Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. ~ Burnet No. 29, New eae Pn eo ee : 4 -- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. SOM E MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF THE 2 cee 2 IV. PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF L. 0. HOWARD, ; ENTOMOLOGIST. ean SDF MERI? — 9 | WASHINGTON: “GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. A ? 190025 : a ally ianlin S LEE WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. — a 1 { a ; ‘ SIE Bin ARETE VA ECCI AT TEGO aia. aT an 1 api ta RRA ga ii RAMA MMAR SANS at I a? wa % , ‘it Eniomé ona Th. Pergande, r HL oy ittenden, Frank Benton ony 8. Cie t Nathan ‘Banks, I F. . Pratt, » Ang. Busel SARS BULLETIN No. 22, New SERIES. PO es Ores PMENT COFSAGRICUL TURE, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 5 OM E MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. | HVE PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ETOn HOWARD. ENTOMOLOGIST. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1900, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY, Washington, D. C., November 16, 1899. Str: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript of a bulletin which contains matter similar to that published in Bulletins 7, 10, and 18 of the new series, nainely, miscellaneous articles and notes which are too short for separate publication, but which are of sufficient importance to render prompt printing desirable. I recommend the publication of this manuscript as Bulletin No. 22, new series, of this Division. Respectfully, . L. O. HOWARD, Entomologis! . Hon. JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agriculture. 2 CONE ESNEES: THE Two Most ABUNDANT PULVINARIAS ON MAPLE (Pulvinaria innumerabilis Rathv. and Pulvinaria acericola W. & R.) (illustrated).......L. O. Howard.. THE INSECTS TO WHICH THE NAME ‘“ KISSING BUG” BECAME APPLIED DURING LAEROUMMERTON Logo illustrated’) © 22522-2250 52225 $2522. 22 LOL Howards. AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHE:: Melanoplus spretus BREEDS PER- MANENTLY IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS IN NOrTH DakotTa.. W. D. Hunter.. THE BRONZE APPLE-TREE WEEVIL (Magdalis wnescens Lec.) (illustrated). FF, H. Chittenden.. Two NEW CECIDOMYIANS DESTRUCTIVE TO BUDS OF ROSES (illustrated). D. W. Coquillett.- A NEw VIOLET PEstT (Diplosis violicola n. sp.) (illustrated) ..D. W. Coquillett.. - INSECTS AND THE WEATHER: OBSERVATIONS DURING THE SEASON OF 1899. F. H. Chittenden-.- Foop PLANTS AND INJURY OF NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF AGRILUS. I, H, Chittenden. - EXPERIMENTS WITH HYDROCYANIC ACID-GAS AS A MEANS OF EXTERMINATING MEALY BUGS AND OTHER INSECTS IN GREENHOUSES....H. D. Hemenway.. SCALE INSECTS ON AMERICAN FRUIT IMPORTED INTO GERMANY. Abstract of a paper by Dr. L. Keh.. INSECT CONTROL IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA ......---.---- Felix G. Havens.. NOTES ON A BRIEF TRIP TO PUERTO RICO IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, BW aes So ER Se BR OOS Be es ee ten ee ee eee ey A. Busck.. COENNSHSFOANDAES NG) Guugu Sere he BG Pek ek ee Sie wake al jcidu ce Sa oe Sade sees A Dipterous Enemy of Cucurbits in the Hawaiian Islands (p. 93); A trouble- some Twig Girdler of the Southwest (p. 94); Notes on Cockroaches in South Australia (p. 95); Insectivorous Habits of Lizards (p. 96); On the Recent Spread of the Mediterranean Flour Moth (p. 97); Note on Two Species of ‘‘ Lightning Hoppers” (p. 98); Cotton Insects in Egypt (p. 99) ; A Cotton Stainer in Peru (p. 100); Biologic Observations on Harpalus pennsylvanicus DeG. (p. 100); A New Western Enemy of the Colorado Potato Beetle (p. 102) ; Notes on Miscellaneous Insects in Kansas (p. 103) ; An Embarrassing Feature of Foreign Interdiction against American Plants and Fruits (p. 103); The Green June Beetle of the Southwest (p.104); A Note on the Cocklebur Bill-bug (p. 104); Reported Injury by Giant Scarabzid Beetles (p. 105); Locusts in Argentina and Louren¢o Marquez, Southeastern Africa (p. 105); A New Clothes Moth Remedy (p. 106); Nocturnal Flight of Grasshoppers (p. 106.) Nei Sen RONMEe ORRESPONDENCE . 225 -- = = 2-6 <2 2 << 0 2 soccer = ome seam ee esccs Habits of Atta insularis Guérin in Cuba (p. 107); A New Name for an Old Insect (p. 107); Injury by Wingless May Beetles in Texas (p. 107); The New York Weevil in Virginia (p. 107); Appearance of the Twelve-spotted Asparagus Beetle near New York City (p. 107); Recent Injury by the Marvined Vine chafer (p. 108); Food Plants of the Blister Beetle Henous confertus (p.108); The Original Home and a New Food Plant of the Harlequin Cabbage Bug (p. 108); Injury to Strawberries by Myodocha serripes (p. 108) ; Hibernation of the Electric-light Bug (p. 108) ; The Pray- ing Mantis as an Enemy to the Apiary (p. 108); Mayflies on Lake Erie (p. 108) ; A Plant-bug Enemy of the Green Plant-bug (p.109). . T=" aan Gk aaa, Page. 7 24 30 93 107 ne me i acini SRE 2 sxe A - tee - @- La rctre ~ ; =a . . ji f f P j i DIG Ik: or Re © bo ~) o> ILLUSTRATIONS. Pulvinaria innumerabilis: newly-hatched young, third stage, male and Pulvinaria innumerabilis: male larva, second stage....---..----.-.----- Pulvinaria innumerabilis: female larva, third stage.-.....--.-.-.--.----- Pulvinaria innumerabilis : female larva, fourth stage....--...-..------ Pulvinaria innumerabilis: young hibernating female..........-.--.---- Pulvinaria innumerabilis: gravid female-.......-.-.-:---------+ «-2=-- Pulvinaria innumerabilis: adult male, second stage of pupa, and true Pulvinaria innumerabilis: adult females on twigs with egg sacs....--- Pulvinaria innumerabilis: female with fully extruded egg sac showing waxy filaments and eggs after being touched ..---......-...-...--- . Hunotus lividus: adult parasite and parasitized scales -.......---..--- Pulvinaria acericola: egg, male and female larvie in different stages, and-adult: male: :2sc2. ois se Ss a Se a tose ee Pulvinaria acericola: larva of third stage and early hibernating female. Pulsinatia acertcola:: ‘male pupa .2— oc. oo oo see <<, Joa eee Pulvinaria acericola: late hibernating female. -.--:.-.--.----2-----+--- . Pulvinaria acericola: full-grown fertilized female from above and from Pulvinaria acericola: full-grown female from above and from side.... 16. 17. Pulvinaria acericola: full-grown female on leaf; same with egg sac---- iS.) heduvius.( Opsicetes) personatusa .9- 5-22 slant ene 19. Melanolestes abdominalis: male, female, and mouth parts--...-..-.-..--- 20. Coriscus subcoleoptratus: short winged and fnlly winged female with PLleLeiInS TOStLUM. oe sos ee Sree sae ne ee Ji sh hasahus btqutiatus |= 2 Roa ote oes ee Sacer Se 22. Conorhinus sanguisuga: first and second pupal stages, and adult ...... 23. Conorhinus sanguisuga: newly hatched larva, larva in second stage, andseBo .222% So 2 Se aie nk oie see ete ee ee Pee See 24. Conorhinus sanguisuga: different views of head, showing piercing beak and: S@b@ 2 225) tcd, eas Cine og See eS ce ee eee eee 25. Magdalis wnescens: weevil, larva, and pupa....-.-..--.-..----------- 26. Work of Magdalis enescens, showing adult, pupa, parasite, etc., in ; situ, Natural 8120. 225.55. ca) as oe eho ocean Se ee 27. Neocerata rhodophaga: adult with enlarged antenna......-..----.---- 28. Diplosis violicola: female fly with antennal joints; male genitalia, ane lates 22 ee Sete bs tock s ee Cee a ee Page. bo Wo bY oO = i RE OA agt e ie Aparato PREFACE, The present bulletin is the fourth of the new series of this Division containing miscellaneous short articles and notes. The article on the two most abundant Pulvinarias on maple gives a summary account of the life history and habits of, and remedies to be used against, the common cottony maple scale, a species which occasionally does great damage to shade trees in the Eastern United States and concerning which the Division has had no printed matter for distribution fer a number of years, although a short account of the species was pub- lished in the Annual Report of the Department for 1884. The second part of this article brings together for the first time a full account of the maple-leaf Pulvinaria, a species which, although it has been con- sidered identical with the last-named form, was rehabilitated as a dis- tinct species by the writer last year. The second article illustrates the insects which, together with the newspapers, were responsible for the remarkable so-called “‘kissing-bug scare” of the past summer, and it is here published in response to an extraordinary demand for information by correspondents as to the actual truth of the newspaper stories. Reports on the destructive locusts in the West for the year 1899 are at this time of unusual interest on account of undoubted flights of the true Rocky Mountain locust, or ‘‘ destructive grasshopper” (Melanoplus spretus),in certain portions of the Northwest. Mr. Chittenden’s arti- cles on the bronze apple-tree weevil and the food plants and injury of species of Agrilus are in continuation of his investigations on fruit and garden insects and of an investigation begun in 1898 on the pernicious bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius), while his article on insects and the weather is an interesting and suggestive consideration of the insect conditions following the severe winter of 1898-99. Mr. Coquillett’s two articles and that of Mr. Hemenway will be of interest to florists and ereenhouse owners. The abstract of the paper by Dr. L. Reh on the scale insects found on American fruit imported into Germany is a Suminary of a somewhat extended series of observations, and is of interest to exporters of American fruits as showing the importance of sending abroad only perfectly clean fruit. The article by Mr. Felix G. Havens is a careful account of the excellent work done against inju- rious insects by the County Horticultural Commissioners of Riverside -County, Cal., and is published for the information of officers in other 5 6 States engaged, or about to be engaged, in similar work. Mr. Busck’s report on a brief trip to Puerto Rico is in line with other articles pre- viously published. The trip was made at slight expense to the Divis- ion, owing to the courtesy of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, and was practically a reconnaissance expedition to gain a preliminary idea of the abundance of destructive insects on the island and the probability of the entrance of new injurious species into the United States through increased commercial relations with the island. The insects collected on the trip have been named, but only the list of scale insects is published at this time. Housekeepers will be interested in Mr. Tepper’s Australian remedy for cockroaches and Dr. Fisher’s clothes-moth remedy, while the infor- mation given about the recent spread of the Mediterranean flour moth will interest those connected with milling industries. L. O. H. SOME MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF THE WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. IV. THE TWO MOST ABUNDANT PULVINARIAS ON MAPLE. (Pulvinaria innumerabilis Rathyv. and Pulvinaria acericola W. & R.) By L. O. Howarp. The old and well-known cottony maple scale (Pulvinaria innumera- bilis Rathv.) has been the subject of many published articles on account of its occasional extreme abundance and on account of the conspicu- ous damage which it does to maple shade trees in cities. Itis true that the species of the genus Pulvinaria have not as yet been properly and systematically studied in this country, although several investi- gators are now engaged in such work, and it is altogether possible that more than one species is even at this late date confused under Rathvon’s name. : This possibility is emphasized by the comparatively recent discovery by the writer that a form occurring upon maple leaves, and which was figured as long ago as 1868 by Walsh and Riley under the name Leca- nium acericola, a name which was considered by J. Duncan Putnam and subsequent writers as a synonym of Pulvinaria innumerabilis, is in reality a perfectly distinct and thoroughly characteristic species, as will be shown in the second section of this article. So also the closely allied form occurring upon Osage orange to which the name Lecanium maclure was given by Walsh and Riley in 1868, but which has since been considered to be identical with Rathvon’s species, is now consid- ered by Professor Cockerell to be distinct. These forms being thus separated from Pulvinaria innumerabilis, there is reason to suppose that careful study may establish the ocecur- rence of other species living upon maple and allied trees, and that in consequence the true P. innumerabilis may have a more restricted geo- graphic distribution than is here given it. It is worthy of remark, moreover, that Professor Cockerell has described as at least a variety - the form occurring upon maple branches in the State of Washington. This he calls P. innumerabilis var. occidentalis. a! 8 I. THE COTTONY MAPLE SCALE. (Pulvinaria innumerabilis Rathvon. ) Original home and present distribution.—This is a scale insect native to the United States which was originally found by Dr. S. S. Rathvon at Laneaster, Pa. Later it was found by Walsh and Riley and other observers to be very abundant and occasionally very injurious in the Mississippi Valley. It is frequently noticed in the Northeastern cities, especially in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. It has been sent to this office by correspondents in Massachusetts, Ver- mont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri, and what is apparently the same species has been received from Fort Worth, Tex., Omaha, Nebr., and - from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as well as northern and southern California. Fic. 1.—Pulvinaria innumerabilis: a, newly-hatched young; l, female, third stage, from above; e, same, from side; d, male, third stage; e, same, natural size, on leaf and petiole; f, same, enlarged, on leaf petiole showing two specimens parasitized—all greatly enlarged except e (original). Food plants.—As its popular name indicates, this insect is generally found upon maple. It seems especially to thrive upon the so-called silver-leaf maple (Acer saccharinum), but it is also found upon Norway maple and the sugar maple, as well as upon Acer dasycarpum. It occurs abundantly upon the box-elder (Negundo negundo), aud it or a very closely allied species is found upon the Osage orange (Jaclura aurantiaca). During the summer of 1898 it was found at Washington by the writer occurring upon red mulberry (Morus rubra); and it has been received from Prof. George C. Butz, of State College, Pa., upon Aralia japonica. According to Prof. C. V. Piper, the Northwesterne form (occidentalis) affects apple, pear, alder, willow, hawthorn, poplar, currant, and lilac, which diversity of food offers strong argument for URE WN Re tee PM Re ty “qe? ee Sula a Vi at e.4 ye FS, gy Hb 9 the specific distinctness of the so-called variety. Riley (Ann. Rept. U.S. Dept. Agr., 185+, p. 352) gives as the food-plants of this species: Maple, grapevine, Osage orange, oak, linden, elm, hackberry, sycamore, rose, currant, and Huonymus, and Putnam adds locust, sumach, wild grape, box-elder, beech, and willow. Careful studies of the forms occur- ring on all of these plants are, however, liable to indicate specific differences. | Habits and life history.—This species is a large naked scale insect, which is rendered conspicuous during the summer by a large white cottony-like egg mass at the end of the body of the female insect. Perhaps unnoticed previously, they suddenly attract almost everyone’s attention in the month of June, for the reason that, although prior to that time they have been inconspicuous flat scales of much the same — coloration as the bark, in June the brilliant egg mass is pushed out of the body. ‘These insects appear frequently in enor- mous numbers on maple trees grown as shade trees, -sapping their vitality, and thus becoming of much economic importance. — me The life history of this . jp species was worked out JAB with elaborate care by J. i Duncan Putnam, of Dav- enport, Iowa. Mr. Put- 5) nam’s paper was published ees in the Proceedings of the a 1 / Davenport Academy of x ae a@ Natural Sciences (Volume 8 December, 1S79; pages Fic.2.