THE ROSE LEAF-BEETLE. 



C Nodonota puncticollis Say.) 



By F. H. Chittenden. 



One of the commonest and widespread species of the leaf-feeding 

 Chrysomelidre is the little globose beetle now known as Nodonota puncti- 

 collis Say (fig. 39). In the initial number of the American Entomologist 

 (Vol. I, p. 12) which appeared in September, 1868, Walsh has given what 

 appears to be the first published notice of injuries that may be safely 

 attributed to this insect. The species is mentioned as " Colaspis, n. 

 sp.?" and is said to have been very numerous on June 19 of that year 

 on the foliage of cultivated plum; also to be "no doubt, to a certain 

 extent, injurious by feeding upon the leaves, and should therefore be 

 devoted to destruction." * * * 



The American Naturalist for September, 1883 (Vol. 

 XVII, p. 978), published a second notice of damage by 

 this beetle. The note in question is from the pen of 

 Mr. E. A. Schwarz of this Division, and the beetle was 

 observed June 10 of that year near Herndon, Fairfax 

 County, Va., "doing considerable harm to pear and 

 peach trees by gnawing at the tender terminal shoots 

 of the twigs." The tips of the twigs thus injured dried 



Fig. 39— Nodonota U p and died. 



faTg^origi^ai)" 0n P a £ e 158 of Prof - s - A - Forbes's second annual 

 report for 1883 (1884) this species is briefly mentioned as 

 occurring on grape and strawberry, and on page 159 it is surmised from 

 the occurrence of the insect in such numbers on the latter plant that 

 the species will be found to have similar habits and history to Colas- 

 pis brunnea, one of the so-called strawberry root-borers with which it 

 was associated. 



In his report as Entomologist of this Department for 1884 (p. 336) 

 Dr. Riley mentioned this insect as an enemy of the willow, the imago 

 being stated to feed upon "the very young, not yet fully developed 

 leaves." At the June (1891) meeting of the Entomological Society of 

 Washington (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., Vol. II, p. 218) the same writer 

 called attention to injury done to roses by this species in the suburbs 

 of Washington, D. 0. The insect was first noticed that year, and the 

 roses had been very largely blighted by its attacks, the nature of the 

 damage having consisted in the boring or eating of the beetles into 

 the buds and partly expanded flowers. 

 60 



