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ThI* Kam la filnMd at tha raducUon ratio ehackad balow / lOx 14X UV6f-« 18x ■•••Vti l». 22x 2tx 30x y 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x Th« oow WnMd h«r« has baan raproduead thanks to tha ganaroalty of: Lferary Agriwllura CaiMda L'axamplaira fiim4 fut raproduit grica A la g4n4roait« da: BioiKnnwiiN Airiailtiir* CaiMda Tha imagaa appaari n g haro ara tha baat qualltv ppaaibla eonaidarinfl tha condition and laglMlifv of tho originat copy and In Icaapi n g with tha Imagaa wiivantaa ont 4t* raproduitaa avac la piua grand loin, eompto tanu da la condition at da la nattati da I'aMampiaira film«. at it eonformitd avae laa eonditiona du eontrat da fNmaga. Originai copiaa In printad tho laat paga «« noMIXIOX OF CANADA DKI'AH'niKNT OF .UiRIcrLTUUE KXPKRIMKNTAI. FAKM.S niVISION OF P.NTOMOr.OOY FLEA-BEETLES AND THEIR CONTROL BY ARTHUR OIBSON, Chief Astittniit Entomologist ENTOMOLOGICAL CIRCULAR No. 2. Publithad b/ authority of Hon. MARTIN BURRELL, Miniatar of Agrieulturt, Ottawa, Ont. 632.704 C212 OTTAWA < . M V K R N M K N T I' R I N T 1 N" » ; R I' R E A U DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. Director, J. H. (irimdale, B.Agr. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. Dominion EnlomoloyiM V. (iuKDoN Hewitt, U. *f flea-lwtlfH. partieulurly the larger Hpeeien, im to ■pray the plantM with an arMnical mixture containini either Pari« green or arsenate of lead, or with the ordinary Hordeaux mixture alone. The latter •cts aM a tleterrent. For most plantM, Pari.H green may l)c uwd in the proportion of U of a pound to 40 gallon* of water, with |^ of a pound of fresh!y-«laked lime. Such plantfl m have roame foliage, aa the potato, will utand doubit; this strength of Parw ereen. Arsenate of lead which has r^w come into such wide use may be ujed m r he propo; ♦ion of from two to three po -id« to 40 gallons of water. Both of these arsenicals may be applied in the above btrengtha in combination with Bordeaux mixture. In the case of the Potato Flea-beetle, in experiments conducted at Ottawa, the Bordeaux mixture used alone gave satisfactory results. When the beetles are present in excessive numbers, it may be necessaiy to sprav at leasi twice a week or even every third day in order to get satisfactory results. Paris green dry 18 also a good remedy and may he used with land pliister, in the proportion of one pound of the Paris green to twenty pounds ol the land plaster. This mixture should be dusted upon the plants preferably in the early morning when they are covered with dew. The land plaster stimulates the plants and hastens their p)wth, while at the same time the Paris green kills the beetles. The lumip Hea- beetle especially is easily controlled by this remedy whicii should be applied early in the season, before the seed leaves, eo important to the your^ plants, are destroyed. When flea-beetles, or other leaf-eating insects are found attacking cabbages, it is inadvisable to use arsenical mixtures after the heads of the plants are half formed. In spraying such plants, the mixture will adhere better if a "sticker" is added. Such can be made by boiling together for about an hour, 2 pounds of resin an! 1 pound of sal soda (crystals) in a gallon of water. This is sufficient for 40 gallous and, if used with Paris green a pound of fresh lime should l)e added. When setting out such plants as tomatoes, protection from flea-beetle attack may be obtained by dipping them, except the roots, in a mixture of arsenate of lead, using one pound in 10 gallons of water. Cheese doth covers.