—Pulvinaria innumerabilis: male larva, second stage, 293-347), and was illustra- erally, enlarged, with antenna and leg above, still more enlarged (original). ted by two carefully etehed | plates. His descriptions of the different stages were so carefully drawn that descriptive details may be omitted from this article. The account of the life history which follows, however, is based upon observations made at Washington and upon notes taken by Mr. T. Pergande, the assistant in charge of the insectary at this office. The young lice hatch early in the summer, usually in the month of June, but occasionally at least as early as May 22. The hatching period usually extends on into early July, but may last until August. They soon settle upon the ribs of the leaves, very rarely upon the twigs. They seem to prefer the lower surface of the leaves, but many settle at a later date on the upper surface. It has been noticed that those upon the lower surface seem to grow more rapidly than those upon the upper surface. In the course of a month they undergo a molt and begin to secrete a certain amount of wax from the dorsal surface of the 10 body, which gradually spreads in a more or less homogeneous layer over the surface. This first molt sometimes occurs at Washington by June 10, and a second molt by June 22. From young larve which hatched on July 1, 1898, the first adult males issued on August 18, the full grown male scaies being readily distinguished from the Partly grown females by their narrower and more convex form. On reaching full growth the male larva assumes the propupal form within its sealy covering, and therefore without strictly casting skin. In a few days the propupa casts off its skin and assumes the true pupa form, which during its earlier stage is of a pale green color, becoming dark flesh color at a later date. The true pupal stage lasts only a few days, when the winged females appear, remaining a day or two below the scale before coming forth. The molted skins of the propupa and the pupa are seldom seen on the tree, as they are easily dislodged by the wind. At the time when the males emerge the females have un- dergone two molts and are of a pale green color, marked with a brown dorsal stripe for the whole length of the body. The males copulate with the females late in Au- gust and early in September, and early in October those females which have escaped the attacks of parasites and other natural enemies vegin Fic. 3.—Pulvinaria innumerabilis: female larva, third tO take their station on the stage, greatly enlarged, with leg below and antenna nearby twigs. A change in above, still more enlarged (original). : f color from green to buff is noted at this time and all are covered with a barely perceptible cover- ing of waxy secretion. They are broadly oval and still quite flat. In this condition the females remain through the winter, the males having in the meantime died. With the opening of spring, however, the females begin to grow rapidly, the eggs develeping in great numbers, and by May, or as early as April 15 at Washington, the formation of the egg sac begins. The egg sac is composed of threads of fine wax, extruded from spinnerets near the end of the body. These threads becoxe matted together and gradually form a large cushion under and behind the body of the female. Into this mass as it grows are gradually extruded the oval, light-colored, slightly reddish-yellow eggs, which, as above stated, hatch during June and July and on into August. The growth of the egg sac 11 pushes the hinder end of the body of the female upwards until when the sac is compieted she is practically standing on her head, the body being at an angle from 45 degrees to nearly vertical. The development of the insect during the summer of 1899 at Wash- ington was more rapid than during 1898, and considerably more rapid than as described by Putnam for his Iowa region. The eggs, as indi- cated in a previous paragraph, commenced to hatch May 22; the young larve had begun to settle in numbers by May 26, the hatching contin- uing, however, for many days; on June 10 the first larvee were observed to vast their first skins, which for some time adhered to the end of the body, resembling a small twisted string. By June 22 they commenced to cast their second skin, still retaining the same general appearance but having become considerably larger. The differentiation between males and females was plainly ob- servabie at this time, the males being nar- rower and more elon- gated. The dorsal. secretion became -no- ticeable at this time. On July 7 they were still apparently in the third stage, but some of the females had be- come marked with the peculiar purplish radi- ating lines characteris- tic of this insect. (See figure 1.) By July 26 some of the males had already cast a third skin, and were now in Fic. 4.—Pulvinaria innumerobdilis: female larva, fourth stage, the last or fourth greatly enlarged, with leg at right and antenna at left, still more enlarged (original). stage. The antenne, which up to this time were 7-jointed, had now become 8-jointed. The male larve at this time still resembled the females to some degree, although they were smaller and narrower, and of a pale yellowish or whitish color, covered with a glossy covering. There seemed to be two propupa stages. After casting the second skin, the male larva loses its rostrum and its anal cleft, although the wing pads have not yet developed; the antenne are stout and laid back- ward without perceptible points, and the end of the body is furn- ished with two long conical tubercles. After the third skin is cast, an apparent propupa stage is found which bears wing pads reaching to 12 the abdomen; the claw of the tibia is lost, and between the posterior tubercles has appeared the stout, rudimentary style. The true pupa, specimens of which were also found as early as July 26, needs no description. The adult males began to issue on the same date for cer- tain specimens, and as early as August 6 females had begun to migrate to the trunk; by August 21 all of the young females had left the leaves and migrated to the stem. It should be stated that these observa- tions of 1899 were made upon a young potted tree in the insectary. The temperature, how- ever, was practically the same as out of doors. So great had been the parasitism of the insect outside, that it was found necessary to make observations on potted trees under glass both in 1898 and 1899 in order to preserve the species for observation. j Briefly then, there is one annual generation; the young hatch in early summer and settle Fie. 5.—Pulvinaria innuwmer- : abilis: young hibernating UPON the twigs; the males appear at the end of female, from above—greatly August and early in September; they fertilize sionnces (original), the females, which migrate to the twigs, where they remain unchanged through the winter, rapidly swelling in the spring and forming the egg mass in early summer. The inseet is a notable one from its frequent sudden appearance in great numbers. After being almost unnoticed for a series of years it will appear in excessive num- bers, apparently injuring shade trees to a consider- able extent; then, without insecticide measures having been employed, it will as quickly disappear. These sudden appearances and disappearances are due very largely to fluctuation in numbers among natural enemies of the species, as will be shown in the following paragraph. Natural enemies.—Birds destroy the full-grown scales, although one would hardly suppose a mouthful of wax to be very palatable. The writer has often observed the English sparrow apparently feeding upon this species. The usual predatory insects which feed upon other scale insects seem equally fond of this species, re. 6.—Pulwinaria ‘ec aes and the twice-stabbed ladybird (Chilocorus bivul- merabilis: gravid female, Bierce aie : : greatly enlarged, before nerus) 1s one of its especial enemies, as was long commencing to secrete ago pvointed out by Miss Emily A. Smith. The egg sac in the spring little insignificant ladybird beetle, known as Hyper- "2"? aspis signata, is also a common predatory enemy of the species. In 1879, in Washington, D. C., it was found that the most effective enemy of the scale was a predatory caterpillar described at that time by Professor Comstock as Dakruma coccidivora,. This caterpillar flour- 13 ished upon twigs upon which the scales were closely massed together, and ate its way through the mass from one scale to another, spinning a close, rather dense web as it progressed. Each caterpillar in this way destroyed very many scale insects. The writer has always thought that it was due to this insect alone that the cottony cushion scale almost disappeared from the Washington shade trees in the close of 1879, and was never seen here again in any great abundance until, in the summer of 1898, nineteen years later, it became once more rather conspicuous, although by no means as abundant as in the former year. The Dakruma larva not only destroys the old and worn-out femaie Pulvinaria but devours her eggs and young larve with avidity. The caterpillars are very active, moving about freely within their silken passages. They were found to be full grown on June 24, spun their cocoons within the silken tunnel, and remained ten days in the pupal state. The moths issued from July 17 to Augnst 13, soon thereafter ovipositing and lay- Fig. 7.—Pulvinaria innumeradilis: a, adult male; b, antenna of same; ¢, leg of same; d, second stage of pupa; e, cast skinof same; f, true pupa; g, cast skin of same—all greatly enlarged, b and ¢ still more enlarged (original). ing their eggs, which hatched in six days. Whether another generation of moths issues the same year has not been determined. An even more important enemy of the cottony maple scale than the - Dakruma larva or the ladybirds just mentioned is a minute Chalcidid fly known as Coccophagus lecanii (Fitch). This species, which has been reared from a umber of different scale insects of the Lecanine group, is very widespread and appears frequently in astonishing numbers. It was due to this parasite that it was found almost impossible to carry the seale insects through the season at Washington in 1898; of the many thousands of scale insect larvae which settled upon trees under observation it is safe to say that much less than 1 per cent reached 14 full growth. During the months of July, August, and September they were stung by this little parasite, which laid its eggs in their bodies; soon afterwards they turned black, the adult parasites issuing from holes cut through the backs of their bodies. The development of the parasite was plainly seen to be very rapid, occupying certainly not more than two or three weeks, and there was therefore a succession of generations, with an in- crease in numbers in geometrical progression, until really the wonder is that a single scale insect escaped. The writer had under closeobservation a branch of a large Norway maple tree growing in the Smith- sonian grounds, which in June was fairly plastered with the egg sacs of the Pulvinaria, while in July Fic. 8.—Pulvinaria innumerabilis: adult females in positionon 1tS leaves were thickly twigs, with egg sacs—natural size (original). speckled with newly set- tled young; in August he spent an entire morning trying to find a living scale insect, but without exception all which were found had been killed by this important parasite. The little Coccophagus even gained access to the Insectary. Potted maple trees stocked with the scale insects were discovered by them, and the scale was exterminated, although the little trees had been swarming with these scales, and although daily an assistant had picked off and crushed those which, through a change in color, indicated the presence of the para- sitic egg or larva. It is this species probably more : than any other which is Fic. 9.—Pulvinaria innumerabilis: adult female, with fully responsible for the fluetu- extruded egg sac showing waxy filaments and eggs as they appear after being touched—enlarged (original). ations in numbers of the cottony maple scale. As the writer has elsewhere pointed out in speak- ing of parasites of the grain plant-louse, it is probably only through the influence of a damp and rainy season, which prevents these active little Chaleidids from flying about to any extent, that the scale is able to over- come the effects of its attacks, enormously prolific as the Pulvinaria is. 15 Other members of the same subfamily of parasites, the Aphelinine, have also been reared from the cottony maple scale. The species known as Coccophagus flavoscutellum Ashm., a more southern species than Coccophagus lecani, does almost equally effective work in the more southern portion of the geographic range of the scale. Another important parasite belongs to the subfamily Encyrtine, and has recently been named by the writer Atropates collinsi in honor of Mr. Lewis Collins, secretary of the Brooklyn Tree Planting and Foun- tain Society, who has had to fight the cottony cushion scale and has been greatly interested in its study. The Atropates was reared at Washington in 1889 and 1891 from females of Pulvinaria innumerabilis received from Mr. Collins and from L. H. West, of Roslyn, N. Y. All - of the parasites issued late in July. Still another parasite is the Hunotus lividus Ashm., a single specimen of which was reared March 4, 1899, from specimens of Pulvinaria received from Mr. Collins. This insect belongs to a curious and dis- S Fic. 10.—Eunotus lividus, greatly enlarged, with male and female antenne above—still more enlarged, and cocoons under old scale at left, also enlarged (original). tinct group of the subfamily Pireninw, all of the species of which, from all of the specimens that the writer has been able to determine from oriental forms, are parasitic upon the large scale insects. Other specimens were reared April 12 and April 18 from old scales found upon maples on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture, and examination of the host insects showed a point of interest in the biology of the parasite. The early stages of Eunotus and its allies have not hitherto been observed, but these specimens issued from a small bunch of coarse but stout cocoons which had been spun under the body of the Pulvinaria.' A characteristic bunch of these cocoons is Shown at fig. 10. ' Mr. Pergande has called the writer’s attention to an interesting fact which shows that Fitch just escaped rearing Eunotus many yearsago. In his Third Report on the Insects of New York, published in 1859 (p. 109), he describes Lecanium ribis, and states 16 Other parasites of this scale are Aphycus pulvinarie How., described from specimens reared by Mr. Putnam in Iowa, and Comys fusca How., a common and widespread parasite of Lecaniine seales. Remedies.—In view of the statement already made that the insect is rarely injurious in two consecutive years, it might seem as though no remedies were really necessary; but it has been found, in the experi- ence of the city of Brooklyn, that the damage in a single season may be so great as to render long rows of shade trees unsightly. Ft is con- sidered, therefore, to be the best policy, when the insect appears in great numbers, to await the. hatching of the young and shortly thereafter to prune rather severely. In the case of especially valuable trees this pruning should be followed with either a summer spraying with a dilute kerosene soap emulsion or a winter sprayivg in the au!umn with whale- oil soap in the proportion of 1 pound to 2 gallons of water. It is not difficult to determine whether the winter spraying is necessary by a careful examination of specimen twigs from trees in different parts of the city. Thus, in the winter of 1888-89, it was easy to see in Wash- ington that the scale would be scarce tke following summer, while in Brooklyn Mr. Collins was able to determine the exact localities in the city where insecticides would probably be necessary the following season by estimating the proportion of living scales. Il. THE MAPLE LEAF PULVINARIA. (Pulvinaria acericola W. & R.) Original home and present distribution.—This scale insect is also apparently a native of the United States, and seems to have been also originally found by the late Dr. 8S. 8. Rathvon at Lancaster, Pa. He, however, while calling attention to the fact that there are probably two species of Pulvinaria to be found upon the maple tree, one of them occasionally being found upon the leaves, did not decide to establish any specific distinction between them. In Volume I of the American Entomologist, however, Riley and Walsh, on page 14, figured a Pulvinaria upon a maple leaf received from B. W. McLean, of Indiana, to which they gave the name Lecanium acericola. This was considered by later writers, namely, J. Duncan Putnam aud Emily A. Smith, to be synonymous with the Pulvinaria innumerabilis of Rathvon, and it was not until the writer in Bulletin No. 17, new series, of this Division, pages 57-58, called attention to the excellence of this figure and to the distinction between the insect represented and that he reared from it several brilliant green parasites. Examining the type speci- mens of Fitch’s Lecanium ribis, now in the possession of the United States Department of Agriculture, Mr. Pergande found that the scales had disappeared, but that the small bunch of Eunotus cocoons was attached to the twig in such a position that they were under the original scale. The minute perforations in these cocoons showed that the parasite mentioned by Fitch was a secondary parasite, probably of the genus Tetrastichus, _—- 2 a a SE 5 HNN RI RNs 55.4 paneer ut the true Pulvinaria innumerabilis, that its validity as a species was established. Although Walsh and Riley submitted no description, the figure is so characteristic as, under the accepted rules of zoological nomenclature, to carry the name. The same insect is said by Walsh and Riley to occur at| Davenport, Jowa, on the authority of Mr. Tiffany; and it has been received at this office from Prof. Hunter Nicholson, of Knoxville, Tenn., Mr. R. H. Pettit, of Michigan Agricultural College, who found it at Ithaca, N. Y., and from Mr, E. R. Malone, who found it abundant and injurious at Fic. 11.