University of the State of New York TENTH REPORT Injurious and Other Insects OP THB STATE OF ^BW YORK KOR THE YKAR 1894 [From the FoFty-eighth Report on the New York State Museum] By J. A. LINTNER, Ph. D., Statu Entomologist ALBANY UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 1896 State of New York, No. 68. IN S K N A T K, January, 1895. TENTH EEPORT OF THK STATE ENTOMOLOGIST ON THE INJURIOUS AND OTHER INSECTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. Office of the State Entomologist, i Albany, January, 1895. ) To the Legislature of the State of New York : I have the honor to present to the Legislature my Tenth Report on the Insects of the State of New York, which is also presented to the Regents of the University, as required by law. Yery respectfully, J. A. LINTNER. CONTENTS. PAGE. TRANSMITTAL 355 Correspondence of the office, 355. Inquiries for information, 355. Letters received and sent, 356. No widespread insect injuries, 356. Interesting insect attacks, 356. The 17-year Cicada in New York, 356. Publications made during the year, 357. Collections made, 358. Contributions to the collections, 358. Arrangement of the collections, 358. Anthrenidse and other families studied, 359. Disposition of duplicates, 359. Promotion of scientific agriculture by the State, 360. Gov. Flower on the importance of investiga- tions in economic entomology, 360. Provision for an assistant to the Entomologist, 362. Interest attaching to the entomological collection, 332. Attention shown to visitors, 363. Preparation of a general index to the ten reports of the Entomologist, 363. Scope of the index, 363. INJURIOUS INSECTS, ETC 365 Ants on Fruit-trees 365 Supposed in j uries from, 365 . The large black ant common on apple-trees, Camponotus herculaneus, 365. Attracted by the " honey-dew " of aphides, 365 . The cherry-tree ant, Cremastogaster ceresi, 366. Its protection of the cherry-tree aphis, Myzus cerasi, 366. How the protection is given, 366. The little yellow ant common in walks, Monomorium molestum, 366. Is it found on fruit-trees? 363. Its injuries in corn-flelds, etc., 366. Monomorium carbonarmm and Solenoj^sis geminata injurious to orange-trees in the South, 366. Ants, as a rule, harmless to fruit-trees, 367. May belharmful through pro- t ection of plant-lice, 367. How the plant-lice may be killed, 367. Tobacco leaves buried in the ground around the tree trunks believed to drive away ants, 367. Ants may be prevented from ascending trees by banding the trunks with strips of fur, 367. A broad band of chalk also efllcient, 367. Insect lime may be used as a preventive of ascent, 367. English writers regard ants as valuable in orchards, 368. They are colonized therein for feeding upon apple-tree pests, 368. Have long been used in China for the same purpose, 368. Are ants injurious to peonies? 368. They are not known to injure the buds but are drawn thereto for other food, 368. Derostenus sp. ? 369 Associated with the cocoons of the apple-tree Bucculatrix, B. pomifoUella, 369. The pupa cases of this little Clialcid, 369. The parasite belongs to the EntedonincB, 369. Neither it nor any. American member of the subfamily has been described, 369. Mr. Howard's remarks upon the species of Derostenus, 369. May possibly prove to be a secondary parasite, 369. References to its literature, 369. 342 CONTENTS PAQE. Operations asainst the Gypsy Moth in Massachcsbtts , 369 Its introduction and danger of invading other States, 370. The large appropriations made by the State Legislature for its extermination, 370. Visit made to the infested district for examining the work of the gypsy-moth committee toward extermination, 370. Facilities afforded for the examination, 370. The excellent work that had been done, 370. The means by which it had been accomplished, 371. Nothing found to criticize in the work as conducted, 371 . Suggestion made of the publication of a volume upon the moth, and the methods employed for its extermination, 371 . The cultivation and utilization of the parasites of the moth recommended, 371. Plan for their artificial rearing outlined, 371. Desirability and importance of continued appropriations by the State Legislature, 371. Extermination at a cost of a million dollars would be a wise economy, 372. Loss inflicted by the wheat-midge in New York in 1854, 372. Gortyna immanis, the Hopvine Grub 372 Ravages of the grub in Schoharie county „N. Y., 372. Operations of the grub, 372. Study of the insect made by Prof. J. B. Smith, 372. The value of skunks in destroying the grubs, 373. How the pupse may be found in the ground, 373. Destroying the young , grubs while tip worms, 373. Exposure of the roots in June, 373. Gortyna cataphracta, as a Raspberry cane borer 373 Infesting raspberry canes at [Menands, N. Y., 374. The caterpillar described, 374. Its rare occurrence in the raspberry, 374. Bred from lilies, burdock, and various kinds of plants, 374. Detailed description of the caterpillar by Mr. Fletcher, 374. Other de- scriptions by Mr. BeutenmuUer and by Mr. Dyar, 375. Limited literature of the species, 376. Its distribution not known to be extensive, 376. C JLLECTIONS IN THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS IN 1893 376 Mainly made in Keene Valley, 376. Abundance of Lepidoptera, 376. Large number of Pluslas collected, 376. List of the principal Plusias taken, 376. Compared with col- lections of Mr. Hill in Lewis county, N. Y., 376. List of the more common Noctuidae, 377. Scarcity of Syrphidse, Bombylidee, and Neuroptera, 377. Abundance of CtctnieZa repanda, 377. SiTOTROGA CEREALELLA, the Qrain-Moth 377 Bibliography additional to that contained in the Second Report, 377, 378. Abundance of the moth and injuries of the insect, as reported in Montgomery county, Pa., in No- vember, 378. Figures of the insect, and its ravages in Angoumois, France, in 1760, 379. When first noticed in the United States, 379. Its subsequent distribution, 380. Less destructive in its northern [extension, 380. Seldom appears in New York, 380. Its operations at the N. Y. Agricultural Experiment Station, 380. Habits of the insect, 380. New York infestations probably introduced, 380. A strong parasitic attack on stored corn in Albany, 381. The parasite an undescribed species of Catolaccus, S81. Destroyed by burning sulphur before their character was known, 381 . The number of CONTENTS 343 PAGE. broods depend upon the latitude, 381. There may be eight annual generations in Missis- sippi, 381 . Where the eggs are laid, 383. Of the broods reported in Montgomery county. Pa., 381. Probable cause of the heat observed in the threshed grain, 381. Heat pro- duced in beans by operations of species of Bruchus, 382. Flour made from infested grain decidedly unwholesome, 382. A disease resulting from it, 383. How the insect may be introduced in new localities, 383. The insect occurs occasionally in Canada, and has a large distribution in the United States, 383. It infests portions of Europe, and is injurious in Australia, 383. Bisulphide of carbon the best insecticide for it, 383. Quan- tity to be used, and method of use, 384. Where to order the bisulphide, 384. Import- ance of disinfecting granaries in early summer, 384. Preventives against attack, 384. A severe attack on threshed wheat in Charlottesville, Va., arrested by a mite, 384. The mite identified as Heteropus ventricosus, 385. Illustration of the mite and its history, 385. Its literature, 386. DiPLOSis pyaivoRA, the Pear-Mldge 366 Where its eggs are deposited, 386. The earliest observation of the larvae on record, 386. The midge at Blauvelt, N.Y., 387. Steady spread of the insect, 387. Whence in- troduced in New Jersey, 387. Its rapid increase in Mountainville, N. Y., 387. Disap- pearance from Menands, N. Y., 387. Reference to the literature and life-h'story of the insect, 387. Notes on Sciara 387 Citations of some literature of Sciara, 387-389. The genus belongs to the family of Mycetophilidae, or " fungus gnats," 389. They are nearly allied to the Cecidomyidffi, 389. Are very numerous in species, 389. Sciara has received little study in this country, 389. Of species described by Osten Sacken, probably not a half dozen can be identified, 389. The varied larval habits of Sciara, 389. Sources from which species have been reared, 389. A notable species is the " snake-worm," known in Germany as the " Heer- wurm," 390. Several notices of its immense gatherings, 390. The cause for them un- known, and superstitions entertained in regard to them, 390. The species probably Sciara Thomce, 390. The "yellow-fever fly " of the Southern States, 390. Is an unde- scribed species of Sciara, 391. Sciara sp. ? emerging in millions from floor-boards in a seminary in Bethlehem, Pa., 391. Sciara mali or the apple-midge described by Dr. Fitch, as found within an apple, 391 . No subsequent contrlbuti jns to its habits or life- history, 391. Its larval food uncertain, £91. Sciara coprophila n . sp , the Manure-Fly 391 Received from a mushroom cellar in Albany, N. Y., 391 . No evidence that the larvte fed on growing mushrooms, 392. Mention of several European species of "fungus gnats" (Mycetophilidae) which are recorded as "feeding on mushrooms," 393. Some of the species regarded as injurious to cultivated mushrooms, but most are regarded as " scavengers," 392. The Albany Sciara pronounced by Mr. Mead as near the European S. nervosa, 392. Examples sent to Mr. Falconer were Identified as the "manure-fly," 344 CONTENTS PAQE. 392. Regarded as a harmless species, 393. Abundance and habits in mushroom cellars at Glen Cove, N. Y., 393. If desirable, they may be killed by pyrethrum water, 398. Drawn by lighted lamps to pans of water and kerosene in France, 393. The " manure- fly" apparently undescribed, 393. Is named Sciara coprophila n. sp., 394. Description and figure of the larva, 394; of the pupa and imago, 395-6. Explanation of accompany- ing plate, 396. Sciara caldaria n. sp., the Qreenhouse Sciara • 397 Account of a fungus gnat infesting a greenhouse in Boise, Idaho, 397. Regarded by the writer as injurious, 397. Fungus gnats are not known to be harmful in greenhouses, 397. General features of the Boise fly. 397. Description is given of it as Sciara cal- daria n. sp., 398. Does this species shed its wings, as reported ? 398. Some reason for accepting the statement, 398. Wingless insects, 398; winged and wingless in the same species, 398. Wings of female ants torn off after the "marriage-flight" and return to earth, 398. Phdra agarici n. sp., tha Mushroom Phora 399 Mushroom cultivation impracticable during the summer months owing to insect attack, 399. A small larva tunnels the stalk and pileus, 399. No means discovered for overcoming the difficulty, 399. It may not occur when mushrooms are grown in deep dark caves in Europe, 399. The injury not chargeable upon any of the fungus gnats, 399. Complaint of it has frequently been made by Mr. Falconer, an extensive mush- room-grower, 399. The larva characterized by him as ' ' the maggot "— had never known of its identification, 399. Notice of some diseased and infested mushrooms, 400. Mushrooms containing "the maggot" received from Mr. Falconer, 400. Two insects reared from them, 400. The puparium of the one is figured, 400. The other proved to be a species of Phora, in all probability undescribed, 400. Named and described as Phora agarici n. sp.,401. Description of the larva, puparium and imago, 401. Com- pared with Phora sttacea Aldrich, 402. Peculiar wing-pores described and figured, 403, 403. Similar wing-pores found in Sciara coprophila, 40S. Mr. Crawford on "wing- pores in veins of Diptera," 403. Perhaps homologous with Jurine's "buUse" in wings of some Hymencptera, 403. The extent to which the Phora larvae infest mushrooms, cultivated and wild, 403. For killing the larvaj pyrethrum is recommended, either in the powder, or made into dampened cones and burned or applied to the soil in solution, 404. Some literature of Phora cited, 404, 405. Explanation of plate, 405. Agrilus ruficollis, the Gouty-Gall Beetle 406 Severe attack of the insect on raspberry canes in Delmar, N. Y., 406. Another at Athens, N. Y., 406. The remedy, cutting off and burning the infested canes, 406. Attacks the dewberry in Ohio, 407. A chief pest of the blackberry in New Jersey, 407. Where the egg is deposited, 407. How long the beetles are abroad, 407. The beetle is rarely taken in New York, 407. Reference to an account of the transformations of the CONTENTS 345 PAGE. insect and citation of literature, 407. Notice of Agrilus torpidua in Fifth Report, referred to, 407. The specific name of torpidus gives way to the earlier name of auxins, 407. Range of the insect, 407. The gall that it produces in willow, 407. Anomala luoicola, the Light-loving Grapevine Beetle 408 Its bibliography and synonymy, 408. Exception taken to its popular name, it being a night-feeding insect, 408. General features of the beetle, 408. Its description by Dr. Fitch, 409. Great variation in color of the beetles, 408. Believed to be largely sexual diflfereace, 409. Figure of the beetle, 409. Its description by Dr. Horn, 409. Flight and other habits of the beetles, 410. Injuries to grapevines, 410. Reported as feeding on pines in Pennsylvania, 410. A preventive is dusting grapevines with air-slaked lime, 410. The best remedy is shaking them from the foliage on cloths and killing them, 410. Broad distribution of the insect in the United States, 410. Little known of its life-history, 410. Should not the insect bear the name of Anomala mo&rens ? 410 Anomala marginata, the Margined Anomala 410 Bibliography, 411 . A destructive grapevine beetle, 411 . Letter from North Carolina telling of its numbers, voracity, and ravages, 411. Especially a Southern insect, 412. Its distribution, 412. Occurs in New Jersey, but not known in New York, 412. Little recorded of its habits, 412. Briefly noticed in "Insect Life," 412. Its description by Dr. Horn, 412. Its curious claw figured, 413. The beetles should be shaken from the foliage and caught for killing, 413. The "collectors" described by Dr. Smith com- mended for the purpose, 413, Three other grapevine Anomalas named, 413. DiABBOTiCA viTTATA, the Striped Cucumber Beetle 413 A letter claiming immunity from injuries by this insect to plants grown beneath a black walnut-tree, 413-4. Reasons for the belief, 414. Reference to protection from the same insect by planting beans, 414. Similar statements of supposed effects of vari- ous plants in repelHng insect attacks, 414 . '' DiBOLiA BORBALis, a Plantain-Leaf Miner 414 Its bibliography, 414. Leaves mined by the insect received from Alcove, N. Y., 414. The beetles reared from them and identified, 414. Dr. Hamilton quoted upon them, 414. Extensive mining of plantain leaves in Massachusetts, as reported by Prof. Storer, 414. Habits and transformations of the insect, as observed by Prof. Rolfs at La Claire, Iowa, 415. Prof. Comstock has written of it as a miner in turnip leaves, 415. Taken in Washington, D. C, in sweeping the grass of a lawn, 415. Observed in January at Vicksburg, Miss., sitting on fence-posts, etc., 415. Description of the beetle from Horn, 416. Is distributed over the entire eastern Uaited States, 416. May possibly occur in Mexico under the name of Dibolia ovata, 416. OTioRETTNCHns ovATUs, the Ovato Snout-Beetle 416 Its bibliography, 416, 417. Noticed in preceding Reports as infestiag dwelling-houses in Lycoming, Potsdam, and Morichjs, in New York, 417. Further account of the Pots- 44 346 CONTENTS PAGE. dam infestation, 417. The beetle figured, 417. Its abundance within doors and upon shrubbery, 417. Annual reappearances at Potsdam, 418. Little recorded of its life- history, 418. Operations of the larva; in girdling the crowns of strawberry plants, 418. The mature insect somewhat of a general feeder, 418. The insect discovered operating In cabbages in Oswego county, N. Y., 418. Dr. Dimon's observations upon it as a destructive cabbage pest, 4:8. A field of nearly a thousand heals of cabbages destroyed by it, 418. When and how the attack commences, 418. The beetles feed on the leaves and cause a rot, 418. Fifty beetles taken from beneath one leaf, 418. Later, the larvae are found working in the stalks, 418. Where the eggs are deposited, 419. The Otiorhynchidse larvae are root-inhabiting, 419. Two European species thit occur in this country, 419. O. ovatus very abundant in the State of New York, while O. sulcaius is rarely found, 419. CoNOTRACHKLus CRAT^Gi, the Quinco Curculio 419 Reference to original description, 4 '.9. An orchard in Geneva, N. Y., badly infested, 419. Arsenical spraying not effective against It. 419. The attack had baen continued for years, 419. A local insect, 419. Destructive in New Jersey, 419. Every quince in an orchard affected, 420. Several varieties of pears infested, 480. The insect not known to Dr. Fitch, 430. First discovered abundantly on wild haws in the Western States, 420. An extended account of the insect in Riley's Third Missouri Report, 420. Its limited litera'ure, 420. The Seventeen-Year Locust in the State of New York in 1894 420 The "Hudson river valley brood " of this insect, 420. Its former appearance in 1877, 420. Reappeared in May of this year, 420. Time of its continuance, 4 ;o. The largest and most extended in range of the New York broods, 4 10. The unusual interest attach- ing to this return from the above-ground structures b lilt by the pupae, 420. The num- ber of these buildings, 420. The:r exceptional occurrence, 420. Their cause and pur- pose an enigma, 430. Observations at future returns needed for its solution, 420. A circular asking for information of places of appearance and other matters prepared and distributed by the Entomologist, 42). The renarkable life-period of the Insect, 421. Doubted by many, yet an ascertained fact, 421. Its occurrence in many Iccalities at shorter intervals than 17 years, 4 !1. Explained by there being a number of distinct broods, 421. Six occur in the State of New York, 421. Each one true to Its appointed time, 421. The limits of the present brood as Indicated by Dr. Fitch, 421. Embraces the Hudson river valley and extends into Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 421. A map showing its precise distribation in New York, desirable, 421 . Purposes to be served by such a map, 421. Figures of the insect in its saveral stages, 422. The pupa and its transformation to the winged insect, 422. Representation of twigs bored for the reception of the eggs, 422. The usual emergence of the pupa through a round opening in the ground, 453. The pupal above ground buildings discovered at New Baltimore, N. Y., 433. Their abundance; In some places twenty-flve to a square foot, 423. Their character and appearance, 423. Figures illustrating them, 433. Only two CONTENTS 347 PAGE. instances of their occurrence in former years given by writers, 433. One specimen con- tained in tlie National Museum at Washington, 423. Information asked for in the cir- cular distributed: where seen — when first seen — comparative abundance — abund- ance compared with preceding return — were the emerging holes seen — the above- ground buildings seen — when their " screeching " was first heard — when was ovlposi- tion first observed — effect of the ovipositian — Injary to fruit-trees or grapevines — in what vegetation was oviposition made — were persons injured by their sting — to what extent eaten by the English sparrow — insect attacks upon it — any fungus attack noticed — was the small variety, Cassi7iii seen — when the last "screeching" was heard — when the last insects were seen — did it reappear wherever it occurred in 1877, 424. Comparatively few replies made to above questions, 425. The usual neglect in responding to similar inquiries, 435. The photographs secured illustrating pupal build- ings, 435. PsYLLA PYRicoLA, the Pear-Tfee Psylla 425 When the preceding report (ix) was written, the insect was not known to occur In Western New York, 435. Since then it has been reported in Yates county, 425. The attack not a severe one, 426. It is stated that it la now recognized as having been in Livingston county during ten years past, 426. Many pear-trees killed, 426. In Eastern New York, abundant in orchards in Greene county; preference for certain varieties, 426. Remarkable Abundance of Aphides or Plant-Lick in 1893 426 The app'e-tree aphis unusually abundant in May, 426. Letters of inquiry received, 426. Spraying recommended unless heavy rains ensued, 426. Apprehension of hop-growers, 426. Conditions similar to 1886 when the hop crop was almost an entire loss, 426. Hop- growers were urged to spray as soon as the first aphides appeared on the vines, 426. Directions for making and using kerosene emulsion given, 426. A communication made to the American Farmer in response to Inquiry, 426. Plant-lice very abundant on open- ing buds in New York this year, 427. Multiplication of the apple-tree aphis, 427. Prob- able effect upon the coming fruit crop, 427. Prudence suggests that fruit-trees should be sprayed without delay, 4?8. Recent heavy rains have failed to destroy the plant-lice, 423. Hop-growers should be watchful, 428. The earliest hopvine aphis may be expected during the last of May, 428. Importance of promptly killing the migrants from plum- trees, 428. Dependence of European hop-growers on " hop washings," 428. The hopvine aphis distributed over entire fields in Waterville, N. Y., In early June, 428. A leaf of one-fourth Inch area contained twenty-five winged migrants, 428. An average in former years of twenty-five migrants on a large leaf, would the present year be two hundred and fifty, 428-429. New York counties repjrting unusual abundance of aphides, 429. Where the hopvine aphis has been the most destructive, 429. The rapidity of its work, 429. Ark Aphides Eaten by Spiders? 429 A statement that spiders protect fruit-trees from [aphides, 429. Not sustained by observation, 429. Aphides can not be their " natural food," 429. May feed upon them 34:8 CONTENTS PAGE. io captivity, 439. The natural enemies of aphides, viz., lady-bugs and their larvae, and the larvae of the laoe-winged flies (Chrysopa), 429. Spiders feeding on small Hemiptera, 430. An Attid spider in New Mexico feeding on Typhlocyba sp.? 430. What the Attldae are, 430. What the Typhlocibina are, 430. Pentatoma juniperina, the Juniper Plant-bug 430 Bibliography, 43). Injures peaches in Brockport, N. Y., 430. What the insect is, 431. Description and figure, 431. Its occurrence in Europe, 431. Its American distribution, 431. Feeds also on willows and other trees, 43t. Sometimes confounded with Lioderma ligata, 432. The family both phytophagous and carnivorous, 433. Means for its destruc- tion when injuriously abundant, 432. LiPTocoRis TRiviTTATOs, the Box-elder Plant-bug 432 Bibliography, 438, 433. Not a New York insect, 433. Will probably reach the Eastern States ere long, 433. Has reached N. Lat. 46° in the State of Washington, 433. Its injuries there, 433. Common in western Iowa in 1891,433. Its remarkable abundance in Shenandoah, la., as narrated, 434. Description and figure, 434. Is cannibalistic at times, 434. Inflicts wounds under provocatijn, 434. Crawls into beds and "bites sharply," 435. The proboscis of the insect, 435. Its abundance in North Dakota, 435. Gatherings of the bugs in patches of many feet in diameter, 435. Written of as " North Dakota's New Bug," 435. Hangs in clusters from limbs of trees, 436. The food supply of such myriads a problem, 435. Its popular name drawn from the tree on which it is commonly found, 435. In its eastward progress reaihes the Missis «ppi river in 1835, 436. Has probably entered Wisconsin and Illinois, 436. Its present known distribution, 436. Extends from Mexico to Manitoba, 436, 437. Its eastern spread may be coextensive with the distribution of the box-elder, 437. A common tree of the North American forest, 437. Its distribution as given by Sargent in " Silva of North America," 437. Fi-om Illinois the insect would readily ba distributed over the basin of the Ohio river, 437. Area of this basin, 437. In it the box-elder (_Negundo aceroides) finds its best conditions for growth and multiplication, 437. Prediction that the insect will reach this region within five years, 437. Hope expressed that eastern fruit-growers may long be spared from this p»st, 437. Habits of the insect as given by Prof. Popenoe, 438. Its hibernation; oviposition; gregarious tendency; gathering on trees; entrance into houses; various food-plants, 433. Rem^die'?: kerosene or hot wa'^er, 439. The Grasshopper Plague in Western New York 439 The grasshopper ravages of 1893 continued in 1894, 439. Eastern United States exempt from the " Rocky Mountain locust," 439. Losses from it in four Western States. 