Insects injurious to fruits . all ourleaf-eating beetles. It is nearly an inch in length (see ), of a broad, oval form, with the wing-cases of a richyellow color and pale metallic lustre, while thetop of the head and the thorax gleam withburnished gold of a brilliant reddish cast. Theunder surface has a polished coppery hue, andis thickly covered with whitish, woolly hairs:this latter characteristic has suggested its specific name, lanigera, or wool-bearer. This insect appears late in May and duringthe month of June, and is distributed over avery wide area, being found in most of the No
Insects injurious to fruits . all ourleaf-eating beetles. It is nearly an inch in length (see ), of a broad, oval form, with the wing-cases of a richyellow color and pale metallic lustre, while thetop of the head and the thorax gleam withburnished gold of a brilliant reddish cast. Theunder surface has a polished coppery hue, andis thickly covered with whitish, woolly hairs:this latter characteristic has suggested its specific name, lanigera, or wool-bearer. This insect appears late in May and duringthe month of June, and is distributed over avery wide area, being found in most of the Northern UnitedStates and in Canada; and, although seldom very abundant,rarely does a season pass without some of them being the day they are inactive, and may be found clingingto the under side of the leaves of trees, often drawing togethertwo or three leaves and holding them with their sharp clawsfor the purpose of concealing themselves. At dusk they issuefrom their hiding-places and fly about with a buzzing sound. ATTACKING THE LEAVES. I55 among the branches of trees, the tender leaves of which theydevour. The pear, oak, poplar, hickory, silver abele, andsweet-gum all suffer more or less from their attacks. Likethe common May-bug, this beautiful creature is attracted bylight, and often flies into lighted rooms on summer even-ings, dashing against everything it meets with, to the greatalarm of nervous inmates. In some seasons they are com-paratively common, and may then be readily captured byshaking the trees on which they are lodged, in the daytime,when they do not attempt to fly, but fall at once to theground. The beetle is short-lived. The female deposits her eggsin the ground at varying depths during the latter part ofJune, and, having thus provided for the continuance of herspecies, dies. The lives of the males are of still shorterduration. The eggs are laid during the night, the wholenumber probably not exceeding twenty; they are very largefor the size of the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidin, booksubjectinsectpests
