Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


part of the State. During the fall of 1915, however, there was
a serious outbreak in South Florida which has continued to the
present time (see An. Rep. Fla. Agr. Sta., 1915).
 The adult (fig. 94, a), a yellow beetle striped with black,
measuring about 2/5 of an inch long, eats the leaves of cucum-
bers, squashes, melons, beans, watermelons, okra, and even those
of citrus trees. The slender white larvae (fig. 94, b) feed on
the roots of these plants into which they tunnel, sometimes
reaching the base of the stems. In the North the adults are


troublesome to young
attack and kill quickly
the northern practice
of covering the young
plants with cheese
cloth for a fewweeks is
not effective in Florida.
 The female lays
about a hundred eggs
during her lifetime of
one month. They are
laid on the surface of
the ground where they
hatch in about a week.
In Kentucky, the larva
requires about a month
for growth and the
insect lies in the pupa,


plants only, but in South Florida they
full-grown, bearing vines. Consequently


'IX


b


d' C


d


FIG. 94.-Striped cucumber-beetle: a, Adult, six
 times natural size; b, larva; c, pupa. (From
 U. S. Bur. of Ent.)

which is placed just below the surface


of the ground, for a week or two. The entire life history occu-
pies but 39 days. The life history of the insect in Florida has
not been worked out, but it is probable that the life cycle is
shorter in the summer.
 Control.-Probably the best method of combating the cu-
cumber-beetle in Florida is to spray the plants with lead arsen-
ate, using a pound of powder and two of lime to 50 gallons of
water. The spraying must be thoroly done so that every ex-
posed part of the plant is covered, otherwise the beetles will
collect on the unsprayed portions. (See page 203 for trap crop).

 OTHER CUCUMBER PESTS
 Other insects attacking cucumbers are: Melon-aphis, a
serious enemy of all curcubits (see page 199) ; cutworms (see