439. Will probably not occur east of the Mississippi river, 439. Reasons for this belief, 439. No strictly migratory eastern species, 439. Melanoplua feviur-ruhrum and M. atlanis the two most common species in the east, 439. Tae latter may migrate CONTENTS 349 PACK. when Its food supply Is exhausted, 439. Its abundance as recorded by Dr. Harris, 440. Its ravages in the Merrimac valley in New Hampshire, 440. Examination and report by Dr. Riley, 440-41. M. femur-rxihrum and M. spretus figured and compared, 441 . Grasshoppers seldom destructive in New York, 411. Their ravages in 1894. In the western counties; in the central counties; in the southern counties, 443. Abundance in the Adirondack region, 413. Species chargeable with the Injuries, 443. The present condition, 443. Will they abound the coming year? 443. Will depend largely on seasonal conditions, 443. Exposed to many casualties, 443 . Preventives of their rav- ages: destruction of theegg^s by harrowing; plowing under; use of the hopperdozer; bran-mash poison, how made and used, 444. Keference to important publications on grasshoppers (locusts), 445. JULDS C^RDLKOCINCTDS, WITH ASSOCIATED PoTATO-ScAB'' 445 Why millepeds are brought to the notice of entomologists, 445. Potato, stems infested with Julus, at Scarsdale, N. Y., 445. A similar attack noticed In the "Rural New Yorker," 445. Details of the attack, 445. Referred to the above-named species, 446. The same infesting scabby potatoes, 446. Is a well-known pr tato pest, 446. Its injuries in Cooperstown, N. Y., to potatoes, 446. Other food plants, 446. Often associated with scabby potatoes, 446. Potato-scab may be caused by a fungus, 446. Another form may result from bacteria presence, 447. Possibly bacteria merely accompany the fungus attack, 447. Prof. Hopkins has shown that a scab may be owing to operations of fungus gnats, 447. Both the scab and rot may be produced by Sciara and Epidapus, 447. E^jidopMS scabies largely instrumental in causing scab, 447. What the fly Is, 447. How potato-scab may be prevented: by planting uoinfested seed; use of land free from scab presence; not feeding scabby potatoes to stock; reject barnyard manure for fertil- izing; dig infested potatoes as soon as possible, 447. The corrosive sublimate prevent- ive, 448. Directions for making and using It, 448. Remedies for thoueand- legged worms: gasoline; soot and. water; potash and kainit, 448. Trapping the worms, 448. Attracting to baits, 449. Mangolds and cotton cake as baits, 449. Mites Attacking Mushrooms 449 Millions of ," reddish lice " Infesting mushrooms In Kewburgh, N. Y., 449. Are un- doubtedly mites (Acarina), 449. The prolificacy of mites, 449. Infestation cf Austral- Ian potatoes in a barn In Vincennes In France by a species of Tyroglj phus, 449. Rhizo- ghyphus [rostroserratus destructive to cultivated mushrooms In Europe, 449. Is asso- ciated with a black rot, 450. The Newburgh mite probably Bryobia pratensia, 450. Habits of the species, 450. Reference to Its literature, 450. Remedies for mites, 450. Efficacy of sulphur, 450. How it may best be used, 450. Bisulphide of carbon should be efficient, 450. Caution In using the above Insecticides on mushrooms, 450. Valuable agents if they may be safely used, 450. 350 CONTENTS PAGE. Mites Infestino Potatoes' 451 Scabby potatoes from Westcht ster county, N. Y., with cavities eaten by mlllepeds swarming with mites, 451 . Identified as a species of ' Rhizoglyphua near phylloxerm, 451. Identical examples seen feedingon decaying vegetable matter, 451. Some of the genus carnivorous, 451 . This species previously seen associated with potato scab and thought to be Its cause, 451. Other mites observed in cavities in potatoes, 451. Uropoda Americana parasitic on JJulus, 451. The Ivegetarian form] may be named Uropoda obovatus, 451. Tyroglyphus Lintnkri, a Mushroom Infesting Mite 453 Mushrooms from Suflfolk county, N. Y., infested with mites, 452. Near to T. phyllozercB, 452. Described by Prof. Osborn as T. Lintneri, 453. Figures of the mite, 452. Its description, copied from "Science," 452-3. Wherein it differs from phylloxeras, 453. Phytoptus pyri, the Pear-Leaf Bllster-Mlte 453 Its bibliography, 453-4. Its injuries, but not its cause, long known in tho United States, 454. Identification with an European species, 454. The mite observed by Dr. Taylor in Washirgton, 455. Habits and appearance recorded by Glover, 455. Com- pared with the European mite, known as Typhlodromus pyri, 455. How the attack commences, 455. Progress and result of the attack, 455. Its rapid spread, 455. Is increasing in New York and other States, 455. How the attack may be recognized, 456. Small size of the mite — almost invisible to the unaided eye, 456. Infestation of Kieffer pears, 456. Is the Kitffer particularly liable to attack ? 456. Some other varie- ties infested, 456. How the mites may be carried from a tree or an orchard to ethers, 456. Characters of the Phytoptidae, 456. The galls that thej produce in plants, 457. Those that live within buds, 457. The varied galls that they produce, 457. Trees, shrubs, etc., on which they occur, 457. Their minute size, 457. The ash-tree Phytoptus, 457. The extraordinary structure of Phytoptus, 457. Possesses but two pairs of legs, 457. How it feeds, 457. The Phytoptidae recently separated into subfamilies, 457. Writings of Dr. Nalepa, 457. Characters of subfamilies, 457. The pear Phytoptus as figured by Dr. Nalepa, 458. Its description, 458. Sulphur compounds favorite remedies fcr mites, 458. Bordeaux mixture for their destruction, 458. Difficult to reach within their galls, 459. Removing and burning infested leaves or branches, 459. Spraying a more convenient remedy, 459. The pear Phytoptus can be exterminated by sprasing in winter with kerosene emulsion, 459. Mr. Slingerland's experiments, 459. A peach- tree Phytoptus observed by Dr. Taylor in 1872, in Washington, 459. Whitened the leaves of a peach-tree, 459. Was only seen in this one instance, 459. No record made of the observation up to the present time, 459. Was probably the Phytoptus persiccE noticed as whitening the leaves of peach-trees in France, in 1851,460. Was known as " le meimier," the miller, 460. A plum-tree Phytoptus, producing excres- cences at the base of plum-tree buds and shoots, 460. Identified by Mr. Slingerland as CONTENTS 361 PAGE. Phytoptus phlceocoptes of Europe, 460. Had been previously received from New York by Dr. Riley, 460. Many gall mites doubtless remain to be discovered, 460. Fourteen U.S. species have been indicated, 463 The list of Osborn and Underwood, 460. The number of American Phytoptus galla in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cam- bridge, Mass., 460. The number known from North America, 430. Their distribution in genera and families, 460. APPENDIX 461 ld Return for a Trifling Expenditure: Description of a New Species of Grapta, and Notes on G. interrogation is, 508. (E) CONTRIBaTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT IN 1893 509 Hynnenoptera and Lepidoptera, £09. Diptera and Coleoptera, 510. Hemiptera, Orthoptera, and Neuroptf ra, 518. Thysanura, Arachnida, and Myriapoda, 513. (F) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEPARTMEN T IN 189i 515 Hynaenoptera and Lepidoptera, 515. Diptera and Coleoptera, 516. Hemiptera, 517, 518. Orthoptera, Thysanura, Myriapoda, Crustacea, Miscellanea, 519. 45 354 CONTENTS PAGE. (G) CLASSIFIED LIST OF INSECTS KOTICED IN REPORTS I-X 521 Hymenoptera, 521. Lepidoptera, 622, Diptera, 525. Coleoptera, 526. Hemiptera, 529, Physopoda, Orthoptera, and Neuroptera, 531. Pseudoneuroptera, Thysanura, and Arachnida, 532. Myriapoda, Crustacea, and Vermes, 533. (H) ERRATA (ADDITIONAL) IN PRECEDING REPORTS 535 INDEX TO REPORTS I-X 541 REPORT. Office of the State Entomologist, i Albany, November 30, 1894. ) To the Regents of the University of the State of Neio York : Gentlemen. — The Entomologist, in accordance with the pro- vision of chapter 355 of the Laws of 1883, presents herewith to your honorable board the following report : Owing to an unusual pressure of official work — principally in an increased correspondence and several special insect investiga- tions which have not been completed — there has not been the opportunity for preparing the usual report embracing the obser- vations and studies made during the year. It is, therefore, thought better to present the following partial report, and post- pone a more extended one until the material in hand can be suit- ably prepared for presentation hereafter. In former reports reference has been made to the steadily increasing correspondence of the office, but in no preceding year had it attained to such magnitude as to engross almost the entire time of the Entomologist. The simple statement of the number of letters received and answered could give no adequate idea of the time occupied in the correspondence. Inquiries for informa- tion of the names of insects — whether they are injurious or not — of their habits and means of control, when received from remote parts of the United States to which they are peculiar, may require an entire day, or more, in their study and in examination of their scattered literature before they can be satisfactorily 366 FOETY-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM answered and record made of such portion of the study as may be desirable to record for publication. Although such inquiries might more appropriately be made elsewhere — either to the Agricultural Experiment Station of the State or to the Entomo- logical Division of the United States Department of Agriculture at Washington — than of the New York State Entomologist, still it has been thought proper to give them all the attention they merit, in consideration of the value of the study (when required) to your Entomologist and to entomological science at large. Many of these replies have been communicated to agricultural journals, while those of general interest may hereafter be given in following numbers of my annual reports. During the year correspondence has been had with residents in each one of the States and Territories except two. The number of letters pertaining to the work of the oflBce, sent out during the year, so far as they have been listed, is 1,583. Of the more import- ant ones, or those which might be useful for reference, copies have been retained ; of the others their subjects have been noted. The number of letters received and filed during the same time is 1,310. Although the year has not been remarkable for widespread insect attacks of unusual severity, still there have been many which deserved and have received careful study, which will be reported hereafter. Some of these are of special interest, as being new to the State, and others, from extending their range into, and occupying portions of, the State, which had been pre- viously exempt from their presence. The one event that has made the year a notable one in the annals of entomological science is the appearance of the periodi- cal Cicada or " the 17-year locust " ia the Hudson River Yalley, and the opportunity afforded for studying in many locali- ties the remarkable above-ground structures made by the pupae TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 357 for a purpose unknown. Much interesting information relating to the insect was secured during its brief stay, from personal observation, correspondence, and the public press, and it is a mat- ter of regret that the more pressing duties of the office have not left the time for the preparation of the material for presentation in this report. The publications of the Entomologist during the year in agri- cultural, scientific, and other journals, and society proceedings, are 38 in number. A list of them with brief summary of contents is given in the Appendix, trgether with that for the preceding year (62 in number), which was not included in the printed report for that year, and also a list of some earlier entomological publica- tions (1862-186 J). Three reports of the Entomologist have been published during the present year, viz., for the years 1801 and 1892 (long delayed by the State printer), and 1 893, and are contained in the forty- fifth, forty-sixth, and forty-seventh reports on the New York State Museum. Separate editions on heavy paper of TOO copies each, of the first two of these, have been printed for the use of the^ Entomologist. These are entitled "Eighth Keport on the Injurious and Other Insects of the State of New York for the Year 1891 " (223 pages and 53 figures, issued in February, 1894), and " Ninth Eeport on the Injurious and Other Insects of the State of New York for the Year 1892," (211 pages and 34 figures, issued in March, 1894). The " Keport of the State Entomologist to the Kegents of the University of the State of New York for the Year 1893" (of 24 pages, and issued in November, 1894), is contained in the Forty-seventh State Museum Keport, and a small edition on ordinary paper, under the same title, has also been printed separately .* * A few pages of this report have been reprinted in the present one. 358 FOKTT-EIGHTH EEPOBT ON THE STATE MUSEUM The additions to the collection by the Entomologist have been — of mounted and labeled specimens, about 1,800 examples (a complete record was not kept), and of alcoholic and unmounted, exceeding 700 specimens. Among the more important of the additions are a number of slides prepared for the microscope, exhibiting minute insects or insect stages; species of Lepidoptera, Diptera, etc. — reared from the egg or larva, permitting notes of their life-history to be made; and Lepidopterous and other larvae beautifully prepared by inflation by my assistant. Miss Davis. Contributions to the collection have been made by 54 persons, aggregating about 500 examples. The list of donors, with their contributions, may be found in the appendix. The collection, in part, is arranged in small folding boxes, the size of which, 11 by 14^ inches, has been found convenient for arrangement of the contained material and for holding in the hand while being studied. The remainder is in drawers, 15 by 18 inches inside, patterned after those used in many of the conti- nental museums of Europe and in the entomological department of the Museum of Comprative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass. They were made under personal inspection of Dr. Hagen while director of the museum, and are believed to be almost, if not entirely, proof against the entrance of museum pests. Naphthaline, in the convenient form of pin-pointed cones, is employed for insuring additional protection from insect depredations. The entire col- lection is given inspection from time to time, and is believed to be at the present wholly free from insect attack. Considerable progress has been made in the arrangement, classification, and labeling of the collection. The alcoholic por- tion has been put in better condition for its preservation through the application of paraffine to the corks where rubber ones of proper size were not available. It is proposed to replace these TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 359 with rubber as soon as it can conveniently be done. In the Hymenoptera, the Andrenidce^ which have been gradually accu- mulating for a number of preceding years, but left unstudied from the difficulty attendant upon their close resemblances, have been carefully studied and all — so far as it could be done — deter- mined and labeled. The Ajpidce have been partly gone over in the same manner. In the Diptera special study has been given to the interesting family of Bomhylidcn, and most of them have been named. In the Orthoptera all of the AcrididcB have been studied and their determinations made. Work of this character is necessarily slow, but it will be carried on as rapidly as the time that can be devoted to it will permit, with the view of put- ting the entire collection in such shape that the duplicates that are accumulating may be named and labeled, and ready for dis tribution to the educational institutions of the State whenever it shall be feasible to enter upon so desirable a work. With the increasing attention that is being given to the study of natural history in our schools, a series of cases representing typical insects in each of the seven older orders, and another series to illustrate the more injurious species, with their transformations and their injuries — all authoritatively labeled, could not but prove a valu- able contribution toward the educational material of the schools. It is specially desirable that such collections, and still more extended, should be placed in each of the ]S"ormal schools. Some of them are already provided with them, and are giving valuable instruction in entomology. The study of injurious insects, the nature of their injuries, and methods for preventing their ravages has, during recent years, become so indispensably connected with successful agriculture that the demand will soon be imperative for instruction in economic entomology in our principal schools. Teachers, therefore, should be in training that may be prepared to respond to such demand. 360 FORTY EIGHTH KEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM As illustrating both the importance of entomological investiga- tion to the agricultural interest, and the recognition that these studies, in their utilitarian aspect particularly, have — after years of indifferent regard — finally obtained and secured, the follow- ing remarks are quoted. Their source lends them additional weight. They are from an address made by Governor Flower, in August last, at Jamestown, N. Y., to a concourse of the farm- ers and others of Chautauqua county, estimated at 8,000 persons. The subject of the address, as announced, was " Scientific Farming," Premising that the State was doing much for the promotion of scientific agriculture — the admirable work that was being done in this direction at the agricultural experiment station at Geneva, and at Cornell University and the experiment station connected therewith — was detailed at considerable length, and the great benefits that were accruing to the State from these institutions in various directions were pointed out. The Governor, in continuation of his remarks, said : "Another important field of State effort in the application of science to agriculture is that of entomology, Not only is this a subject of study at the experiment stations, but there is a special State officer, to pursue investigations in entomology and furnish information based on his researches to the farmers. Prof. Lint- ner is a thoroughly trained entomologist, and his work has been of great benefit to the agricultural mterests of the State, Few of us appreciate what an important bearing on agriculture insect life has. You farmers, who have lost whole crops of grapes, or wheat, or potatoes, or hops, by the wicked ravages of these little animals, do appreciate their power and do appreciate the value of some sure means of preventing their inroads. They are mysteri- ous creations — these mischievous destroyers of crops. They come suddenly at times, they work quietly and assiduously, they TENTH BEPOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 361 breed so rapidly that it seems impossible to exterminate them. No State function is more useful or necessary than that which employs the best ability of science to exterminate these pests. Why, the entire grape culture of France was threatened with destruction by the grapevine phylloxera — which you in this country know something about, I dare say — and the French government has not only spent nearly $200,000 for investigations, but has also offered a reward of $60,000 for the discovery of an effectual remedy. The successful ravages of this little animal (which is not nearly as big as the head of a pin) in this State would mean a loss of over $5,000,000 a year. Surely a State would be remiss which was unwilling to appropriate a few thou- sand dollars for experiments to prevent such a catastrophe. When it is considered how many farm plants, grains and fruits are endangered by injurious insects of one kind or another — wheat, hops, potatoes, peaches, currants, cabbages, cherries, plums — indeed nearly all varieties of plant life — it would seem of the highest importance that the State relax no effort to over- come these public enemies. Prof. Lintner estimates that with our present scientific knowledge and with the means now at our command, we can, if we will, lessen insect depredations to the extent of at least one-half of their present magnitude. That, indeed, would be a remarkable triumph, but it is only an assur- ance of greater results in the future. Scientists are learning to depend not alone on poisons to destroy these insect enemies, buu they are enlisting in their efforts the aid of other insects — para- sites which prey upon the injurious species and drive them from the field. I read the other day in the Albany Argus that Post- master-General Bissell had issued an order allowing the importa- tion of lady-bugs through the mails from Australia, because they were of such value in destroying insect enemies. Scientists give 46 362 rOKTT-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM US reason to hope that perhaps in the near future, when we find the hop-louse on our hops, or phylloxera on our grapevines, we can turn loose some other insect which will help us exterminate them. So let us encourage our entomologists in their good work that our farmers may get the greatest possible benefit from their valuable discoveries." The additional office-room which the Kegents have kindly pro- vided far the use of the Entomologist, through the inclosure and fitting up of a portion of the adjoining corridor, has proved of the greatest possible convenience, relieving, as it does, the dis- comforts of an overcrowded apartment and affording all needed room, for the present, for the arrangement of the collection and the growing library. Provision having been made for an assistant to the Entomolo- gist, Miss R. L. Davis, who had had three years' experience in the work of the Insectary connected with the Hatch Agricultural Experiment Station, at Amherst, Mass., under direction of Prof. C. H. Fernald, was selected for the position ; and having been duly appointed, entered upon her duties in November, 1893. Her services have been of material aid in extending the work of the department. The entomological collection continues to be an interesting feature in visits made to the Capitol. Although a very limited public display can be made of its material, owing to its liability to injury from exposure to light, yet the drawers of the more attractive insects and cases, illustrating the manner of mounting, preparation, classification, and labeling, are always gladly shown and explained to those who give evidence of appreciation of the study and interest in its progress. The pupils connected with our schools are especially welcomed at all times, and every pains is taken to enlist their interest in the insect world and to encour- TENTH EEPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 363 age them in its study, by pointing out to them the fascination that it presents, the ease with which it may be pursued, its almost ever-at-hand source of enjoyment, and its growing importance in its practical applications. In the preceding nine reports of the entomologist, aggregating 1,950 pages, hundreds of species of insects have been noticed at greater or less extent. The same species has also, in several instances, been treated of in different reports, in additions to former histories, or in correction of the earlier statements. To facilitate reference by those who have occasion to refer to or study these reports, a general index, which will include the present report, has been prepared and will be found at the end of this volume. It has not been made as full as the separate ones that have been presented, but it will contain the scientific names of insects by their generic and specific designation, family and ordinal names, the common or popular names, the insects infest- ing the more important food plants, the principal remedies and preventives, and reference to figures used in illustration. So far as possible from the literature at hand, the more important synonymy has been brought down to the present time, omitting, however, many of the changes that have been lately proposed (especially in the Lepidoptera) but are still purely tentative, and in which there is an almost entire absence of accord among our recent writers, both in nomenclature and classification. With grateful acknowledgment of the interest taken by your Board in the work of the department during the year, and the aid extended to it. Respectfully submitted, J. A. LINTNER. INJURIOUS INSECTS, ETC. Ants on Fruit-Trees. (Ord. H^menoptera: Fam. FormiciPuE and Mtrmicid^ ) From a not uncommon belief that all insects are injurious, fruit- growers are often unnecessarily alarmed by the appearance, in large numbers, of ants in fruit-trees, especially when found in association with apparent insect injury; an'i inquiries are made of the precise nature of the damage caused by them and how they may best be destroyed. The following is one of many similar letters received: Do the small ants that nest in ant-hills in the ground, especially about the drives and walks, injure fruit-trees? I have noticed them running about young apple, pear, and peach-trees, some of which have le ives C'lrled and otherwise showing the ill effects of something. There are also some green lice on the leaves. What will destroy both ants and lice, and how can ants be kept off the trees if they are detrimental ? Trees have been sprayed with solution of London purple, but I do not see that it stops the ants or kills the lice. E M. An Ant Frequenting Apple-Trees. The ants that are so often to be seen running up and down the trunks and main branches of fruit-trees, are not known to be injurious to the tree or its fruit. A large black ant wnth a deep chestnut-red thorax is quite common on apple-trees. It was described by Dr. Fitch in liis First Report on the Insects of New York, as Formica Nov mbor a censis, but has since been identified with an European species bearing the name of ijamponotus hercularieus (Linn.). It is also, according to Cresson, the Formica Pennsyloanica ('f many writers. lis occurrence on apple-tree-j is always associated with the presence of plant-lice or aphides. It feeds on the "honey-dew" secieted by the aphides and given out from the pair of honey-tubes projecting from their abdomen, and in return the ant gives them protection from their insect enemies in consideration of the grateful food they supply. The Cherry-Tree Ant. Another smaller ant is, according to Dr. Fitch, a constant attendant of the cherry-tree plant-louse, Myzus cerasi. The worker is only 0.14 of an inch long, of a dark-brown color, with a shining, black, pointed 366 FOKTT-EIGHTH KEPOKT ON THE STATE MUSEUM abdomen. Its scientific name is Cremastog aster cerasi (Fitch). Some- times a half-dozen or more of these ants may be seen upon a single aphis-infested cherry leaf, touching or rubbing the aphides with their antennae to induce them to yield their honey-dew. They are more faithful nurses of the aphides than the preceding species, and despite their smaller size they are abundantly able, by means of their sting, to defend themselves against the powerful C herculaneus, to conquer it, and even to rob it of its flock of aphides. Dr. Fitch gives an interesting detailed recital of the manner in which this is accomplished, through the use of its sting when seized by the larger species, and then mark- ing each plant-louse with the pungent venom thrown out from its sting which apparently makes them repulsive to their former guardians. The Little Yellow Ant, Com.m.on in Walks. If our correspondent is correct in his identification of the ants fre- quenting his fruit-trees with those that make the little ant-hills in and about the drives and walks, then the species must be the "little yellow ant," Monomorium molestum (Say). The worker measures 0.06 of an inch in length, " is of a honey-yellow color with the head and abdomen tinged with brown, the abdomen being broadly oval and almost globu- lar." I do not recall any record of this species ascending fruit-trees for its food, but it is undoubtedly injurious at times to succiilent vege- tation, for Dr. Fitch has stated (First Report, p. 129) of it, that it sometimes does much injury in corn-fields by gnawing the blades of corn when they are but a few inches high, for the purpose of drinking the sweet juice which flows from the wounds.