129 
THE GRAPE-VIXE FLEA-BEETLE. 
The wavy-striped flea-beetle, Haltica striolata* (Fig. 57), 
may be seen in great abundance on the horse-rad¬ 
ish, various kinds of cresses, and on the mustard 
and turnip, early in May, and indeed at other 
times throughout the summer. It is very injurious 
to young plants, destroying their seed-leaves as 
soon as the latter expand. Should it multiply to 
any extent, it may in time become as great a pest as the 
European turnip flea-beetle, which it closely resembles in its 
appearance, and in all its habits. Though rather larger than 
the cucumber flea-beetle, and of a longer oval shape, it is 
considerably less than one tenth of an inch in length. It is 
of a polished black color, with a broad wavy buff-colored 
stripe on each wing-cover, and the knees and feet are reddish 
yellow. Specimens are sometimes found having two buff- 
yellow spots on each wing-cover instead of the wavy stripe. 
These were not known by Fabricius to be merely varieties 
of the striolata, and accordingly he described them as distinct, 
under the name* of bipustulata^f the two-spotted. 
The steel-blue flea-beetle, Haltica chalyhea of Illiger, (Fig. 
58, and Plate II. Fig. 5,) or the grape-vine 
flea-beetle, as it might be called on account of 
its habits, is found in almost all parts of the 
United States, on wild and cultivated grape¬ 
vines, the buds and leaves of which it destroys. 
Though it has received the specific name of 
chalyhea^ meaning steel-blue, it is exceedingly 
variable in its color, specimens being often seen on the same 
vine of a dark purple, violet, Pinissian blue, gi’eenish blue, 
and deep green color. The most common tint of the upper» 
side is a glossy, deep, greenish blue ; the under side is dark 
green; and the antennge and feet are dull black. The body 
is oblong-oval, and the hinder part of the thorax is marked 
with a transverse furrow. It measures rather more than 
three twentieths of an inch in length. In this part of the 
* Crioceris striolata, Fabricius. 
17 
fig. 57. 
t Criocens bipusiulata, Fabricius. 
