. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. Fig. 4.—The desert corn flea-beetle: Prepupa. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) partially covered with short stiff hairs. In color and texture they are so much hke the corn roots in which they are found feeding that one will often overlook a larva, even with the aid of a microscope. However, when quite numerous, the full- grown larvae are easily found on the roots of a com plant or in the surrounding soil. The full-grown larvse just previous to changing to prepupse are often as much as o mm. (three-sixteenths of an inch) l
. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. Fig. 4.—The desert corn flea-beetle: Prepupa. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) partially covered with short stiff hairs. In color and texture they are so much hke the corn roots in which they are found feeding that one will often overlook a larva, even with the aid of a microscope. However, when quite numerous, the full- grown larvae are easily found on the roots of a com plant or in the surrounding soil. The full-grown larvse just previous to changing to prepupse are often as much as o mm. (three-sixteenths of an inch) long, varying from to 5 mm. in length; the average length being about 4 mm. They are opaquely white in color, well segmented, and cyhndrical in form as compared with the younger larv£e. THE PREPUPA. The prepupa (fig. 4) is the full-grown larva which has shrunken preparatory to pupation, and is thus reduced to about one-half its former length, though it is considerably greater in diameter. It usually lies quietly, in a curved position resembling in shape a question mark. It is segmented and of the same texture as the full-grown larva. THE PUPA. The pupa (fig. 5) very closely resembles the adult in size and appearance. It varies from to 2 mm. in length and from 1 to mm. in width. It is white when first formed, and has aU appendages firmly com- pressed against the body. It is quite delicate, soft bodied, and sparsely covered with fine Fig. 5.—The desert com flea-beetle: Pupa. G r e a t ly enlarged. (Origi- nal.) LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. THE LIFE CYCLE. The totariength of the life cycle of this beetle in the Southwest averaged days, with a minimum of 31 days in July and a maxi- mum of 79 days in March, April, and May. This, of course, is subject to variation as in the case of most insects, and depends upon prevail- ing meteorological conditions. The average length of the combined egg, larval, and pupal stages (Table I) of 82 specimens averaged days
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