* Ants Injurious to Orange-Trees. Two species of ants are injurious to orange-trees in the South, as we learn from the studies of Mr. H. G. Hubbard, contained in his volume, entitled Insects Affecting the Orange, 1885. Of these, 3Iono- morinm carbonarium Smith, eats holes into the leaves when they are young and tender, but seldom causes any material damage. The other, iSolenojysis xyloni McCook,f " frequently and seriously in- jures the orange by gnawing away the bark and causing an exudation of the gum. The ants make their attack in force, and either girdle or kill the shoots or cut so deeply in their bases ihat they bend over or break off by their own weight. Sometimes, but rarely, the ants attack the old bark of the trunk and larger branches and gnaw holes therein. * See an interesting account in the Transictiona of the New York Agricultural Society, xxv, for the year 1865, p. 133, of attacks made by this species upon cut-worms. t Subsequently referred to Solenopsis geminata_(Fsihr .'). TENTH KEPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 367 eating away the cambium layer without waiting for the gum to exude" {loc. cit., pp. 129, 130). Ants Usually Harmless to Fruit-Trees. It will appear from the above that, as a rule, it is not necessary to destroy the ants that frequent our fruit-trees, although it is thought by some — Dr. Fitch among the number — that from the protection that they give the aphides, these serious pests become more numerous than they possibly could without such fostering care. The aphides may be killed when they first make their appearance and before they are sheltered in the cavities of the curled leaves, by spraying them with tobacco water, soapsuds or kerosene emulsion. The London purple spraying mentioned in the inquiry could have had no effect upon them, as it is only serviceable upon biting insects, and not upon the suctorial class, which draw their food through a needle-pointed proboscis, un- affected by the external poisoning of the foliage. Should careful observation show, in any instance, that the ants are really detrimental, for any reason, when frequenting fruit-trees, they may be driven away by a free application of tobacco in the form of dust or factory waste spread around the base of the tree. Where tobacco is grown, the following method, recommended by Rev. W. P. Smith, of Fayetteville, Texas, might be employed : " I was raising some tobacco, and operated with the green leaves in the following manner: I removed the earth from around the tree as much as I could without injuring the roots; then I put a handful of tobacco leaves around the tree where the ants worked, covered them nicely with the earth and pressed it well. In a few cases I had to repeat the dose, but I have tried it often with uniform success in driving away the ants and saving the tree." (^Hept. Commis. Agricul. for 1868, p. 433-434.) To Prevent Ants from Ascending Trees. Different methods have been proposed for this, A band of fur with the hairs pointing downward and tied closely to the trunk, is said to form an almost impassable barrier. The skin of a rabbit has been found effective, but probably that of almost any stiff, closely-set, long- haired animal would do as well. A broad band of chalk eight or ten inches wide, completely covering the bark and encircling the trunk, is also efficient in the absence of rain or excessive dews, if occasionally renewed. Insect-lime, when it can be obtained, applied in a broad band, will serve for weeks for preventing the ascent of ants, as well as a number of other insect pests of fruit-trees. 368 FORTY-EIGHTH KEPOBT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Ants Regarded as Valuable in Orchards, A correspondent of the Country Gentleman (vol. Ivii, 1892, p. 689), writing from London, presents the following plea for the introduction and protection of ants in orchards: The Horticultural Times (London) has recently published a state- ment that many of the leading orchardists of southern Germany and northern Italy hold the black ant \^Formica tdgra L.] in high esteem, and take measures to promote their increase. They establish ant-hills i'l their orchards, and leave the police service of their fruit-trees en- tirely to their tiny colonists, which ])a8s all their time in climbing up the trunks of ihe trees, cleaning the boughs and leaves of malefactors, matured as well as embryonic, and descend laden with spoils to the ground, where they comfortaV)ly consume or prudently store away their booiy. They never meddle with sound fruit, but only invade such apples, pears, and plums as have already been penetrated by t'^e insect-*, in pursuit of which they get to the very heart of the fruit. Nowhere else in the orchards are the apple and pear trees so free from insect ravages and blight as in the immediate neighborhood of a large ant-hill five or six years old. In China, ever since the sixteenth cen- tury, and probably earlier, ants have been used to protect the fruit- trees from the ravages of insect pests. In the province of Canton the orange-trees are injured by certain worms, and the orchardists rid themselves of the pe>t9 by importing ants from the hill country. Ants on Peonies. A correspondent has written: "The peony bushes in my garden are thickly populated with black ants, which I find on no other plant Few of the blossoms reach handsome perfection, but show the effects of insect attack. Are the ants to blame for the mischief, or are they really friends, visiting the peonies only to destroy small aphides or other minute creatures which do the harm? In either case, is there a better remedy than hellebore ? How would pyrethram answer?" Ants are not known to be injurious to peonies. They are often drawn to them in numbers, either to feed on the minute insects that are attracted to the plant, or on the sweet and sticky secretion which it gives out so abundantly. I am not sure that any of the aphides occur on the peony, and I have not the means of ascertaining at the present writing whether Ihey do or not. I find, however, no species recorded in our lists as infesting that plant; still, it may sustain one peculiar to it, as many of our species are still undescribed, I am under the impression that several years ago, when my attention was called to the presence of ant-i on peonies, and to injuries which it was supposed they were inflicting on the flower as it was about opening, I found that the injury was caused by some small plant-bugs (Hemiptera) that TENTH KEPOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 3C9 were puncturing and deforming the leaves of the calyx and the corolla; and furthermore, that the ants were actively engaged in cap- turing and carrying off for their food some of the smaller insects. Derostenus sp. ? (Ord. Hymenoptera: Fam. Chalcidid^,) Parings of apple-tree bark received from Mr. F. A. Fitch, of Ran- dolph, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., in April, 1893, bearing numerous crushed or broken cocoons of the apple-tree Bucculatrix, Bucculatrix pomifoliella Clemens, contained within the cocoons and on the bark around them, a large number of small, shining black pupa-cases, from which the insects had escaped. Ten of them were counted packed against, and partly underneath, one of the cocoons near to three round holes made in the cocoon from which doubtless the parasites had emerged. The pupa-cases were identified by Dr. C. V. Riley as those of a species of Derostenus, probably undescribed. The genus belongs to the subfamily of Entedoninm of the Chal- cididcB. No American species of this genus have been described. One appears in Cresson's Hymenoptera of North America, 1887, under the name of D. primus Howard MS,, which had been bred by Dr. Riley from a leaf-mining Coleopter, Odontota suturalis.'^Mr, Howard remarks : " A number of the brilliant little species of this genus have been bred in this country from the leaf-mines of both lepidopterous and coleopterous larvae. None have ever been described;, they are very difficult of separation and approach very closely to the European species. * * * 'pjjg fg^^^ ^\^^^ ^ species of this genus has been bred from the pupa of an Eulophtcs [a Chalcid] would seem to indicate that Derostenus may consist of secondary parasites" {JSntom-oloffica Americana, i, 1885, p. 117-18). This same Derostenus parasite has been reared (March 3, 1887) from the larvfe of Dacculatrix Canadensisella Chamb., occurring in, New York {Insect Life, v, 1892, p. 16). Operations against the Gypsy-Mothln]Massachusetts. (Ord. Lkpidopteea: Fam. Bombycid^.) In preceding reports I have written of the accidental introduction into the State of Massachusetts, in the year 1869, of the destructive 47 370 roRTr-BioHTH kepokt on the state museum European Bombycid, " the gypsy raotb," Ocneria dispar — of the probability of its entering New York and spreading over adjoining States— and of the efforts being made, under the direction of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, for its extermination while within the limited locality of the northeastern part of the State, where it is at present confined. This is the fourth year of active operations against this insect under annual appropriations by the State Legislature, which have now amounted in the aggregate to $275,000.* In June last an invitation was extended to me by the committee of the State Board of Agriculture to visit the infested district in com- pany with the State Entomologists of adjoining State?, for the purpose of inspecting the work of the committee, and to offer such suggestions or criticisms as it might be thought proper to make. Every facility was afforded for thorough examination, such as wit- nessing the 'field operations for spraying, kerosening and burning rocky and waste places; banding and liming trees for preventing the ascent of the caterpillars ; personal inspection of the present condition in most of the twenty towns in which the insect has occurred; the ex- perimental work being conducted at the Ingectary at Amherst, in test- ing the susceptibility of the larva? to various insecticides, and the study of the life-history of the insect and its habits; the method of record- ing by the office staff the field observations made by the force of nearly two hundred employees; the various instruments and appliances used in the field-work, with the manner of their use, etc., etc. The inspection was very satisfactory and gratifying and at the same time instructive, as showing what may be djne in arresting insect depredations, when the task would seem almost a hopeless one. I had not expected to find that such progress had been made toward the extermination of the myriads of the notorious gypsy-moth. It was a surprise to me that in the brief space of three years, the fearful rav- ages of the insect, as described to me and as pictured in photographs, could have been reduced to such a degree of comparative harmlessness, that to the ordinary observer no indication of its presence was visible; and in a ride of an entire day through several of "the worst infested towns," including a visit to localities which had been frightfully scourged, not a single example of the larva could be found by me, although diligent search for it was made. How a work of such magnitude — extending over two hundred square miles, with the insect so abundant that in one locality the entire * laclud'mg the two following years, 1894 and 1895, the appropriations have reached 9525,000. TENTH KEPOKT OF THE STATB ENTOMOLOGIST 371 side of a house was so closely covered with the caterpillars that the point of a pencil could not be thrust among them without touching them — could have been accomplished, was an enigma to me, until the means by which it was done had been shown and explained. The onlj'^ suggestions that occurred to me to offer to the committee in response to their request, were these two: Now that the mechanical details of field-work were rapidly diminishing with the steady reduc- tion of the insect, there was both the greater need and the opportunity of such scientific work as might serve to complete the labors of the committee and present the result in form that would render it avail- able for future use whenever the necessity might arise for a resort to similar methods in other insect invasions hereafter. A volume or two, which should treat exhaustively of the gypsy-moth and the methods employed for its extermination, might be another contribution to natural science, which would rank with those which Massachusetts had already made. It was also recommended that at this stage of the committee's work, the cultivation of the parasites of the gypsy-moth (of which about a score of native ones are already known) be entered upon and conducted with all the knowledge and skill that could be brought to bear upon it. A plan for the artificial rearing proposed was suggested, embracing in brief these points : The entire collection of the pupae for this year, which might amount to twenty thousand, should be preserved, placed in suitable cases, and kept, through cold storage, from giving out their parasites until caterpillars of suitable age and reared from eggs gath- ered for the purpose, could be inclosed with them to receive the entire parai^itic oviposition. The parasitized caterpillars should be properly guarded until their pupation, when the parasites that they would dis- close within the cases should have a caterpillar supply in readiness for them. This round could be repeated as long as there seemed to be the necessity for it and the pai'asites could be obtained. By the above method, or by some modification of it, it would seem that an actual extermination of the insect can be effected, and possibly in no other way. In view of what has already been accomplished, there is abundant reason for a continuance of the appropriations by the Legislature of Massachusetts until the desired extermination is secured, or until the insect shall have been reduced to entire harmlessness and in position never again to develop in injurious numbers or to invade other States. Knowing as we do, the frightful ravages of the gypsy-moth in the past, and the certainty that, if left to itself, its natural multiplication 373 rOBTT-BIGHTH BEPOBT ON THE STATE MTTSEtTM would soon carry it over the entire State, it would unquestionably be a wise economy if its extermination could be attained through the expenditure of a million of dollars. It may be recalled in this connec- tion that the wheat-midge inflicted upon the wheat crop of the State of New York in one year — 1854 — an estimated loss of fifteen mil- lions of dollars. {Report of the Entomologist to the Regents of the University S. JV. Y. for the Year 1893.) Gortyna immanis (Guenee). The Hopvine Grub. (Oi-d. Lepidoptera : Fam. Noctuid^.) A correspondent, Mr. A. B. Ryder, writing from Barnersville, in Schoharie county — one of the principal hop-growing counties in the State of New York — makes complaint of the ravages of " the grub," and asks for an effective remedy for it. He writes: Operations of the Grub. The hop grub is the greatest enemy that the hop-growers of this county have to contend with. It makes its appearance in the spring about the time that we are making our first tying. We notice that the tops of the vines are stung by some insect, and on examination we find a tiny worm in them, which in a few days falls to the ground. Here it eats into the hop roots so that the hill winter-kills the follow- ing winter. The grub gets to be about an inch long. I suppose that it is a fly or some other insect that deposits an ^^^ in the head of the hopvine and develops into the grub. If so, where does the fly come from, and how can we prevent having so many grubs? Any informa- tion that you can give me will be thankfully received, and a remedy for the prevention or destruction of the grubs would be worth thou- sands of dollars to our hop-growers. A copy of the Second Report on the Insects of New York, contain- ing the life-history of the insect as worked out by Prof. J. B. Smith, was sent, to Mr. Ryder, which Avould tell him what the insect was, of its habits, nature of its injuries, its transformations, etc. For the reme- dies and preventives to be used, he was referred to the excellent and full study of the insect by Professor Smith, published in Bulletin 4 of the Division of Entomology — U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, 18»4. As this bulletin is now virtually out of print, the following summary of its [provisions is here given for the benefit of hop-growers. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 373 Remedies for the Grub. First. Cultivate skunks, which are invaluable as hunters and destroyers of the grubs and their pupje. Where they are left alone and protected and given convenient hiding and breeding places they will visit and clear every infested hill in a hop-yard. Second. Search for and destroy the pupa3 in early spring, which will involve but little labor when grubbing and cleaning the roots, A lit- tle experience will render them readily recognizable. They are formed in a rude earthen cell lying close to the roots. The pupa is an inch or more in length, stout, of a cylindro-conical shape, and of a deep-brown or blackish color. [By examining it, as in others of the same group of moths, the position of the future wings and legs will be found upon it, held firmly together, while the several rings of the abdomen can be made to move slightly upon one another.] Third. Destroy the young grubs while tip-worms and in the " muffle- heads" when the vines commence to climb and the growers are begin- ning to tie. Do this by picking off the " muffle-heads" and by pinch- ing between the fingers the contained larva. As the larva3 only remain in the head for about a week, by going through the field every second day and picking the muffle-heads as they appear, a yard of considerable extent can be cleared with little trouble. Fourth. If the above have failed, then expose the roots for a few days in early June, after the larvae have come to the ground, by draw- ing away enough earth to expose the junction of the growing vine with the old root. This will force the grubs to enter the ground to feed on the old roots where they will do little harm. After five or six days' exposure apply a handful of a mixture of coal and wood ashes or ammoniated phosphate, and hill high. This will cause the vine to throw out rootlets above the main root to sustain the vine while the grub may be working below. Nothing that seems to promise better than the above has been pro- posed by later writers, if, indeed, anything in addition has been given. Gortyna cataphracta Grote. As a Raspberry -cane Borer. (Ord, Lkpidopteea: Fam, Noctuidje,) A raspberry cane was brought by State Botanist Peck on June 19 from his garden at Menands which had been bored upward for five inches, with the six inches of the tip beyond bending over. The larva 374 rORTY-EIOHIH KEPOBT ON THE STATE MtSElM found in the burrow was in all probability that of Gortyna cataphracta Grote, described and figured in Proc. Eid. Soc. Phila., iii, 1864. The following brief notes were made of it: It was six-tenths of an inch long, the head and collar j^ale red, head and first segment with a black stripe laterally; body with a dorsal and lateral stripe of white, which are widened over segments 8 to 10; beneath black on f-egments 3 to 6, elsewhere while. Caudal plate pale red, with a broad black lateral line. Legs black, stout. Spiracles in the black stripe oval, black, annulated with white. Prolegs on 8 and 9 white, with the two spots above them brown; prolegs on 7 and the terminal pair also white. The caterpillar, not maturing, was placed in alcohol in the State collection. Not Frequent in the Raspberry. This attack of G. cataphracta is either rare, or its operations, when noticed, are r-;?ferred to the work of some other of the well-known and common raspberry-cane borerf\ It is not mentioned in Saunders' Insects Injurious to F'ruit.i, nor in Professor Wtbster's Insects Affect- ing the Plackherry and Rasp)herry, published in December, 1892, wherein 87 species are noted, ((r. nitela, the "stalk-borer," is recorded without particulars as boring in the stems of the raspberry.) No men- tion of it is made by Dr. J. B. Smith in his several notices of insects affecting the raspberry in New Jersey. Bred from Various Plants. The caterpillar, as might be suspected from the known habits of that of Gortyna nitthi, by no means confines itself to raspberry canes, and its occurrence therein may be exceptional. In the Sixteenth A^inual Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario (1886), Mr. Fletcher reports his having bred for the first time (in 1885) Gortyna cataphracta, which had been very destructive during the last three seasons by boring into the stems of various kinds of plants, more especially lilies and raspberries. Later, in 1893, Mr. Fletcher wrote me, in reply to inquiry made, that he had several times bred G. cataphracta from raspberry stems; also from the stems of lilies, burdock, Amarantus and, in fact, from almost any kind of large, juicy-stemmed plant, even including grasses. He has kindly sent me, with permission for