—Pulvinaria aeericola:: a, egg; b, newly-hatched larva; c, antenna of same; d, female larva, early spring condition, from below; /, full-grown male larva; g, adult male: h, tarsus of same—all gre ily enlarged; c and h still more enlarged (original). Doi. an, Ala. The writer also has been told by Dr. J. B. Smith that it oceurs at New Brunswick, N. J. It also has been found in the east- ern section of the city of Washington, D. C., by Mr. Busck, of this office. The species, therefore, has rather a wide range in the United States. : Food plants.—The only tree upon which the species has so far been fou: 1 is the common silver-leaf maple, now known as Acer saccharimum. For purposes of study the insect was colonized in June, 1898, on some fore xn maples on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture, Acer 11608—No, 22-2 18 platanoides, A. pseudo-platanus, and A. palmatum. They developed gradually upon these trees, but died out in the course of the year, which would seem to indicate that under ordinary circumstances the species will not thrive on any of these maples. Habits and life history.—Occurring, as this insect does, exclusively upon the leaves of the maple during the summer time, it is necessary for its existence that it should vary in its habits and life periods from the species which we have just studied; in other words, there must be a migration in the autumn from the leaves to the twigs before the leaves fall, and there must be areturn migration in the spring or early summer from the twigs to the leaves. In the case of Pulvinaria innumerabilis, only the one migration seems to be necessary, and that is only a partial migration, namely, from the leaves to the twigs inthe autumn. Itis only partial for the fact that many of the young settle and develop upon young twigs of the present year’s growth. In his announcement of the validity of the Walsh- Riley species in Fig. 12.—Pulvinaria eomeete a, larva of third stage—early hibernating female—with tarsus and antenna at right; 6, larve of third stage on lower side of ieaf, before migrating to twigs; 6, enlarged ; a, greatly enlarged, with tarsus and antenna still more enlarged (original). Bulletin No. 17, new series, of this Division, the writer announced that he had the species under daily observation at Washington, and expected at an early date to publish its full life history. This statement was made in August, 1898, and from that time down to October, 1899, the species was under almost constant observation. Full notes on the life history, including descriptions of the different stages, have been made under the writer’s direction largely by Mr. T. Pergande, and also by Mr. D. W. Coquillett, with occasional assistance from Mr. A. Buseck; and from these notes and the writer’s observations, the following summary of the life history of the insect is drawn up: Eggs from specimens received from Knoxville, Tenn., began to hatch the end of June, 1898. Eggs from specimens received from Dothan, Ala., in 1899 began to hatch May 27. Eggs received from Knoxville, Tenn., June 6, 1899, were still unhateched. In Washington the secretion of the egg sac and the depositing of eggs in the mass of wax and fibers 19 composing the sac began late in May and continued gradually until nearly the middle of June. Larve began to hatch on June 13. The newly hatehed larve are of a very pale yellowish color, with median line slightly brownish, and the eyes dark purple. The antenne are six-jointed, joints 3 and 6 longest and subequal in length, 4 and.5 also subequal and together about as long as joint 3; the two basal joints are also subequal, each about as long as joints 4 and 5, the first joint being stoutest. There is a bristle near the apex at the inner side of joints 3 to 5, and several at both sides and apex of the sixth joint. The digitules of the tarsi are extremely fine; those of the claws stouter and shorter; and all are capitate. Anal bristles are long and curved. The surface of the body is densely rugose, especially toward the sides; and the edge of the body is closely and sharply serrate. On July 31 the larvee commenced to cast their first Pe thee skin. They were still of a very pale yellowish white acericola: male color and almost transparent, though a very few speci- ae aes inens were marked near each end of the body with a Z ae pale purplish spot. In other respects they resembled the larve of the first stage except that they were a little longer and broader. The antenne were still six-jointed, though somewhat longer than before; legs and their digitules as before; the bristles around the edge of the body were somewhat longer than in the first stage, but the anal ones were much shorter and but slightly longer than the others; all were situated on small cylindrical tuber- cles which, however, were slightly enlarged at the apex. The growth from this time was very slow, and not until October was the second skin cast in the year of 1899. In 1898, however, a few larve of this third stage were observed as early as July 26. In 1899, many by October 15 had already left the leaves and had set- tled on the twigs. They were of a pale brownish yellow color, some- Fig. 14.—Pulvinaria acericola: late hibernating what darker along the medio-dorsal female, greatly enlarged; natural size on twig ridge, and were characteristically eae marked with a large reddish, almost crimson, medio-dorsal spot on the prothoracic segment, and a similar spot just in front of the anal cleft. The eyes were minute and black. They were nearly twice as large-as before, and at this time the sexes On an eee eg? 2 = 20 could not be distinguished. As seen under the microscope the dorsal surface was finely granulate, with numerous transparent spots around the anal region and a row of seven or eight spots each side of the median ridge between the two reddish spots. The an- tenne were now seven- jointed and gradually tapered toward the end, the third joint being somewhat the longest, joints 4 and 7 next, and subequal in length, and 5 and 6 shortest, nearly of equal length and together being a little Fic. 15.—Pulvinaria acericola: a, a full-grown fertilized female. longer than the seventh. seen from above, in May before the secretion of the egg sac; Joints 4 to 6, each had a b, same from side—greatly enlarged (original). bristle- bearing notch, and the seventh had apparently three such notches on each side. The tarsal digitules were long, slender, and of equal length, while those of the claws were of unequal length; the shorter oue was very stout, curved upward, and the other one was fine, almost straight and capitate, as were \ | FA = those of the tarsus. Zz . EE The hairs around the ay ‘ = margin of the body a seemed more numer- Zz ¢ ZZ ous. By October 21 WA most of the larve had settled on the trunk Z and branches for hi- ; ZB bernation. Be = In October, 1898, the distinction be- tween the males and females could be ob- served. The females ie. 16.—Pulvineria acericola : a, full-grown female, from above, just were more broadly loaues to secrete egg sac; b, same from side—greatly enlarged (original). oval than the males, though all were very similar in coloration, possessing the large reddish spots just described. The antenne of both were 7-jointed, though rela- 21 tively much shorter than in P. innumerabilis. About the time when the migration to the twigs began, late in October, the great majority of the larvie were found on the underside of leaves, mostly along the ribs. A large number were also found on adjoining twigs, generally in and around the forks, in excresences, or near buds or other projections. At this time they run about quite actively in search of suitable places for hibernation. At this time is noticeable the delicate layer of waxy secretion which gives the insect a somewhat grayish appearance. This secretion is more or less distinctly broken up so as to form a series of waxy plates. On November 1, 1898, practically all of the larvze had settled for hibernation. Upon one branch about 18 inches long 150 larve were counted. They were most numerous on twigs and branches from one- eighth to one-fourth of an inch in diameter. None had appreciably increased in size, but their color was considerably darker and more Fie. 17.—Pulvinaria acericola: a, full-grown female, from above, on leaf, with 24 hours’ secretion of egg sac; b, same, with egg sac completed, from side; c, same, from above—enlarged (original). dingy looking, harmonizing quite well with the coloration of the bark. This change in color seems to be due to the waxy secretion, which serves aS a winter covering and also aS a means of concealment.- So close does this resemblance in color to the bark become that to the naked eye a twig thickly covered with the insects seems simply blis- tered or pustulate. In December the conditions had changed but slightly. The larvee were of a dingy, yellowish gray color, more or less spotted with purple, except the mediodorsal ridge, which was entirely yellowish. The whole surface was rather rough and covered each side with three more or less distinct rows of round or squarish scales of waxy secretion, looking like tortoise shell. On March 31 there had been practically no change. By the 8th of April, on potted trees, were found both males and females. The largest females were about 3"™ in length by 1.8"™ in diameter. They were dark purple in coloration, with the median 15418 2 22 ridge yellow, and were still provided on each side of the ridge with three to five rows of roundish, more or less projecting masses of white waxy secretion. The male insect was about 2.4™ by 0.8™™ in diameter, and of the usual Lecanium shape. It was purplish brown and covered with a transparent layer of waxy secretion which was divided into three sections. The anterior and posterior sections were each about one-fourth of the length of the body, and the median sections about one- half of the length of the entire body. This median section was bordered at each side by a row of more or less confluent, squarish, white, flat, waxy scales. The general appearance is well indicated by fig. 11. By April 22 the first male had transformed to a pupa, as shown in fig. 13. The color of the pupa is reddish brown, darkest dorsally, with the wing pads, legs, and antennze paler; the anterior legs are directed forward and curved around the head; the others lie close to the body and are directed backward; the median pair reach to the fourth abdominal segment, and the posterior to near the end of the body. The wing pads reached slightly beyond the posterior margin of the second abdominal segment. The style is short and stout, and with a pointed lobe on each side. There is a small patch of woolly secretion externally near the cox of the anterior and median legs. The length of the pupais 1.6™™. By April 28 the anal filaments of the male had begun to protrude, and by May 1 the adult had emerged. On May 18 large females with swollen bodies, indicating that impregnation had taken place, were found. They were 5.5™™ in length by 3.5™™" in diameter and 2™™ high. They were of a dark purplish color, with a brownish- yellow mediodorsal stripe, ornamented on each side with three rows of small waxy scales or points, presenting the appearance as indicated in fig. 15. On May 22, females began to move from the young branches out upon the twigs, and on May 23 one had reached the under side of a leaf and had commenced to form its ovisac. In the course of twenty- four hours the extruded white wax, forming nearly a complete circle about the insect, longer toward the anal end, had reached a width of about 1’™. Forty-eight hours later it had reached a length of 5™" and was distinctly divided from the first secretion by a deeply impressed line. The first wax extruded contained no eggs, but the real ovisac, comprising the last 4™™ extruded, was full of eggs. The true ovisac has numerous transverse ridges which are divided lengthwise by two deep grooves. As the ovisac increased, the body of the female was tilted up more and more and became more shrunken in size. At the end of the third day the body had shrunken to a size a little more than half of its former dimensions, the abdomen having contracted into four transverse folds; the color had become lighter than at the beginning of the migration, and the extreine margin was pale yellowish. After two weeks the ovisac had become 10™™" long by nearly 5™™ broad, 23 tapering gradually toward the anterior end and presenting the appear- ence shown at fig. 17. It was composed of four strongly rounded longitudinal ridges. On June 13 the larve began to hatch, and thus we have the life round completed. Summarized, then, the life history is as follows: The eggs hatch in June from the ovisae of the females attached generally to the under surface of the leaf. The larvee cast two skins, and in the autumn—late in October—craw! to the twigs, where they hibernate. In the spring they begin to grow. The males issue in May, fertilize the females, which toward the end of May migrate to the leaves, extrude their ovisae filled with eggs, from which the young begin to hatch in June once more. There is probably a spring moult of the larvee, but this was not observed. In none of the occurrences which we have noted above, except in the one at Dothan, Ala., has the insect been so numerous as to cause much damage. Mr. Malone stated in his letter of May 25, 1899, that one of his trees was in places literally covered with the insect, which had caused a number of twigs and smaller side limbs to die. Natural enemies.—The only enemy observed in Washington is one of the ladybird beetles (Hyperaspis signata Oliv.), which was received in the larval condition from Knoxville, Tenn., feeding on the scale. From the specimens of this scale collected by Mr. Pettit at Ithaca, N. Y., in 1893, he reared six parasites, which were sent to the writer for determination. They proved to be Chalcidids (Aphycus hederaceus Westw., Aphycus flavus How., Coccophagus fraternus How., Pachyneuron altiscuta How., and Chiloneurus albicornis How.) and a small fly (Leu- copis nigricornis Egger). The same Coccinellid (Hyperaspis signata Oliv.) was also reared by Mr. Pettit. Remedies.—There is always a chance that it may be desirable to use some remedial treatment against this insect, as at any time it is liable to increase in numbers and become more or less destructive. A strong whale-oil-soap wash during the winter will undoubtedly kill the hiber- nating individuals, and any treatment which will cause a premature falling of the leaves will be efficient as greatly reducing the numbers of the insect. The use of its leaves to a tree is practically completed some little time before the leaves really fall, and therefore knocking them off with a strong stream of water, or spraying with a strong _kerosene-soap emulsion which may even kill the leaves, will do no harm at this time and will kill the insects. 24 . THE INSECTS TO WHICH THE NAME « KISSING-BUG” BECAME APPLIED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1899. _ By L. O, Howarp. In a paper read before the Zoological Section of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science! the writer gave some account of the so called “kissing-bug” craze, which, originating in the city of Washington, in June, 1899, spread over almost the entire United States, and which, encouraged by the newspapers, resulted in one of the most interesting cases of widespread. popular alarm arising from a comparatively insignificant cause which has occurred in the present scientific and matter-of-fact century. While very many different insects have been brought to entomolo- gists as undoubted specimens of the kissing-bug, including a large number of perfectly harmless forms, several species of heteropterous insects, each one of which is capable of inflicting a more or less severe wound with its beak, have helped to authenticate the scare, and it seems true that two of them, namely, Melanolestes picipes and Reduvius personatus, have been more abundant than usual this year, at least around Washington. They have been captured in a number of instances while biting people, and one or the other of them is undoubtedly responsible for the original cases in the Emergency Hospital at Washington, which gave rise to the first newspaper stories. | The writer has thought it advisable to bring Fic. 18.—Reduvius (Opsicetesy) together an account of six of the most prominent personatus: About twice nat- ural size (original). of these bugs, which with greater or less fre- quency pierce the skin of human beings, and to illustrate them, as a matter of record. Opsicetes personatus, also known as Reduvius personatus (fig. 18), and which has been termed the *‘cannibal bug,” is an European species introduced into this country at some unknown date, but possibly follow- ing close in the wake of the bedbug. In Europe this species haunts houses for the purpose of preying upon bedbugs. Riley in his well- known article on “ Poisonous insects,” published in Wood’s Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences, states that if a fly or another insect is offered to the cannibal bug it is first touched with the antenne, a sud- den spring follows, and at the same time the beak is thrust into the prey. The young specimens are covered with a glutinous substance to which bits of dirt and dust adhere. They move deliberately, with a long pause between each step, the step being taken in a jerky manner. The distribution of the species as given by Reuter in his Monograph of the Genus Reduvius is: Europe to the middle of Sweden, Caucasia, 1 Published in the Popular Science Monthly for November, 1899. 