THE CRANBERRY ROOTWORM. 6 
several instances in peat bottoms, where the roots of the vines may 
travel a foot in depth, but in these instances the dying of the vines 
could usually be traced to the feeding of the cranberry girdler. 
When the root feeding is severe the vines show signs of weakening 
in the early fall. The leaves dry out, turn red or brown, and before 
growth starts the following season most of them will have shattered 
to the ground, leaving the dead uprights and runners bare of green 
foliage. Small areas are thus killed out, almost invariably at the mar- 
gins of the bogs or on relatively high and sandy areas in the interior of 
the bogs. (PL II, fig. 1.) The mud and peat bottoms rarely suffer 
from rootworm attacks, presumably because the root system of the 
cranberry is so much thriftier and more extensive in these soils than 
in sand and possibly because the beetles seek sandy soil in which to 
deposit their eggs. 
The injury produced by the feeding of the beetles on the foliage and 
berries is so slight as to be almost negligible. This habit, however, 
affords a means of control, namely, of poisoning their food by the use 
of insecticides. 
DESCRIPTION OF STAGES. 
THE ADULT. 
The adult (PI. II, fig. 3) is a shining brown beetle measuring less 
than one-fourth of an inch in length. The following description of 
the adult is taken from Blatchley ; those of the other stages are by the 
author. 
Oblong, oval, convex. Brown, bronzed, strongly shining, the elytral margin often 
greenish-bronzed; antennae and legs reddish-yellow, the outer joints of former often 
dusky; under surface of body greenish, abdomen brown, its tip paler. Head coarsely 
and sparsely punctate, clypeus more closely punctate. Thorax nearly twice as wide 
as long, narrowed in front, sides strongly curved, hind angles prominent; disk rather 
sparsely and finely punctate, elytra coarsely but not closely punctate, the punctures 
irregular on the disk, a line representing the third interval smooth. Length 4-5 mm. 
THE EGG. 
The eggs (PL II, fig. 2) of the cranberry rootworm measure 0.67 mm. in length by 
0.30 mm. in width. In shape they are regularly elongate, elliptical. When first 
deposited they are a dirty white in color, later becoming uniformly yellow. The 
shell is smooth and glistening, and sufficiently transparent to reveal the larval out- 
line before hatching. 
THE LARVA. 
The full grown larva (PL II, fig. 5) measures from 7-9 mm. Normally it lies in a 
curved position so that its full length is seldom revealed. Its color is whitish with head 
light brown and thoracic shield of very pale yellowish brown. Tips of mandibles 
black, shading off to light brown at the base. Labrum and clypeus brown. A row of 
brownish spines, the ambulatory setae, on each ventral abdominal segment projects 
obliquely backward. Setae long. Legs slender and small. 
THE PUPA. 
The pupa (PI. II, fig. 4) is slightly shorter than the extended larva, whitish in 
color. Spines on the head and thorax are longer and stouter than those in the larval 
