. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. LEAF-BEETLES EATEN BY THE KOSEBKEAST. 49 Although the potato beetle is the worst pest in the Chrysomelidse, this family contains other serious enemies of crops. The rosebreast feeds upon several of them, thereby further commending itself to our esteem. Both the small striped and the spotted cucumber beetles (fig. 26), which are abundant and injurious over much of the United States, are consumed. The importance of the bird's inroads upon one of these little black and yellow species, which in the larval stage is the destructive corn root-worm, i
. Bulletin - Biological Survey. Zoology, Economic. LEAF-BEETLES EATEN BY THE KOSEBKEAST. 49 Although the potato beetle is the worst pest in the Chrysomelidse, this family contains other serious enemies of crops. The rosebreast feeds upon several of them, thereby further commending itself to our esteem. Both the small striped and the spotted cucumber beetles (fig. 26), which are abundant and injurious over much of the United States, are consumed. The importance of the bird's inroads upon one of these little black and yellow species, which in the larval stage is the destructive corn root-worm, is emphasized by the fact that no direct method of combating the insect has yet been devised. Twelve gros- beaks fed upon these beetles, as many as 7 being found in a single stomach. Further evidence of the bird's strong preference for them is furnished by Mr. Ridgway, who observed a number of rosebreasts feeding exclusively on spotted cucumber beetles in a locality where the latter were very abundant. Ten of the gros- beaks examined had eaten another kind of leaf-beetle (Melasoma lappon- ica), which feeds on willows and pop- lars, sometimes working havoc by defoliating trees, especially in wind- breaks. These beetles appear to be much relished, as from 10 to 27 were taken by individual rosebreasts, of whose food they composed from 60 to almcst 100 percent. Two or three other species of Chry- somelidas, injurious to willows, to grapes, and to garden crops, are devoured. Nine birds ate beetles of one of these species {CaUigrapha bigsbyana), which in individual cases constituted 70 per cent of the stomach contents. The rosebreast devours also two Hispid leaf- beetles, one of which causes considerable injury. This is the locust leaf-miner (Odontota dorsalis), which sometimes devastates whole groups of trees, leaving them as if scorched by fire. Eight grosbeaks had eaten leaf-miners, and in one case 8 were consumed by a single bird. The long list of beetles of this family that are p
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