. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. Fig. 5.—Destructive flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata). (From Riley, Bureau of Ento- mology. ) and their larvae-, the white grubs, are injurious. In the month of May per cent of these are taken. The leaf beetles or chn^some- lids form a slightly larger portion of the food taken than the scara- baeids. The largest percentage, , of these eaten in any month is in August. In this farnity are found the harmful flea beetles, several species of which have been identified from stomachs of horned larks. Haltica ignita, which it is thought is lik
. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. Fig. 5.—Destructive flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata). (From Riley, Bureau of Ento- mology. ) and their larvae-, the white grubs, are injurious. In the month of May per cent of these are taken. The leaf beetles or chn^some- lids form a slightly larger portion of the food taken than the scara- baeids. The largest percentage, , of these eaten in any month is in August. In this farnity are found the harmful flea beetles, several species of which have been identified from stomachs of horned larks. Haltica ignita, which it is thought is likely to become decidedly injurious to strawberries and other plants in man}T parts of the country, and Phyl- lotreta vittata (fig. 5), a species very destructive to young plants of cabbage and other garden vegetables, are eaten by the larks. The pale striped flea 1VH 8F/ beetle {Systena blanda) (fig. 6), in- V^nt/ jurious to melons, sugar beets, etc., has been found in their stomachs. Passing to another family, the blister beetles, which often feed upon the leaves of potato vines, are also eaten by the horned larks. The most conspicuous element of the insect food, however, is weevils. These dull colored little beetles are eaten in every month in the year, and comprise percent of the entire food of the horned larks. In May and June they form more than 8 percent of the food, and in August 18 percent. One hundred and fifty- nine birds ate them to the extent of percent of their food. The weevils, as above stated, are dull and protectively colored, and when disturbed feign death and drop to the ground, where their resemblance to bits of twigs or seeds enables them to escape detection. This device, however, seems to be of little avail when the sharp eyes of the horned larks are concerned. Most of these little beetles are injurious, and some are among fig. the worst of pests. The im- bricated-snout beetle (fig. 7), which injures apple and cherry trees and strawberry plants,
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