NOTES ON THE CUCUMBER BEETLES. 
69 
Following is a description of the egg: 
The egg.— Opaque buff, the surface slightly or apparently pulverulent, finely sculp- 
tured, and ringed in many deep hexagonal pits as in other species of Diabrotica. The 
outline, however, is extremely irregular, and the size is similarly variable. Average 
length, 0.7 mm.; width, 0.5 mm. 
The eggs were obtained in large numbers, deposited singly and 
distributed over the lower surface of cucumber leaves. The eggs 
under observation were deposited June 24 to July 3. 
This species (fig. 20) belongs to the same series as D. balteata but 
to a group in which the antennae 
have the second and third joints 
small, together rarely longer than 
the fourth. The elytra or wing- 
covers are ornamented about as in 
D. connexa, but with the four round- 
ish posterior spots forming a cres- 
cent. The head and metathorax 
are black, as are the bands and spots 
on the elytra. The thorax varies 
from dark yellow to bright red. The 
beetle measures less than three- 
tenths of an inch (6.5 mm.) in 
length. 
The distribution recorded extends 
only from Texas to Mexico. Horn 
(loc. cit.) wrote of the distribution, "Occurs in Texas, locality 
unknown." 
THE BELTED CUCUMBER BEETLE. 
(Diabrotica balteata Lee.) 
What is probably the first record of injurious attack by the belted 
cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata Lee), or, indeed, the first record 
of any food plant for it, was made in 1904 in an editorial note in 
Bulletin 44 of this Bureau (p. 84). Specimens of the beetle were 
received from Mr. A. L. Herrera, December 3, 1902, with the report 
that the species was injurious to wheat at Salvatierra, Guanajuato, 
Mexico. 
The first report of injury in this country was made by Mr. F. C. 
Pratt, of this Bureau, October 5-7, 1905, while at Brownsville, Tex. 
Mr. Pratt observed the adults of this leaf-beetle in great numbers 
on beans, corn, and okra, especially in the blossoms, and on cucum- 
bers. In this locality it practically displaced the two usually more 
common cucumber beetles, D. 12-punctata Oliv. and D. vittata Fab. 
In its work on beans it resembles the bean leaf-beetle (Cerotoma 
trifurcata Forst.). The same species was observed under the same 
Fig. 20.— The painted cucumber beetle (Dia- 
brotica picticornis): Beetle, about 6 times- 
natural size. (Original.) 
