4 BULLETIN 1243, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The Mexican bean beetle belongs to the family Coccinellide, or lady- 
birds, and all the known species in this country are beneficial except 
the insect under discussion and the squash lady-beetle (Epilachna 
borealis Fab.). The Mexican bean beetle has never been known to. 
eat other insects, and it resembles more closely in many ways the 
family of leaf-eating beetles, or Chrysomelide, than the Coccinellide. 
DISTRIBUTION.?* 
The rapid spread of the Mexican bean beetle since its introduction 
into the Southeast has been remarkable. In 1920, late in the sum- — 
mer, Dr. W. E. Hinds and coworkers found 13 counties infested in — 
: northern Alabama. In 1921 a © 
rapid spread in all directions — 
took place, especially to the — 
northeast. By fall the insect — 
was found in portions of six 
States, over an area of approxi-— 
mately 40,000 square miles, as 
compared with 4,500 square 
miles infested the previous year. — 
The distribution in 1922 in the 
Southeast, so far as known, 
covered at least 70,000 square — 
miles in seven States. (See — 
map, fig. 5.) ; 
An isolated infestation was 
reported in 1921 at Thomas- 
ville, Ga., near the Florida line. 
Fic. 4.—Y larvee of the Mexican bean beetle cling- This infestation covered 1a 
a ing aan Sian time after hatching. square miles. No appreciable 
spread in this locality occurred 
during 1922, only 3 additional square miles being infested. 
The spread in general has been decidedly to the north. In the — 
fall of 1920 the most northern locality found to be infested was_ 
Dekalb County, Ala. One year later the infestation had reached — 
Whitley and McCreary Counties, Ky., Hawkins County, Tenn., and — 
Greenville County, S. C., all of which points are more than 200 miles — 
from Dekalb County, Ala. In 1922 this rapid spread continued, and — 
the insect traversed an area 110 miles across to the northwest at its 
widest point, viz, from Whitley and McCreary Counties to Bullitt 
County, Ky. No records are available and no scouting was done in — 
eastern Kentucky. It is certain, however, that the insect is present — 
at least over the territory southeast of Madison, Jackson and Clay 
Cotnties. Fayette County, Ky., and Lee and Scott Counties, Va., — 
were scouted by the Bureau of Entomology and found to be infested. — 
A 
8 Since this paper Was prepared new records of spread have been received, chiefly through the coopera= 
tion of entomologists in the States concerned. The beetle is now present in the following localities in 
addition to those mentioned above: Ross, Gallia, Jackson, Adams, Highland, Pike, Scioto, and Frank-— 
lin Counties, Ohio; Ashe, Avery, Burke, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga, — 
Buncombe, Madison, and Yancey Counties, N. C.; Abbeville, Cherokee, and Spartanburg Sa 
8. C.; Lamar County, Ga.; Washington and Unicoi Counties, Tenn.; Lee County, Ala.; Tshonuned fe 
Itawamba Counties, Miss.; Spencer, Meade, Letcher, Laurel, Bell, Clay, Estill, Harlan, Leslie, Ousley, — 
and Perry Counties, Ky.; and Russell and Wise Counties, Va, : 
