Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-30
SQUIRREL HILL BUGS
That Devastate Vegetation at the
Rate of an Acre Day.
THEY FEED UPON POTATO VINES,
Called the Flea-Beetle Because They Are
Good Jumpers.
l. SPIDER THAT BITES PEOPLES LIPS

John NJ. Bruce, of Squirrel Hill, has
discovered little insect which outclasses
the potato bug in everything but size. Mr..
Bruce sorrowfully exhibits two-acre field
That recently promised good crop of po-
tatoes and says: This field of potato vines
was as green as could be three days ago. 1t
vas then that first noticed the failing of
my neighbor's crop and made the remark
That thought the potatoes were rotting
very rapidly. went over and examined
the vines and found them covered with
myriads of these little bugs Never in all
my experience have seen insects work
with such disastrous effect It took them
Just two days to rid this two-acre field of
every green leaf it possessed; so you see it
now devoid of yerdure except for the
scattered weeds. They seem to have
a regular way of attacking field, COM
mencing at one side and never stopping
until they have completed their work of
devastation. Then they proceed to new terri
tory. The only vegetables they appear to
have liking for is the tomato and potato,
at least we only find them doing work on
those vines
Potato Bugs Driven Away.
Usually there are numerous common
potato bugs about, but this year this species
is not in it, and it is difficult to find single
one about the place. You notice that these
bugs can jump like flea and also have
wings, so they are not long in getting from
one place to another. You don't see them
as they were before the heavy rain, for
where there is one now there were 800 then.
If they continue to spread and multiply as
they have in this locality in the past week,
notice should be sent to the Agricultural
Department, for they are a formidable foe
to the plants.
''We seem to have corner in peculiar
insects up here on the hill. There is some
sort of a bug or spider which has been
troubling US during the summers for several
years past. 1t has the singular habit of
biting the upper lips of people during the
night The lip swells up to enormous size,
causing much pain, then the swelling grad
ually subsidies. We have never been able
10 find out what sort of thing it is that
does this, but there is no doubt that it
exists, as a dozen persons have been at
tackled in exactly the same manner"
An Expert on ths Flea Beetle.
The reporter obtained several specimens
of the little insects and took them to Dr.
Hamilton, Is Ohio street, ALLEGHENY, who
has studied the subject for 30 years and is
considered one of the best authorities on
beetles in the city. The doctor has COL
lected about 1000 specimens of the beetles
found in this locality, each one as different
from the other as a horse is from a COW.
He saws there are about 1000 specimens
more which he has not vet obtained. The
DOCTORS collection numbers some 5000 in
all, out of 11,000 species to be found in the
United States.
Upon examining the specimens brought
To him, he said: ''This is a very common
species of the beetle, known as the flea
beetle on account of its Jumping like a flea.
It's scientific name is the crepidodera cucum-
erIs-the latter part of the name being
given by the discoverer, because ne found
his specimen on a cucumber vine. They
lave never done much damage, and have
never been kno n as pest, but this year
j have noticed very unusual num-
Der, and, there being power in numbers,
they NAV do great deal of effective work. |
The insect usually feeds on weeds in the |
woods, but it has also been known to al |
tack cucumber, tomato and potato vines and |
cabbage and turnips. The eggs of the flea |
beetle are laid on the leaves of the vine, |
then the larva is batched and falls |
to the ground, where they live during |
the spring. The larva then matches out into |
a beetle. They multiply very rapidly, there |
being two or three broods during the sum- |
mer, taking mouth for every brood. You |
" ould not have noticed that these insects |
have wings if it had not been hot day, for |
they have a shell completely hiding them |
from view, and they are unable to fly when |
it is cold.
The absence of the common potato bug is /
easily accounted for by the intense hot
L rHl
kills the larva and there are no bugs hatched.
The same means used against the potato bug
ought to be effective against the flea beetle. |
The only trouble is that on account of their
smallness they cannot be brushed off like the
common bug"