Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-09-15
From the Vermont Farmer
The Colorado Potato Bug.

The Colorado Potato Bug.
ny HIRAM 4. CUTTING, ND sTATL GEoLoGlsf'
The advance guard Of this dreaded potato bug
h.-inr been found at North6eid, Vt, aud Spring
se,d. Mass. this season, doubtless brought on
the cars converting IRE Ehts from The wet
makes its history at the present. nme q pecullAr
interest. snd have, therefore, been leo 10 pre-
psre this article for your psptr
This bug. sc called, is strictly spesEins'
bae.le and is known 20 naiurais.s under the
name Of DoTuBlora Gecem Aaedia. Like other
brber speces If the Colcopte-a, it passes through
n conp,ete rnetamorphosis but unlike mSuy o.he'
beetles, it confines tse,f during Its entire lie 20
the same species OF vegetation, md unhappy
selects as its first choice the potato. 4nls oee'e'
however, is not, like many Of our pests An I'M
portstion, but an original native Of The lar We
rs name would indicate Colorado as It's oif'h-
Mace. but historical facts Do not coahrm II; IS
the bug committed severe dep eisncns In ne
bra,ks and Kansas, before it VAS ever seen III
Colorado. and the farmers there consider %
eastern origin. It is, however. described "
uaturalists as a native Of the Rocky MouAlaius'
from whence it came as soon as the crIu' "a.
Of the potato offered a stepping stone 10 ci'!'i-'I
life I am, however, from IT. history, WIN
have traced back as fer as possi2ie, oI op-u''l
tia; If IL came from the Rocky Mountains II
cane down the fertile valley Of the Missouri or
sone of lis branches, rather than across the
desert Of near five hundred miles, intervening
between the cultivated lands Oh CoIofsuo anu
the Fertile rlsins Of kansas and It IS quite as
likely that it had its origin ~ some OF t1e Ierue
valleys or grassy pains o. NtniAs4s,
That its native place IS far West Of the Miss
is.in,,i no me can doubt. Ihst i is great
IL an
II can exist upon other f5oi when potatoes fail,
Int FIST selects the tcmsto, and other plants
nearly allied in properties 10 the potato Leaf
lint such plants are seldom attacked until the
notsto fields are fully devastated. The eggs Of
this beetle are dep si,ed to the number Of seven
or eirh- bundled by each female at Intervals
during from twenty-five to forty-hve days, on
the leaves or the potato, in regularly arranged
clusters Of from twenty TO thirty eggs esch. Iney
are Of an orange color, aud always Z ULde sue
of the leaf About one week after they are deposit
81 ;bev hatch into Larvae, which feed upon the
foliage about two weeks, though some TX The
periol ST seventeen days Their growth II quite
regular. and when full grown they are three
eirhths Of ~ inch in length. Upon their sides
they have two rows Of slight proiUoeTances up
red with black, ten in the lower rev and nine
in the upper when full grown there is a liant
trace Of a third row below the two, sud four
black dots, forming the back Of the neck or
thorsx, as it is more properly called IN the IN
sect. Its head is also black and il has black
ring round It's thorsx. Ii has six legs, the hrst
pair coming out Of the thorsz, and the others
Immediately behind or 90 the front psrt Of the
abdomen Its body is cream color. When tuil
grown, they descend to the ground where they
change into a pupa state near the surface. The
perfect beetle appears IA q little less thsn two
weeks. pairs when about one week old, and /
week later commences the deposit OF eggs as
before described. From three to four hroods T.
will be hstchel IN a season. The statements /
Of tine are, however, liabie to vary, being longer
or shorter according IS the weather is more or T
less favorable to their Development
The mature beetle. as it. name indicates, has .
ten lines Of black leugthwise Of its wing covers,
five on each side the ground being meiium
yellow 1t has several black spots upon lie
head and thorsx. slso SIX legs, aud pink giuz3
wings under the striped wing covers described
Ii passes the winter IN the perfect beetle state,
burroEing in The ground beneath the Frost
coming out unimpreynated in the spring just IN
season to lay its eggs on the young potato plant
Bad az those beetles are, they are not as bad as
popular opinion makes them. Their hrst onset
Is the most severe, and farmers accustomed T.
give up to imaginary evils Will talk about the
determination Of the potato. % that there is
no danger from this cause. Ia Iowa last season
the ms we're verv abundant. so much so that
tbey sserraei over bsras and outhouses, and
49, entered iireIliprs So that YOU could hardly
ait doygr ~ walk without crushing them. VET the
cror If r,.,r1es VA. the largest ever known. and
tbev were ra,ailPd in the streets for twenty-five
cents per bushel This abundant crop was
raised h. evory one rl,ufipr- in authorization Of
birb nrices. thus hrip-iul. the opposite result
Nv some tais bng is considered poisonous, but
from no inst c,u.e. as il can be riskei from the
rotstoss 3ey after day hv whole families with no
had rs.plt LARGO Quantities Of them ia tie
,tata ~ ,,trefsctio iil-s an other animal mat
ter is Iissyrsashie and doubtless unhealthy.
s,d tbev should never he left 10 putrify. bat
burned nm. or DESTROYED with boiling water and
,ben bpried AZ thev are a yorse;ous feeder.
the rnsy he killed. with roison ike arsenic. or
p.,is orcen ,nivad with aaur sn5 dusfei on the
,ot.to lesves A. tbe.e sub.tarces are very
1ois,no,s if svaIIovcl rre,t care shonld IL
fsLer in their uso
A. regar1s their denredstiors IN the New
F,-Is,i S.stes n co,,-ss ,zs have rny,b 10 fear.
and zet ra bsye scne tb;o,s in ou- f,yor First
tbair retrrsl enemies ms ..la3v birl 80 which
,srbers i me- 7ora-sll- known as the lady
I'm, b.s Ieer, vary sbr,r,,iar,- his season csug-
IN The 5sstrrcrior If rnrri,le NJ plsnr lice. and
s5 - h, e,co,,rs ,5.ert m sssist tbe farmer
in tLs destrD,tioD of inc ,o,sto bng as it Is