25 Asia Minor, Algeria, Madeira; North America—Canada, New York, Philadelphia, Indiana; Tasmania; Australia; from which it appears that the insect is already practically cosmopolitan, and in fact may almost be termed a household insect. The collections of the U. S. National Museum and of Messrs. Heidemann and Chittenden, of Washington, D. C., indicate the following localities for this species: Locust Hill, Va.; Washington, D. C.; Baltimore, Md.; Ithaca, N. Y.; Cleveland, Ohio; Keokuk, Iowa. The bite of this species is said to be very painful, more so than the sting of a bee, and to be followed by numbness (Lintner). One of the eases brought to the writer’s attention this summer was that of a Swede servant girl, in which the insect was caught, where the sting was upon the neck and was followed by considerable swelling. LeConte, in describing an insect of this species under the synonymical name Reduvius pungens, gives Georgia as the locality, and makes the follow- ing statement: ‘‘ This species is remarkable for the intense pain caused ‘by its bite. I do not know whether it ever willingly plunges its ros- trum into any person, but when caught or unskillfully handled it always stings. In this case the pain is almost equal to that of the bite of a snake, and the swelling and irritation which result from it will sometimes last for a week. In very weak and irritable constitu- tions it may even prove fatal.” (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Vol. VII, p. 404, 1854-55.) The second eastern species is Melanolestes picipes. This and the closely allied and possibly identical 1. abdominalis (fig. 19) are not rare in the United States and have been found all through the Atlantic States, in the West and South, and also in Mexico. They hide under- neath stones and logs and run swiftly. Both sexes of M. picipes in the adult are fully winged, but the female of M. abdominalis (fig. 19) is usually found in the short-winged condition. Prof. P. R. Uhler writes (in litt.): ‘¢ Welanolestes abdominalis is not rare in this section (Balti- more), but the winged female is a great rarity. At the present time I _ have not a specimen of the winged female in my collection. I have seen specimens from the South, North Carolina and Florida, but I do not remember one from Maryland. | am satisfied that I. picipes is distinct from M. abdominalis. I have not known the two species to unite sexually, but I have seen them both united to their proper con- sorts. Both species are sometimes found under the same flat stone or log and they both hibernate in our valleys beneath stones and rubbish in loamy soils.” Specimensin Washington collections show the follow- ing localities for M. «bdominalis: Baltimore, Md., Washington, D. C., Wilmington, Del., New Jersey, Long Isiand, Fort Bliss, Tex., Louisiana, and Keokuk, Iowa.; and for M. picipes: Washington, D. C., Rosslyn, Va., Baltimore, Md., Derby, Conn., Long Island, a series labeled New Jersey, Wilmington, Del., Keokuk, Iowa, Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisiana, Jackson, Miss., Barton County, Mo., Fort Bliss, Tex., San Antonio, Tex., Crescent City, Fla., and Holland, 8, C. 26 This insect has been mentioned several times in entomologieal litera- ture. The first reference to its bite was probably made by Townend Glover in the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1875,-page 130. In Maryland, he states, M/. picipes is found under stones, moss, logs of wood, etc., and is capable of inflicting a severe wound with its rostrum or piercer. In 1888 Dr. Lintner, in his fourth report as State entomologist of New York, page 110, quotes from a corre- spondent in Natchez, Miss., concern ing this insect: ‘ rend ‘ 5 r Be er ae en oe Pe ——- 69 EXPERIMENTS WITH HYDROCYANIC-ACID GAS AS A MEANS OF EXTERMINATING MEALY BUGS AND OTHER INSECT PESTS IN GREENHOUSES. ' By H. D. HEMENWAyY, Amherst, Mass. THE USUAL METHOD. Hydrocyanic-acid gas has been known and used in the West for fumi- gation of nursery stock and trees infested with scale since its introdue- tion by the Division of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture in 1886. We have no record of its being used in green- houses until 1895, when, under the direction of Messrs. Woods and Dorsett, of the Department, it was used successfully on ferns, coleus, and in violet houses for the destruction of scales, mealy bugs, and aphides or plant-lice.2 It has been used to a limited extent since that time, but not, as a rule, in fumigating greenhouse stock in general. For many years in the large greenhouses connected with the Mas- sachusetts Agricultural College, great expense has been incurred in destroying mealy bugs and scale insects on the vines, palms, orange trees, acacias, etc., and after a thorough trial of fir-tree oil, lemon oil, and other insecticides, many of which proved of some value, but were not wholly satisfactory, it was decided to try hydrocyanic-acid gas, the most powerful insecticide known. As the common mealy bugs known in every old greenhouse are very prolific breeders, each female averag- ing 400 eggs, and with a prospect of a new generation every six weeks, it became apparent that if we wished to keep plants in good condition we must exercise constant vigilance or occasionally resort to some heroic measure. After several preliminary experiments with some of the more deli- cate plants in a wooden box the stove and cactus rooms were fumigated at the same time, the connecting doors between the two rooms having been opened. Many of the cacti were infested with the common cactus scale (Diaspis cacti), while in the stove room all through the twining vines was to be seen the flocculent network of white, waxy threads pro- tecting the eggs and young mealy bugs. 'The manuscript of this paper was submitted to the Division of Vegetable Physi- ology and Pathology of this Department and kindly examined by Messrs. Galloway, Woods, and Dorsett, all practical violet growers and the perfecters of the hydrocy- anic-acid gas method as far as it relates to the treatment of insects in greenhouses, They point out that while the results obtained by Mr. Hemenway may hold good for the conditions under which the trials were made, they will not necessarily do so in a different environment, since it has been found in practice that a certain kind of plant will be injured at one time in one section of the country and will show no signs of injury at another time in the same section or in some other locality. In other words, it would not be safe to use the gas on the same varieties of plants in other sections on the evidence furnished by these experiments.—ED. 2 Circular No. 37, Division of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 70 The materials used in fumigating were as follows: TRIAL I. A Amount | Cubic feet | potassium | Sulphuric | ,. space. cyanide Water. acide Time. Result. Date. used. | Oz. | Oz. Oz. | Min. Cactus room....| 7, 076.25 | 140 40 70 30 | Noinjary...| Nov. 9, 1897 Stove room..... l VASiyball 40 | 40 70 | Seal esas Gites 198 to 99 per cent pure. Ordinary glazed earthen jars, holding 2 gallons each, were first placed in position. The potassium cyanide (40 ozs.) for each room was tied in double thickness of paper and suspended by means of a string playing over a support directly over the jars. This string was held by an attendant at the door. The water was put into the jars and then the acid. The cyanide was then lowered into the jars, the door being immediately closed. The room remained closed for thirty minutes and then the ventilators, which had been previously prepared, were opened from the outside. The temperature of the house was about 60° F. The conditions of the weather were perfect for such a test, as it was raining, the water filling the cracks in the house, and thus preventing the escape of the gas. It was also warm outside, so the house was not cooled too low while the ventilators were open, and it was perfectly dark. The ventilators were left open for over an hour and then closed for the night. Kesults.—The room contained many different kinds of cacti, begonias in variety, passifloras, allamandas, bananas in fruit, ferns, palms, and a large variety of general stove plants. Not only were the mealy bugs, scales, and aphides destroyed, but a large per cent of the sow-bugs were found dead on the walks and under the moss which carpets the floor of the solid bed in the stove room. Even the earthworms on the surface of the soil under the moss were dead. After this many experiments were made with different plants and insects put in a glass box containing about 42 cu. ft. of space; also several practical tests were made in the greenhouse’ (see table). | TRIAL II. This was in a house containing 22,729 cu. ft. of space, using 1 oz. potas- sium cyanide to every 285 cu. ft., with 13 oz. sulphurie acid and 1 oz. of water. This house contained carnations, smilax, violets, coleus, chrys- anthemums, small lettuce, cuttings, and small plants of bedded stock. It was infested with the common mealy bugs (Dactylopius destructor), green fly, and the white-tailed mealy bugs (Orthezia insignis). It was fumigated for 30 minutes upon a cloudy morning, yet in daylight. The ‘It is to be regretted that no notes were kept on the effect of this treatment on the plants.—L. oO. I. el insects were mostly killed, but some of the plants were badly ifjured. This was especially true in case of the smilax, the upper leaves of the carnations, and the lettuce. Much of the latter, which was very small and in full light, was killed, while some that was shaded showed much less injury. The smilax and carnations recovered in time, but received a severe check. As will be seen later, smilax and more delicate plants have been subjected to double the strength of gas in darkness without injury. EXPERIMENT I. Conditions.—Made Novy. 27, 1897, in sunlight, in a glass box contain- ing nearly 42 cu. ft. The following proportions were used: 2.1 grams (1 oz. cyanide of potassium to 570 ft.) of potassium cyanide, liberated with 2.1°° water and 2.1°¢ sulphuric acid; temperature of box, 63° F.; plants treated were Asparagus plumosus, veronicas, roses, cinerarias, begonias, and chrysanthemums; the insects upon these plants were mealy bug, ‘‘ green fly,” scale, and Fuller’s rose beetle(Aramigus fuller) ; there were 2 plants each of smilax and roses, one sprinkled with water, the other dry. The box was closed for 30 minutes. © Results.—Some of the green flies commenced to drop in three minutes. There was no apparent injury at close of fumigation, but December 2 nearly all plants showed some injury. Most of the insects were killed, but the rose beetles were not much injured. EXPERIMENT II. Conditions.—Made November 27, 1897, in same glass box; in dark- ness; potassium cyanide used, | oz. to 285 cu. ft., with same proportions of acid and water as before; temperature 55° F.; time fumigated, 25 minutes; plants used: 2 genistas, 2 cupheas, 2 veronicas, and 2 coleus; insects: mealy bug, green fly, white-tailed mealy bug, scales (Aspidiotus rapax and A, ficus). Results —AI] insects dead; no injury to any of the plants. A com- parison of these two experiments shows that the first lot treated in sunlight were all injured while those treated in darkness with double the strength of hydrocyanic acid gas were uninjured. EXPERIMENT III. Conditions. —Made November 28; glass box; dark; potassium cyan- ide used, 1 oz. to 190 cu. ft., with 1 oz. water and 12 0z. sulphuric acid (see table); temperature, 47° I’.; time fumigated, 20 minutes; plants: calla, ferns, cineraria, genista, cuphea, camphor tree; insects: scale, rose beetles, mealy bug, and aphis. Results.—All insects excepting rose beetles killed; no plants injured. EXPERIMENT IV. Conditions.—Made November 29, 1897; glass box; darkness; potas- sium cyanide and conditions same as in No. III (see table); time fumigated, 20 minutes. In this experiment an attempt was made to watch the effects on Fuller’s rose beetle. 72 Results.—In 54 minutes after fumigation commenced beetles on the plants dropped, and those on the surface rolled over and drew them- selves together, apparently dead. About one hour after fumigation they all recovered. EXPERIMENT V. Conditions.—Glass box; darkness; same as above except that time of exposure was 25 minutes. Results.—Same as in No. IV. EXPERIMENT VI. Conditions.—Made November 29, 1897; darkness; 1 oz. potassium cyanide, 1 oz. water, 12 oz. acid to 142 cu. ft. (see table); plants: cine- rarias (1 sprinkled with water, 1 dry), smilax (1 sprinkled, 1 dry), ferns; insects: rose beetles; time, 20 minutes. Results.—Plants not at all injured; nearly all beetles killed. To destroy the rose beetle it will probably be better to use less strength of gas and place sheets of paper or canvas beneath the plant infested, than to use the larger percentage of cyanide, as they are sure to drop off when the house is fumigated with sufficient strength of the gas to kill mealy bugs. They can then be gathered up and destroyed. TRIAL III. Conditions.—Date, November 27, 1897; place, rose room; 1 oz. potas- sium cyanide, 1? oz. acid, and 1 oz. water to 570 cu. ft.; room contained only roses, the new shoots being covered with green fly; length of time fumigated 25 minutes (see table). Results.—All aphides were killed, but the tender buds and leaves of the plants were injured. TRIAL Iv. Conditions.—lime, November 29, 1897; place, octagon room; 1 oz. potassium cyanide, 1 oz. water, 1 oz. sulphurie acid to 175 cu. ft. (see table). In this room, containing 25,689 cu. ft. of space, three jars were used with 49 oz. of cyanide to each jar. In this room was a large number of tropical plants, trees, and ferns. It was very badly infested with mealy bugs and scale, beetles, and aphides. Results—Very satisfactory; many of the beetles dropped on the walk and died. The only injury noted on December 20 was on the climbing Perle des Jardins rose, but this was not serious. The tree fern, which wasvery badly infested with mealy bugs, has sent out several new fronds. The manettia vine, which had its growth checked by mealy © bugs, now has long growing shoots and is covered with blossoms. In fact, all the plants in this room have made new and decided growth. TRIAL V. Conditions.—Place, camellia room; 1 oz. potassium cyanide, 2 oz. water, and 1 oz. sulphuric acid to 190 cu. ft. (see table); insects 13 present were aphis, mealy bug, white-tailed mealy bug, scale insects. In this room was a collection of cool-house plants. ) o Bs > | Cretan f= NL OY Feet SE SaaS PSS lle Fal rs bm | & | & ml, ta Meal mnie et | eR Pe = (I 5 a A A One = fan) < ya 4 = na 4 HK | a A Days.| Days.|Days.|Days.| Days. ERADICATION. Efficient methods for destroying insect pests are fully as important as careful work in inspection. The pest which has given the most trouble is the red scale; other scale pests have either never gotten a foothold or else have been checked by parasites or natural causes. The hydrocyanic-acid gas treatment is the one that has been generally used on citrus trees, and it has been almost uniformly successful. 86 Previous to June, 1897, the work of eradication was under the con- trol of persons not connected with the horticultural commission, and, consequently, there was not the system and promptness so essential in work of this kind. The new horticultural law, which took effect April, 1897, provided that owners or agents of pest-infested trees or premises be given notice as follows: NOTICE. No. To ; Tesidence You are hereby notitied that the undersigned, horticnltural commissioner of the county of Riverside, State of California, has caused an inspection to be made of your orchard and the trees thereon, located at , in said county. That said examination was made on the day of -, 189—, and that upon said examination of your said orchard trees wee found to be infested with injurious to fruit and fruit trees. You are therefore notified that your said orchard and trees are infested with said injurious to fruit and fruit trees, and you are hereby required to eradicate or destroy the said scale insects and other pests and their eggs and larve, within days of the time of the service on you of this notice. Dated this day of , 189—. 3 Horticuliural commissioner as aforesaid, quarantine guardian in and for the county of Riverside at large. Notice served by , horticultural inspector. The law further provides that in case said owners, etc., do not eradi- cate the pests, it is the duty of the horticultural commissioners to at once proceed to abate and eradicate said pests. This made it necessary for the horticultural commissioners to be provided with the required outfit for the business. The commissioners therefore had the following form of contract prepared, secured the signature of the owners of infested property, and went into the fumigating business. FORM OF CONTRACT. STATE OF CALIFORNIA, County of Riverside, ss: I hereby waive the within notice, and all notice and service thereof, and consent that the horticultural commissioner may proceed at once without further notice or any notice and eradicate and destroy the scale insects and other pests and their eggs and larve with which my orchard and trees are infested, at my expense. aS The work is done at actual cost, but 10 per cent is added to cover repairs and to replace the outfit when it wears out. Below is given the cost and number of trees fumigated since June (Pa ke (- pee Number Year Eee. | Total cost... ec’ OR cy GR i a CRE Mo Ch a Oe a 4.720 | $4,153.60 fe AGB A See ey ee 5, 888 5, 299. 