its use, the following careful and detailed description of the caterpillar, found by him on July 14, boring into the fruit of a gooseberry: Description of the Caterpillar. Larva slender, 35 mm. long, dark purplish-brown, with three white, conspicuous, unbroken lines, i-ne dorsal extending from segment 3 to TENTH KEPORT OF THE STATE ENTi. M0LCGI8T 375 posterior margin of 12; two lateral on same segments. On segments 2 and 3 at the base of the thoracic feet, which are black, is a short line showing only on those two segments and very pale on 8, 9, and 10, at the base of the prolegs. Head yellow at the top, with a black line on each side running from the ocelli to the posterior margin of seg- ment 2, where it passes along the lower edge of the large cervical shield and join« the dark brown color of the body beneath the white lateral line-. Cervical shield yellow, conspicuous, almost covering the second segment, lined at the bottom by the black line that runs from and surrounds the ocelli. Spiracles dark, with pale-edged orifice, con- spicuous on segment 2, where they lie in the short while line at the base of the thoracic feet. Anal shield yellow and conspicuous like the cervical shield, with two dark lines in continuation of the lower edges of the white lateral lines. Tubercles conspicuous, dark brown, shining, piliferous. Dorsal tubercles in two series, the anterior touching the edge of dorsal line and larger than those of the posterior series, which just touch the lateral line. Below the lateral lines are five series of tubercles, one suprastigmalal (No. 3 counting from the dorsum) just beneath lateral line anterior to spiracles Another series (No. 4) on stigmatal line, immediately beneath series No. 3, the tubercle half the size. Another series (No. 5) posterior to spiracles and equidistant with series No. 4 from spiracles, composed of large tubercles, twice the size of those in No. 3. Immediately beneath spiracles and stigmatal folds is series No. 6 of tubercles, not quite as lai-ge as those in No. 5. Posterior to this there is a supraventral series (No. 7) of spots slightly larger than those of No. 3. On segmert 3 are three tubercles in the subdorsal area, a large anterior blotch, and a median row of two spots on each side of the dorsal line. Beneath lateral line are, 1st, two small spots in continuation of the median row, and beneath these two tubercles above ventral fold, the posterior of which is much the larger. The tubercles of the supra- ventral series is on the base of thoracic foot. On segment 4 the tuber- cles are arranged in the same pattern, but the anterior dorsal spot is very small. Segment 12 has but 6 tubercles in a transverfC row, two dorsal very large, and the two of series 6 and 7. Pupated August 4. Moth emerged Sept. 4, Gortyna cataphracta, male. Of several specimen*^ which 1 have bred from the stems of raspberries and lilies, I found about half pupated (in the breeding jars) in the stems, while others burrowed into the ground. Some of the Literature of the Species. A brief description of the full-grown larva has also been published by Mr. Wm. Beutenrauller, in the Bulletin of the American 3fusium of Natural History, vol. v, 1893, p. 94. Mr. H. G. Dyar has also described in the Canadian Entomologist, xxiii, 1891, p. 157, the mature larva and pupa of Gortyna cataphracta — the larva " boring in the leaf-stems of rhubarb, and pupating in its burrow after biting a hole, across which it spins a few threads," The larval description differs in several particulars from the others given, 376 FOKTY-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM and it may be questioned if some error has not occurred in the identifi- cation of the moth. The above is all of the literature of the species, except list references, known to me, while that of its congener, G. nitela, is voluminous. Distribution. Mr. Grote gives as the habitat of this species, " Canada in Septem- ber; Massachusetts; Northern New York in October; Colorado." I have received the moth from Wisconsin: it has not been taken in my New York collections. Collections in the Adirondack Mountains in 1893. The additions made to the State collection have been mainly, as in preceding years', in the Adirondack region of the State. The collec- tions made in Keene valley, Essex county, this eeason, during portions of the months of July and August, were larger than usual. Lepidop- tera attracted to light were unusually abundant. Over six hundred examples, mostly belonging to the JVoctuidce, were taken by this means. Two species of Piusia, a genus containing perhaps the most beautiful of our Noctuids — P. u-aurvum and P. mortuorum which in f orm,er years have been comparatively rare in the Adirondacks, although belonging to high altitudes, were this year really common — more common, indeed, than any other species. The first Phtsia purpurigera ever taken by me was captured on August 6th. As the Plusias have place among the rarer of our Noctuid^e, and are always regarded as desirable additions to collections, the several species taken at Keene valley this season, with the number of each, is herewith given: Piusia (Deva) purpurigera Walker, 1 P. serea Hiibner, 1 P. seroides Grote, 9 P. balluca Geyer, 8 P. bimaculata Stephens, 4 Piusia precationis Guenee, 10 P. u-aureum Grote, 84 P. mortuorum Guenee, 58 P. simplex Guenee, 8 The total number of Plusias — all taken within doors — was 183, not including many worn and rejected examples appearing in August. Comparing the above with the collections reported by Mr. W. W. Hill, in the western portion of the Adirondacks (Lewis county) during the four ye^rs, 1875-1 879,* we find that nearly twice as many * In Seventh Report on the Survey of the Adirondack Region of New York, 1880, p. 387. TENTH REPORT OF THE 6TATE ENTOMOLOGIST 377 examples of P. u-aureum and P. mortuorum were taken this year as in the four years cited — or 142 as against 82. Of species contained in the Hill List, and not seen at Keene valley this season, are the follow- ing: Plusia Patnami Grote, P. thyatiroides Guenee, P. formosa Grote, P. mappa Gr.-Rob., P. viricUsignata Grote, P. epigma Grote, and P. ampla Walker, These, however, are among the rarer species, and only thirteen examples are reported in the List. The following of the JSfoctuidce were among the most common that came to light, and of each from ten to thirty examples were obtained: Agrotis redimicula Morr. Mamestra purpurissata Orote Mamestra meditata Grote Mamestra olivacea Morrison Xylophasia dubitans (Walker) Adelphagrotis prasina (Fahr.) Noctua baja Fabr. Noctua Normaniana (Grate) Noctua bicarnea Guenee Agrotis (Feltia) subgothica Steph Agrotis (Feltia) tricosa Lintn. Tricholita signata Walker In contrast with the abundance of JVoctuidce, there was almost an entire absence of some other insects which in other seasons have been observed in large numbers. Thus, of the attractive and conspicuous family of the "hover-flies" or Syrphidm, scarcely any were seen except the small form of Sphwrophoria cylindrica, which seems almost inseparably associated with the golden-rods of August. The Pombylidm were much less abundant on the damp spots in roadways than usual. Scarcely any of the " Dragon flies " or Odonata, were seen; and indeed but few Neuroptera, except three species of Phry- ganidce, which shared with the moths in attraction in the evening to lighted rooms. Coleoptera were not common. In a locality — a dried roadway ditch — where in 1892 hundreds of Cuindela repanda could be taken by simply swinging the net from side to side as one walked rapidly along, hai'dly any were met with. {Report of the Eatomolo-' gist to the Regents of the Unioersity for the year 1893.) Sitotroga cerealella (Oliv.).* The Grain-Moth. (Ord. Lepidopteka : Fam. Tineidje.) Additional Bibliography to that contained in the 2d Rept. Insects New York, 1885. Packard: Guide Study Ins., 1869, p. 350, figs. 265, 266 (larval food);Entomol. for Begin., 1888, p. 151 (figure of moth and larva). Ladd: in Psyche, iv, 1885, p. 337 (life-habits at Geneva, N. Y.). * Mr. Meyrick refers the species to Sitotroga; the other writers cited, with one or two excep- tions, to Oelechia, 48 378 FORTY-IIGHTH BIPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Lintner: 2d Kept. Ins. N. Y., 1885. pp. 102-110, figs. 18-21 (general account); 6th Rept. do., 1890, p. 190 (mite associated with it); in Count. Gent., Iviii, 1893, pp. 188, 189 (general notice). Webster: Ins. Affect. Corn (in Ind. Agr. Rept. for 1885), 1886, p. 24, pi. 5, f. 3, pi. 6, fig. 2, (brief general notice); in Insect Life, i, 1889, p. 354 (injurious in Australia to stored grain). Hunt: in Miss. Ess. Ecouom. Eiitomol., 1886, pp. 89, 90 (bibliography). Riley-Howard : in Insect Life, iii, 1891, p. 339 (reply to inquiry from Va.); id., iv, 1893, p. 207 (remedy for, in granary), p. 283 (in Florida), p. 293 (in Miss., reference), p. 296 (in India, reference). Weed: Bull. 17 Miss. Agr. Exp. St., 1891, pp. 3-6, figs. 1-3 (general notice). Smith: in Ann. Rept. N. Jer. Agr. Exp. St., 1891, pp. 347, 405-108, f. 22 (general account with (remedies); List Lepidop. Bor. Amer., 1891, p. 100, no. 5335. Beckwith: Bull. 12 Del. Agr. Exp. St., 1891, p. 14 (brief notice^; Bull. 21 do., 1893, pp. 10, 11, figs. 6, 7 (brief notice). Dor.\n: Bull. 16 Md. Agr. Exp. St., 1892, pp. 437-441 (general account). Kellogg: in Insect Life, v, 1892, p. 116 (in two years' stored grain in Kansas); Com. Inj. Ins. Kans. , 1893, pp. 50-52, f. 24 (description and remedies). Howard: in Insect Life, v, 1893, pp. 325-328 (history, preventives, remedies, etc.). Slingerland: in Rur. N. York., Hi, 1893, p. 493 (remedies); in do., liii, 1894, p. 425 (at World's Fair). Bruner: in Ann. Rept. Nebr. Agr. Exp. St. for 1893, pp. 408-410, f. 53 (habits, etc. , from Riley) . Riley: in Insect Life, vi, 1894, pp. 216, 222 (at World's Fair). Fletcher: in Prairie Farmer for July 7, 1891, Ixvi, p. 9 (not abundant or destructive in Canada). Chittenden: in Yearbook U. S. Dept. Agricul. for 1894, 1895, pp. 281-283, figs. 44, 45 (history, injury to grain, life history, remedies). CoMSTOCKS: Manual Stud. Ins., 1895, p. 258 (brief notice). Meyrick: Handbook British Lepidop., 1895, p. 571 (description and distribution). The letter given below, received from one of the southern counties of Pennsylvania, illustrates forcibly the great injury that may be caused to wheat between its reaping and November threshing — at least one-half of its flour product — by the larva of the Angoumtas moth, or the "fly weevil" of the southern wheat belt, during the larval growth of a t«ingle brood. Eus. Country Gentleman. — I have just returned from Montgom- ery county, Pa , where I learned of a new (at le.ast to me) enemy to wheat. It is a sinill worm that eats the grain after harvest, just as the bean- weevil develops in the bean, and then feeds upon it. During harvest and when seed wheat was threshed in September, the wheat has appireolly all right. But io November, while threshing, as the weaves were handed out of the mow, thousands of small white millers were seen coming out of the i-heaves and flying confusedly about ia TENTH EEPOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 37^ the barn. Bushels of light wheat were blown out with the chaff, being nothing but hulls of bran; the rest of the grain had been eaten by the worms. After threshing some time the man feeding the thresher found that the cylinder did not draw the sheaves into the machine as usual, and pome time later not at all. Upon examination the concave was found clogged with dust and mashed worms, which adhered to the concave teeth, until the spaces between them were closed, excepting passage ways kept open by each cylinder tooth. The wheat was put in sacks from the machine as threshed, and would heat over night in the bags. I was told that a farmer took 100 measured bushels of wheat to a mill, and when weighed he had only 59 bushels, which was then kept separate and ground, and it made five barrels of flour. These worms first appeared in 1890, and have now spread about ten miles from their starting point. 1 enclose a sample of wheat damagevi by these worms. Is it a new enemy to wheat, or is it an old one just appearing in a new territory, and how can it be successfully destroyed? Can it be carried and introduced by sowing infected wheat from where it is DOW ? The insect, so destructive to wheat in Montgomery county, Pa., i» an old grain pest, which has been known in Europe for over a century and a half, although it was fir-tt given a scientific name by Olivier in 1789. Reau- mur wrote extensively of its ravages in France in 1736. In 1760 it had increased to so alarming an extent that the atten- '^lo 1 — SiTOTROGA chrkalklla: o, ihe larva; 6, the pupa; c^ tlOn of the govern- '^e moth: d, the wings of a pa er variety; e, the egg; /, k'^rnel of corn fhowiug the work of the larva; g. labial paipus of the ment was enlisted and male moth; h, anal segment of the pup t-all euiarged except /. ' (From Riley.) commissioners of the Academy of Science of Paris were appointed to visit the province of Angoumois and investigate and report on the insect. As stated in their report: "The insect was found to swarm in all the wheat fields and grana- ries in Angoumois and of the neighboring provinces, and the afflicted inhabitants were thereby deprived not only of their piincipal staple wherewith they weie wont to pay their annual rents, taxes, and tithes,, but were threatened with famine and pestilence from the want of wholesome bread." It is shown in its several stages in Fig. 1. History in the United States. As early as in 1730, it was operating in North Carolina. In 1768, a communication upon it was sent to the American Philosophical Society 380 FOKTY-EIGHTH BEPOET ON THE STATE MUSEUM of Philadelphia, entitled "Observations Concerning the Fly -Weevil that Destroys Wheat." Before the middle of the present century, it had become largely distributed over the " wheat belt " from the Atlan- tic westward to the Mississippi river, but, fortunately, it seems to be less destructive as it extends northward, not being able, apparently, to endure the cold of severe winters. Rare in New York State. It has never been particularly injurious in New York — indeed, it is rather a rare insect therein, having only come under my notice on three or four occasions. Dr. Fitch, writing of the insect in 1861, states that it had made its appearance in the museum of the State Agricultu- ral Society ten years before, in wheat preserved in closely-corked bot- tles, and had so multiplied in them that the contents were entirely ruined. (Reports 6-9, p. 127.) Operations at the New York Experiment Station. In the autumn of 1884, corn infested with it was received by me from the State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva. It had been working within the corn in the museum for the preceding two years. At my suggestion, careful examination was made for its operations in the field. Answer was returned that no indications of its presence there were found, and it was believed that it was entirely confined to the dried corn contained in the museum. The following observations upon it in the museum, were made by Mr. E. F. Ladd, at that time the horticulturist of the station: Hundreds of moths emerged daily, and it became necessary to burn much of the collection, while the remainder was packed in boxes and treated to bisulphide of carbon. An examination seems to show that the larvae feed only i;pon the deposit of starchy matter in the kernel. Larvfe were not found in the varieties of sweet corn in which the starch is distributed throughout the kernel, but they were found, fre- quently, two and occasionally three, in a kernel of the flint corn, in which the starch is deposited in a mass. In pairing, the moths remained together twenty-five minutes. One moth laid thirty-six eggs, in two patches of seventeen and nineteen, which hatched in seven days, from 2d to 9th of November. The eggs were at first milky white, showing an orange tint at the end of twenty-four hours, and gradually becoming deep orange at the end of thirty-six hours. They were laid on the bottom of a dish, in threes, touching at the ends. It is probable that in each of the above instances the insect was brought into New York in infested grain or corn, and it is doubtful if it ever attacks growing crops, or newly grown, within oiir State. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 3 SI A Parasitic Attack, About the middle of February, 1893, ears of "eight-rowed Shaker" corn, from South Dakota, of the crop of 1891, were brought to me from a commission house in Albany, which contained the larvre of the insect and numerous holes from which the moth had emerged. Some small ears of the pointed kernels, known as "Egyptian Rice," and used for popping, grown in this State in 1891, were quite badly infested; nearly every kernel had been burrowed. Three weeks thereafter, several examples of a chalcid parasite emerged, which, being submitted to Dr. Riley at Washington, were found to belong to the genus Catolacciis, and was probably an un- described species. It was subsequently learned from the firm that not long before the infested corn had been sent to me, thousands of a minute and delicate- winged insect had been noticed flying in the room where the corn was stored, when aroused by a light brought into it. In the belief that their presence was connected with the injury to the corn, sulphur was burned to destroy them. It accomplished its work so effectually that when I visited the room to see the condition of the attack, no living examples could be found, but the identity of the reported myriads with the Catolaccus parasite bred by me was established by dead specimens that were lying upon the beams and in folds of paper in the room. Number of Broods. Under natural conditions, abroad, there are, except in the South, two annual broods of the insect. According to Reaumur, the moths emerge in June from the stored grain and deposit their eggs upon the growing grain as it is beginning to head. The second brood of moths appears in August, and from these the larvae are produced which oper- ate within the grain throughout the winter. European writers record two broods of the moth, which appear in May and June, and in Novem- ber. It seems, however, that the number of broods depends on the latitude, for while Dr. Harris records but two in Massachusetts, five are claimed ia Southern Virginia, between June and October; and Prof. H. E. Weed, of the Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station, states loc. cit., that "there are, at least, eight annual genei'ations " in that State, and that "in warm weather it takes but a month to pass frcm the egg to the moth, and the various stages of the insect can be found in infested grain at all times in the year." Writers do not agree in their statements of when the eggs of the first brood are laid. In Europe the moths are said, as above, to appear 382 FOETY EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM in Mayor June, and oviposit on "growing grain." According to Mr. L. O. Howard, " it lays its eggs only on hard grain. After the time of harvest, the moth flies out from the granaries to the wheat ■fields and lays its eggs upon grains of wheat in the shocks." The "thousands of small white millers seen coming out of the wheat- sheaves in the barn " at the time of threshing during November, in Montgomery county, Pa. (in the extreme southeastern portion of the State, latitude about 40°), were probably of the third brood. Their larvfB were undoubtedl}'^ operating within the wheat at the September threshing, but had not sufticiently advanced to have injured the kernels perceptibly. A portion of this brood would, perhaps, hibernate in the larval stage, to appear the following spring. That it could not have been the pupje alone which clogged the teeth of the cylinder of the thresher is evident from the statement made in regard to the subse- quent heating of the grain. The Heated Grain. The statement in regard tj the heat observed in the grain after it had been threshed and put into sacks is an interesting one. The heat was evidently the result of the friction attending the gnawing of the interior of the hard-dried grain by the larvae contained within. This phenomenon, so far as I remember, has not been recorded before in connection with the Angoumois moth, but has been several times men- tioned in notices of our bean-weevils. It has been observed where the common bean-weevil, Bruchus obtectus Say, was operating in dried stored beans, and is not at all uncommon with a southern species of bean weevil, Bruchus Chinensis Linn, (formerly known as B. scutellaris Fabr. j, which so often infests the " cow-pea " of the Southern States. Mr. Howard has recorded an instance where the surrounding tempera- ture of a paper bag containing about a quart of these beans being 71° Fahr., a thermometer thrust within the beans rose 25° (to 96° Fahr.) in a few minutes {Insect Life, i, 1888, p. 59). Results of the Attack. Not only is the yield of the flour very greatly diminished by the operations of this insect, but the flour produced from infested grain is decidedly unwholesome. A distinguished French savant has written of it: "The bread made from wheat attacked by it, and especially when the flour has not been suitably bolted, contains the debris of the bodies and excrement of the insects. It has a disagreeable and loath- some taste, which is very lasting. It is even said that a very danger- TENTH BEPOET OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 383 OU8 throat disease results from the use of this unhealthy food — a disease which has been epidemic for some years in regions infested by the Alucita [Sitotroga]. It manifests itself by gangrenous ulcerations which form in the back of the mouth; the sick succumb in a few hours and cannot be aided." {Report Dept. Agricul. for 1889, j). 317.) In reply to the inquiry regarding the introduction of the insect into Montgomery county — the insect can easily be carried from one locality to another in seed wheat, and introduced in places where it was before unknown. Distribution of the Insect. In the United States the Angoumois moth is distributed more or less over the Eastern, Middle, and Southern States where wheat is grown, but it is especially a southern insect. It is occasionally seen in Canada, but, according to Mr. Fletcher, it has not occurred there in destructive numbers. It infests middle and southern Europe and also occurs in England. Prof. Webster found it causing serious damage to stored grain in Australia. Its origin is unknown. Mr. Meyrick does not believe it to be a true native of Europe. Remedies and Preventives. Various methods have been used for the destruction of this insect, as violent agitation, or frequent stirring of the grain to destroy the eggs and possibly the contained larvae; application of heat at about 165° Fahr. for an hour; spraying with kerosene; subjecting to the fumes of sulphur, etc., etc. But beyond question the cheapest and the best is the use of bisulphide of carbon — purchasable at drugstores at about 25 cents per pound. As soon as the corn or grain is found to be infested, it should be put into a bin tightly closed at the sides, but not necessarily so at the top, where a heavy close cloth covering would suffice, and the bisulphide of carbon placed in open vessels on the top of the grain. The heavy vapor given off from the volatile liquid descends and permeates the grain aod destroys all the animal life con- tained therein. A day or two of exposure to the vapor is sufficient. One pound, or a pound and a half, may be used for each ton^of grain. For use in a reasonably tight room, Mr. Howard has^^'made the following computation: One pound to be evaporated for^[every one thousand cubic feet of space, or in a space 10x10x10, one-third of a pound in each of three shallow vessels. For a room 10x10x20, use two pounds divided among six vessels; for a room 10x20x20, use four pounds in twelve vessels and in like proportion for larger apartments. 