16 
THE PALE-STRIPED FLEA-BEETLE. 
{Systena hlanda Mels. ) 
This species, a beet feeder of long standing, has in recent 3^ears 
come to the front as an important enemy to sugar beets, and table 
beets are also affected. In 1899 and 1900 much injury was done to 
sugar-beet fields in Michigan, some having been practically destro^^ed 
while the plants were quite young. During 1900 much injury was 
done in Colorado, the beetles appearing in swarms of millions and 
practically killing plants of two or three weeks' growth. Okler plants 
were considerably checked in development, but not destroyed. The 
next year beets were injured in South Carolina and Indiana. 
This is one of our commonest, most nearly omnivorous, and most 
destructive flea-beetles. It measures about an eighth of an inch, 
is cream-colored, with nearly 
black abdomen and eyes, and 
striped wing' covers (fig. 8, h). 
The larva is white and slender, 
with light brownish-yellow 
head. It is an American species 
and of rather wide distribution, 
from New Jersey and Pennsyl- 
vania southward to Georgia, 
and westward to California. 
The pale-striped flea-beetle, 
though a general feeder, is 
particularly fond of the foliage 
of beets and beans. Potatoes 
and corn it also injures very 
much, while considerable damage to melons and other cucurbits, tur- 
nips and other crucifers, tomatoes, peas, carrots, and eggplant has 
been observed. The beetles also attack strawberry, clover, cotton, 
oats, and peanuts, and injure the leaves of pear, as also pear g-rafts, 
by eating out the terminals, thus stunting the growth of the trees. 
They sometimes do severe injury in three or four days. 
The species hibernates as a beetle, and appears above ground in the 
vicinit}^ of the District of Columbia earty in June; egg laying evi- 
dently continues through that month and to the middle of Jul}', if 
not two or three weeks later; injury is usually due to the beetles upon 
their first appearance; and almost an}' valuable crop may be injured, 
either in the absence or presence of the wild food plants. 
The larva? live below ground, and have been observed by the writer 
and others feeding on the roots of corn, lambsquarters, and James- 
town weed. They probably live also on pigweed (Ambrosia), cockle- 
bur (Xanthium), and other weeds, as the beetles are commonly found 
on these plants. 
Pig. 8.— Systena hlanda: a, larva; b, beetle; c, eggs 
d, sculpture of egg; e, anal segment, from side 
/, same from above — a-d, six times natural size 
e, f, much enlarged (author's illustration, Division 
of Entomology). 