— In our experiments in screening bedc of radishes, etc., in the control of root maggots, the protected plants were kept free of the attacks of flea-beetles in addition to the root maggots. P "h a method of protecting plants from insect attack is of considerable value. . rel noops cut in two and the ends inserted in the ground make a cheap frame upon which the cheese cloth can be spread, the sides of which touching the ground should be covered with earth to close up all entrances which might admit the beetles. In New York State, W. J. Schoene * recommends frames made with six or eight inch boards with galvanized wires four or five feet apart upon which to spread the cheese ^otb- The wires may be supported on stakes and V Ad in place by small staples. The boards may be secured by stakes driven into the ground on either side. Whak-oil Soap and Kerosene Emulsion. — In British Columbia, gratifying results were obtained in 1909 in destroying the Hop Flea-beetle by spraying hop vines with whale-oil soap in the proportion of one pound of soap to five gallons of water. In years when the beetles are abundant, however, regular treatments of such a quick-growing crop with a soap mixture are practically prohibited, on account of cost and labour, as such would have to be applied every twenty- four hours. Kerosene emulsion has also been used for the destruction of the adults of the Hop Flea-beetle, but, like whale-oil soap, this only kills when it comes into actual contact with the insects. •Bull. No. 334, N.Y. Agr. Exp. Stn., Geneva, Feb. 1911. Tarred $hteU and othrr adhetivt trapt. — In localitiM where the Hop Flen- beetle ia a «>rioun pent, NhecU or hoard* (!ontccl with tar have Imh'ii u*ed with much auccesH. Thrae are placed under the hop vinen which an- jarred lixhtly with a branch or Htick thu4 causinic the l)tH!tlei4 to fall off and mlhcre to the tar. A large feather duster In UHeful for diMlodRing the beetles. W. li. Parker* rerom- menJa banding the vines with tanisiefoot after they nre trained, the bands to be placed about two fiM-t from the ground. New bands will In> nt^cessury when- ever the beetles arc entrapped in sufficient nunit>eni to form a bridge over which others can crawl. Trellis poles should also be banded. IjOte Sowing. — In the cane of the Tumi') Flea-l)ectle, Fletcher states in Bulletin No. 52 of the Kxp<-rimental Furms, thi»t careful observation has shown that, for central Uuturio, the third wnk in June is the moHt Muti^fikctory time f jr sowing turnips to avoid injury by the l)eetles. Hy that time the p«!rfect ins«;ct8 of the first brood have, as a rule. disap|M>ared, and the young plants grow rapidly and produce as good crops as when sown three weeks earlier. Clean Culture. — In view of the fact that flea-beetles in the larval state feed upon the roots of common weeds such as the nightshades, thorn apple, lamb's quarters, pigweed, ragweed, etc., it is important that such we^ds be pulled and burned. If this is done about the middle of July, large numbers of the grubs will be destroyed. Weeds along margins of fields, of course, should Ik* kept down. It is a wise practice to use land infested by such weeds for crops which are not attacked by the adult fiea-bectles. It is also important to remove from fields and garden.^ in the fall all remnants ofcrops, such as cabbage stumps, leaves and tops of turnips, etc. and other refuse which would serve as hibernating shelters for the adult Hea-bcctles. All such refuse should be either ploughed deeply or carefully gathered up in piles and burned. THE COMMONER SPECIES OF FLEA-BEETLES. The Spinach Flea-bgetlf, {Disonyehaxanthomelana Da\m.) As yet, little injury has been done to cultivated crops in Canada by this insect. In some seasons the beetle, which is nearly one-quai er of an inch in length and in colour uiack with a yellowish thorax, is fairly abundant in Ontario and Quebec, but no serious complaints have as yet been received of its work on spinach or beets, the crops chiefly attacked in he United States. At Ottawa wr nave four the beetles in May, Ji... •, Scptemt^r and October. The insect feecis natur- ally on lamb's quarters, chickweed and probably other closely related plants. The Triangle Flea-beetle. {Diaonycha triangularia) Say. Fio. 2.— Spinach Flea-bcetic: a, adult beetle; 6, egg mass; 66, sculpture o{ egg; e, (uU grown grub; d, pupa; e, newly hatched grub; /, abdominal seg- ment cFsame; a, c, d, five times natural siie; 6, e, more enlarged ; 66,/, still more enlarged. (After Chittenden, Bull 19, N.S., Div. of Ent., U.S. Dept. Afp.i *BuU. 82, Fart IV, U.S. Burwu of Entomology. Some years this flea-beetle is destructive in Ohio, Michigan and elsewhere in the United States particularly to beets. The insect is common in Canada and on !$everal occwloM we have had it wnt in from MmHoIw where It oecurrM) in fleidv but no actiMl injury to thU pluit wu deieoted. a . Th"^. •?«•*•• b very ■imilw in •ppewmee BpinMh I