384 FORTY EIGHTH EEPOKT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Some writers have recommended the simple sprinkling of the liquid over the surface of the grain. For use in large quantity it might be desirable to order the carbon bisulphide of Edward R. Taylor, Cleveland, Ohio, manufacturer of *' fuma " carbon bisulphide, at the following advertised prices: In 10-pound cans, 12 cents per pound; in 30-pound cans, 11 cents per pound; in 50-pound cans, 10 cents per pound. So long as any of the vapor remains, no light or fire of any kind should be brought near it, as the vapor is very explosive. It has been known to ignite even from the heat of a hot-air register. As the insect is often local in its occurrence, — in consideration of the fact that it passes the winter in granaries in a continued succession of broods, where the temperature is moderate, it would not be difficult to destroy the insect and arrest the continuation of the broods, through concert of action in any one locality. If all the grain holders would unite in disinfecting their granaries and storehouses by the use of the carbon bisulphide in the early summer, there would be no moths to leave them for the deposit of eggs upon the ripe grain in the fields, and consequently future attacks would be prevented until the insect could again be introduced from some other locality. It is stated that corn can be kept for years nearly exempt from injury by this insect and the grain -weevils, by being housed in the shuck or husk: it has been thus kept through the third year. Mr. Ruffin has also stated: " If wheat be threshed and well-fanned early in July [in the South] there will be no weevils worthy of notice. The eggs previously laid do not exist on the grains, but on the chaff or shuck, in which they are inclosed, and upon hatching, the maggots must perish for want of food. As in the case of corn, the wheat is not exposed to subsequent layings except on the grain at the surface of the bulk." But evidently the best reliance is to be placed upon the destruction of the egg-bearing moths in the granaries in the early summer before harvest. The Angoumois Moth Destroyed by a Mite. Several years ago (October 1, 1889j a sample of infested wheat was sent to me by a correspondent at Charlottesville, Va. Statement of the nature of the attack may be of interest in connection with its unusual termination. The gentleman wrote: Wheat harvest in our section was followed by continuous rains which resulted in serious sprouting in the shuck. As soon as possible I hauled up and threshed, storing the wheat in a large barn, spreading TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 385 as thin as possible, say 12 to 15 inches deep, ventilating all we could, and turning it over frequently with shovels. In from three to four weeks after storing I noticed a small fly crawling and flying on and over the wheat, followed in three or four weeks thereafter by what seems to be an egg-deposit. These latter appeared mainly in depres- sions on the surface [of the bed], such as foot-tracks, etc. I inclose a sample of the wheat-fly and eggs (or are they embryo flies) ? * * * * * My crop is probably from 1,500 to 1,600 bushels, and I fear seri- ous loss if some remedy is not promptly applied. In an experience of over twenty years at the business I have never seen such an insect before. I should add that the wheat was fanned after coming from the separator, which took out the sprouted grain. It is now almost entirely dry and seemingly in good condition, barring the insect attack. The insect was readily identified as the Angoumois moth. With the wheat sent was a large quantity of the exuvire or the dried remains, or both, of the mite, HeUropus ventrico- siis Newj^ort, first brought to notice in this country by Prof. F. M. Webster, in the Txcelfth Report en the Insects of Illinois, as having been found in the autumn of 1882 in a sack of wheat received from Southern Illinois. For two or three months thereafter, the mites ^ ^ were observed, as opportunity offered, Jtl%^7ySr'uZ%r A^mois to be feedmg voraciously on the larvre ^^^^^^^Tl^^'-tox^^ ^^l^i, of the grain moth. Reference to the Cleggreatlyenlargtrd. (After Newport) above has been made in my Second Report on the Insects of Neio York, and the illustration of the mite thei*ein given, after Newport, and reduced from the figure in Murray's Economic Entomology — Aptera, is reproduced in this. The gentleman was informed of the nature of the attack — usually serious and calling for active measures for its arrest. In this instance, however, it was highly probable, that he need give himself no further trouble in the matter, for from the large number of the remains of the carnivorous mite that he had sent me with the wheat, and from what was known of its habits, assurance was felt that the attack of the moth was already arrested, or speedily Avould be. On October 29th, the gentleman wrote as follows, after thanking me for the information given : I am pleased to be able to report to you that your predictions have been verified, and that the insect attack upon the wheat has resulted in no injury. I, therefore, conclude that your diagnosis of the case was the correct one, and that the mites preyed upon and destroyed the insect. I am yet holding the wheat, and with perfect confidence that it is now entirely safe. As evidence that there was absolutely no 49 386 FOBTY-EiaHTH BEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM injury to the germ, I have delayed reply to your letter until I seeded from the pile, and have the pleasure of reporting that it is coming up beautifully. Professor Webster's notice of this mite is the only one that I can recall in our economic literature. Dr. Packard has figured it on plate 10 of his " Guide." It was " discovered by Newport on the body of a larva of a wild bee," Anthophora retusa, in England (see Newport, ^^ Trans. Lmn. Soc, 1850"). Professors Osborn and Underwood, for some reason, have not included it in their " Preliminary List of the Species of ^Acarina of North America," given in the Canadian Ento- mologist, xviii, 1886. Diplosis pyrivora Riley. 7he Pear-Midge. (Ord. Diptera: Fam. Ckcidomyid^.) The eggs of this insect are known to be deposited within the un- opened blossom buds of the pear as soon as a petal shows itself between the segments of the calyx (see Ninth Report, p. 149). The larvae produced therefrom have usually been seen when they have grown suffi- ciently to deform and dis- color the fruit, by which time they nearly fill a large irregular central cavity therein, as repre- sented in figure 3 (from the Eighth Report). Upon opening pears that gave the first indication of an abnormal form, I have found the larvae imbedded within the upper half of the fruit. Early Observation of the Larvae. In some young pears of the Beurre Bosc variety, less than one- fourth of an inch in diameter, received on May 2 2d from Theo. A. Cole, of Catskill, N. Y., the larvae were seen at an earlier stage of de- velopment than in any record of their observation. The pears were just out of blossom and had some of the petals still attached. Numerous larvae were found quite near the calyx end imbedded in the broken down structure of the fruit, and not yet imparting the slightest discoloration to either the interior or exterior, or perceptible distortion. Fig. 3. — Section of a pear containing the larvte, and an un infested one for comparison of forms. TENTH KEPOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGISr 387 The Lawrence pears of Mr, Cole are, as usual, badly infested this year, also, the Beurre Bosc, while the Bartlett is but slightly attacked. Mr. S. B. Huested, of Blauvelt, Rockland county, N. Y., writing under date of June 18th, states that the pear-midge has been discov- ered in that vicinity this year for the first time. Spread of the Insect. At the time of notice of this insect in my Eighth Report, in 1891, it was not known to have been extensively distributed in the Hudson River valley, or, indeed, was there knowledge of its occurrence outside of Greene and Columbia counties. It is undoubtedly steadily spread- ing, for it has been heard from in several localities in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Rockland counties, and it is presumably present in all of the river counties south of Saratoga and Washington counties. Its intro- duction into New Jersey must have been direct from Connecticut and not through New York, for Dr. Smith records its occurrence there in 1891, and is of the opinion that it had then been in the State for some years: it has already reached to nearly the central portion of the State. A correspondent writing from Mountainville, Orange county, N. Y.. reports that the attack was first seen by him on a single tree two years ago, and this year every pear upon it has been destroyed by the larvse. In the other localities where it has been lately heard from, it is said to be a new insect pest. Its spread is evidently a slow one, from which it may be inferred that much good may be expected from the prompt destruction of the infested fruit — easily to be recognized when looked for — when first observed. The figures given on page 145 of the Report, above cited, of the deformed and infested fruit may be referred to. At Menands, three miles north of Albany, the most northern local- ity known for the midge, the pear-trees which have been infested with it for the preceding two years have, this year, from some unknown reason, been entirely free from the attack. For illustrations and the history of this insect in its several stages, its literature, etc., see pp. 140-151 of the Report above-named. Notes on Sciara. (Ord. Diptera: Fam. Mycetophilid^.) Some Literature of Sciara. Meiqen: in lUiger's Magazin, ii, 1803, p. 263 (genus established). Macquart: Hist. Nat, Ins. — Dipt., i, 1834, pp. 147-150 (characters of 15 specie? occurring in France), Fitch: 2d Report (of 1st and 2d), 1856, pp. 252-255 {Molobriis mail, vul- garis, fuliginosa, inconstans). 388 FOBTT-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Curtis : Farm Insects, 1860, pp. 460-463 (habits and description of S. fucata^ quinquelmeata, pidicar-iaf, punctata). LOEW: Mon. Dipt. N. Amer., Pt. I, 1862, p. 13 (differs greatly from the rest of the family). OSTEN Sacken: in Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., i, 1863, pp. 153-157, pi. ii, figs. 3, 16, 18, 20 (larval characters), p. 158 (pupal characters), pp. 163-165 (larval habits), p. 165 (descr. of S. toxoneura), pp. 169-171 (literature); Cat. Dipt. N. A., 1878, pp. 13, 13 (list of 31 species); Char. Larv. Mycetoph., 1885, as in Pr. Ent. Soc. Pn., with pp. 27, 28 of additional literature. WiNNERTZ: Beit. Monog. des Sciarinen, in Verh. Zool. Bot. Gesellsch., 1867. Walsh : 1st Rept. Ins. 111., 1868, pp. 18, 19 (of S. rnali); in Pract. Entomol., ii, 1867, pp. 71. 72 (in potatoes ?causing scab). Walsh-Riley : in Amer. Entomol., i, 1869, p. 186 (in rooms of dwelling). Packard: Guide Study Insects, 1869, p. 386 (habits of larvte). Glover: in Rept. Commis. Agricul. for 1872, pp. 115, 116, f. 5 (snake-worm and other spt^cies); MS. Notes Journ. — Dipt., 1S74 (habits, etc. , of several species). Riley: in Cole. Rur. World, 1876, p. 230 (habits in congregating); in N, Y. Tribune, Dec. 4, 1878, p. 237 (habits); in Amer. Nat., xv, 1881, p. 150 (food habits, yellow-fever fly). Scudder: in Rept. Prog. Geolog. Surv. Can. (1876-1877) 1878, p. 457 {S. deper- dita, fossil); the same in Rept. U. S. Geolog. Surv. Terr., xiii, 1890, p. 586, and on p. 588, S. scopidi, fossil. Hagen: in Psyche, iii, 1880, p. Ill (yellow-fever fly). Comstock: in Rept. Commis. Agricul. for 1881, pp. 202-204, pi. xvii, (Sciara ocellaris). Say: Compl. Writ. Lee. Ed., i, 1883, pp. 249, 250, 308 (description of 5 species); ii, pp. 10, 351, 352 (description of 3 species). Saunders: Ins. Inj. Fruits, 1883, p. 136 (account of apple-midge). Williston: in Kingsley's Stand. Nat, Hist.,ii, 1884, p. 408 (mention of S. viali and the snake-worm Sciara). Forbes: 13th Rept. Ins. III., 18^4, pp. 57-59, pi. 4, figs. 5-9 (larvc^e); 18th Rept. do., 1894, pp. 19-21, pi. 3, figs. 3-7 (describes " black-headed corn- maggot " in corn and hot-houses, in all stages). Lintner: 5th Rept. Ins. N. Y., 1889, pp. 264, 265 (Sciara in wheat, S. mali, and the "army-worm" Sciara, European species, etc.); in Gardening for June 15, 1893, p. 313 (infesting a greenhouse, and of other species). Riley-Howard: in Insect Life, iii, l."-90, p. 126 (larvge under pear-tree bark), iv, 1891, p. 115 (snake-worm), vi, p. 273 (yedow-fever fly). Theobald: British Flies, 1892, pp. 107-112 (description and habits of 10 British species, synoptic table of 25 species). Scudder: in Psyche, vi, 1892, p. 263 (larvee on snow in midwinter). Smith: in Insect Life, vii, 1894, pp. 151, 153 (injurious to mushrooms). IIOPKINS: in Insect Life, vii, 1894. p. 147 {Sciara sp. and Epiilapus causing potato scab); the same extended in Sp. Bull. 2 W. Va. Agr. Expt. Station, 1895, pp. 100-114, and in Proc. Wash. Ent. Soc, iii, 1895, pp. 149-161 (detailed figures of Epidapua). TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 389 Southwick: in Insect Life, vii, 1894, p. 136 (the injurious sap-fly, probably a species of Sciara). Coquillett: in Insect Life, vii, 1894, pp. 406-408, fig. 48 (habits, description of S. tritici n. sp. , all stages illustrated). COMSTOCKS: Man. Stud. Ins., 1895, p. 443 (S. mali and army-worm). The genus Sciara is a member of the family of Mycetoi^hilidcB or *' fungus gnats," and is closely allied to the well-kaown Ceridomyidm in appearance and in habits. Indeed the two families can not be separated by any clear lines of demarcation, and the true position to be held by the genus Zygoneura is still in question among dipterologists. Of the eight sub-families into which the Mycetophdidm have been divided by late writers, the Sciarinai are numerous in species, both in this country and in Europe, — 175 species having been described by Winnertz in his " Monograph of the Sciarin?e." The Limited Study Given to Sciara in America. From the resemblance that they bear to one another — the species having often been separated by little beyond their wing or antennal coloration — so little critical study has been given them by our entomol- ogists that published descriptions will hardly permit positive identifica- tion of any of the number. For this reason, the little that has been observed of the habits and life-histories of our North American forms can not be positively referred to any one named species. It is doubtful if, of the twenty-six species of Sciara listed in the Osten Sacken Cata- logue oftheDlpteraofN'rth America a half dozen could be positively identified — their descriptions being so brief and general, — their types possibly all lost, and only two of the number (Loew's species — possible types) having repi'esentation in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge. In marked contrast with this apparent lack of study of Sciara stands the fact that of the closely allied genus of Mycetophila — of the eighteen N. A. species listed, all but three (Say's species) have place in the Cambridge Collection, where comparison for identification can be made. Larval habits of Sciara. The habitat of Sciara is quite varied. Several of them are known to live in their larval stage in decaying vegetable mitter of various kinds and in fungus growths. They have been reared in vegetable mold; beneath the bark of trees; in decayed wood and in the roots of decay- ing trees; in putrid potatoes, turnips and other vegetables; in excava- tions in potatoes and in connection with " the scab " thereon; in flower- pots in rooms; in manure beds; as guest flies in apples and grapes in 390 FORTY-EIGHTH EEPORT ON THE STA.TE MU81UM association with other insect attack; some species are met with in cow- dung (Theobald). A Notable Species of Sciara. A species (perhaps more than one) is noted in Europe, for its gre- garious and migratory habits. It is there known as the army-worm or Heervmrm frnm its collecting at certain seasons in companies — ; some- times consisting of millions — and traveling along in a body of often from twelve to fifteen feet in length and two or three inches broad and perhaps a half inch thick. "M. Guerin Meneville observed columns as many as thirty yards in length." The species has not been positively deter- mined, but it is accepted as either Sciara Thomm (Linn.) or 8. mili- taris ^ow. — but probably the latter, according to the statement of Baron Osten Sacken. Similar gatherings have been observed in this countrj^, one of which is narrated in Insect Life, i^, 1891, p^ge 214; two others recorded by Glover in the Meport of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1872, p. 115, as observed in Virginia (figures of the larva and fly are given) ; and two others by Prof. F. M. Webster, in Science for Feb. 23, 1894, p. 109. With us they bear the name of " snake-worms," from the snake like appearance and movements of some of the processions Those who have access to Figuier's Insect World may find therein (pages 46, 47) some interesting details, taken from the writings of M. Guerin-Meneville, respecting migrations of these larvne observed on the borders of forests in Norway and Hanover, and their conduct upon meeting obstacles, when their ranks are broken, and when the two ends have been brought together; also, some strange superstitious respect- ing them, entertained by the peasants of Norway and Siberia. No sat- isfactory explanation has yet been given for the assemblage of such myriads of these footless larvre and their marches in the brightest sunlight. The Yellow-Fever Fly. Another species of Soietra has been named in its winged state, " the yellow-fever fly," from its appearance in immense number (in swarms) on different occasions in some of the Southern States, during the prevalence of the epidemic from which it has drawn its name. As appears from an article by Dr. Hagen, in Psyche, iii, 1880, p. Ill, entitled "The Yellow-fever Fly," no literature relating to these appearances could be found. They rested only on report. From a specimen collected in New Orleans in 1848, and marked as "the yel- low-fever fly," which came to the Cambridge Museum, Dr. Hagen TENTH KEPOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 391 identified it as a Sciara, but could not refer it to any of the species listed in the Osten Sacken Catalogue of Diptera, and, therefore, accepted it as undescribed. Prof. Riley, in a notice of the above paper in the American Naturalist, xv, 1881, p. 150, quotes the occurrence of another unde- scribed species of Sciara, where the flies came out in millions from the joinings of the floor boards in an upper room of a new addition to a seminary building in Bethlehem, Pa. The Apple-Midge. Still another species possessing particular interest from the habitat of its larva differing so greatly from that of most of those of its congeners, is Sciara mali, originally described by Dr. Fitch in his Second Report on the Insects of JSTew York, as Molohriis mali, found by him in its pupal and winged stages in the center of an apple that had been eaten and perforated by the " apple- worm " of the codling-moth. Dr. Fitch was of the opinion that the eggs of this midge are deposited on apples that have been attacked by the apple-worm, and that the larvre enter the fruit through the perforation in the side made by the worm. This species is apparently rare. I have never met with it, and I am not aware of any important contribution to its habits or life history by recent writers. It is not so much as referred to in Osten Sacken's revision of Characters of the Larvoi of Mycetophilidm, in 1886. It will be of interest to know if the larva feeds on the pulp of the fruit or on the excremental or decomposed material associated with the presence of Carpocapsa pomonella and Tnjpeta ponionella — the latter the probable burrower of the apple in which the insect was found by Dr. Fitch. Sciara coprophila n. sp. The Manure- Fly. (Ord. Diptera: Fam. MYcaTOPHiLic^.) Examples of the above fly were brought to me on March 20, 1889,* from a gentleman in Alban}^ who was growing mushrooms in his cellar. He believed that the larvce injured the mushrooms by eating into the stalk near the surface of the bed. Although I have no notes stating the fact — if my momory serves me correctly, some of the larvse received at this time were carried to their winged state by feeding ♦Reference to thia was made in the Fifth Report on the Iiisectsof New York, 1889, p. 265. 392 FORTY-EIGHTH BEPORT OS THE STA.TE MUSEUM them on the injured mushrooms. If so, it is not improbable that the mushrooms may have decayed before they were eaten by the larvae. Unfortunately, none of the larvre were preserved at the time, so that no study may be given them at the present. Injury to Mushrooms by the Fungus Gnats . I have not met with any direct statement of injury to mushroonis by Sciara, nor is it established that serious injury to cultivated mush- rooms is inflicted by any of the large family to which it belongs, although the following named species are among those that are recorded as " feeding on mushrooms" in Europe; Mycetohia pallipes Meig., on Boleti ; Mycetophila signata Meig., on Boletus eduUs ; 31. lunata M., on Ac/aricus vitrinus ; Rymosia fenestralis M., on Agari- cus melleus y Exechia fu7\gorum Dg., on Boletus / Docosia sciarina M., on Boletus scahra and B. edulis ; Boletina, several species; Boli- tophila cbierea M. ; B. fasca M.; B. disponcta Loew; Plesiastina annulata M.; Sciophila striata M., on "mushrooms." A recent English writer on the T)iptera,f states: " Some of the fungus gnats [3Iyc€tophilii/fe^ are certainly inj irious, as the species that live upon the ' mushroom,' whole frames of this edible fungus being destroyed by these larvae; but the amount of damage done is small compared to the amount of good which these maggots do in destroying fungi." And again: "The larva? of these gnats act as 'scavengers ; not only do they do away with rotting fungi, but they cause these often injurious productions to putrefy and to become scarce by their destruction." What the Manure-Fly Is ? Specimens of the fly were submitted to Mr. R. R. Meade, of England, for comparison with European species. He could not identify them with any species known to him, but they approached somewhat nearly to S. nervosa. Probably a Harmless Species. Some of the flies were also sent to Mr. William Falconer, of Glen Cove, N. Y., with the inquiry if he had ever found them troublesome in his extensive greenhouse experience or in his mushroom growing. He replied that he was familiar with their appearance from having known them for many years — ever since he had been led to study insects and their habits. They always appeared about hotbeds or where there was pretty well-advanced fermenting horse manure, and for this reason he had given them the name of " manure -flies." t Theobald: An Account of British Flies, 189i. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 393 If the winter is comparatively mild, they may be seen for the first in the latter part of February, but ordinarily they do not attract attention until in March. They are in great abundance in the last weeks of March and through April and become comparatively few in May, per- haps by deserting the cellars for outdoor life. He had never had rea- son to regard them as harmful to mushrooms. At the time of writing (March 25, 1889) there were thousands of the flies in the mushroom cellars, while at the same time the crop of mushrooms was the finest and cleanest that he had ever grown and showing no sign of attack by larvfe of any kind. They are certainly no hindrance to mushroom growing during the winter, for they never appear in the earlier months or until the manure is at least two months old; but they are disagree- able guests, for \ efore the end of April the walls appear as if they had been washed with wtt mud, so much dirt and moisture do they gather and leave upon the wallja, on «hich they are constantly leaping from the beds and coursing over. Mr. Falconer did not think it possi- ble that these flies can be identical with those that produce the " mag- gots " that infest mushrooms in the month of April. In this opinion he was correct, as will appear in subsequent pages. Remedies Suggested. If it should be found on closer observation that it is important that the larvfe of these flies should be destroyed, there should be no diffi- culty in killing them by occasional applications of pure and fresh pyre- thrum in water, using it of the strength of one ounce to from four to eight gallons of water, as the larvae may be deeper beneath or nearer to the surface of the beds. That they multiply with great rapidity is shown by the fact that the fifth diy after some surface-feeding larvae were seen to enter the ground the winged flies therefrom made their appearance. A method for killing the flies, said by Mr. Falconer to be employed in mushroom cellars in France, might also be used in connection with pyrethrum solution. It is to place small lighted lamps in shallow pans filled with water, with a little kerosene floated on the surface. Vast numbers are attracted to the lights and killed by falling into the kero- sene, but still it does not prove wholly effectiv.e, as there are always many left. The Manure-Fly Undescribed. Of the twenty-three United States Sciaras of the Osten Sacken Cata- logue, the " manure-fly " (adopting Mr. Falconer's name for it) can not 50 394 FORTY-EIGHTH EEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM be referred to any of the Say or Fitch species (11); there is no probabil- ity of its being identical with any one of the three Greenland species; and in the absence of types, it would be a loss of time to search for it among the five Walker species. From S. ochrolabis Loew -New York — it would be ruled out by its want of ochreous spots. There would then remain but three species for comparison, viz. : S. nigra Wied. — Savannah; rotondipennis Macq. — Carolina; and sciophila Loew — Dist. Colum. In the improbability of its being one of these, it is herewith described as a new species. The excellent illustrations of it, as also of the two following species, have been made by my assist- ant, Mr. E. P. Felt. Its Description. SciARA COPROPHILA n. sp. Lcirva.