20 1899.23 eee 1,637 | 1,474. 87 An examination of the above figures discloses a phenomenal decrease in the number of pests since 1898. A comparison of records shows that 28 orchards of a total acreage of 345 acres had 1,609 trees found infested with red scale and fumigated in 1898. The same orchards at the 1899 inspection turned out only 433 infested trees. Also 38 orchards, containing 460 acres, had 2,134 infested trees in 1898 and 633 in 1899, In all of these 3,734 trees fumigated in these 66 orchards con- taining 805 acres, not a single one but was cleaned and the pests destroyed by the fumigation of 1898. Every one of the 1,066 trees found this year were new ones that had never shown infection before. These orchards referred to are in the oldest section of the River- side orange district, and the trees, which are seedlings, are mostly over twenty-five years old, and the red scale was established in them when the horticultural commission was established in 1889. The records of the commission show this to be the smallest number of infested trees ever found at any inspection of these groves since the records began, which was April, 1895. | QUARANTINE. The quarantine work is regarded as the most efficient part of the service. The pests kept out do no harm. In this part of the work is included the inspection of all nursery stock grown in the district and the inspection and treatment of all nursery stock and fruit brought in; also the inspection of fruit-packing houses, and attention to all of the methods whereby pests might be carried from one locality to another orchard or locality. So efficient has this work been that no insect pests have been brought into Riverside and become established since the horticultural commission was established; and this, too, in the face of the fact that in 1890, 1891, and 1892 more than 200 carloads of orange nursery stock was brought to this place from Florida and set out. A very large proportion of the navel orange orchards was planted with this stock. There was hardly a tree among all of the hundreds of thousands that was not infested with dangerous pests, and many of them were covered with purple scale. The worst infested trees were burned, and the rest dipped in a strong whale-oil soap and kerosene solution and the insects scrubbed off with stiff bristle brushes. A tree was never allowed to be taken away as long as there was any possibility of there being pests on it. Similar vigilance has been observed ever since, and the results have more than justified the care- fulness of the commission. The law requires all persons bringing in or receiving nursery stock to notify the horticultural commissioner or local inspector within twenty-four hours of the time of their arrival. The railway and express agents also refuse to deliver such goods except to the horticultural officers. All shipments of nursery goods are inspected before delivery to the owners, no matter whose certificate accompanies them, for experience has amply convinced the commission that it can not afford to take any 88 chances whatever, but must be governed by the condition of the nursery stock in every case. In innumerable cases the accompanying certificate gave the stock a clean bill of health, when acareful examination would reveal the presence of dangerous pests. Sometimes it would be root borers, aS in the case of Japanese orange stock, which passed the State quarantine officer’s hands. The commission regards it as a mat- ter of the utmost importance that the inspection of nursery stock should by all means be done at destination of goods, no matter where else they may have been examined. In no other way can the matter be brought home to every community and made a local one, which itis in a very large measure. In addition to the nursery stock work, both that coming in and that being shipped out, the fruit-packing houses are watched and all infested fruit condemned and destroyed; also the orchard it came from is traced and inspected and the infested trees fumigated as soon as possible. The fruit packers are not allowed to take boxes, ladders, etec., from infested groves to those known to be free of pests. In these matters the commission has the hearty cooperation of both packers and growers. CONCLUSION. The system has grown up with the magnitude of the work. Changes and improvements have been made by each of the commissioners who have had it incharge. The law has been changed in some respects; public opinion, which has always been strongly in favor of the work, is now unanimously for it; the courts have lately upheld the law, and the commission looks forward in expectation that Riverside will con- tinue to be, as it now is, not onky the largest compact area of citrus groves in the world, but the cleanest of insect pests as well. NOTES ON A BRIEF TRIP TO PUERTO RICO IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1899. By A. Busck, Assistant. Str: December 11, 1898, in accordance with your instructions of December 10, 1898, I proceeded to Norfolk, Va., and joined the United States Fish Commission expedition on the U.S.S. Fish Hawk for Puerto Rico. My instructions read as follows: (1) “ Make as complete a col- lection as possible of the scale insects of the island, making an especial effort to secure their parasites; (2) to collect and learn as much as possible about other insects in all orders, especially those injurious to agriculture.” The results of the trip were the collection of between 800 and 900 species of insects, together with many spiders and myriapods, most of which have already been determined. It is the object of the writer, however, 1n this brief report to give simply a summary account of the journey, with mention of such injurious insects as he could collect or learn about. He has appended a list pf Coccidie which he collected and which have been named by Messrs. Pergande and Cockerell. -_ 89 Stopping on the way at Charleston, 8. C., Tybee Island, Georgia, and Nassau, BaLama Islands, I used the limited time at each place to col- lect. J arrived at San Juan, P. k., January 2, 1899, and worked from there on the northern part of the island as far inland as Caguas and Bayamon. January 17 the Fish Hawk took me to Aguadilla, on the northwest corner of the island, and leaving the steamer I worked on foot and by rail south to Mayaguez and, after a few days, north and west inland on horseback over Anasca, San Sebastian, Lares, Utuado, and south to Adjunctas and Ponce, stopping at each place a few days. From Ponce I again took the Fish Hawk, February 2, to Arroyo, in the southeast corner of the island. After a few days’ work from this point inland as far as Guayama I remained on the steamer on its coaling trip to Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies, and stopped on the way back sev- eral days on the two American islands, Viegues and Culebra. I landed February 13 on the east coast of Puertc Rico and worked over Humacao, Fajardo, El] Yunque, and Carolina back to San Juan and joined the steamer there for the home trip, February 22, via Key West, reaching Norfolk, Va., March 8, and Washington, D. C., the next morning. Of insects injurious to the sugar cane in the field were especially noted the common lepidopterous borer in the stalk, Diatrea saccharalis; Sphenophorus sexguttatus Drury, also boring in the stalks; alamellicorn larva common and destructive to the roots, and a mealy bug, Dactylo- pius sacchari Ckll. The first of these was in some localities quite bad, nearly every cane containing several specimens, but no intentional remedy is undertaken. The annual cutting and crushing the cane with all living larve and pup: naturally keeps the pest in check, but the remaining roots and single canes always contain enough individ- uals to infest the next year’s growth. The coffee plantations seemed remarkably free from serious insect pests. Of scale insects only Lecanium hemisphericum was found, and that very sparingly, and mostly killed by a parasitic fungus. ‘The coffee leaf-miner, Leucoptera (Cemiostoma) coffeella, was very abundant, the empty larval mines being often found three or four on nearly every leaf, giving the trees a brown, withered aspect; but this did not seem to injure the trees seriously, at least no attention was paid to the insects by the growers. I was told several times about depredations of a snout beetle, which at times does so much damage to ‘the leaves, young shoots, flowers, and berries” as to kill the trees, and estate holders pay a premium for each bushel collected and destroyed, but during the dry season, when I was there, neither beetle nor damage was visible. In the tobacco fields, among other insects met with, were the tobacco Sphinx, Protoparce carolina, both in larval and adult stage, and the tobacco “split worm,” Gelechia solanella,' which are also tobacco enemies in the United States. 1Not hitherto recorded from the West Indies. 90 Here I met with the only trace of applied economic entomology that I found on the island; it was directed against the very abundant and very destructive “shanga,” a mole cricket, Gryllotulpa hexadactyla (named for me by Dr. Stall in Bayamon, who told me that it is a com- paratively new insect in Puerto Rico, having been introduced within his recollection). This insect is one of the first which draws the atten- tion of an entomologist, first,on account of its size and abundance, and because it flies to light, and becomes a nuisance in houses, second, because it seems to be the only insect kuown to be injurious, in the minds of most people in Puerto Rico. When asked abcut ‘ insectos,” they may mention ‘“‘ Mariposas” and ‘‘esperanza,” but first and last “el changa,’ which is invariably pronou: ced *‘mucho malo” (colloquial for muy malo, very bad). The protection against this insect consists in the use of the large, smooth leaves of ‘** mammee” (JI. americana?), which are placed one around each plant edgewise, like a cylinder, down about an inch in the ground. I have seen thousands of young plants of tobacco or vegetables thus protected, the leaves being placed around the plants when they are set out in the field from the seed bed. It is a tedious way, but seems to give good results, probably merely as a mechanical fence, which the mole cricket does not dig under or through; in which case cheap tin cylinders 5 inches high and 33 inches in diameter, made wholesale, would be a practical substitute; it is possible, though, that the mammee leaves may be disagreeable to the insects. Among the insects injurious to small vegetables Spartocera fusca was especially abundant and noxious, sucking the stems of ** Malanga” and * Yauchia.” Of shade tree enemies the showy larva of Pseudosphinx tetrio was found in all stages, during my visit, ou the ornamental ‘ Alelia” (Plumi- eria rubra). One striking feature in the insect fauna is the abundance of honey bees and no beehives; at least I neither saw nor heard of any, and they must be ararity. Still the honey harvest is quite important, although the figures given in the last Estadistica General del Comercio Exte- rior, of Puerto Rico ($517,746), of the exportation thereof surely must be wrong, unless they possibly include molasses. Very large colonies of a dark variety of Apis mellifica were abundant in hollow trees and especially in caves, sometimes also in outhouses. These are annually smoked out and furnish large quantities of honey. I was in all fifty days on the island, several of which were neces- sarily lost in traveling about in order to keep connection with the steamer. Naturally such a short trip in the dry (winter) season, when the real characteristic fauna is dormant, and handicapped by the limited kuowledge of the language, customs, roads, and way of traveling, could only result in a mere skimming of information concerning the fauna of the island. An expedition undertaken in the summer season and with more time, so as to give opportunity for breeding insects, would be very interesting ot and would undoubtedly result in the discovery of many new and char- acteristic species. On such an expedition the investigator should not try to cover the whole island, as was necessary in my case, but should settle down for a month at a time in two or three localities and explore them thoroughly. Bayamon with its very varied surroundings, and near which are found some extensive and interesting caves, would be one profitable stopping place, and has the advantage that tolerable food and quarters can be obtained, and communication with the outside world is easy by rail to San Juan. Adjuntas, on the south side of the mountain range, is another place with the same advantages. The south side of the island is rather more interesting than the north, where the dry and rainy seasons are not so sharply defined. Very interesting are the two small islands, Culebra and Vieques, and both would give good returns under a prolonged stay. The only large tract of virgin land is the mountanous northeastern part centering in the almost inaccessible mountain top, El Yunqe. To explore the fauna of this unique locality one should be provided with food supply and tent, and making one of the coffee estates nearby headquarters, should take trips for a few days at a time. Horses are out of the question on such a trip, and guides as such are useless, as none of them have ever been through there; still a native is very help- ful to have along, as he will cut you through the thorny luxuriant trop- ical underbrush with his machete, where you would be absolutely barred without him, or at least his machete. I found a strong beating net with plenty of extra netting very use- ful in collecting. Sifting can not be practiced easily because of the extreme humidity of the soil. During my stay in Puerto Rico I met the most courteous reception from everybody, and my friendly intercourse with many natives of (dif. ferent stations in life was a help to me while there, and a happy recol- lection now. Particularly am I indebted for identification of piants, and much other valuable information, to the learned Dr. Agustin Stahl, of Bayamon, who is a close observer of nature and has made large collections and very fine colored drawings of life histories of many insects. For most hospitable reception and readily given explanations about agricultural matters, I wish especially to thank Senor Manuel Gonzales, of Hacienda ‘‘ Casualidad,” near Aguadilla; Senor G. Bianchi, “Central Pagua,” Anasco; Senor Santiago Pietri, ‘‘ Esperanza,” Ad- juntas, avd the Mulero family, on Culebra Island. From the alcaldes in all the towns I visited, as from the American officers stationed there, I received helpful courtesies. But perhaps most highly of all receptions did I prize the unmistakable glad wel- come extended to me as an American citizen all over the island by the poorest class of native laborers. They had nothing to give, and it was only meager information of any kind I was able to wrestle from them with my very limited Spanish; but the eagerness to please, the activity with which an entire family would turn out to dig in the ground, turn 92 stones and logs to procure ‘‘insectos” (which mostly showed up to be large spiders and myriapods), or climb the tall trunk of a cocoa palm to offer me a refreshing drink of cocoa milk, made one feel well and at home. Needless to say that I never carried any weapon for defense, and never had the slightest use for one. Thanks are due to the U.S. Fish Commission, through whose invita- tion the trip was made, as well as to the entire expedition under Profes- sor Everman and to the officers and crew of the U.S.S. Fish Hawk for the very pleasant and profitable sojourn among them. All identifications of insects are made through the Division of Entomology. LIST OF COCCIDZ COLLECTED BY MR. A, BUSCK IN PUERTO RICO, 1899. By T. Pergande and T. D. A. Cockerell. Only one Coccid (Aspidiotus destructor) has been recorded in print from Puerto Rico. (Canad. Entom., 1895, p. 261.) It was collected by Mr. J.D. Hall at San Juan. Icerya montserratensis Riley and Howard. On orange, Mayaguez, January 20. On orange, Bayamon, January 10. Phenacoccus gossypii Twns. Ckll. On cotton, Humagao, February 15. New to the West Indies. Dactylopius sacchari Ck. On sugar cane, Bayamon, January. On sugar cane, Mayaguez, January. On sugar cane, Humagao, February. Asterolecanium pustulans Ck1l. On some leguminous plant, Guayama, February 4. On Anona reticulata, San Juan, February 21. Asterolecanium aureum Boisd. On a fiber plant, San Juan, January 17. Occurs on the leaves. Asterolecanium bambuse Boisd. On bamboo, Bayamon, January 12. On bamboo, Utuado, January 28. Pulvinaria sp. on undetermined weed. Viegues Isle, February 7. Lecanium olee. Bern. On Calabassa tree, Lares, January 25. On honey-locust, Adjuntas, January 30. On Guazuma ulmifolia, Guayama, February 4. On Terminalia catappa, Mayaguez, January 20. (Brown variety.) Lecanium nigrum Nietn. On Terminalia catappa, San Juan, January 5. On cotton, San Juan, January 5 (var. depressum Targ.). Lecanium hemisphericum Targ. On eggplant, Catana, January 17. On guambana, San Juan, January 5. On coffee, Caguas, January 10. Ceroplastes floridensis Comst. On Anona reticulata. Vinsonia stellifera Westw. On cocoanut palm, Catana, January 16. On cocoanut palm, Bayamon, January 16. On cocoanut palm, Arroyo, February 3. e . Jar Diaspis pentagona Targ.