  • ».beetle but li tliglitly larger nnd souUI dots on the yellowish th«ru. whpiit to the three Tub Aldrr FtEA-Birrt*, (Haltiea himarginata Say.) OccKMional nrorciR have been rrceived of injury by this i>M-tle to alder, poplar and willow. It is of wide- •pread occum-non throughout Canada, apecimem having found in Nova Hootia in the eairt and Briti^ Fio. S.-TlMirmiiilTri- MNrt* riw.bwtki. •bowiag piMitloa at •eoU; mnehtalanKii (origlMl). Columbia in the weirt, and as far north aa Fort SimpMm on the McKeniie Riv«'r. Large numbers of the beetle* were found feeding on willowa, in 1898, at Red Deer, Alta. In length the beetle is al»out one-fifth of an inch and of a purplish-blue colour. Thb OnAFB ViNB FLBA-mrrut, (Haltica ehalybea III.) f^^ni The tender buds of grape vines are often com- I ^P^ I Pletely eaten by swarms of these flea-beetles which leave y^ V their winter quarters early in spring. The injury may ^ ?ye"' .occasionally, cause the death of the vines In Ontario, snpe growers in some sections have suffered ♦^»«w.« Ti. * I u ^^". ™. *"'"«;'> 'o^B. varying in colour from a steel-blue to green. The female beetle begms to deposit its oval shaped, yellowish eggs early m the season. These may be laid in cracks of the bark atthe base of th^ud, in cavities where the beetles had eaten into a bud, or even upc i the foliage. Abiut Fio. 4— Alder Fim bfwt. !•; rnlmrged 4} time*; (orlginiU). fc ,i^.K i^JSf".^?* Flea-beetle; a. »dult enlarged 7 time*, hind !«■ enlarged at right' • ^^ ™'»'?ed « times: c. grubs and beetles on foUage-oi^tural nie: TbS^l»lee^2i on bud; e, diseased beetles. (Alter Marlatt. U.S. vSi/AvT th*" tlin«» the IfavMhavr nxp«ndi>H, thr ynxmn iruh« halrh an.i .'h^ ouL invKuUr holea becoming full-grown in thrw or four w»H«kH, nt whirh tiini* they »n» one-thini ^»n inch long and of « dirty yellowiiih-hrown lolour with hlmk. Nhliund and »-n.pr the earth to change to the pupal Htut.', mikI In a we.'k or two the IwiUen e nerge. At t!!fi u 'V*.P**' **"' winter in the perfect iitate henenth dead leave-* and other rubbish, it ia important that all xurh refuw im gathered up and hum'xl in autumn m as to reduce an mui-h an pomible the opportunitieM for thene inr- \ ^ hil>f -Tiat*) near the vmej. ( irape growen should watch for the appearance of . e inne' .hen the budit are forming, and when tiiey are detected, a ulrong Hpray of elt Pari^ green or ariMimte «»f lead should be applied to the vines so that e' 'ry bud will bo iterally so kcl. The buds will stand as strong a dose of Paris green a^ one pound In 7a gttlloi of water, with an equal amount of freshly-slaked lime atided. in a few davs, the application should Iw renewed, or sooner if the first treatment is washed off by nun. Arsenate of lead is recommended an strong as eight pounds to the bam'l of water. In small gardens, the practice of jarring the beetles from the vines mto an mverted umbre.la and then d ,ing them into a pan containing coal oil and water, is of value. When ♦ ibs arc found feeding on the leaves, spraying with Paris green or arseni ' .ead in the ordinary atrengths (one pound of Pans green to 160 gallons of w ..c-, or arsenate of lead 2 pounds in 40 gallons of water) will give relief. The destruction of t he grubs ia an important factor in the control of this insect, because every grub killed means one beetle less the fo lowing spring to attack the buds. In addition to grapes, the Grape vine Hea-beetle commonly attacks Virginia cre«per. The Sthawberry Flea- Beetle (Haltiea igniia III.) This flen-biM'tle, also known iis the Fiery Fl«'a-l>eetle and the I,eetle, has in tlif i iiitrd States seriously attacked the leaves of strawl>errieB, and injury has also iK'cn