— Length when full grown 8 mm. Head jet black, small, broadly ovate, and more or less retractile into the anterior segment. Body whitish ; subcylindrical, tapering slightly toward each end; smooth and indistinctly divided into twelve segments ; the dark contents of the convoluted ali- mentary canal may be seen readily through the semitrans- parent body-walls ; terminal segment usually bent abrupt- ly downward (Fig. 4). Details of head. — Clypeus subtriangular, emarginate ante- riorly, and with a pair of very large punctures, probably setigerous, at the anterior third, and three smaller ones in each Fig. 4. - Larva of anterio-lateral corner ; two pairs of the smaller punctures Sciara coprophila j.i /• i. i i. i i i. -w. ^ • occur on the front close to the cJypeus, one at its anterior, the other at the posterior third; a number of very small puncturrson the clj-peus and close to it are represented by dots in figure 5e; several more lateral punctures occur on the epicranium. Labrum ; basal portion chitinous, narrow and with a large median tooth ; distal portion broad, semimembranous, emarginate anteriorly, and bearing internally three groups, of spines on each side of the median line ; the anterio-lateral group consists of a slightly curved row of six, the middle group of three closely set, and the posterior group of about three ; the anteriorand middle groupsare represented in figure 5a. Antennae composed of one segment, conical, chitinous ; located close to lateral angles of clypeus. Mandibles stout ; three large teeth, one smaller internal tooth (Fig. 5b). Max- illa composed of a small basal portion and a large distal part ; basal portion composed of two pieces ; an external piece bearing two punctures along its distal margin, and an inner piece with a prominent internal spine near the basal third; distal portion strong'y concave internally, apparently divided longitudinally; inner edge armed with six well-marked teeth and a smaller basal tooth; two large punctures occur at the apical fifth, one on each piece; on the apex of the external piece there is a larger oval puncture, in which lies the rudimentary palpus (Osten Sacken); internal piece with a puncture near middle (Fig. 5c, d). On ventral surface of head there is a large cordate mem- TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 395 branous area, and the sclerites are slightly separated along the median line (Fig. 5a). Fig 5.— Sciara coprophila : Details of head of larva; a, ventral aspect of head; b, mandible; c, maxilla; rf. apical depression in maxilla wi.h contained ludimentary palpus; e, outline of clypeus, showing location of punctures. All greatly euUrged. Pupa. — Length, 2 5 mm. The form of the imago is readily seen; it is a little stouter than in the perfect state. Head and thorax black; abdomen brownish; coxEe yellowish; legs brownish-black. The wings extend to the third abdominal segment ; the tarsi to the fifth . In the earlier portion of the pupa state the eyes only are black and they connect behind the antennaa by a very narrow band; dark-brown patches occur on the base of the antennte; the rest of the pupa is a variable yellowish- white. As the pupa develops, the antennae, wing-pads and tarsi darken con- siderably and the head and thorax darken a little ; finally the abdomen begins to darken. Imago. — Plate I. Head and thorax black; antennae and abdomen dark- brown ; setaceous. Wings hyaline and in certain aspects somewhat irrides- cent. Coxa dusky-yellow; femur and tibia yellowish-brown; tarsi darker, especially on the terminal segments. Apical portion of the halteres dusky, basal portion yellowish. Length, 3.5 mm. The general appearance of the female is given in figure 1. Three ocelli occur, the median one being anterior, — figure 2. The eyes are deeply emarginate and extend to the median line behind the antennee; facets separated by an unusually thick frame of chitine, — figure 3. Antennae longer than the head and thorax, composed of 16 segments ; the two basal segments are about as broad as long and bear a few stout setae; the remaining ones are often slightly gibbous with extremities rounded; pediceled distally and invested with numerous fine setae; width to length as 4 to 7, see figure 6. The ridges represented upon the epis- toma in figure 2 are partly internal and the upper portion of the inner ones wholly so, but as they can be easily seen in semitransparency in a mounted preparation, they are, therefore, indicated. The palpi are composed of four segments, — figure 8: basal segment short; second, elongated, capitate distally and bearing a distinct sensory pit; third, similar in form and shorter; fourth, 396 FORTY-EIGHTH EEPOKT ON THE STATE MUSEUM long and slender: sette on the basal portions of the three distal segments with a more or less verticillate arrangement; on the apical portions the arrange- ment is more irregular. Wings hyaline and invested with numerous short hairs. The first longi- tudinal vein (the first branch of radius) joins costa before the fork of the fourth longitudinal (media). The venation is carefully represented in figure 1. The halteres are long; basal half slender and partially segmented; distal portion spatulate, — figure 4h. The scutum of the mesothorax is produced into a marked dorsal hump, which bears one or more stout setae, — figures 1, la, 4, s'. The scutellum of the mesothorax has a more or less granulated surface. The hind coxa of the male extends to the basal third of the abdomen; in the femala the hind coxa extends to about the basal fourth ; the hind femur is twice the length of coxa; tibia one-fourth longer than femur; tarsi about equal to femur; middle legs shorter and fore legs still shorter than the hind legs; one apical spine occurs on the fore tibia and two on the middle and hind tibiae. The abdomen in both sexes is composed of nine segments; general form con- ical. The apical portion in the female quite extensile; on the eighth segment, a pair of ventral valves and between them a pair of slender processes; on the ninth segment, a pair of lateral valves, the apical portion of which is nearly circular, — figure 9. The abdomen of the male is shorter and apparently stouter; due to shortness of the terminal segments; the terminal segment bears within the larger jointed appendages a smaller pair of unsegmented, slightly diverging appendages; the apical fourth of these inner appendages is thick- ened, margin setose; beneath the dorsal plate a slender median organ may be seen arising from a forked base, — figures 11, 11a. Length of body, 2.5 mm.; of wing, nearly 3 mm. Described from 30 females; 10 male?. Explanation of Plate I. Fig. 1. — Manure gnat, Sciara coprophila. Fig. la. — Scutellar hump of the same, more enlarged. Fig. 2. — .Head of the same: a, antenna; p, palpus. Fig. 3. — Portion of the compound eye still more enlarged and showing the relative proportion of chitine to the facets. Fig. 4. — Lateral aspect of the thorax: c, c, c, insertion of thecoxee of thepro- meso- and m eta- thorax ; h, halter; S, spiracle; s, scutellar hump ; IV, base of wing. Fig. 5. — 8th, 9th, and 10th segments of the antenna of the greenhouse gnat. Sciara caldaria. Fig. 6.— Ditto of S. coprophila. Fig. 7. — Terminal segments of the palpus of S. caldaria. Fig. 8. — Palpus of S. copropMla, showing the sensory pit on the second segment. Fig. 9. — Lateral valve of the female of S. coprophila. Fig. 10. — Ditto of S. caldaria. Fig. 11. — Dorsal aspect of the terminal segment of the male of S. copropMla: d, dorsal plate; i, inner, o, outer appendages. fseport X. N. Y. State Entomologist. Plate I. SCIARA. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 397 Fig. 11a. — Dorsal view of the chitinous processes beneath the median dorsal plate of the terminal segment in the male of S. copropliila. Figs. 12, 12a. — Ditto of the male of S. caldaria. Figure 1 is enlarged about twenty diameters; the others are much more enlarged. Sciara caldaria nov. sp. The Greenhouse Sciara. (Ord. DiPTERA : Fam. Mycetophilid^.) A communication from a lady of Boise, Idaho (April 20, 1893), gives the following particulars of some " fungus gnats," believed by her to have been injurious in her greenhouse: The fly, or flies more properlv, for there are thousands of them in my greenhouse, congregate wherever there is the least leaf mold or manure (cow), no matter how old or well-rotted it may be. They lay their eggs in the soil or under the pots or boxes; they seem (some of them) to shed their wings, and produce a white worm which is very difticult to kill I have fumigated the greenhouse twice a week, used lime and lime-water and kerosene emulsion in the soil — not in a half- way manner, but thoroughly, and still they are just as bad again the next day. I tried dipping the pots in raw kerosene; the next morning on lifting the pots, the little wrigglers ran in all directions. They have done much damage, and I hope, for the benefit of others as well as mj'self, that you can give an idea of how to rid the house of them. I send to-day a phial with the flies. Not Known to be Injurious in Greenhouses. It has not, so far as known to me, been satisfactorily determined if the " fungus gnats " are the occasion of any positive injury in green- houses. We would be glad to learn from our correspondent the character of the damage which the insect of which she has written has caused her, and also the amount, and any other particulars that may add to oar knowledge of its habits and life-history. General Features of the Fly. The mature insect is a small fly or midge, closely allied in classifica- tion, structure, and general appearance, to the destructive midges that infest our grain and clover crops. It is one-tenth of an inch in length, with a black head, and dark-brown body, rather large and finely haired, transparent wings' showing brilliant gold and purple reflections, and having but few veins. The abdomen of the female is narrowed and quite prolonged posteriorly. It is active and restless in its movements, and its long legs serve their purpose in running and leaping. 398 rOKTY-ElGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Its Description. For the reasons stated for recognizing the manure Sciara as pre- viously undescribed, this also is accepted as new to science and its description herewith given : Sciara caldaria n. sp. Plate I. — The general features of the imago are much the same as in the manure gnat. It may be distinguished by the greater iridescence of the wings; by the light-brown coxse ; and by the smooth polished scutum of the mesothorax. The propor- tionate width of the intermediate segments of the antennae to their length is as 2 to 5; form cylindrical, — figure 5. The two distal seg- mpnts of the palpi are about one-half as long as broad, and bear several long setse, — figure 7. The apical portion of the lateral valve of the female is nearly oval, — figure 10. The inner unsegmented appendages of the male widely divergent; the apical third thickened and setose, — figure 12. The median organ beneath the dorsal plate arises from an undivided base, — figure 12a. The other characters, so far as observed, agree with those of the manure gnat. The material at hand was not sufficient to permit of a proper study of the characters afforded by the head. Length of body, 2.5 mm.; of wing, 3 mm. Described from eight males; two females. Does Sciara Shed Its Wings ? The statement made by the lady, that some of the flies in her greenhouse shed their wings, would be of so much interest from an entomological view that we would be glad to have it verified, if possi- ble, beyond question. It apparently finds some support in the fact that quite a number of the beautifully iridescent wings of the flies were found in the small quantity of the soil that was sent with the winged insects. I can not think of any end or purpose that could be served by such an unusual proceeding. Where wings are not needed, they are usually withheld. In some insects we have, in the fame sex, both winged and wingless forms, and in others the female is wingless. In the genus Epidapits, belonging to the 3IycetophiUdm, in which Sciara is included, the " wings and halteres are wholly obsolete " (Theobald), but Prof. Hopkins has recently described and figured a species in which " there are two forms of the males — one with short wings scarcely half the length of the body, and the other with wings as long or longer than the body." Possibly some such wingless forms may have been seen in the Boise greenhouse. It is well known that among some of the ants, after the colony has taken its " marriage flight " and a return to earth is made for founding new colonies, the wings of the females are torn off, either by them- selves or their companions. A sufficient reason for this would seem to be, that as the remainder of their lives is to be entirely devoted to / TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 399 maternal cares and duties within their subterranean abodes, wings would no longer be needed and could only prove an incumbrance to them. Phora agarici nov. sp. The Mushroom Phora. (Ord. Dipteka: Fam. Phobid^.) The successful cultivation of mushrooms during the warmer portion of the year — in May and thereafter through the summer months — even under the approved methods now quite generally adopted, is regarded as impracticable, owing to the attack and destruction of the plants by the larvoe of small flies that tunnel the stalk and burrow in every direction through the pileus.* This difficulty has long been experienced by mushroom-growers, but no means have been discovered by which it may be surmounted. Many efforts have been made in different directions, but from the peculiar character of the mushroom and its extreme susceptibility to injury from all of the insecticidal preparations that have been experimented with, nothing satisfactory has been accomplished, and further efforts seem hopeless. In a preceding page, several species of " fungus gnats " {Mycetophi- lidoi) are named, which feed on mushrooms, but it is not believed that in this country, at least, any of those are chargeable with the annual arrest of mushroom culture in the month of April in this latitude, nor is it known that they are among those which infest, to a greater or less extent, Agaridcs campestris and many other wild forms during the summer months. A Serious Tffushrooni Pest. My attention at different times during preceding years has been called by Mr. William Falconer to the mushroom pest now being considered, as something quite different from the "manure fly," and which, in our correspondence, he has designated as " the maggot." Mr. Falconer informs me that it has been the common warm- weather pest of the mushroom-grower ever since mushrooms were first cultivated, but in all the literature of practical horticulture — our own and that of Europe — he has never been able to find any indication of its identity. * It is stated in works on gardening that in deep, dark cellars, mushrooms are not affected in this manner, and that they can be grown throughout the summer with perfect immunity from insect attack. But this is not so. I never saw or knew of an artificially constructed mushroom cellar that was proof against "maggots." In caves away in the bowels of the earth and com- pletely away from natural light, the immunity m»y possibly be perfect, but of this I know nothing through my own observation or experience. (Wm. Falconer.) 400 FORTY-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Diseased and Infested Mushrooms. Under date of May 3, 1889, Mr, Falconer sent for examination some " diseased mushrooms," showing the " black-spot " as brown markings on the surface of the caps which Dr. Farlow had pronounced the work of Anguillulid(e. Adhering to the mushrooms by their wings were numbers of the manure Sciara. Rather deep cavities had also been eaten into them by slugs. " But the chief reason," he wrote, " why I send you these, is to show you the crowning evil of mushroom culture, namely the MAGGOTS. By cutting open the mushrooms you may see numerous worm-holes in some of them, both in the caps and stems, and no doubt can discover some of the maggots. They are tiny fel- lows with a white body and black head, measuring about one-fifth or one-sixth of an inch long, looking to me not much unlike the club-root maggot in cabbage and cauliflower. The fly was not reared from this sending: possibly no larvae were found in them, for no examples are contained in the State collection. This is a matter of regret, for if a conspicuous feature of the larva was its " black head " it would indicate a different species from that obtained in a later year in the autumn.* Two Insects Infesting- an Agaricus. On October 1, 1894, Mr. Falconer sent another package of infested mushrooms which he had gathered ia fiel Is: they were " the new mush- room " of Gardening, viz , Agaricus subriifescens Peck, described in 1893, and an highly esteemed edible species. They were swarming with larvae, by which, in a brief time they were completely riddled. A number of the larvre were preserved in alcohol for the State collection. Although not observed at the time, there were two different larva? feeding together in the mushrooms, for, after pupation, two distinct forms were found — one more than twice the size of the other, subelliptical in "a Duishroom-fT^d- form, concave ventrally, dark brown in color, and '°^ ^ with lateral and terminal spinose processes. The pupariura is represented in a ventral view in figure 6. Description of the Phora. The small puparia disclosed a lar^e number of the flies during the month of October — the length of time after pupation was not noted. They are not referable to any described species so far as known to me, * Mr. Falconer has probably cjnfouoded ihe black-headed Sciara larvaa with these. TENTH KEPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 401 and are, therefore, assumed to be new, and the larva, puparium and imago described as follows: Phora agarici n. sp. Plate II. Larva. — Figure 5. Body nearly cylindrical, composed of 11 segments; length, 3 mm. Whitish, with two minute brown points on the ventral surface of the head. Under a high power the minute, 5-toothed, light-brown mandibles may be demonstrated and also the 3-jointed tubercle- like antennae on the lateral angles of the head. Dorsum convex; each seg- ment divided into two nearly equal subsegments; hind margin of last segment flattened and produced into ten processes; a median pair; the others equidis- tant and opposite; posterior six larger. Ventral surface flattened, margined laterally, and segments 2-9 on fore and hind border, segment 10 on fore border only, by transverse ridges. Puparium. — Figure 6. Light brown; suboval; ends obtusely pointed; length 2.5 mm. Dorsal surface slightly convex ; the last six nearly equal seg- ments, and lateral margin, distinct; on the anterior segment, which is about twice the size of the others, there are two slight subdorsal tubercles. Ventral surface very convex; segments and margin not well marked. Imago. — Figure 1. Body jet black; antennae fuscous; apical portion of halteres yellowish-white; apical portion of coxae, front and middle legs yellow- ish-brown; tarsi brownish; hind legs darker; palpi yellowish. Wings hyaline and with slight iridescence. Ocellar triangle defined by a suture which extends down the front. Three transverse rows of bristles occur on the front; six in the posterior row, consist- ing of a median pair and four lateral ; middle composed of four nearly equidis- tant bristles; six equidistant in the anterior row; in front of the median pair of the anterior row there is a small pair; the two pairs point downward, though in some examples the larger pair point upward. Compound eyes bordered behind and below by a single row of bristles; small sette occur at the angles of the facets (figure 2). Antennas five-segmented; first short, irregular; second very large, subspherical; third and foiirth small, elongated; fifth, basal portion slightly enlarged and equal to fourth; distal portion setaceous, much elongated, plumose (figure 2a). Labium yellowish-brown, usually retracted (figure 3). Terminal segment of palpi long, slightly capitate and bearing several apical bristles; basal segment short, obscurely divided into several subsegments. Dorsum of thorax thickly pubescent; several long bristles occur near base of wings. Wings hyaline; costal vein lefes than half the length of the wing; first heavy vein joining costa beyond middle between the humeral cross vein and the apex of the first branch of the second heavy vein; second heavy vein forked near apex; costal margin fringed with stout setaj to tip of second heavy vein; first light vein curved at basal fourth and slightly at apical fourth Hal- teres spatulate, basal portion segmented (figure 7). Several apical bristles on front and outer portion of coxae; fore tibia unarmed; middle tibia with very long apical, posterior spine; hind tibia with one long anterior and several short apical, internal spines; anterior edge of middle and posterior edge of hind tibia fringed with a thick row of stout setae; internally and close to the hind margin of the posterior tibia there is a row of about nine stouter spines on the apical 51 402 FOETY-EIGHTH KEPOKT ON THE STATE MUSEUM three-fourths; tarsi of middle and hind legs bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by rows of stout spines. Abdomen broad at base, slightly depressed; apex obtusely pointed, invested with short, scattering sette. Terminal segment of female with a median process, laterally dilated at base and a pair of suboval appen- dages near the apex; width to length of median process as 1 to 4; lateral dilation nearly equal to length of median process ; subapical appendage one-fourth the length of median process (figure 8). Terminal segment of male with an irregular, dorso-lateral plate, the ventral portion of which is prolonged. Two pairs of organs extend from the plate — an upper straight pair, bearing numerous long setae on the entire surface, and a lower pair, slightly curved ventrally and bearing several long, usually sharply curved setae at their tips. Below this armature there is a darker chitinous ring, within which are the essential organs. Length of body, 1.5 to 2 mm.; of wing, 2 mm. Described from about 75 specimens of both sexes. Close to the female of Phora setacea Aid. as described and figured in the Canadian Entomologist, xxiv, 1893, p. 144, fig. 2. This species may be sep- arated by the anterior row of frontal bristles being a nearly straight transverse one, while in setacea they are represented as obliquing posteriorly from the median line ; the anterior pair of proclivate bristles are also relatively smaller and more nearly in front of the other pair. The coxa? of the female, as well as those of the male, have a number of large sub apical bristles on the outer side, and the " conical protuberance " on the hind side of the third coxa is about equally developed in both sexes ; the fore and middle legs are darker than in P. setacea . None of the marked sexual features indicated by Mr. Aldrich, except those of the genitalia, have been observed in agarici. It is probable that the insect described as the male of setacea belongs to'a distinct species from that of the female . Peculiar Wing-Pores in Phora. Mr. E. P. Felt, in his study of this insect in connection with its illustration, etc., has made some interesting observations upon the "wing pores" which he has detected, and of which he has written as follows: An additional character which may prove to be of specific value is found in the number and location of certain " pores " or pore-like structures. The pores — four in number — occur in a slightlj"^ curved row along the middle line on the under side of the second heavy vein, where it anastomoses with the costal vein; a short stump extends beyond the anastomosis and inclines a little away from the costa. The pores are less than half their diameter apart, the last one being close to the apex of the stump (figure 10). Each consists of a depression surrounded by a raised circular ring of chitine (figure 11). These pores must not be con- founded with the scars on the costal vein left when a bristle is removed; they appear to have no connection with either bristle or setfe. Some twenty-five speci- TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 403 mens of Pliora agarici were examined. In many cases the two wings were compared; in every case where the tip of the second heavy vein was apparent, these structures were found constant in number and position. It requires a mounted preparation and a one-fourth objective to bring them out clearly. Though occurring on the under side of the wing, in this species the veins are sufficiently transparent so tliat the pores may be seen from the upper side. Subsequent study has shown that similar pores occur in the genus Sciara. They are found along the rudimentary sub- costal vein and are much smaller than in ^ "^ ° ° ° ""^ q q '' Phora. In S. coprophila there are 10 pores along this vein — an outer group of three, of wliich the antepenult is on the inner margin of the vein; the inner seven are nearly equidistant (figure 7a). In S. caldaria there Fia. 7. — Diagram showing pores in , , ~ veins of Sciara: a, S. coprophila ; are but seven pores — an outer group of 6, s. caitajia ,• s, outline of sub- three, with the antepenult as in S. coprophila; costa; r, fore u^argin of radius. the inner four equidistant (figure 7b), Reference may be made, in connection with the above, to a paper published in 1889 in the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, by the late Ezra P, Crawford, entitled " Notes on Certain Pores in the Veins of Some Diptera," and illustrated by several fig- ures. Mr, Crawford found them to " number from five to eight, when present, and their number and position are constant in each species," It is thought that they may be homologous with what Jurine, in JSFouv. Meth. class. Jlymeno^?. et Dipt., 1807, named "bulla?," as observed by him on the wings of certain Hymenoptera. Infestation of Mushrooms by Phora, Mr, Falconer ha-? kindly sent, in response to request, the following observations on the occurrence of the Phora larvoe: "They make their appearance in early April, but do not iocrease to such an extent as to completely ruin the crop until the end of April or the first part of May. In outdoor mushrooms they are to be found from May into October,. From August onward they are more numerous in wild mushrooms than at any time in cultivated ones, and they are apparently larger [but slightly so, judging from indication given of comparative sizes], but this may possibly be accounted for by a better food supply. In some NoTB.