4 
THE BEET LEAF-BEETLE. : Ey. 
The ladybirds occasionally destroy newly hatched leaf-béetle 
larve. On the other hand, the ladybird larve apparently relish the 
young larve of the leaf-beetles but seldom eat the eggs. 
PENTATOMID BUG. 
The nymphs and adults of the pentatomid bug Perillus bioculatus 
Fab. var. claudus Say feed on the larve of the leaf-beetle and the 
adults also feed on the beetles. The eggs of this bug are of the 
usual pentatomid type and are deposited in clusters on plants among 
the eggs of its host. More than one generation’is evidently produced 
annually, although the bugs are rarely abundant enough to reduce 
the leaf-beetles noticeably. The adult bugs pass through the winter 
under tufts of grass, frequently among the hibernating leaf-beetles. 
One generation was under observation at Rocky Ford, Colo. May 1 
a female bug was confined in a cage with leaf-beetle larve as food. 
May 7 she deposited a cluster of 17 eggs. The record is as follows: 
JY ES 7 (aes gad oe poe SB aed ee Pie nes gee BEDE tees _Eggs deposited. 
SUE Wed AS Vee ee ee Oe pee ee eee eee ee gk eee ee Eggs hatched. 
May-252 ss Ss Sa eel Ea =e ee toes molt: 
NT) ace ee as eo Seana eg Neg Second molt. 
Sune? Zee eee ee eas eee es. wastes re ITA MOlt. 
rLPEE EY Si OVS a fee Sl ae ee eae ee oe Fourth molt. 
June Was = a GEST SN eae Bee 2 Sei he molt: 
The periods of the egg and nymphal stages or instars are as fol- 
lows :- 
Days 
IS SUS 12 
HIT She hlyan (oes bale CSc 4 kes see ery rt ee ee 6 
BCEONCEMMIN PH = Stage = eres ese 5 
ALG yet eC ee es Fs ea SS 3 
BOM erty Map Sta eo Oak Se SSS Rs Se fe ee 3 
Hie MyM pT sta Pes ee SESE cts i ee paar ee EE 6 
GV OD NL eget Rees ee sea tse 25 eae 22 a gs eee eo pee a ae eRe BO ent 2 35 
A single species of internal parasite was reared, a tachina fly, 
Hypostena sp.° This fly is rare and few were reared. It seems re- 
markable that the larve of this, as well as of other leaf-beetles, are 
not more commonly parasitized since they are of good size and feed 
in exposed positions where they apparently offer an “easy mark” 
for parasites. : 
MITE AND SPIDER. 
During the latter part of July, 1911, a few large, red larve of a 
mite, 7rombidium sp. near muscarum, were found clinging to the 
abdomens of a few beetles. They were of rare occurrence and ap- 
parently caused the infested beetles no damage. 
5 Identified by Mr. W. R. Walton. 