done to grape and iieach. In 1910, specimens of a flea-beetle were received from Nelson, B.C. with a report that it was attacking freely the foliage of 8trawl)errie». The beetle was determined at the time as Haltiea ignita III. and referred to under this name in the Report of the Dominion Entomologist for the year ending March 31, 1911. The species however, is Haltiea evieta Lee. The only record of injury in Canada which has come to our notice by Haltiea ignita * was in 1910 when the beetles were very numerous at St. Stephen, N.B., and other places nearby, doing very noticeable damage to the foliage of elm. The beetle is variable in colouration, some specimens being bronzy or purplish, others decidedly greenish or bluish. Id length it ia about one-eighth of an nch. - .._ -™„...^ „, „. „. c. F«U, who reported that j ^^l^eveI.S. Div. of Ent fc U.S. Dept. Agr.) ' Flo. 11.— Turnip Fle.i- l>cetle enlarged 12 times. (After Riley U.S. Dept. Agr.) 10 When fuli-grown, the grub is about three-sixteenths of an inch, slender, of a darkish colour, the body bearing, sparsely, minute hairs. At Ottawa, the grubs have been found feeding in the leaves of curled cress. There are two or three broods during the season and the species occurs generally throughout Canada. The Horse Radish Flea-beetle, {Phyllolrela armoracia Koch.) In 1893 specimens of this European flea-beetle were found at Chicago, 111. and since then the insect has been found in other places in the United States and it has also occurred at several points in Canada. The first Canadian record we have is its appearance at Guelph, Ont. in about 1908. In 1910, it was found abundantly at Montreal, on horse radish, the leaves of which had been riddled by the beetle. In 1912, a few specimens were collected at Ottawa, one of these being found on a leaf of garden radish. The only cultivated crop attacked, however, seems to be the horse radish. The beetle is about one-eighth of an inch long, oval in form and, in colour, black with the wing cases pale-yellow excepting an outer edge of black and a wide band of the same colour where the wing-cases join. Fio. 12.— Horae Radish Flea-beetle, enlarged 9 timea. (After Chitten- den, Insect Life.Vol.VII.) The Hop Flea-beetle, {PsylKodea punclulala Melsh.) Growers of hops in British Columbia have lost large sums of money from the ravages of this small fli i-beetle, which is bronze- black in colour and about one-twelfth of an inch in length. The beetles which pass the winter in the trellis poles, under rubbish, etc., on the ground, or just under the surface of the soil, become active in the end of March and during April. There are two distinct broods of this insect in British Columbia. The over-wintered females deposit their egs in spring and the beetles resulting from these mostly appear in early June. The beetles of the second generation appear in the end of July and during August and these latter pass the winter hidden away beneath the rubbish, etc., as above mentioned. In the bulletin on the life-history and control of this flea-beetle, referred to on page 5 it is stated that "the hibernating beetles, unless in unusually large numbers, will not require any attention, but the sudden appearance of the first generation just before the vines are trained may require the use of the tarred board or sticky shield." The tarred board used was made by stretching a piece of 8-ounce canvas over a light wooden frame, 4 feet long by 3 feet wide. A 4-foot strip attached to the middle of the board at a convenient angle and braced by an upright to the rear edge forms a handle. The canvas was then coated with tar. Such a contrivance ,Fig. 14) if placed on the leaward side of the vine and the latter brushed with a large feather duster, or cedar bough, will, it is claimed, catch 85 per cent, of the beetles present. After the vines are Fio. 13— Hop Flea- beetle: enlarged 12 times; (original). 11 trained, Xhv l.c.U<^ can \>v controllpcl by the use of tanglefoot l)an(lj* ax men- tioned on page 5. In 1909, whale-oil soap war< used to a eonsi.lerahle extent Kill. 1-t.