—amygdali, Tryon. On castor-oil plant, Rio Pedro, January 17, On unknown tree, Bayamon, January 16. On peach, Adjunctas, January 24. On honey-locust, January 30. On mahagua, Fajardo, February 17. Diaspis calyptroides Costa, var opuntie, Ckll. Ponce, February 1. Chionaspis citri Comst. On lime, Anaseo, January 20. Chionaspis (Hemichionaspis) minor Mask. On eggplant, Catana, January 17. On Guazuma ulmifolia, Guayama, February 4. Ischnaspis longirostris Sign. — On cocoanut palm, Caguas, January 11; Catania, January 12; Mayaguez, jan. uary 20; Arroyo, February 3. Howardia biclavis Comst. j On Biza orellana, San Sebastian, January 24; Anasco, January 20. This and the following five species were studied also by Mr. C. L. Marlatt.. Chrysomphalus aonidum Linn.—ficus Ashmn. On Terminalia catappa, San Juan, January 5. On Anona muricata, San Juan, January 5. On oleander, Ponce, February 1. On Musa, Caguas. (Someof this lot had the exuvic very dark, black or nearly so.) Aspidiotus aurantiit Mask. On Anona muricata, San Juan, January 5. On Anona muricata, Ponce, February 3. Aspidiotus articulatus Morgan. On orange leaves, El Yunque, February 18; about 2,000 feet altitude. Aspidiotus personatus Comst. On plantain leaves, Caguas, January 11. On Anona muricata, San Juan, January 5. On banana leaves, Catana, February 21. On cocoanut palm, Mayaguez, January 20; Caguas, January 11. Aspidiotus destructor Sign. On banana leaves, Catana, February 21. On banana leaves, San Juan, January 5. On banana leaves, Arroyo, February 3. GENERAL NOTES. A DIPTEROUS ENEMY OF CUCURBITS IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. March 13, 1899, we received from Mr. George Compere, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, specimens of what is locally known as the melon or eucumber fly. Our correspondent, writing under date of February 14, 189, states that this is a very serious pest with vegetable growers, as it destroys more than 75 per cent of the watermelons, cantaloupes, and cucumbers grown in those islands. He writes, in substance, that the parent flies are to be found at ali seasons of the year, and that they puncture the cucumber, which is the only plant on which our corre- spondent has observed the species, on the upper side, and generally near the stem end, this operation taking place when the cucumber is abouthalfor two-thirds grown, In the punctures thus made they deposit 94 | their eggs, which soon hatch into minute footless white maggots. Their presence in the cucumber is manifested by a small yellow spot where the puncture was made. Twenty-seven minute maggots were counted in one of these punctures. In one cucumber that had been punctured three times in different places 116 of these maggots were counted. These maggots eat out the entire inner substance of the fruit with the excep tion of the seeds, leaving only the outer skin, which turns vellow and decays, when a slight touch or a few drops of rain will cause it to collapse. By that time the maggots have all attained their growth, and if any of them become exposed to the sunlight they immediately draw themselves together and, after the manner of the cheese maggot and other species that might be mentioned, spring in all directions, jumping as high as 3 feet. If the skin of the cucumber be left intact they will emerge from the decayed pulp on the underside and burrow at once into the earth for pupation. Fourteen days after placing maggots in a breeding jar, with soil kept constantly moist, Mr. Compere succeeded in obtaining the adult flies. In the conclusion of this letter our correspondent adds, as a warning, that watermelons, canteloupes, and cucumbers should never be allowed to be shipped from the Hawaiian Islands into the United States. It is quite probable that this insect could be introduced into several of our Southern States or recently acquired insular possessions, and it is one of those species for which quarantine inspectors should be on the look- out. No class of vegetables, if we except cabbages and botanically related plants, are so badly infested with insects as are the cucurbits, and the introduction of another new pest is most undesirable. The insects were referred to Mr. Coquillett, of this office, who after careful examination pronounced the species an undescribed Trypetid. He has accordingly given it the name of Dacus cucurbdite, and has published a description of it in Entomological News for May, i899, under the title ““A New Trypetid from Hawaii.” A TROUBLESOME TWIG GIRDLER OF THE SOUTHWEST. October 23, 1899, we received from Mr. Morgan kh. Wise, Calabasas, Ariz., specimens of the twigs of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) girdled by the long-horned beetle (Oncideres putator), together with the statement that this very valuable tree is much injured by the girdler. The pre- vious year the beetles had done much injury, so that this year the girdled twigs snapped off dead. Our correspondent was of the opinion that if this condition of affairs continued that ultimately the mesquite tree would be exterminated by being so badly crippled as to preclude the possibility of its bearing fruit. Mr. Schwarz, of this division, who has traveled very extensively through that portion of the Southwest, states that this beetle is extremely injurious to the mesquite, particularly in western Texas, southern New Mexico, and in Arizona. In certain localities which he visited all of the young shoots of bushes were girdled, which has the 95 ultimate effect of amputation; but old trees never suffer much. The trouble he believes to be due to the frequent cutting down of old trees, as this in a measure compels the beetles to attack the young growth for food for their young. This species, as its scientific name indicates, is a near relative of the common hickory twig girdler (Oncideres cingulata Say) of the Eastern States, accounts of which have been published in most text-books on economic entomology and which is treated in the Fifth Report of the United States Entomological Commission, on pages 288-290. The man- ner of working of the two species is probably very similar The beetles of both occur in August and until October. If the injured branches were systematically collected and burned in the winter or before the appearance of the adults in August, future damage could be greatly lessened, particularly if these measures were practiced over a consider- able territory. NOTES ON COCKROACHES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. In regard to Mr. Marlatt’s chapter on cockroaches, I beg to remark that my observations ou our native ones lead me to slightly different views as to their general habits. Thus, I have never yet seen a Blat- tarian eat a living plant in nature, but frequently found them devouring caterpillars, other soft-bodied insects, etc. Plants injured where they abound I have always found to have been attacked by snails, caterpil- lars, ete. In my garden Hpilampra notabilis occurs in numbers at cer- tain times, and with its multiplication the herbivorous larve disappear rapidly, and I have always spared the lives of such forms as species of Polyrasteria and Platyrasteria which might be teken home alive with firewood and placed among the boxes, timber, ete., of my outhouse. yet have never observed any increase; nay, they remain very few. Still, 1 suffer very much less than others from depredations of the notorious household insects. Even centipedes and spiders are protected without the slightest bad results, but instead there is freedom from any excessive insect injuries. I regard the Blattarie as eminently carnivorous, of which a few species (the domestic ones) have developed a capacity for amylacious food assimilation. Although Periplaneta orientalis and americana were very troublesome some years ago, there are scarcely any complaints received now, though they are by no means extinct; and this, I think, is in consequence of the application of a very simple remedy which I have recommended in every case, viz, a mixture of plaster of paris (1 part) and flour (3 to 4 parts) in a saucer, and near by another flat plate with pure water, both supplied with several bridges to give easy access, and one or two thin boards floating on the water, touching the margin. The insects readily eat the mixture, become thirsty and drink, when the plaster sets and clogs the intestines. The insects disappear in a few weeks, the bodies no doubt eaten by the sur- vivors. Where a few of the large kinds occur, the small ones disappear quickly, and it took a long time before I could secure a sample of 96 Phyllodromia germanica (last year only). I have seen and captured large and small kinds in my own house, but they never increase beyond a few stray ones and give me trouble. The only kind of pyrethrum powder I found effective is Keating’s; the others only seem to intoxi- cate, but not to kill. Neither fleas, bedbugs, ants, nor moquitoes appear to be proof against its effects nor the minute pests infesting dried plants.—J. G. O. TEPPER, Adelaide, South Australia. INSECTIVOROUS HABITS OF LIZARDS. Our prettiest lizards are the most useful ones. Our three kinds of horned toads are great eaters. I have never known one to eat anything but live, moving insects. While the garden toad feeds mostly by night, the lizards feed by day and bury themselves at night, both as a protection from nocturnal enemies and to absorb moisture from the earth. Contrary to general report, they do sometimes drink. I have seen pet lizards du so. A large horned toad will kill a small snake, probably because the snake would eatits young ones. The young—sometimes more than a dozen— are born, each inclosed in a skin covering (some call it an egg). In an hour or so this skin cracks and the young emerge looking just like their mother and begin at once to eat minute insects that are so small that they would not be noticed if one were not looking for them. I have seen them eat bedbugs when a few weeks old. Our several kinds of blue-tailed lizards eat the most minute insects as well as worms so large that they have to bite them off in mouthfuls. They dig about the roots of plants with their tiny hand-like forefeet and bring out something that makes a noise when they crush it, whether eggs of insects or hard- Shelled insects I could not tell. Like the horned toad, they are fly- catchers, ant-eaters, and worm-eaters. It is often said that ‘blue- tailed lizards are spitters and ought to be killed;” that ‘‘ horned toads are as poisonous as rattlesnakes ;” that ‘“‘the bite of a horned toad makes a sore that will not heal.” When I see the persecution that these harm- less animals suffer, I wish that they could bite. Unlike birds, they can not tly away, and they never meddle with fruitor grain. The pretty leopard-like Holbrookia eats some herbage as well as insects. A baby Holbrookia an inch long will eat an apple worm half an inch long. When put in the flytrap cage these lizards first pick out the very large, black, and bright-colored flies before eating the house flies. Dipsosaurus dorsalis eats herbage only. Crotaphytus is a cannibal, eating the young of the horned toads and all kinds of insectivorous lizards. It eats herbage and some insects, but no doubt does more harm than good. The blue-tailed lizards are Cnemidophorus and Utas. Natural enemies are cats, dogs, ground squirrels, and chickens. Rats and snakes are very destructive to the young. These lizards could be shipped to any part of the United States except during the breeding season—the middle of summer—and I think could stand the cold and other climatic conditions, 97 Little girls and ladies own pet lizards; boys and gardeners kill them. Next fall I expect to be able to report on other groups of lizards. My efforts to introduce them as insect destroyers have failed because towns have not been willing to protect them and destroy their enemies, while private individuals could not protect them.—WINNIE HARWARD, Albuquerque, N. Mex. ON THE RECENT SPREAD OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FLOUR MOTH. Since the first reported invasion of flour mills by Ephestia kuehniella in Ontario, Canada, in the year 1889, the spread of this species in North America has been fortunately comparatively slow. There is no doubt that its further dissemination has been prevented largely through the © many notices of its injuriousness and of the precautions to be used against it that have been published in scientific periodicals and other publications, and the progress that has been made in methods for the insect’s suppression. It is equally positive that the insect had been present in this country, and in each of the several localities where it was first reported as injurious, some years previous to the dates spec- ified, as it requires usually several years for almost any species of in- sect to become seriously injurious in a new locality. Asan example of - this it is only necessary to cite the observation of Danysz, who traced the occurrence of this flour moth in America back to the year 1880, nine years before its reported occurrence in injurious abundance here. The recorded spread of this species after the first Canadian invasion mentioned is, in brief, as follows: In 1892 it first became destructive about San Francisco, Cal., and is very troublesome there and elsewhere in that State even at the present time, in spite of the most approved methods that have been devised and put in use for its destruction. In 1893 its occurrence was noticed, though not in flouring mills, at Loveland, Colo., on honeycomb, the larvze seeming to feed on pollen in the cells (C. P. Gillette, Bul. No. 47, Colo. Agl. Expt. Sta., pp. 50, 51). In May, 1895, its appearance was noted in mills in southwestern New York State, presumably near the Pennsylvania State line. Although the locality has not, to my knowledge, been published, correspondence _ between the miller and Prof. W. G. Johnson, who first reported this outbreak in a milling journal in May, 1895, elicited the information that the species had been present in that locality at least since 1893. Later the species occurred in Pennsylvania. In both these localities it was injurious in flouring mills. Very recently the pest has been discovered in Ohio, in Stark County, as well as in various new localities in States where the species has been previously observed. These localities have been given by Professor Johnson in recent publications. We have now to record the occurrence and probable establishment of this pest in Minnesota, in the very center of the most extensive milling plants in this or any country. 11608—No, 22——-7 { Jo October 12, 1898, Prof. H. L. Osborn, Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn., sent to the United States Department of Agriculture larve of this species, from which the imago was subsequently reared, taken in flour. It came to a laboratory at Hamline University in a sack, and was transferred to an empty barrel, where it had remained since the preced- ing June. The previous history of the barrel was not known, and could not be traced. Professor Osborn, however, wrote us, under date of October 19, that the flour was purchased in St. Paul in April of that year, and was not opened until fall, as the house was closed during the summer, while the owner was absent. About the middle of September the servant began to use the flour, and. from what our correspondent writes, it seems probable that there was every chance that some of the larve made their escape. As soon as Professor Osborn became acquainted with the identity of the insect he killed all of the larve that could be found, so that there could be no possibility of their escap- ing and developing; but it is possible that some of them had already made their escape before this time. Nothing further has been learned concerning this occurrence, but it is believed best to bring the matter to public notice, so that millers in the vicinity of St. Pauland Minneapolis may be forewarned, and hence the better able to cope with this insect should it make its appearance in their mills and warehouses. The fact that it is the most pernicious of all mill insects is weil established, as well as that it is capable of developing upon all sorts of ground cereals. In addition to the localities mentioned above, this species has been recorded from North Carolina, Alabama, and New Mexico, but evidence is wanting to show that its occurrence in these States is in mills, or that it is established there otherwise than in the open. Itis known to live in the nests of wild bees, and in the three States last mentioned it may not even occur in the vicinity of mills or storehouses.