— The following information relating to Phora infestation of mushrooms has been kindly communicated to me by Mr. Howard, of the Division of Entomology, at Washington, in reply to an inquiry made: " We have reared Phora niinicta ia considerable numbsrs from mushrooms received from Geo. Balderston, Colora, Md.: and in Europe, Mr. Coquillett informsme, Scholtz has reared Phora lutea VIeig. and Phora flava Fall, from an agaricus (Schiner, Fauna Austriaca Diptera, II, 1861, p. 34}). Leon Dufour reared P. nigra Meig. from Agaricus prunulus Fries (1. c.,3J5), and Letzoer reared P. pumila Meig. from an agaricus (.1- c., 345). Phora bovistoe- Gimmerth. was bred from Lycoperdon bovista (1. c, 316). 404 rOETT-EIGHTH BEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM years and in some localities they are conspicuously more numerous than in others. In gathering a quart of field mushrooms several specimens may be entirely free from any sign of attack, and in others only a few newly -hatched larvre are at work. Then, again, one may meet with particularly large mushrooms a day or two past their prime which are tunneled like a sponge and are living masses of maggots." Remedies. In consideration of the fruitless and long-continued efforts made by mushroom-growers to find an antidote against this insect, and a seem- ing general conviction that the culture must cease at the advent of warm weathtr, it may not be worth while to make suggestions for further experimentation. Slill, much would be gained if the period of culture could be extended by a month or two. If an insecticide is to be sought, it might naturally be looked for among the vegetable ones. Of these, pyrethrum is certainly one of the most efficient, and the Diptera are known to be particularly sensitive to its influence. The pure, fresh, dry powder blown in the atmosphere with a powder- bellows, or made up into slightly dampened cones for slow burning, would unquestionably kill nearly all, if not all, of the ever-active, leaping and running flies in the apartment. If their eggs have not been previously deposited, their further propagation would be pre- vented. There seems no reason why a newly-made solution of the powder (largely soluble in water), liberally sprinkled over the soil, should fail to kill the young larvre at the moderate depth in the bed at which they occur before entering into the base of the stalk, and at the same time be harmless to the plants. Some Literature of Phora Latreille: Hist. Nat. des Crust.-Ins., xii, 1804 (genus founded). Macquart: Hist. Nat. Ins.— Dipt., ii, 1835, pp. 625-631, pi. 24, figs. 1-4 (30 French species characterized). Westwood: Introduc. Classif. Ins., ii, 1840, pp. 574, 575 (habits), f. 132, 12, 13 (larva and imago). LOEW: Men. Dipt. N. Amer. , Pt. I, 1862, p. 4 (antenna! structure), p. 47 (family characters). Packard: in Amer. Nat., ii, 1868, pp. 196, 197, pi. 4, figs. 1, 2, 3 (P. incrassata parasitic in larva of honey-bee in England); the same, in Cotton Insects, 1879, p. 209; Guide Stud. Ins., 1869, p. 127 (parasite of hive- bee), p. 416 (figvires of P. incrassata as cause of "foul brood"); the same, in Entomol. Begin., 1888, p. 126, f. 146; in Amer. Nat., v, 1871, p. 745, f. 123 (of cave Phora). SCUDD.-BURG.: in Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xiii, 1870, p. 283, f. 17 of plate (asymmetrical genitalia of P. microcephala). TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 405 Olover: MS. Notes Journ.— Dipt., 1874, pi. 6, figs. 19, 20 (P. incrassata imago), pi. 7, f. 37 (larva of P. daiici), pi. 9, f. 20 (Phora imago from Mammoth cave), pp. 39, 40 (reference to seven species). OSTEN Sacken: Cat. Dipt. N. A., 1878, p. 212 (eight N. A. species listed); in Amer. Entomol., iii, 1880, p. 277 (is Phora parasitic?); the same, in 4th Kept. U. S. Entomolog. Commis., 1885, p. 117. Comstock: Cotton Ins., 1879, pp. 208-211, fig. 49 (P. aletice in larva, pupa, and imago described and figured); Man. Stud. Ins., 1895, p. 475 (characters of Phoridce). Hubbard: in Amer. Entomol., iii, 1880, p. 39 (Phora in the Mammoth cave), pp. 82, 83 (larva of same described, figured, and compared), p. 228 (P. aleticR a scavenger, not a parasite) ; the same, in 4th Rept. U. S. Entomolog. Commis., 1885, p. 116 (parasitized by a Chalcid) ; in id.. Notes [112], from Amer. Entomol., p. 228. Riley: in Amer. Entomol., iii, 1880, p. 277 (P. aletice not parasitic), p. 293 (a Chalcid parasite) ; in Amer. Nat., xvi, 1882, p. 747 (habits of P. aletiCB)] in 4th Rept. U. S. Entomolog. Commis., 1885, pp. 108, 116, 117 (not parasitic^ . BuGNlON: in Psyche, iii, 1881, p. 212 (Phora parasitic on Lina tremulce). ScHVTARZ: in 4th Rept. U. S, Entomolog. Commis., 1885, pp. 117-119 (P. aletice not parasitic). Scudder: in Bull. U. S. Geolog. Surv., No. 31, 1886, p. 86 (eleven amber species recorded by Loew). Bethune: in 16th Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont., 1886, p. 30 (foul brood due to Phora). Williston: Synop. Fam.-Gen. N. A. Dipt., 1888, p. 64. Brunetti: in Entomol. Month, Mag., xxv, 1889, p. 282 (P. rufipes a quite general feeder). Newstead: in Entomol. Month. Mag., xxvii, 1891, p. 41 (P. rufipes in nests of Vespa Germanica). Riley-Howard: in Insect Life, 1892, v, p. 5 (Phora sp., reference). Aldrich: in Canad Entomol., xxiv, 1892, pp. 142-146, 5 figs, (new western species of Phora) ; in Bull. 30 S. Dak. Agr. Coll. Expt. Stat., 1892, p. 7. Coquillet: in Canad. Entomol., xxvii, 1895, pp. 103-107 (synopsis of the genus). Megnin: Les Parasites Articules, 1895, p . 471 {Phora aterrima in buried human bodies . Explanation of Plate It. Phora agarici. 3Ius/iroom Phora. Fig. 1. — Female. The terminal segments are retracted within the body and the base of the abdomen is shrunken (x 20). Fig. 2. — Dorsal aspect of head; a, antenna. Fig. 3. — Labium and appendages from behind. Fig. 4. — Palpus, dorsal aspect. Fig. 5. — Ventral aspect of larva (x 8). Fig. 6. — Dorsal aspect of pupa (x 8). Fig. 7.— Halter. 406 FORTY-EIGHTH BEPORT ON THE STATE MU8EDM Fig. 8. — Dorsal aspect of the terminal segment of the female: s, subapical appendage. Fig. 9. — Lateral aspect of a portion of the terminal segment of the male: d, dorso-lateral plate; u, upper, /, lower organ. Fig. 10— Portion of wing showing location of "pores" at the tip of the second heavy vein ; its branch and a portion of costa also shown , Fig. 11.— A "pore." All figures greatly enlarged, except where otherwise stated. Agrilus ruficollis (Fabr.), The Gouty- Gall Beetle. (Ord. CoLBOPrKRA: Fam. Buprkstidje.) A severe attack of this insect — known by the name above given from the peculiar swelling in the cane that its larva produces, and also as the "red-necked Agrilus," from its coj^per-colored thorax contrasting with the browoish-black wing-covers — was reported by Mr. E. Winne, of Delmar, Albany county, N. Y , in the early part of May He was growing raspberries extensively, and the injuries of this _ „ „^ , , , ., insect threatened the destruction of the Fig. 8 —The red-necked Agrilup, Agrilus RUEicoLis: c. the bee !►-: 6 the larva: crOp — SO larffC a proportion of the a, terminal horns of the larva — all "^ ^ ^ ^ enlarged. canes being infested with it. A number of the canes were brought to me, in which the pupa3 were found at the time. Several of the beetles subsequently emerged, but they were dead when discovered some weeks thereafter. A serious attack of the same insect was also brought to my notice in April by Mr. M. Brooks, of Athens, N, Y. Remedy. These gentlemen were informed that the injury from this insect could be, to a large extent, if not entirely, arrested, by cutting off all the canes below the " gouty-gall " produced b}^ the burrowing of the larva in the wood, and burning them, in the early spring before the beetle could mature and escape and deposit eggs for the continuance of the attack. Operations of the Insect. According to Walsh-Riley, the beetle makes its appearance early in the summer, but sometimes as late as the fore part of July, and deposits Report X. N. Y. State Entomologist. Plate II. PHORA. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 407 its eggs shortly thereafter. Prof. Webster states that in a serious attack observed and studied by him of the insect on the dewberry {Hubus Canadtnsis) in Southern Ohio, where the culture of this berry had developed into an important industry, it was learned that the beetles appeared about the middle of May and remained until the last of June or about the time of the ripening of the first berries.* Dr. J. B. Smith, who represents it as a chief pest of the blackberry in New Jersey, gives for the time of the emergence of the beetle from May 20 to July 10. He is of the opinion that the egg is not inserted in the tissue of the cane as generally stated, but is simply laid at the base of the leaf-stalk or in the bud. See the interesting account by him of the peculiar burrowing operations of the larva as given in Insect Life, iv, 1891, p. 28. Notwithstanding occasional instances of such extensive infestation as above noticed, the beetle seldom falls into the hands of collectors in New York. The only examples (2) taken by me were captured in Schoharie, N. Y., over thirty yeirs ago, probably in my garden. This insect has been previously noticed in my sixth report, pp. 123- 125, where its transformations are bri* fly given, the gall that it pro- duces figured and some literature cited where fuller details may be found. Its Distribution. Dr. Horn, accompanying his detailed description of the beetle in " The Species of Agrilus of Boreal America,"f has given the following as its distribution: From Canada and the New England States south- ward to Virginia and westward to Missouri. Respecting Agrilus anxius. ^h.e Agrilus torpidus Lee, mentioned in my fifth report as taken in large number from cut poplars at Elk Lake, Essex county, N. Y., in the latter part of August, 1883, had been described by Gory in '?1835 as Agrilus anxius: torpidus, therefore, becomes a synonym. Its range is said to be from Massachusetts and New Hampshire westward to Col- orado. Mr. G. C. Davis has found ic producing galls in branches of the willow {Salix discolor) in Michigan. The gall is an oval swelUng, from which an oval gallery is bored downward, sometimes in the pith, but oftener through the wood, opening outwardly an inch and a half below the gall {/nstct Life, iv, 1891, p. 66). * Bulletin 58 Ohio Agricultural Experim _ _ _ _ loving grapevine of this species ascribed to it, is ia all probability largely beetle, anomala. sexual. Two males of the examples received were in uiover.) entire accord with the description of Dr. Fitch above given. The remaining seven were females, and had the thorax yellow and concolorous with the elytra, except a small black spot on each side in front (as has also the male in its yellow margin), and another black spot centrall}^ and more or less distinct, near its hind margin. The wing-covers are narrowly margined with black or brown. The abdomen beneath is yellow. Description. As a farther ai I to identification when detected feeding upon the foliage of the grape, the following is copied from Dr. Horn's " Notes on the Species of Anomala Inhabiting the United States," loc. cit., pp. 157-164. Form oval, robust; color variable from entirely yellow to entirely black; head moderately densely punctured; clypeus transverse; sides very little divergent, angles rounded, margin in front narrowly reflexed, thorax convex; sides regularly arcuate, gradually narrowed to the point, basal marginal line obliterated, surface rather coarsely but not densely punctured ; elytra with moderatel}'- deep stride of rather coarse, closely-placed punctures, the intervals nearly equally convex ; pygid- iura sparsely punctured ; body beneath coarsely but sparsely punc- tured; the pectus very slightly hairy. Length, .35-. 40 inch; 9-10 mm. The front claw of the anterior and middle tarsi is deeply cleft at tip, the two portions nearly equal. Habits and Destructiveness of the Beetle. The beetle is noted for its fondness for the foliage of the grape. Dr. LeBaron, in his First Report on the Insects of Illinois, has recorded their destructiveness and habits, particularly that of their peculiar flights. They were noticed at about sunset on an evening during the latter part of June, flying close to the ground in a zig-zag 52 410 FOETY-IIGHTH KEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM manner, as if they were hunting for something, and were in such num- bers as to sound like a swarm of bees. Later in the evening they were seen to have settled on some grapevines. If the vines were shaken they would drop readily and " play possum " for a few minutes, and then fly up and commence feeding again. The following morning not a beetle was found on the leaves, but they had eaten one-half of the foliage from two hundred and fifty vines. In searching for them, large numbers were found on the ground under the vines. Of several vineyards attacked at the same time, only a particular variety, known as Norton's Virginia, was eaten. Their feeding seemed to be confined to the night-time, notwithstanding their specific name of lucicola. Reported Feeding on Pine. With a single exception all writers on this insect in giving its observed feeding, have reported it on the grape. Dr. Melsheimer has described as ^1. /)m?coZa, beetles ''very abundant in Pennsylvania, in July, on the Red or Pitch Pine." Dr. Fitch, loc. cit., mentions the same as "feeding on the leaves of pine in June and July," but prob- ably from no knowledge of his own, as he only knew it in specimens received from the south (? Pennsylvania). Dr. Horn and Dr. Hamil- ton agree in their reference of MeUheimer's A. pinicola to A. lucicola. Remedy. When the beetles are not very abundant on the grapevines, their feeding may be largely prevented by dusting the foliage with air-slaked lime, but probably the best method of protection would be jarring them from the foliage on cloths stretched on a frame or spread on the ground beneath,' and quickly turning them into a vessel of water and kerosene. Distribution. The insect is pretty generally distributed over the Northern, Middle, and Eastern States, but does not frequently make its appearance in destructive numbers. For this reason it has not been given special study, and but little seems to be known of its life-history. From the Fabrician references and synonymy as above given, it would seem that in strict obedience to the rules of priority this insect should be known as Ayiomala mcerens, as in each of the works cited, while the three names appear upon the same page, moerejis precedes the other two. TENTH BEFOKT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 4:11 Anomala marginata (Fabr,). The Margined Anomala. (Ord. CoLKOPrERA: Fatn. Scarab^id^e.) Fabricius: Ent. Syst. em., i; pars ii, 1792, p. 164 no. 40 (as Melolontha). Horn: in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, xi, 1884, pp. 163-164 (description), BuRMEiSTER: Handh. EntomoL, iv, i, 1894, p. 266. MuNSON: in Insect Life, i, 1889, p. 220 (operations in Louisiana). Riley- Howard: in Insect Life, i, 1889, p. 220; in id., v, 1892, p. 45 (identifica- tion and remedy). Hoyt: in Insect Life, v, 1892, pp. 43-45; in Count. Gent., Iviii, 1893, p. 523 (abundance and injuries in North Carolina). LiNTNER: in Count. Gent., Iviii, 1893, p. 523 (distribution, injuries, remedies). A more destructive species of Anomala than the one noticed in the preceding pages is A. marginata, if we may judge from the prolonged wail of utter hopelessness from a North Carolina correspondent of the Country Gentleman, following a fruitless contest with a horde of the beetles, apparently as irresistible as the rose-bug in New Jersey vine- yards. Listen to his cry : And now we have the Anomala marginata. This is the too modest name of a bug, a species of May-beetle, which for "pure cussedness" can give the rose-bug points and come out ahead. It resembles the May-bug, is about half the size and in color is metallic bluish-green. This creature appeared for the first time last summer in this section just as the rose-bug was leaving, and promptly began devouring every- thing that the other hadn't time to eat. While blessed with the appetite of the rose-bug and the elephant combined, it is not so formal as the former, but brings all its luggage along and remains with us until fall. While the rose-bug has slighted us this summer, the A. M. has corae again in millions, Jt began eating its breakfast about six days ago and hasn't knocked off yet to-get ready for lunch. Some of my vines are already quite defoliated, I have found them to some extent on blackberry, raspberry, and rose bushes, but its preference is the grapevine, I tried hand-picking and shaking them into a vessel with water and kerosene. I had three men working in a plat of thirteen hundred Cynthi- ana vines for an entire day. In this way they destroyed gallons of them. The next morning they were there in unbroken ranks, not a vacancy visible. I then tried spraying with London purple, a pound to one hun- dred and fifty gallons of water. If this treatment has caused them any unpleasantness I have yet to discover the fact. One might as well try to convince the Sabbatarians that there are other people in the world who have rights. If any of your readers having vineyards have been troubled by these pests and have succeeded in getting rid of them I would like to learn their methods. Kerosene emulsion might act as a deterrent, but 412 FOETY-EIGHTH EEPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM I fear that it would spoil the grapes for wine-making. In the mean- time, my emotions are too great for utterance. I think that Job makes no mention of ever having contended with the Anomala marginata. I would he were here. His opinions expressed in choice Chaldaic might possibly fit the case and give me some relief. J. K. H. A Southern Species. Fortunately, Anomala marginata rarely occurs in such overwhelm- ing numbers as recorded in the above communication, and then only in the Southern States. It has an extensive distribution from Texas eastward and northward into Tennessee. It has not, so as far as known to me, been taken in the State of New York, although Dr. Hamilton reports it as occasionally seen in southwestern Pennsylvania, and Dr. J. B. Smith, the same in New Jersey, but occurring over most of the State. It is markedly a southern species, as is, indeed, the genus, for of the twelve contained species, only four pertain to the Middle States. Little Recorded of its Habits. Very little has been written of this insect, — its habits having re- ceived but little attention. The only notices of its injuries found in the many volumes consulted, are these: in Insect Life, i, 1888, p. 220, a gentleman writing from Deni- son, Texas, who had received specimens from Louisi- ana, states that they come in June and July, and are ravenous feeders on the leaves of the grape, com- pletely skeletonizing them, and also eating out the Anomala, ^ Anomala joung buds and tips of the shoots. When disturbed, ^ze.'