45 
Diabrotica longicornis. Say. 
The perfect insect or beetle is decidedly smaller than the Striped 
Cucumber-beetle, being usually rather less than one-fifth of an inch 
long, the width scarcely equaling one-half the length. The head 
slightly narrower than the thorax; that part in front of the eyes 
slightly prolonged; usually a slight linear, longitudinal indentation 
between the eyes. Antennae arising very close together, subserrate 
and longer than usual in this genus, reach back nearly or quite to 
the middle of the elytra. Eyes prominent, oval, black. Thorax 
narrower than the elytra, subquadrate, very slightly broadest near 
the front, width about equal to the length; an impressed spot each 
side rather behind the middle. Elytra with the sides straight two- 
thirds their length, widest behind the middle; each with four or five 
dim strise, in which are minute very shallow punctures. Posterior 
thighs swollen. 
> Of a uniform, pale, dull, greenish-yellow or rather greemsli-ocher 
color, without spots or stripes. Sparsely covered with very short 
hairs. (From specimen before me). 
The original description as given by Say, who found it near the 
Eocky Mountains in what was then Arkansas Territory, is: 
“Body pale greenish; eyes blackish; antennae as long as the 
body; second and third joints conjointed, shorter than the fourth; 
thorax subquadrate; two dilated, oval, impressed spots placed rather 
behind the middle; elytra irregularly punctured; three or four obso¬ 
lete, elevated lines, of which the exterior one is largest, and colored 
by a brown fillet which does not attain the tip; a brown common 
sutural line. Length less than one-fifth of an inch. ’ 
The larva is slender and similar to that of the Striped Cucumber- 
beetle, about one-fourth of an inch, or a little more, in length; the 
front part of the body more slender than the rest, the head quite 
small; body about as thick as an ordinary pin and slightly flat¬ 
tened. Skin smooth or with but few very minute white hairs. 
General color white, with a slight yellowish tinge; the head, feet, 
cervical shield and tip of the rounded anal segment brownish. 
They are active, crawling over objects almost as readily as cater¬ 
pillars, even up the sides of the glass in which they were placed. 
(For this description of the larvae I am indebted to Prof. French, 
to whom the specimens were forwarded.) 
The insect is not an uncommon one throughout the State, and in 
fact in the West, but hitherto it has not been known to be injuri¬ 
ous to any useful plant, but it is possible that a closer examination 
may show that much of the injury to corn which is attributed to 
the dry weather is due to the attacks of this little insect. 
The perfect insect feeds upon the pollen of various composite 
flowers. It appears to be at least two-brooded in a season, and 
probably passes the winter in the pupa state in the ground. 
The only remedies so far suggested are rotations of crops, so that 
corn may not be planted on .the same ground two successive years; 
and clean culture. 
In the foregoing, with the exception of the description of the per¬ 
fect insect, I have followed Dr. Boardman and Prof.. French, who 
studied the species with some care during the past season. 
