, light-brown color. 



Not infrequently the elytral stripes are obsolete. The head is red- 

 dish, the long, slender antennae and the legs also marked with light 

 brown, and the posterior femora are greatly enlarged like those of 

 other flea-beetles. It resembles superficially the common cabbage 

 flea-beetle (PhyUotreta vittata), but is much larger. The colors speci- 

 fied apply to the typical hlanda, which is represented at figure 5, h. 