—F. H. CHITTENDEN, NOTE ON TWO SPECIES OF “LIGHTNING HOPPERS.” During the past two years two species of hoppers of the family Ful- goride have been noticed in considerable numbers on useful plants in the District of Columbia and near-by points of Maryland and Virginia. One of these, Ormenis (Peciloptera) pruinosa, or the frosted lightning hopper, aS it has been called, is new to the list of apple insects as recently revised by the late Dr. Lintner, while Chlorochroa (Flata) conica has not been mentioned in the list of grape insects published by Prof. Lawrence Bruner (Rept. Nebr. State Hort. Soe. for 1895, pp. 69-72). Both species are reputed to weaken and distort the young and tender shoots and other growth of their food plants by the innumerable minute punctures which they make for the deposition of their eggs and for food, and both have the singular habit of congregating in rows or ranks of half a dozen or more on the vines or tree twigs which they infest. When disturbed all the individuals retreat to the opposite side of the vine or twig in almost as complete unison as a squad of soldiery. aly Ormenis pruinosa Say.—Nymphs nearly full grown and a few adults of this species were found during the last week of June, 1899, upon apple at Cabin John, Md. Some were upon the leaves and some upon the stems of the fruit. They readily attract attention by the soft white flocculent substance which is secreted and forms in a light mass about the nymphs and which remains for some time after the nymphs have issued as perfect insects and gone to some other portion of the plant. Nymphs and adults were also found in great abundance on plum, both at this place and in the ‘District of Columbia, as well as on cherry, potato, three-sided Mercury (Acalypha virginica), virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana), and trumpet creeper ( Tecoma radicans). Although a general feeder this species appears to favor climbing plants. This hopper has received rather frequent mention in different eco- nomic, including govermental, publications. The first of these that I find is by Miss M. E. Murtfeldt (Bul. No. 13, 0.s., pp. 61, 62), in which special reference is made to destructiveness to foliage and stalks of dahlia at Kirkwood, Mo., in 1886. In one garden plants were injured beyond recovery. In volume ['V of Insect Life (p. 142) brief notice is given of reported ravages on so-called ‘California hedge plant” in Texas. In volume V of the same publication (p. 155) it is mentioned briefly by Miss Murtfeldt among the enemies of Osage orange, and in Bulletin No. 32 (p. 38) the same writer states that the inSect was remarkably abundant in 1893 in vineyards in Missouri, where it was popularly mistaken for ‘‘mealy bug,” and that it caused considerable blighting of the leaves and twigs. A still longer account was given in the Fifth Report of the United States Entomological Commission (p. 281) from notes by Professor Riley, the food plants mentioned includ- ing elm, hackberry, maple, red clover, and Hrigeron canadense. Ilus- trations of the species and a short account of its habits and of the method of its attack on sassafras were given by the same writer in his Fifth Missouri Report (p. 122). Chlorochroa conica Say.—This beautiful green species was taken in some numbers at Colonial Beach in July, 1897. The adults fed upon grape, and it was reared from nymphs found on the same plant. Its favorite food plant was not grape, but hop, and its occurrence on grape was due to an overflow from the hop vines upon which it was present in large numbers. This species has also been recorded as occurring on Osage orange and lilae, the tender shoots of which plant, according to Miss Murtfeldt (Bul. No. 13, 1. c.), it weakens in the same manner as does the Ormenis.— Jha] Eee Os | COTTON INSECTS IN EGYPT. In the May and June numbers of the “Journal of the Khedival Agricultural Society,” published at Cairo, Egypt, there is an article by Mr. George P. Foaden on ‘Insect and other pests injurious to cotton in Kgypt.” The author deals chiefly with two insects, the cotton worm, Prodenia littoralis, aud the boll worm, Harias insulana. LO s The Prodenia differs from the Aletia of our Southern States in at least three important points—the moth lays her eggs on one or two leaves only, the pupal period is passed in the ground, and the cater- pillar feeds on various crops, as berseem, maize, and barley. There are at least five broods in a season on the cotton. Sometimes, if the cotton is sown on land recently in berseem (a winter forage plant), the stems of the young cotton plants will be eaten close to the ground, thus necessitating replanting. The habit of the moth in placing her eggs mostly on one or two leaves is the clew to the best remedy—the picking of these leaves before the larve leave them. About a month after this the cotton should be heavily flooded to destroy any caterpil- lars which escaped and are now, aS pupe, in the ground. The intelli- gent use of these two measures prevents any serious damage to the crop. The Egyptian boll worm (arias insulana), known to us through the writings of Frauenfeld and others, is, like our own form, not so easily controlled. One egg is laid by a moth on a boll, the larva, hatching, gnaws into and destroys the contents of the boll. It passes the winter in a grayish white cocoon which is fastened to the bracts of a flower. No real remedy has been found; the only measure of value is the burn- ing of the cotton wood as soon as possible after the gathering of the crop. Two other insects are mentioned as of minor importance. One, a plant-louse, Aphis ulmare, sucking the leaves; the other a Lygeid, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis, which infests the bolls damaged by the Earias.—N. B. A COTTON STAINER IN PERU. We recently received from Mr. Eduardo Fowks, of Paita, Peru, a bug congeneric with and rather closely resembling the well-known cotton stainer of the Southeastern United States (Dysdercus sutureilus), a full account of which was published in Insect Life (Vol. I, p. 234), and which was further mentioned in the writer’s account of insects affecting the cotton plant (U. S. Dept. of Agric., Farmers’ Bulletin, No. 47). The Peruvian insect, which proves to be Dysdercus rujicollis Linn., has the same habits as our North American species, piercing the bolls and staining the cotton, reducing the value of the cotton, according to Mr. Fowks, “from 4 to 6 cents a pound.” The common name (presumably Indian) is Rabi atadi, which signifies “tails tied together,” the name being given from the fact that the adult insects are usually found attached in this way. During 1898 the damage to two cotton plantations at Paita from this insect was at least $10,000. BIOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS ON HARPALUS PENNSYLVANICUS DEG. One of the commonest insects over a wide extent of territory in this country is the ground beetle, Harpalus pennsylvanicus DeG. In the late Dr. Riley’s First Missouri Report (p. 59) the adult of this species is figured, as also a larva, which latter is fully described and which was ano LN SR li Ah heat CRE NO a emit s+ 2+ :astd net 101 believed to probably be the same species. Since the publication of that report in 1868, the same species has received frequent mention in reports and other publications of Dr. Riley, as also by many other economic entomologists. The species has in some way gained general credit for being efficient as a destroyer of injurious insects, but, to the best of the writer’s knowledge, its exact economic status has never been clearly defined. The observations which will be here presented, although not bearing upon this subject to any considerable extent, are | of interest as being, perhaps, the first actual observations on the living habits of the larva. From the fact that the larve were found so deep under ground, and in the absence of other species that might have served for food, it would seem not improbable that they subsist to a considerable extent upon angleworms rather than on the larve and pup of other insects. A comparison with the illustration and descrip- tion of the larva mentioned in the First Missouri Report and used the Same year in the American Entomologist (Vol. I, p. 34), show that this is not Harpalus pennsylvanicus, the color alone being sufficient to exclude it, but is perhaps Pterostichus ora related genus, as pointed out in volume V of Insect Life (p. 209). The species treated by Riley in the First Report of the U.S. Entomological Commission (p. 290, fig. 24) is, however, plainly a Harpalus, or at least a closely related genus, and perhaps H. herbivagus Say, a smaller species than pennsylvanicus, aud undoubtedly differing to a considerable extent in structural details and, perhaps, also in habits, judging from the fact that the hypothetical herbiwagus is much darker than pennsylvanicus. The latter is nearly white throughout, indicating an almost exclusively subterranean habit. April 8, 1898, while preparing a little plat of earth for experimental purposes on the Department of Agriculture grounds a single larva and two adults of Harpalus pennsylvanicus DeG. were found by Mr. F. C, Pratt at a considerable depth below the surface. The digging of the earth began at the southeastern corner of the grounds and pro- ceeded northward, the work extending over portions of three days. On the second day numerous pup and only a single larva were found, and on the third day in the northern end of this plat, which was bor- dered at this side by a driveway and high hedge of evergreens, an abundance of larvee were taken, with only one or two pup. ‘The last larve dug up were the smallest and least mature. The most mature individuals were found on the southern end of this plat and the least mature on the northern end. Still another point was noticed, namely, that the insects occurred for the most part within about 2 or 3 feet of an Osage-orange hedge nearest the sidewalk. Nearly all of the larvze and pup dug up—about 40 in number—were found at a depth of 9 or 10 inches, and with the exception of three individuals—beetles and larve taken on the first day—were within about 20 feet of the hedge and trees bordering the driveway. These details, although, perhaps, inconsequent in themselves, are mentioned, as the occurrence of the insects in the manner narrated was as noticeable as it is unexplainable. 102 The larve that were kept under observation burrowed into the soil with which they were provided and remained there until the advent of a warm spell, which happened April 17, when they came up from the earth, evidently in search of food. The pupal cells observed were in most cases rather crude, but some few were fairly well defined—one such which will prove a fair sample of the best, measuring about 20™™ in length, half that in width, and nearly as deep as wide. A larva that was kept under observation transformed to pupa April 15 and the imago appeared May 15, this individual having remained as pupa thirty days. From the species figured and described by Riley as H. herbivagus, this larva may be distinguished by size alone as well as by color and form, but it also agrees in many particulars. Itis about a third longer, measuring 0.85 inch (11 to 12™) as against 0.58 inch for herbivagus. The abdomen does not taper strongly, all of the segments except the last three being of similar width to the head and thorax. The color is white, the thorax being bright yellowish, but little darker than the body. The mandibles are dark brown and the single strong median tooth is black. The body is clothed with short yellowish hairs in the same manner as herbivagus, but these are more sparse than in the figure of that species. One of the pupe taken April 9, while being placed in alcohol, gave forth a parasitic larva, evidently dipterous, which crawled out from the under surface of the body near the legs of its host.—F. H. C. A NEW WESTERN ENEMY OF THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. Mr. J. A. Green, Waynoka, Okla., has sent us specimens of the sol- dier bug Perillus claudus Say, with the accompanying information made under date of September 16, 1899, that the species is an enemy of the Colorado potato beetle. He writes as follows: These bugs appear during the month of May. They have a bill that lies close to the under part of their body when not inuse. They deposit their eggs (which are black) on a potato leaf. The body of the young bug is a bright red and the head is a dark blue, almost black. As they grow they keep shedding their skins and chang- ing in appearance until they are grown. The young bugs commence feeding on the eggs of the potato bug. They insert their bill in the end of the egg and suck the juice. One little bug will commence on a nest of potato-bug eggs and never stop until he has sucked the last egg. The bugs, both young and old, stick their bills into the young potato bugs, and when these are scarce they do not hesitate to tackle old ones. They do not stop at potato bugs, but suck all the miller or moth eggs they find, and even destroy the worms after they hatch. I saw them last spring with worms on their bills two or three times as large as themselves. Worms of different kinds are very destructive to tomato vines in Oklahoma. Last spring I placed one nest of this bug’s eggs in my tomato patch, and, for two months, or until the bugs left, I was not troubled with worms of any kind. It was here that I first noticed them destroying worms. There is a similar bug, belonging to the same family, perhaps, that destroys the moth, eggs, and worms in the kafir corn in the same way. If we only had some means of protecting these valuable insects Se a ii-n. adieacmel 103 through the winter they would prove very useful to the farmer. During their breed- ing season the soldier bug possesses a voracious appetite, carrying a bug on his bill most of the time. During the fall and winter they live hidden away in dry places and seem to eat nothing. Many of them hide away in houses. I found the accom- panying specimens in the house. The male and female are marked a little different, the male being red where this one is yellow. NOTES ON MISCELLANEOUS INSECTS IN KANSAS. Under date of December 11, 1899, Mr. F. F. Crevecceur, of Onaga, Kans., wrote that on June 9 of that year he observed an individual of the histerid beetle. Paromalus estriatus, feeding upon a box-elder plant- bug (Leptocoris trivittatus). The same day he saw a specimen of the robber fly (Dasyllis tergissa) feasting on a honey bee. July 16 a speci- men of ‘‘granddaddy long-legs” (Phalangiwm ventricosum) was seen attacking a blue wasp, Chalybion ceruleum, in hishouse. It had nearly devoured the abdomen, but whether it had killed the wasp or found it already dead was not ascertained. July 20 the large ground beetle Pasimachus punctulatus was observed while carrying off a smaller ground beetle, 4 nisodactylus verticalis, that it had just killed. August 20, Mordella scutellaris was reared from a yellow pupa about a quarter of an inch in length, which was taken August 14 in the stem of Amaranthus chlorostachya. The Pyralid moth, Titanio octonalis Zell., was reared from larve taken June 20, feeding on Onosmodium caro- linianum; the imago issued June 29, As to the reported statement by usin Farmers’ Bulletin No. 99 that the white-marked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma) had not yet made its way west of Iowa, so far as known to our Department, Mr. Crevecceur wrote that in 1898 two or three larvee were observed hanging from trees at Onaga, Kans., and in 1899 two adults were reared from larve on box-elder, and that as long back as 1890 this species was very plentiful on walnut trees in that vicinity. Onaga, it should be mentioned, is not farther west than Lincoln, Nebr., a locality also recorded by us for this insect. . Concerning the peculiar buzzing noise made by the large ground beetle (Harpalus caliginosus), by stridulation, our correspondent wrote that it was several times observed during the summer. The habit is now well known, but it is seldom that one has the opportunity of hearing this singular noise for himself. AN EMBARRASSING FEATURE OF FOREIGN INTERDICTION AGAINST AMERICAN PLANTS AND FRUITS. It appears from a dispatch from the United States consul at Geneva that the vineyards in the Canton of Vaud, the greatest wine-producing section of Switzerland, have suffered greatly during the year 1899, as well as 1898, from the grapevine Phylloxera, and that the vine-growers of all French Switzerland are greatly concerned over the present situ- ation. The grand council of the Canton of Vaud has recommended the 104 planting of American vine stock thronghout the wine-growing territory. Under the present laws American vines can not be introduced into the country, but the grand council will ask the Confederation to permit the introduction of such vines under strict governmental inspection. THE GREEN JUNE BEETLE OF THE SOUTHWEST. Writing under date of August 31, 1899, Dr. R. E. Kunzé, Phenix, Ariz., calls attention to the injuries inflicted by the Western green June beetle (Allorhina mutabilis Gory) in scuthern Arizona. This species has received some mention in Insect Life, and more particularly by Mr. Townsend in Bulletin No.5 of the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station, page 10, where it is stated to be extremely injurious to ripe peaches, apples, pears, figs, grapes, and other fruits. The following is an abstract of Dr. Kunzeé’s letter: A few words about the Scarabeid Allorhina mutabilis, which periodically appears in great numbers in southern Arizona to the detriment of deciduous fruit trees and vines. My observation is based upon a continuous residence of three and a half years during closed season (December, January, and February) of each year. This pestiferous insect destroys the first fig crop of the year in southern Arizona. Next to the fig, this beetle attacks grapes. