333 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[NOVEMBER, 
Fig. 1.— a, Grape Vine Flea Beetle, (Attica Chalybca) — b , 
Mandible covered with skin— c, Mandible with the skin 
removed — i, Under wing. 
Microscopic Views ofthe Insect World. VII. 
BY MBS. CHARLOTTE TAYLOR. 
THE GRATE VLNE FLEA BEETLE.— Alticci Cluilyhca. 
I here introduce one of the most beautiful of 
Insects. I presume most grape growers have 
noticed it glittering like a jewel among the 
leaves of the grape vine, and have likewise been 
much annoyed by its depredations. This insect 
properly belongs to the large wild grape vines 
of this country, familiarly called “ Bullaces,” 
but domesticates itself easily upon every native 
or foreign vine. It has been believed that the 
famous Scuppernong was exempt from its attack, 
owing, I presume, to the extreme acidity of the 
juice of its buds and leaves; and grafting other 
varieties on this grape has been recommended. 
This is evidently a wrong conclusion; this vine 
Fig. 2—/, Leg— g, Antennas—A, Labial feeler. 
at some seasons may be found entirely bare of 
leaves and buds, and containing this beetle in 
abundance—not that I mean to say it alone may 
be considered the depredator, unfortunately it 
has ample assistance from many other insects. 
I presume it has been very troublesome in every 
part ofthe country for the last two years, from 
the number of letters calling my attention to it. 
A drawing of the perfect bisect is given at a, Fig. 
1. It belongs to the sixth family of Latreille’s 
Coleoptera Tetramera; the division Galeruea, 
and subgenus Allica. It is called the Haltica 
Chalybca by Illiger (steel blue flea beetle). When 
it first emerges from the pupa case, it is of a 
brilliant violet color, but varies as it advances 
in age, until, if time permits, it becomes of a 
dark bluish green; but in its palmiest days, it 
’ - 5 of the bright metallic steel blue hue which 
gives it its name Chalybea. If the season is fa¬ 
vorable, the first brood generally makes its ap¬ 
pearance about the middle of April—the second 
near the end of July if dry and pleasant—they 
dislike rain exceedingly. 
There is a peculiarity about these beetles which 
1 have not seen noticed by other entomologists, 
which puzzled me exceedingly at first. I could 
not allow myself to believe they could commit the 
depredations they are accused of, but after years 
of trial and examination, I see that it is with 
them as with all others—a kind Providence 
watches over their welfare, that their mission 
may be successfully fulfilled. When they first 
come forth an Imago, or perfect insect, there is 
a skin over the mandibles making them look 
entire, £,Fig. 1. While this skin covers them they 
require no food, the salivary glands being shield¬ 
ed by this cover, they have no desire to eat; so 
if the buds of the grape are not forward enough, 
they can wait patiently until Nature provides 
them with their supply. When the buds are 
ready, they commence eating, and soon press 
through the three teeth in each mandible, which 
leave no doubt of their ability for mischief, c, 
Fig. 1. You may be convinced of this by breeding 
them under a glass and submitting the mouth 
of the Imago to the magnifier immediately on 
its emerging. The covering is veiy thin; if 
there are several under the glass, they will bite 
at each other, which will force the teeth through; 
and if not fed immediately, they will die of star¬ 
vation. You must have some patience about it; 
a hundred specimens may be examined and yet 
not one be found in this exact state, as many 
circumstances intervene to force them into the 
act of biting. They are great eaters, and con¬ 
sume double their weight every twelve hours. 
Their principal food is the bud of the grape 
vine, and they can be seen all the season, burrow¬ 
ing, almost disappearing into the interior, d, Fig. 
3. Of course the growth of the vine is injured, if 
not entirely stopped. When more fully ad¬ 
vanced, they commence devouring the leaves. 
The injury done is greater when arrived at the 
Imago state, than when in the larva;, e, Fig. 4; 
liowever, they are destructive enough at all ages. 
The tarsi (feet) are three jointed; the legs,/, Fig. 
2 are incrassated, fit for leaping, which is tlieir 
principal movement, although they fly well for 
a distance; and they have been known to emi¬ 
grate in numbers across streams and rivers. 
When touched, if they do not leap, they fall to 
the ground and simulate death. The antenna;, < 7 , 
Fig. 2, are filiform. The labial feelers, h, Fig. 2, 
are tlnee jointed, the maxilla;, obtuse, the galea 
palpiform and distinct; these latter parts can 
not be shown unless the whole mouth be drawn, 
which is unnecessary, but must be noticed as 
distinctions of the subgenus. The underwing, i, 
Fig. 1, is of a delicate amber color shaded with a 
deeper hue. The female deposits her eggs,/, Fig. 
3 , which are small and bright yellow with an 
indentation at the side, on the stalk, where the 
bud will protrude, k, Fig. 3. The worm comes 
fortlumd burrows down into the cup of the bud, 
or hides away under the down around it, until it 
is more advanced. They are very small, scarce¬ 
ly perceptible, a delicate pale green, of the same 
hue as the young leaves. After eating about 
fifteen days, it changes its skin, becoming dark¬ 
er. Three times, this eedysis is performed, when 
it now becomes, if healthy, of a dark chestnut 
brown, sometimes more of an Indian red; but 
much depends in color upon ihe grape it is feed¬ 
ing upon. When the change of skin is about to 
take place, the worm draws over it a comer of 
the leaf, l, Fig. 4, to shield it front the sun or 
dew. It does not come forth to the aft for a 
day or so, until the new skin is hardened. They 
generally feed six weeks and then go into pupa;. 
The pupa state is necromorphous — that 
Fig. 3- d, Beetle in the grape bud— 7 , The egg— k, Place ol 
depositing the egg— m, Pupa case. 
is, the mouth and legs are detached from the 
body, but so enveloped they can not be used, 
therefore the resemblance to the perfect insect 
is considerable. The first brood appear to be 
indifferent about the place in which they will 
undergo their transformation. You may find 
them in the pupa case, glued to the stem of a 
leaf, n, Fig. 4, or tied up in a tendril, or on the 
main trunk, hid away under the bark which is 
always flying off from the stalk of the grape 
vine. But the second brood is very careful to 
descend to the earth, and there, around the root 
of the vine, you will find them congregated in 
regular formed pupa?, cases of the size of a cara¬ 
way seed. 
Fig. 4— c, Larva— l, Place of concealment when changing 
the skin — n, Pupa case, glued to a stem (magnified) the 
natural size is given below. 
It must, strike any intelligent mind that the 
remedy here is to icmove the earth from around 
the vine, replacing it with earth well sifted. You 
would be amazed to find how many injurious 
