56 



When 3^oung the larva? are of social habits, and huddle closely together, the 

 heads all in the centre, surrounded by a ring of curled up tails, presenting a most 

 curious appearance. When nearly full grown they separate and scatter over the 

 plants, each one shifting for himself. The perfect insect measures about five- 

 eighths of an inch in length. 



The species belonging to the genus Coptocycla are smaller than Physonota, 

 and differ somewhat in some of their habits. The eggs are deposited singly on 

 the leaves, and when the larvaB moult, the cast skins are slipped into the forked 

 part of the tail, whereas Jhe larvse of Pysonoia leave their discarded garments 

 sticking to the leaves. 



The golden tortoise beetle, Coptocycla aurichalcea, Fab. is very common on 

 the Morning Glory, and often disfigures and injures it by eating holes in the 

 leaves. They also attack the sweet potato. Prof. Riley states that they are often 

 sufficiently numerous to destroy whole fields of this esculent, and they are especi- 

 ally severe on the plants when freshly transplanted from the hotbed. When 

 freshly emerged from chrysalis the beetles are of a dull orange color, but in a few 

 days this tint changes to bright gold color, when they present a most beautiful 

 appearance as they glisten in the sunshine. The larva resembles the beetle in 

 general shape, being broad and flattened, but on each side there is a row of sixteen 

 barbed spines; it is of a dark brown colour, with a pale shade upon the back. 

 Prof. Riley says that it carries its falcifork directly over its back, and the excre- 

 ment is arranged in a more or less regular trilobed pattern. 



The mottled tortoise beetle, Coptocycla guttata, Oliv., is also common on, and 

 injurious to, the morning glory and sweet potato. It varies considerably in 

 colour, some specimens being very dark — almost black, others are mottled with 

 black and gold, and occasionally examples are found altogether of the latter colour. 

 The larva is green, bluish on the back. Prof. Riley states that it carries its dung 

 in irregular broad masses, often branching out into long shreds and ramificatioDs. 



Another species, the clubbed tortoise beetle, Coptocycla clavata, Oliv. is found 

 on the true, potato. It is given in the Society's list of Canadian beetles, but so 

 far as known to me, has not been found in the Province of Quebec. 



The "shell" of this species is thin and semitransparent, with patches of 

 darker color, some of which extend to the margin of the wing-covers. I have 

 seen no description of the larva. 



Chelymorpha argus, Licht., is of a dull, yellowish -red colour, ornamented with 

 nineteen small black spots, six on the thorax and thirteen on the wing-covers. 

 It measures about three-quarters of an inch in length. Packard states that " the 

 larva dififers from that of Coptocycla aurichalcea, not only in its greater size, but 

 the body is thicker and narrower, the head is freer from the thorax, and the 

 spines are simple, not spinulated. The body is yellow and less protected by the 

 cast skin. When about to transform the larva attaches itself to the leaf by a 

 silken thread, a few segments from the end where the end of the body of the 

 future pupa is situated. It is .45 of an inch long. The pupa is broad and 

 flattened, dark and spotted with yellow, and covered with a whitish powder, 

 causinor the yellow portions to appear more prominently ; along each side of the 

 abdomen is a row of five spines, and there are four spines on the anterior edge of 

 the prothorax ; it is .40 of an inch in length." He further states that he has 

 found it in all its stages on the silk-weed late in July and early in August, and 

 In one instance in Salem it occurred in abundance on the leaves of the raspberry 



I have myself found it in all stages on the morning glory at Montreal some 

 years ago, but have not met with it recently. 