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, pears, and apples are in turn destroyed, the last two fruit trees the least of any. While in Tucson, season of 1897, Mr. Elliott, ex-postmaster, told me that his crop of garden grapes was annually destroyed by mutabilis. He picked off the beetles as fast as he could, and within two days beetles and berries were alike gone. Other residents related the same story concerning their fig crop. In the early summer of 1898 in Phcenix I observed mutabilis hanging to a single fig in clusters the size of a folded pair of hands, and when the stem was eaten off would drop to the ground, flying in every direction. Mr. S. M. Barrows, of Tombstone, whose family camped with me in the Huachucas during July, 1899, informed me that his grapes were usually eaten up by mutabilis. A NOTE ON THE COCKLEBUR BILL-BUG. One of the insects figured and treated by the late Dr. Riley in his Third Missouri Report (p. 60) and in the report of this Department for 1881-82 (p. 142) is the gayly-colored red and black snout beetle, Rhodo- benus 13-punctatus Ul. This species is said to attack cultivated sunflower, but as neither this nor any other stem borers that attack the large-stemmed com- posites have any apparent effect on the vitality of the plant the species can hardly be said to be of economic importance either as a destroyer of cultivated plants or of weeds. The insect is, however, of interest by reason of its near relationship to the genus Sphenophorous, many species of which are injurious to corn and other Graminee, and and are known generally throughout the country as corn bill-bugs. Two imagos and one pupa were taken recently during September near Rosslyn. Va., from the stems of the Joe-Pye weed (Hupatorium perfoliatum) a single individual in each stem. Several other stems which comprised this clump were opened, all of which betrayed un- — nae 105 mistakable evidence of having been recently tenanted by this species, the accumulated castings and the size of the exit hole indicating the nature of the late occupant. In almost every stem there was equal proof of the presence of a second tenant, viz., Languria mozardi, the latter occupying the upper portion of the stem, the Calandrid the lower. The species was also found breeding in the stems of the so-called large-flowered leaf-cup (Polymnia uvedalia) at Marshall Hall, Md. | Other food plants that have been recorded for this insect belong to the genera Xanthium, Helianthus, Cirsium, Ambrosia, and Silphium. Some time ago Rey. G. D. Hulst informed me that this species also breeds in the stems of Vernonia, and it seems probable that it will thrive in all the Composite if not also on some other plants which have stems of sufficient size and structure for its occupancy. The hibernated imagos appear in the neighborhood of the District of Columbia as early as the first week in May, and the newly bred imagos have been found the first week of September. Two parasites of this species have been observed by the writer. The first of these is the chalcidid Habrocytus rhodobeni Ashm., reared from material from Rosslyn, Va., and described in 1896 (Tr. Am. Ent. Soc., Vol. XXIII, p. 220), and the other, also a chalcidid, is unde- scribed.—F. H. C. | REPORTED INJURY BY GIANT SCARAB.ZID BEETLES. July 27, 1899, we received through Prof. F. 8S. Earle, Auburn, Ala., specimens of both sexes of Strategus antceus, a relative of the well- known rhinocerus beetle Dynastes tityus, with an inclosure from Mr. C. W. Ewing, Gadsden, Ala., who reported severe injury by these beetles to orchard trees, particularly peach. A specimen of the root of one of these trees accompanied the letter, which showed the gnaw- ing of some animal. Mr. Ewing seems to be positive that beetles were the cause of the injury. No such instance of injury by this species has apparently been recorded, but it is not impossible that it may have been done under the most exceptional circumstances, as, for instance, in a locality where many dead roots would aftord breeding places for the beetles. A similar instance of injury was reported by our corre- spondent on the authority of his brother, who noticed these beetles upon peach trees at Chattanooga, Tenn. April 29, Mr. 8S. C. Gibson, of the University of Virginia, wrote that Ayloryctes satyrus, another related species, attacked ash in his vicinity, and after boring a hole under the surface of the ground to the depth of an inch or two *“‘ seemed to destroy the bark all around the tree.” | LOCUSTS IN ARGENTINA AND LOURENCO MARQUEZ, SOUTHEASTERN AFRICA. Through Mr. James W. Ayers, United States consul at Rosario, Argentine Republic, the Department has received, by courtesy of the Department of State, a clipping from the Standard, of Buenos Ayres LOGE: of August 27, 1899, stating that there is every prospect that during the coming season (this winter) there will be a locust invasion in great force. The statement is made on the authority of Mr. Oliver C. James of Car- carana, who is said to be one of the best authorities in the Argentine Republic on questions relating to locusts. Mr. James calls attention to the fact that the permanent breeding grounds of the South Ameri- can locust in Uruguay are neglected, and emphasizes the fact that money spent in invaded regions is absolutely thrown away unless sup- plemented by coordinate efforts in Uruguay. A report from Mr. W. Stanley Hollis, United States consul at Lou- renco Marquez, in the southeastern part of Africa, transmitted in the same way and dated August 24, states that during that month the town was twice visited by dense swarms of locusts which did considerable damage and left the roofs of the buildings in a filthy condition, thereby necessitating much extra cleaning. As all of the drinking water is drained from the roofs and stored in iron tanks, the pollution by locusts is @ Serious matter, as locust droppings are most offensive. This is a new aspect of locust damage. | A NEW CLOTHES-MOTH REMEDY. Dr. A. K. Fisher, of Washington, uses bisulphide of carbon against clothes moths. He has a wooden chest in which he stores away his clothes. In the cover of the chest he has a large auger hole, with a sponge tied immediately below it. In midsummer he pours a few drops of bisulphide of carbon through the auger hole upon the sponge and closes the hole with a cork. He states that by virtue of this treatment he has never had any moths in his clothes. NOCTURNAL FLIGHT OF GRASSHOPPERS. The following interesting note has been sent to this office by Dr. H. M. Smith, of the United States Fish Commission: On July 12, 1899, between 11 and 12 o’clock at night, there was a remarkable flight of grasshoppers at the light house in Lake Erie off the mouth of the Detroit River. The insects were of large size and very numerous, the platform around the lantern being thickly covered with them. The keeper aroused his assistants and had them sweep the grasshoppers from the platform, a number of pailfuls being removed. Although grasshoppers have occasionally appeared at this light house in the day- time this is the first instance of a night flight. The light is one of the most pow- erful and conspicuous on Lake Erie. After comparison with named specimens in Washington, Dr. Smith, from recollection, seems reasonably sure that the species was the American locust (Schistocerca americana). This species is a strong flier, and, while it breeds only farther south, has been occasionally taken in Ontario. This remarkable flight noticed by Dr. Smith will account for the Canadian occurrences of this species. 107 NOTES FROM CORRESPONDENCE. Habits of Atta insularis Guerin in Cuba.—A correspondent, Mr. A. M. Yznaga, sending specimens of a leaf-cutter ant, Atta insularis, writes that these insects were introduced some years ago into the hills of another rather destructive ant, and proved to be even more injurious than the original species, since they did considera- ble damage to young poultry, and, in fact, to all young domestic animals. He writes further: ‘‘I remember that my father some years ago was advised to propagate this ant in his cane fields, where mice and worms were doing great depredations to the sugar cane. That evil was most effectually stopped, but, on the other hand, the estate was ruined for several years for breeding purposes. Even newly born chil- dren had to be watched, otherwise they would be bitten to death or have their eyes severely injured. In 1869 I visited the place with the idea of turning it into a cattle ranch, and had to give it up. The ants were so numerous that they actually would put out burning charcoal. A hole was dug in the ground and embers put into it; so many would craw] over them that they would extinguish the fire. In 1876 they disappeared from the estate.” A New Name for an Old Insect.—Under date of June 28, 1899, we received from a correspondent at Princeton, Iowa, a letter of inquiry in regard to what he calls “the new potato beetle or fly,” on potatoes, which from the description was undoubtedly a blister beetle. The insect was said to be very destructive, taking the place of the ‘‘old-style potato bug,” by which our correspondent undoubtedly referred to the Colorado potato beetle. Soon after the advent of the latter species in the East the blister beetles became known as the ‘‘old-fashioned potato beetles,” and it is one of the strange reversals that sometimes happen that has led to the Colorado potato beetle being now called ‘the old-style potato bug,” while the original potato destroyers are known as ‘‘the new potato beetles.” Injury by Wingless May Beetles in Texas.—May 22, 1899, Mr. G. G. Hood wrote from China Springs, Tex., that the distended May beetle, Lachnosterna farcta Lec.., specimens of which were sent, was doing injury to collards in that vicinity. The beetles were observed to be working at night from dark until about 10 o’clock, when they deserted the plants and entered the ground toa depth of about 4 inches. They were first observed by the 1st day.of March and had visibly decreased in numbers after the lst of May. Young plants they devoured completely; older plants they defoliated, leaving the main stalk. Another May beetle, Lachnosterna lanceolata Say, was also found to attack collards and was noticed more or less every year since 1890. Their principal food was stated to be ‘‘careless weed” (Amaranthus), two or three species of which grow commonly in or near cornfields. The New York Weevil in Virginia.— Writing of the so-called New York weevil, Ithycerus novaboracensis Forst., in 1871, the late Dr. Riley said that this beautiful beetle often did considerable damage to fruit trees and that he was receiving it every spring from persons who desired information concerning it. Evidently since that time the species has for some reason been on the decrease, as no cases of injury have been reported to this division since June of 1879, when damage was observed to fruit trees in southern Illinois. May 22, 1899, Mr. George W. Sandefur, Sidna, Carroll County, Va., sent specimens of the beetle with the information that the species was destroying his apple trees, cutting off the leaves and twigs of various lengths from 2 to 6 inches. Work was noticed to be done chiefly at night. The present year injury was noticed at Rome, Ga., to apple and peach trees, as reported by Mr. A. L. Quaintance in a preceding bulletin (Bul. No. 20, p. 58). Appearance of the Twelve-spotted Asparagus Beetle near New York City.— Writing under date of June 6, 1899, Mr. Richard F. Pearsall states that on the pre- vious day he discovered a colony of the introduced asparagus pest, Crioceris 12-punc- tata, in the outskirts of Brooklyn, the beetles being sufficiently abundant to permit 108. the capture of some 30 specimens. This is not the first record of the occurrence of the species in New York State, but it does not appear to have been noticed near New York City before this time. Recent Injury by the Margined Vine-chafer.—June 24, 1899, Dr. E. K. Harding Orange, Va., wrote that this insect, Anomala marginata Fab., specimens of which were sent. later, was troublesome in that section of Virginia. The beetle was stated to devour the leaves of fruit and other trees and bushes, eating the fruit around the stem so as to cause it to fall off. Injury had never been noticed prior to 1899. Food Plants of the Blister Beetle (Henous confertus).—Under date of June 7,1898, Mr. F. W. Thurow, Harvester, Tex., writes that this black meloid beetle, specimens of which he sends, appears to be a general feeder, but that it takes a special liking to Amaryllus candida, an early fall-blooming exotic plant cultivated in this country. At first it keeps the leaves eaten off, afterwards taking the flower stem, and next the flower itself. Mr. Schwarz says that this species also attacks potato, but prefers wild Solanum. The Original Home and a New Food Plant of the Harlequin Cabbage Bug.—Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell finds at Las Vegas, N. Mex., and formerly at Embudo, N. Mex., that Murgantia histrionica occurs abundantly upon a Capparidaceous plant, Cleoma serrulata. He thinks, and the editor sees no reason to differ from him, that the Harlequin cab- bage bug is probably native to that region, and that the Cleome is its proper food plant, or one of them. Injury to Strawberries by Myodocha serripes.—June 1, 1899, Mr. T. J. Peyton, Rapidan, Va., sent specimens of the Lygeid, Wyodocha serripes Ol., with the report that it was very injurious to strawberries by puncturing the fruit. They were observed to attack the berry in all stages of its growth, but did not attack the vine at all. They begin by puncturing the fruit as soon as the bloom drops, and con- tinue until the berry is destroyed. As many as 20 of the bugs could be observed on a single large berry, and hundreds were about each plant. They were stated to increase by thousands daily, and to be destroying our correspondent’s entire crop, which gave promise of being very large for the space planted. Vines were stated to have from 50 to 75 green berries on each, and from most of them not a single ripe berry was obtained. The insects punctured the small ends of the green berries, and this appeared to retard their growth, causing them to become small and knotty and, of course, not fit toeat. Attack by this insect of the nature specified has previously been recorded in the same locality by Prof. W. G. Johnson (Bul. No. 20, n.s., p. 63). Hibernation of the Blectric-light Bug.—Mr. H. J. Giddings, of Sabula, Iowa, sent to this office under date of February 4, 1899, an adult specimen of Belostoma americanum, which had been found alive under the ice in a creek, the temperature at the time being 10° F. below zero. The Praying Mantis as an Enemy to the Apiary.—August 20, 1899, Dr. O. M. Blanton, Greenville Miss., wrote that this species, Stagmomantis carolina, specimens of which accompanied his letter, was quite often found about his apiary feeding upon the bees. They were stated to devour them as ravenously as a cat would a mouse. Our correspondent was informed that these insects also fed upon house flies. Mayflies on Lake Erie.—The following note has been received from Dr. H. M. Smith, of the United States Fish Commission: Capt. John Baxter, of the U. S. light-house tender Haze, reports that he has at times sailed through 20 miles of dead May-flies in the middle of Lake Erie. On July 20, 1899, I found on the flat top of a gas buoy near the national boundary line thousands of dead May flies. About one year ago when I was at the same buoy there were many more May flies on it. The entire top, about 4 feet in diameter, was covered with a mass of May flies fully 2 to 4 inches thick; these had been matted into a compact cake by rain and sun. eS eae ee 109 A Plant-bug Enemy of the Green Plant-bug.—In Volume I of ‘‘ Insect Life” (p. 88) the plant-bug Huthyrhynchus floridanus, a common southern species, was recorded as having been observed in the act of piercing a honey bee. Many of the plant-bugs feed with apparently equal relish on either plants or insects, and it is often a matter of difficulty to determine the economic status of a species when the insect has this dual habit. As further confirmation of the predaceous habits of this. species, we received, under date of January 2, 1899, through Mr. B. M. Hampton, Lakemont, Fla., a specimen from Mr. J. P. Donneily, Mount Dora, Fla., who cap- tured it in the act of dragging the green plant-bug, Nezara hilaris, along the ground. Its long proboscis was found on nearer observation to be inserted in the center of the abdomen of its victim, and the green plant-bug was dead. °