The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-28
NOT BOIL WEEVILS
REPORT ON INSECTS FOUND NEAR
PIKE ROAD.
Bureau Of Entomology Says They Are
Blister Beetles which Are En-
emies Of All Vege-
tables.

The specimens of insects found In
cotton fields near Pike Road and sent
to The Advertiser under the apprehen-
sion that they were boil weevils have
been pronounced to be blister beetles.
The insects were sent to Prof. ]. F.
Duggar at Auburn, who forwarded
them to l.. o. Howard, Chief or the
Bureau of Entomology. in Washing
ton.
In letter to The Advertiser Mr..
Howard says: The caterpillar on the
cotton leaves is too young for identin-
cation. The insect which you state Is
which was found near Pike Road Is
not a weevil, but a blister beetle known
as Epicauta cinerea."
This species of beetle Is described in
a bulletin, a copy of which Mr.. How
ard has sent to The Advertiser. The
description will be of interest to farm
ers as it appears that this insect has
been found in several sections OF the
State:
Blister beetles are among the most
conspicuous of all enemies of the sugar
beet. no less than dozen species hav-
ing been observed doing more or less
injury to this crop" Gays the bulletin.
One or more species are generally
found in beet fields. and. in fact, the
arabic regions Of the United States are
probably never free from them. In
the East four or five species are COM
mon, and in the Southwest there are a
few more extremely destructive species.
Most blister beetles are better known
as potato pests, but next after potatoes
beets appear to be the favorite food of
many of them. After this they at
tack other vegetable crops. some favor
trpx md nth 1no q
while almost any of them will attack
whatever comes next in their line of
march. They are gregarious. congre-
eating in great numbers, and some
have the truly migratory habit. feed
ing voraciously, running with great ra-
pidity. and flying from time to time.
Thus 1t happens that they frequently
descend in such numbers on Held that
an entire crop is ruined beyond recov-
cry in a few days. when the insects
disappear and are perhaps seen no
more until the following year. After
the departure of one species of blister
beetle another frequently follows. to
be replaced by a third, and so on.
Some species, though apparently
very destructive. appear so late in the
season that, although beet plants are
sometimes nearly defoliated, fair
crop may be gathered in spite of the
loss OF the leaves, new growth of
which Is sometimes put forth. The
roots, moreover are not touched.
I'm their life history blister beetles
differ greatly from other Coleoptera in
that they undergo more complicated
series of metamorphoses.
blister beetles are not an unmixed
evil. since they do some good in their
larval stage to compensate in a meas
ure for the harm the beetles occasion
to our crops. for the habit Of the lar
vac of destroying grass-hopper eggs
renders them of material aid In keep
ing these pernicious insects in check.
This Is especially true in the Western
States. where both blister beetles and
grasshoppers abound. But the bene-
fits derived are really more than coun-
terbaIanced by the losses occasioned in
fields and gardens; hence, insecticides
and other measures should be employ
ed to destroy the beetles when they oc-
cur in harmful numbers"
The bulletin treats OF the various
members of this beetle family.