16 
BULLETIN 922, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table VI. — Amounts (inches) of clover foliage eaten by beetles of Hypera punctata, 
DURING PREDORMANT PERIOD. 
Num- 
ber of 
beetles 
per 
cage. 
Date of 
emer- 
gence. 
Date 
stopped 
feeding. 
. 
Total 
feeding 
period. 
Amount of foliage eaten during — 
Cage No. 
May. 
June. 
July. 
Total. 
Sex. 
D363a 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
2 
2 
May 25 
May 26 
June 20 
Days 
26 
19 
23 
24 
26 
26 
23 
24 
21 
24 
22 
24 
1.36 
1.19 
.25 
1.08 
2.46 
3.13 
4.9 
5 61 
4.39 
3.07 
3.56 
2.51 
106 
2.39 
1.46 
"6."93* 
.84 
.52 
2.19 
2.6 
3 73 
2.44 
3.65 
3.38 
4.9 
5.61 
4.39 
4.00 
4.4 
3.03 
3.25 
4.99 
5.19 
e 
c? 
9 
9 
9 
9 
A 
<?9 
c?9 
D363b 
D363g 
May 28 -lima 9n 
D363n 
June 3 
June 4 
...do 
June 13 
June 15 
June 17 
June 27 
...do.... 
.do 
June 27 
June 30 
...do.. 
July 5 
July 8 
July 7 
July 10 
July 8 
Jnlv in 
D363s 
D363t 
D363aa 
D363ad 
D363ag 
D568a 
D568C 
D568d 
Total average per beetle. . 
23.5 
.93 
2.37 
1.2 
3.28 
i 
DURING REPRODUCTIVE PERIOD. 
Cage No. 
Num- 
ber of 
beetles 
per 
cage. 
Amount of foliage eaten during — 
tember, 
Octo- 
ber. 
Novem 
ber. 
Decem- 
ber. 
Total 
period. 
Sex. 
D363a.. 
D363b. 
D363g.. 
D363n. 
D363s.. 
D353t.. 
D363aa. 
D363ad. 
D363ag. 
D454e.. 
D454h.. 
Total average per beetle. 
0.152 
.104 
.080 
.045 
.436 
.249 
.285 
0.792 
.754 
1.240 
.922 
.640 
.818 
.461 
1.221 
.806 
.844 
0.498 
.228 
.430 
.283 
.459 
.440 
.503 
0.149 
.032 
.232 
.155 
.346 
.280 
.195 
.505 
1.341 
.563 
.138 
.690 
,136 
1.591 
1.014 
2.006 
1.4^0 
1.490 
1.974 
1.408 
1.506 
1449 
2.875 
1.075 
0965 . 369 
239 .011 
7155 
NATURAL ENEMIES. 
The most important check on the abundance of Hypera 'punctata 
is the fungous disease Empusa sphaerosperma Fres., which kills the 
larvse in vast numbers during the months of April and May and again 
in October and November. This disease is epidemic, and contagion 
so rapid and thorough that in from two to four weeks it is almost im- 
possible to find living individuals where previously there were 
thousands. 
The sick larvae of all ages crawl up the herbage during the night, and instead of 
again concealing themselves near the ground on the approach of light, as the healthy 
ones do, ascend as high as possible, and if on grass, coil themselves in a horizontal 
position about the apex of the blade, or if on other objects, take a position as nearly 
similar as the shape of the object permits. If disturbed before the middle of the fore- 
noon the majority are still able to crawl, although sluggishly; by noon most of them 
are quite dead, but unchanged in appearance. . . . Late in the afternoon, the body 
has changed from the normal yellowish or pea green and smooth appearance to vel- 
vety gray. The next morning there is only a small, blackened and shriveled mass 
remaining, while the surrounding foliage is powdered with a whitish, clinging dust, 
composed of the spores of the fungus. (J. C. Arthur (1, p. 285-289).) 