^'cortginaL)"'^* they drop to the ground and remain motionless for some time, unlike another species associated with them (^1. minuta), which at once runs to cover. Another notice is in Bisect Life, v, 1892, from the gentleman whose communication to the Country Gentleman has been given herewith. The additional facts mentioned in this later letter are these: It had been noticed in former seasons, but only in isolated examples. In ad- dition to the grape, it had also attacked the foliage of apple and plum — not the pear. The beetles drop to the ground the moment a leaf is touched. Description. The beetle is described as follows, by Dr. Horn : Oval, robust, pale rufescent, disc of thorax and head darker; surface with aeneous lustre; head densely punctured; clypeus short, broader TENTH KEPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 413 at base, margin narrowly reflexed; thorax narrower in front; sidea arcuate, base not margined, color brownish, broadly margined at the sides with testaceous ; surface coarsely but sparsely punctured; elytra rather deeply striate, with coarse, closely-placed punctures, the second stria composed of a double row of punctures, intervals equally convex ; pygidium densely rugulose and pubescent; body beneath sparsely punctured, pectus slightly hairy. Length, .44-.60 inch; 11-15 mm. The front claws of the anterior and middle p,Q ii._ Middle tarsus and tarsi are cleft at tip, the two portions nearly equal, ciawsof ANOMALAMARoiN- rmi -jn ^ -1 • ^ Ti n ATA, enlarged. (Original.) [The middle tarsus is shown in tig. 11 .J Remedies. The strong instinct of the beetle, above mentioned, to remain mo- tionless for some time, or to " counterfeit death," as generally phrased, would indicate as the best method of reducing their excessive abun- dance, that of shaking them on clothn, as recommended for A. lucicola. For securing them as they drop, one of the different forrns of " collect- ors" described and figured by Dr. J. B. Smith in his Bulletin on the Rose- Bug (No. 82 of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion), would prove convenient and effective, and decidedly preferable to attempting to gather them into a vessel of water and kerosene. Dr. Riley has recommended for the attack of this grapevine pest, spraying the vines, upon their appearance, with Paris green and water, at any time before the grapes begin to ripen. A strong kerosene emul- sion should also kill the beetles, and if used in June or July, it is hardly possible that it could remain to affect the grapes when converted into wine. Other Grapevine Anomalas. In addition to the two species named, at least three others are known to feed upon grape foliage, viz., A. undalata Mels., A, minuta Burm,, and A. binotata Gyll. Diabrotica vittata (Fabr,). The Striped Cucumber Beetle. A correspondent has sent the following statement of a supposed protection afforded by a black walnut tree from the attack of the striped cucumber \>QQi\e, Diabrotica vittata (Fabr.): My apple orchard j nns ray garden on the north side and my yard on the east side. Just inside the yard at the junction of these two fences is a black walnut tree, shading that northeast corner of the garden. In 414 FORTr-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM this, as far as the walnut shade goes, I can raise all the cucumber and canteloupe plants that I choose to plant, but as soon as I get out of reach of this walnut tree — in one good hour of sunshine they are eaten so suddenly that I almost feel like saying they are swallowed whole by the bugs. All of these plants that I have raised of late have been grown in this corner until old enough to withstand the bugs (just ready to vine), when they are taken up on a large shovel and carried to the places prepared for them. I might think that it was the shade on the east side, but that this walnut tree is a volunteer that came up quite near one of the largest apple trees that I ever saw, which shaded the same ground. This is now old and dying out while the walnut tree takes its place. As the walnut gets larger my plant- bed, to the same extent, is extended in area. See a brief note in the Fifth Report on the Insects of Neto York, 1889, p. 159, entitled — Beans for repelling the Striped Cucumber Beetle. There are many statements in agricultural journals of the supposed effects of various plants in repelling insect attacks, but they all need verification before they can be accepted. Dibolia borealis Chev. A Plantai7i-Z,eaf Miner. (Ord. Colejptkra: Fam. Chrysomelid.e.) Dibolia borealis Chevrolat: Guar, Icon. Regne Anim., 1845, pi. 49 bis., f. 12. Dibolia airea Melsheimer: la Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., iii, 1847, p. 167. Dibolia cerea Melsli. Henshaw: List Coleop. N. Amer,,1885, p. 113, no. 7057. Dibolia borealis Chev. Henshaw: 3d Supp. List Coleop. Amer., 1895, p. 29. Plantain leaves {Pladago major) containing larvae mining them, were received, through favor of Mr. C. L. Shear, of Alcove, N. Y., on June 22d. They were placed in a box where they were overlooked until in the autumn, when two small beetles, dead, were found in the box. They were identified by Dr. John Hamilton as Dibolia cerea Mels., now Dibolia borealis Chev. Dr. Hamilton did not know of the mining habits of the larva, but was familiar with the beetle in its abundant occurrence on plantain leaves, at Allegheny, and elsewhere . He called ray attention to the following note by S. H. Scudder, in Pscyhe, ii, 1878, p. 154: Prof. F. H. Storer, of the Bussey Institution, Jamaica Plain, Mass., writes me that in the latter part of May, 1876, it was next to impos- sible to di-^cover a single leaf of plantain {Plantago) that was not com- pletely riddled by beetles {Dibolia cerea Melsh.). Several thousand plants from all sorts of situations had passed through his hands, and the only perfect ones that he could find were from particularly cold, sunless places on the north side of buildings. TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 415 Habits, Etc., of the Insect. Prof. P. H. Rolfs has given the following account in Eatomological News, ii, 1891, p. 13, of the habits and pupation of this insect: The habits of this little beetle appear to be familiar, but the follow- ing notes on its period of development may be of interest: The larvaj were found abundantly on plantain i^Plantago major) at La Claire, Iowa, about August 1, 1890. They make an opening in the epidermis of the leaf which they enter, gradually eating their way. Sometimes a larva makes a tunnel, then goes back and starts a branch to it. If the leaf becomes too dry some will leave and enter a fresh one, but in ordinary cases they remain in their leaf until they are ready to pupate. When full-grown they are abotit three-fourths mm. in length. The period of pupation is fourteen days. Up to the twelfth day the pupa is yellow; on that day a slight coloring of the eyes is noticed, the following day the tarsi become black, and the fourteenth day the beetle appears, becomes entirely black and begins to mive about. Eight beetles lived five days without food; after plantaia leaves were introduced they ate freely , A Miner in Turnip Leaves. Prof. Comstock has noticed this insect in his Report as Entomologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for the year 1879. Early in March of that year, turnip leaves being mined by a larva were received from Atlanta, Ga . " The larva^ were found burrowing into the leaf-stems as well as into the turnip itself, the eggs having evi- dently been deposited near the base of the leaves. It was at first thought that these might be the larviB of the turnip-flea beetle, as they bore a resemblance to them, but rearing to the perfect state showed them to belong to a closely allied species, DiboUa cerea.''^ The larva not having been previously described, Prof. Comstock accompanies the above notice of its feeding habits with its description (page 248 of the Report of the Department of Agriculture for 1879). The Beetle Abroad. Prof. Herbert Osborn has taken the beetle, in several examples, in sweeping the grass of a lawn in Washington, D. C. {Insect Life, vi, 1891, p. 198.) Of the life-history of this insect little has been recorded. Mr. E. A. Schwarz, of the Entomological Division at Washington, in writing from. Vicksburg, Miss., on January 28th, incidentally mentions his having seen during the few preceding warm days Diabolia mrea com. monly flying about or sitting on fence posts, etc., but had not found it in its winter quarters. 416 FOKTY-EIGHTH EEPOBT ON THE STATE MUSEUM Description of the Beetle. A description of the beetle by Dr. Horn may be found in his "Synopsis of the Halticini of Boreal America" in the Transactions of the American Entomological Society, xvi, 1889, at page 307. It is "oval, slightly oblong, convex, piceous, surfa,ce distinctly broDzed, either seneous, slightly cupreous, or bluish. Head shining, indis- tinctly punctate. Thorax * * * closely punctate with coarse and fine punctures intermixed. Elytra * * * (Jigc convex, with stria? of coarse punctures which are rather closely placed, some of the striffi rather irregular. Bodj^ beneath piceous. * * * Length, .12 inch.; 3 mm." Its Distribution. Widely distributed over the entire eastern United States and Canada. It has also been received from Nevada. It has also been reported as occurring in Mexico, but it may have been confounded with D. ovata Lee. — believed to be a distinct species, although referred by Crotch as a variety of borealis. Otiorhynchus ovatus (Linn.). The Ovate Snout-Beetle. (Order Colkoptera : Family Otiorhynchid^.) LlNN^Ds: Syst. Nat., i, Pars ii, 1767, p. 615, 69 (original description as Cur- culio ovatus). Olivier: Entomologie, v, 1807, p. 378, pi. 31, f. 473. LA.BOULBENE: in Ann. Soc. Ent. France, iii, 1853, i, Bull. 48 (larval notes). Leconte-Horn: Rhyn. N. Am.; in Proc. Amer. Philosoph. Soc, xv, 1876, p. 61 (description as ligneus). Weed: in Rept. Mich. St. Bd. Agr. for 1883, pp. 425-429 (life-history, as lig- neus; in Cook's Notes on Injur. Ins. — Ent. Lab. Mich. Agr. Coll. [1884], pp. 6-10, figs. 7-9 (general notice, as ligneus); in 14th Rept. Hort. Soc. Mich, for 1884, 1885, pp. 84-88, figs. 7-9 (natural history, description, food, enemies, remedies; as ligneus). in Psyche, iv, 1884, p. 233 (injurious to strawberries, as ligneus). LiNTNER: in Can. Ent., xvi, 1884, p. 182 (infesting a house, as ligneus); the same in 15th Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont., 1885, p. 13; the same in detail, 2nd Rept. Ins. N. Y., 1885, pp. 51-52; 3rd Rept. do., 1887, p. 141 (from beneath carpets); 4th do., 1888, p. 141 (in dwellings, as lig- neus); 6th do., 1890, pp. 107, 118, 189 (in dwellings and on strawberries; mention); in New Eng. Farmer, June 4, 1890, p. 1 (on strawberries); 7th Rept. Ins. N. Y., 1891, pp. 321, 360 (in dwellings and on straw- berries; mention); 9th do., for 1892, 1893, pp. 297, 422, 463 (infesting dwellings; mention). TENTH REPORT OF THE STATU! ENTOMOLOGIST 417 Henshaw: List Coleopt. N. Am., 1885, p. 13i, no. 1883 (ovatus Linn., lig- neus Lee, erroneous identification). Hamilton: in Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, xvi, 1889, p. 153 (distribution); id., xxi, 1894, p. 402 (introduction and distribution). Townsend: in Psyche, v, 1889, p. 234 (in Michigan). SCHWARZ: in Insect Life, iii, 1893, p. 37 (in notice of Otiorhynchidse). Harrington: in Can. Ent., xxiii, 1891, p. 23 (mention); in 25th Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont., 1894, p. 49 (common at Sydney, N. S.). Riley-Howard: in Insect Life, v, 1892, pp. 46-47 (infesting houses; habits). Webster: in Can. Ent., xxiv. 1893, p. 207 (feeding upon leaves of muskmelon); the same, in Insect Life, v, 1893, p. 99; in do., vi, 1893, p. 186 ^in grass). This curculionid or snout-beetle has been noticed in the Second, Sixth, and Ninth Reports of this series as infesting dwelling-houses. In tbe first instance a house in Lycoming, Oswego county, N. Y., which had been closed for four years, on being opened in the month of May was found to be harboring an immense number of the beetle, although containing nothing upon which they could feed. They continued into June, the last disappearing about the middle of the month. In the second instance reported they invaded many dwellings in Potsdam, N. Y., in 1889. In the third, they proved a great annoyance to the occupants of a house at Moriches, on Long Island, in the month of August. As their appearance at Potsdam was merely given incidental mention in the Sixth Report, some further particulars subsequently communi- cated may be of interest. Infesting a House in Potsdam, N. Y. Examples of the beetle wtre received for identification the latter part of July, 1887, from a lady, with the statement that they had appeared in the house in quantities and seemed particu- larly to infest woolen goods. The writer was assured that they were harmless to woolens, as both the larva and the beetle fed only on vegetable matter. The following year, in August, the lady wrote that the beetles had appeared in great numbers outside the house, usually coming from their hiding places at about 9 o'clock in the evening. Many were seen upon the outer walls (a ston'i building). They ate the leaves of the shrubbery, particularly of the p,^ 12.- The ovate snout- rose bushes, of which little was left but the ?^l^\%h aXI^moVIn: stems. They were also found so abundantly in larged. coriginaL) the gutters on the top of the house that they could be taken up by 53 418 FOKTT-EIGHTH KEPORT ON THE STATE MD8EUM the handful. Many of the rooms of the house abounded with them to the extent that their frequent gathering with a broom was necessary. At the time of writing, August 24th, they were not quite so numerous as Ihey had been about the first of the month. In May of 1889 they again reappeared and gave promise of being more numerous than before. A number of other houses in the vicinity had also become infested. As a Strawberry Pest. Very little has been recorded of the life-history of this insect, particularly of that portion which is of the greater economic import- ance, viz., the larval food-habits. Dr. C M. Weed had observed the larva^ girdling the crowns of strawberry plants on the grounds of the Michigan Agricultural College, in May and June. The name of the " strawberry crown-girdler " was proposed for it, as, instead of burrow- ing into and excavating the crown as does the "strawberry crown- borer," Tyloderma fragarice (Riley), " it seems to prefer the outer portion, but in many cases it cuts horizontally through the center of the crown." The mature insect, the beetle, seems to be somewhat of a general feeder, as, according to Miss Clarkson's statement, it was destructive to the foliage of roses and other shrubbery; but no other record of the larval food is known to us than the one above cited. The Insect Destructive to Cabbage. During the year, the insect has come to our notice as a serious cabbage pest. Examples of the beetle were received from R. J. Dimon, M. D., of Hastings, Oswego county, N. Y., on August 15th, through Dr. Collier, of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, for name. Dr. Dimon kindly sent me, under date of October 11th, the following information in regard to its operations. I have been observing its habits and effects for some time. It commences its attack on the cabbage soon after it is established in the field. The first indications are the turning yellow, then brown, of some of the bottom leaves. The beetles are found on the ground under leaves as soon as the head begins to form. Rotten leaves appear, and sometimes one side of the head rots off entirely. When they do not commence their attack so early, the head forms nicely and nearly attains its growth, when the rot appears and the leaves separate from the heart. The cabbages thus infested are a total loss, and nearly one- half of my field of" two thousand plants was ruined in this manner, this year. The injury seems to be done by both the beetle and the grub. I have taken fifty beetles from under a single leaf which had turned brown from their drawing the sap from it; and later, the stalk is found punctured and filled with little white larvaj, about one-third of an inch long, which destroy the center of the stalk and leave it a foul smell- TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 419 ing jelly-like mass. The eggs are deposited just below the first leaves — many in a plant. Dr. Dimon has been requested to send, another season, examples of the cabbage stalk infested by the larvae mentioned, that it may be determined beyond question if they are those of 0. ovatus. The species of Otiorhynchus in their larval stage are root-inhabiting. 0. sulcatus and 0. picipes frequently occur in England, as burrowers in mangel-wurzel. Both of these species have been introduced into this country. While O. ovatus is very abundent in New York, none of the other species have been collected by me in the State. 0. sulcatus is taken rarely. As the above notes relate only to the economic relations of the insect, a number of references have been given, where further information of it may be found. Conotrachelus crataegi Walsh. The Quince OurcuUo. (Ord. Colkoptkra: Fam. Curcui,ionid,e.) Conotrachelus cratcegi Walsh: in Prairie Farmer, for July 18, 1863, p. 37 (original description). From an orchard in Geneva, N. Y., two quinces were sent on October 11th, from which eight larvffi of this species were taken — six of the number occurring in one quince. The insect hadbeen very injurious in this orchard in 1893. Spraying with an arsenite, recommended for preventing attack of the plum curculio, had apparently little influence in lessening its injuries, for the trees had been given three sprayings with London purple during the season — one pound to two hundred gallons of water; and jet, a large proportion of the fruit was destroyed. The attack in this and other orchards of the owners ,,,.,- . ,, . Fig. 13— The Quince Curculio, had contmued lor many years, especially in Conotrachelus ckat^gi; nr.r,hi- c xi jiiir • Side and back views. (After 1887, when of one thousand bushels of quinces Riiey.) grown, one third was more or less affected, as stated in my Fifth Report, 1888. Fortunately, this is rather a local insect. The injuries in Western New York have not been as serious as in New Jersey, where Dr. Trimble reported in 1870, that in a quince orchard of two hundred and 420 FORTY -EIGHTH KEPOB.T ON THE STATE MUSEUM eighty trees, upon a most careful search, he was unable to find a single specimen perfect or clear of one or more blemishes caused by the punctures of this insect. Besides the quince, it had been quite destructive to Lawrence, Seckel, and Duchesse pears. The quince curculio has not been treated of, in detail, in any of the New York reports. It was not noticed by Dr. Fitch, and was probably unknown to him, at leai^t, as occurring in the State of New York, having been first del^c^ibed by Mr. Walsh in 1863, as found abundantly ("swarming") on wild haws in the West. A brief notice of its feeding habits, transformations, its injuries and remedies for it, is to be found in the Second Meport on the Insec's of JVtio York, 1885. Prof. Riley has given an extended account of it in his Third Heport on the Insects of Missonri. The literature relating to it is quite limited. The Seventeen-Year Locust in the State of New York in 1894. (Ord. Hemiptera: Subord. IIomopteka: Fam. Cicadid^.) The " Hudson river valley brood " of this interesting insect ( Cicada septendecirn), winch was previously seen in the year 1877, made its return at its expected time — during the latter part of May, continuing during the month of June and gradually disappearing in the early part of July. It is the largest in number and the most extended in its range of any of the six New York broods. This alone would render its visit of more than ordinary interest, but in addition thereto the interest always attaching to it was largely increased by the discover}'- in a number of places in the State of curiously formed clayey structures built by the pupal insect upon the surface of the ground to a height of two or three inches, in continuation of the underground burrows, frequently in many thousands and occasionally in hundreds of thousands. Why they were exceptional, and were in some places found intermingled with the ordinary open burrows, and what cause led the pupns to construct tbem — notwithstanding the study that has been given them and the explanations that have been offered — these and other questions connected with them still remain to be satisfac- torily answered through future observations and study. That the occasion might be improved in obtaining information of the precise territory occupied by this brood, of its building operations, and of other matters relating to it, the following was prepared as a circular and largely distributed throughout the Hudson river coun- TENTH EEPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 421 ties, and was also, by request, copied in many of the local papers of the several counties : IjNrvaHSITY OF THE S FATE OF NeW YoRK, ) Office of thb State Estomologist. ' The Periodical Cicada, or the " Sevsnteen-Year Locust," Perhaps no known insect has more interest connected with it than the one above named. The life-period of none other approaches it in length. Although its remarkably long life is doubted by many, yet no scientific fact has been better established than that from the time its Ggg^ are deposited in the slits made in the twigs of trees, to that in which the perfect insect is developed from the eggs and appears abroad, soon to dejDOsit its eggs, seventeen years (less about one month) will have intervened. In some localities in the United States the periodical Cicada (usually but improperly known as the seventeen-year locust) appears at shorter intervals than this — in four or six or other number of years; but these are of other broods which extend over certain localities of greater or less extent, but each one always true to its appointed time of seventeen 3'ears. The only exception to this is, that in some of the Southern States, a race occurs, indistinguishable ia appearance from the others, but the several broods of which appear every thirteen years. In the State of New York, six distinct broods of the seventeen- year cicada are known. The one that is with us at the present time, and of which the first insects made their appearance about the 25th of May, has been designated as the Hudson river valley brood. Dr. Fitch, who was the first to indicate its boundary, states, in his I^irst Report on the Insects of Neio York: "Its northern limit is in the vicinity of Schuy- lerville and Fort Miller [Saratoga and Washington counties], and thence reaches south along both sides of the Hudson to its mouth, where it extends east at least to New Haven in Connecticut, and west across the north part of New Jersey and into Pennsylvania." How far inward in each direction from the river this brood extends is not known, nor whether ia any instance it reaches the outer limits of any of the twelve eastern riv'er counties. Definite knowledge of its range would be of interest and of use, and would aid in mapping the infested region. Such a map, made from sufficient data, would serve to show in subsequent returns, whether the successive broods are lessening, both in the number of insects and in the territory occupied by them, as is generally believed. Most persons who can recall a " locust year," are familiar with the appearance of the insect in its pupal and winged stages; but as aid to 422 FOBTF-EIGHTH KEPOKT ON THE STATE MUSEUM its recognition by those not acquainted with it, the following figures are given: At a the pupa is shown. This is the form that the larva assumes as It approaches maturity in its sixteenth or seventeenth year, and is that m which it comes out of the ground in May or June and climbs up and fa&tens itself by its sharp claws to the trunk of a tree, shrub, fence or some other convenient upright object. In a short time the pupa-case (the outer horny covering of the pupa) splits on its back and the mature insect (in a white color at first) comes out of it, leav- ing it as seen at['6. When the wings have expanded and dried and the insect has changed to its natural colors of red eyes and red veins of the wings, it is ready for flight, as represented at c. At d is intended to be shown the slits bored into the twigs for its eggs (two TENTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 423 eggs enlarged are figured underneath the pupa^, but their peculiar appearance, as made by repeated thrusts of the ovipositor, is more cor- rectly given at e. A greatly magnified figure of the young cicada (the larva) just as it hatches from the ^^^ and drops from the tree to enter the ground and feed on the sap of the rootlets is given at /. Figure g is another representation of the winged insect, in which one of the wings has its natural position when at rest. The pupa comes from the ground through a smooth round hole extending some distance downward, of the diameter of the tip of a man's little finger. A remarkable departure from this usual habit has come to our notice this year at a locality in New Baltimore, N. Y., sixteen miles south of Albany, where, at least as early as the last week in April, the puj^ae had brought up from apparently a considerable depth, masses of a soft clay-like material and moulded it above ground into rudely conical or cylindric structure?, for their tem- porary occupancy, it is supposed. The ground was almost covered with them. In places twenty-five could be counted to the square foot. They inclined at a considerable angle from the perpendicular and measured from two to three and a half inches in height. The chamber]! within was uniform in diameter with the hole in the ground. Fig- ures h and i, taken from photographs , T p 1 ^ Fig. 15— Clay buildingrs of th« seventeen-year on wood made tor the Country cicada. Gentleman, are of about two-thirds the natural size. The pupa, when its full time has come, breaks a round opening through the upper part of the chamber for its escape. It is not known when they were built or ht w they were made. Why they were constructed by all of the insects in this locality and not elsewhere is a mystery full of interest and for which no satisfactory conjecture can be offered. Only two other instances of their occur- rence in former years have been given by writers, and only one speci- men up to the present is known in any collection — in that of the National Museum at Washington, deposited there about twenty-five years ago. The purpose of the present circular is to obtain all the information of this interesting insect that can be secured during the remainder of 424 FORTY-EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSErM its brief stay with us. It will disappear gradually during the early part of July without, it is believed, having been the occasion of any special harm. Unlike the devastating locusts, its injuries are seldom serious except to young fruit-trees and in nurseries. Replies are requested from all whom this circular may reach to as many of the questions proposed below as can be conveniently given. Any other notes of interest would be acceptable. Even a few words on a postal card giving locality or abundance or other item might prove of special value. 1. At what place was the Cicada seen ? Locate it so that it can be indicated on a map. 2. When was it first seen — in May, or not until early June ? 3. What was its c )mparative abundance — few, many, very abun- dant, or " millions " ? 4. How abundant compared with the 1877 appearance? 5. Were holes seen in the ground from whence they came ? State- ments sometimes represent the ground as "honey combed" by them. 6. Were any of the clay or mud above ground houses seen ? Ground burned over in the early spring might be examined for them. 7. When were their peculiar noises or " screeching " first heard ? 8. When were their first egg-deposits in the t\