INSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 



573 



and also blackish on the two parts of the subventral ridge. Thoracic feet 

 and anal plate shaded with dusky black ; a medioventral series of black 

 patches. ^ 



Last stage. Head shining dark vinous, eye black; minutely pilose; 

 width i.i mm. Body shining, sordid greenish, rather dark, shaded more or 

 less with vinous, especially subventrally ; segments obscurely annulate, 

 minutely pilose ; dorsal vessel a dark band ; the subventral ridges show as 

 blackish elevations. Thoracic feet partly, anal plate and prongs largely 

 black. 



The female is about inch in length, very robust, black, marked with 

 yellowish rust-red. 



Bibliography 



1895 Dyar, H. G. Am. Ent. Soc. Trans. 22 1304 



1896 Marlatt, C. L. U. S. Dep't Agric. Div. Ent. Tech. Ser. 3, 82 



Alder flea beetle 



Haltica bimarginata Say 



Deep prussian blue, rounded flea beetles about */ 5 inch long or dark brown, black- 

 headed, black-tubercled larvae occur in large numbers on alder. 



This species is sometimes exceedingly abundant in the Adirondacks, 

 and were it not for the fact that alder is comparatively valueless, its depre- 

 dations would result in considerable loss, as it is more or less abundant 

 from year to year. The ravages by this beetle have been recorded by Dr 

 Harris and Dr Packard in Maine and New Hampshire, and Dr Lugger 

 states that this species is sometimes exceedingly numerous and destructive 

 to willows growing on the shores of Minnesota lakes. 



Description. The pupa and larva have been described by Dr Packard 

 as follows : 



Larva. The body is somewhat flattened ; head scarcely two thirds 

 as wide as the body in the middle, black, becoming brown in front near the 

 jaws. Body livid brown above ; the tubercles black ; paler beneath, with 

 three pairs of black jointed thoracic legs ; no abdominal legs, but an anal 

 prop leg. The abdominal segments each with a transverse, oval-rounded, 

 ventral, rough space forming a series of creeping tubercles ; and in front of 

 each segment is a transverse, oval, crescentic, chitinous area bearing two 

 piliferous tubercles ; the back of each segment divided into two ridges, 

 each bearing a row of six sharp tubercles, bearing short hairs ; a single 



