SS a © . "ley =" Drawn by D. Wiest. Plate I. Bowen & C° ith. Philada. Plate ITI, C? hth. Philade. Bowen & Drawn by D. Wiest. RG yaa ll If Ore i a ane tl FIRST ANNUAL REPORT BENEFICIAL AND OTHER INSECTS, OF THE SA TH OF MLSSOURI, MADE TO THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, PURSUANT TO AN APPROPRIATION FOR THIS PURPOSE FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE. Se V0 o| Ve ole. BY CHARLES V. RILEY, STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. JEFFERSON CITY, MO., ELLWOOD KIRBY, PUBLIC PRINTER, 1869. INTRODUCTORY. To the Members of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture: GENTLEMEN:—I herewith present my first annual report on the Noxious, Beneficial and other Insects of the State of Missouri, pursu- ant to your instructions of April 1st, 1868. It is neither so full nor so valuable as I hope to make its success- ors, should the office be continued. Thisis principally owing to the fact, that but eight months have elapsed since my appointment, and that the natural history of a number of the insects that received my atten- tion during the summer, can only be given after they have completed their transformations, which will require one, two and in some cases, even three years. I have been exceedingly gratified at the warm reception which I have met with from all quarters. Wherever I have heen, from one end of the State to the other, the cordial hand has been extended, and I have found our farmers and fruit-growers thoroughly alive to the importance of the work, for they know full well that they must fight intelligently, their tiny but mighty insect foes, if they wish reward for their labors. During the year 1868, insects injurious to our fruits have been unusually numerous, but it may well be asked whether this in- crease is not a meteorological effect, as was suggested by Mr. W.C. Flagg, in his ad interim report to the Illinois State Horticultural Soci- ety, rather than one caused by the increase of our products. The severe drouth of 1867, had a peculiarly injurious effect on many trees, and it seems quite evident, that certain insects increase more rapidly in injured fruits and injured trees than in those which are healthy and vigorous. The part, indeed, which insects principally have to play in the economy of this world, is that of scavengers. They hasten the decay and dissolution of unhealthy vegetable organism, the quicker to convert it into mould, and make room for healthy plants; while they multiply at such a prodigious rate, that whenever the conditions are at all favorable to the increase of a particular species, that species appears as if by magic, over vast districts of country, and commits sad havoc to either orchard or field crops, as the case may be. ' With this view of the matter, we might materially check the in- crease of some insects, by anticipating Nature in her operations, and 4 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF cutting down such trees as have been injured from whatsoever cause, so that they shall not remain from year to year as a hiding place for noxious insects, or as a hot-bed for equally injurious funguses. The peach crop failed pretty generally on account of the great increase of the Plum Curculio, and the opinion has been advanced and extensively published, that this insect will cause a failure of that crop in certain districts for very many years to come. Let the wise place no confidence in such predictions, for the predictors can have but a vague conception of the grand scheme of Nature, and of the laws which govern both animal and vegetable life. For many rea- sons unnecessary to mention, the prospect for a good crop the year succeeding an entire failure, is greater than at any other period—at least so far as insects are concerned. . Because an insect is numerous and destructive one year, therefore it will be even more so the next, is apparently plausible but very fallacious reasoning. Every one of the thousands of species which are known to exist, multiplies ata sufficient rate to entirely cover our globe, in a comparatively short time, if nothing hindered; and the struggle and warfare necessary to enable all the different species to exist and hold their own, causes a constant fluctuation in the relative proportion of each. We have an illustration of this in the case of the Colorado Potato Beetle; for in those districts where it had caused so much alarm in 1866 and 1867, its enemies have so increased that it was comparatively harmless in 1868. The importance of the study of Entomology has already become apparent to every tiller of the soil, but there is yet a class of citizens who fail to appreciate the laborious efforts of an Entomologist, and can- not conceive how the “study of bugs,” as they term it, will redound to the good of a State or community. For the benefit of such, let me say, that in his last annual address the president of our State Horti- cultural Society, estimated the annual loss to our State from insect depredations at sIxTY MILLION poLLARS! Now, allowing this estimate to be twice as great as the facts will warrant, the sum is yet quite enormous. It is not possible by any preventive measures to save the whole of this immense sum, but it is perfectly practicable to save a large percentage of it, and in this assertion I think the follow- ing pages will bear me out. A knowledge of the habits and trans- formations of insects frequently gives the clue to their easy eradica- tion and destruction, and enables the agriculturist and horticulturist to prevent their ravages in the future. It likewise enables them to distinguish between their insect friends and insect enemies, and guards them against the impositions of the numerous quacks and nostrum-venders, who, with high-sounding words are constantly put- ting forth every energy to sell their vile compositions. Such a knowledge of insects the farmer has not time to acquire, for it is only obtained by an immense amount of hard labor in the field and THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 5 anxious deliberation in the closet. Hence, the wisdom of having a State officer who can devote his whole time to the work. Fully aware that I write for those who, as arule, are unversed in En- tomology, I have endeavored to treat of each insect with as little of the nomenclature of science as is consistent with clearness of expression. Yet, as much that is of scientific interest, such as descriptions of new species, must necessarily be inserted, I have had such’ descriptions printed in a type of smaller size than the text, so that it can be skipped if desirable, at the time of reading, and easily referred to for comparison, with specimens which one is desirous of naming. I have also endeavored to illustrate, as far as possible, the insects of which this report treats, believing that good illustration forms the basis of successful teaching in a science with which the’ general husbandman is not expected to be acquainted; for the eye conveys to the mind, in an instant, what the ear would fail to do in an hour. The practical man cares little to what genus or family an insect belongs, so long as he can tell whether it be friend or foe. He must become familiarized with the insects about him without having necessarily to overcome scientific detail and technicality. Ihave made no effort at a systematic arrangement of the insects treated of. Indeed, that were useless for the purpose in view; but in order that the reader may refer the more readily to any particular insect which interests him, I have separated them into three series— Noxious, Beneficial and Innoxious—and attached a very full index. For the benefit of those who are making a study of Entomology, I have also given, with each species, the order and family to which it belongs, in parenthesis under each heading. So far as possible, Ihave used a common name for each insect, knowing that the scientific name is remembered with greater difficulty, and is, consequently, distasteful to many. But as popular names are very loosely applied, and the same name often refers to different insects in different localities, a great deal of confusion would ensue without the scientific name, which is, therefore, invariably added for the-most part in parenthesis, so that it may be skipped without in- terfering in any way with the sense of the text. © The sign 3 wherever used inthis report, is an abbreviation for the word male, the sign ¢ for-female and the sigr ? for neuter, Wherever the illustrations are enlarged, they are accompanied by hair-lines, which designate their natural size. Where the measurement of an insect is given, the dimensions are expressed in inches and the fractional parts of an inch, 0.25, thus im- plying a quarter of an inch, and 1.25 one inch and a quarter, etc. Many letters were addressed to me, during the summer, inquiring as to the value of the new carbolic acid, which has been so much spoken of. Having fully experimented with it. during the summer, I am well pleased with it as an insect destroyer. Buta word of warn- ing inits use is necessary. It is also known by the name of cresylic 6 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. acid, the difference between the two being one of purity only. Many, having seen it recommended, ordered the crude acid, and, using it— no matter how much diluted—they found to their sorrow that it killed their plants. Carbolic acid mixes well with alkalies, but not with water, and it can only be used as a saponaceous compound. This fact must be borne in mind by those who wish to use it. AsI shall frequently have occasion te refer to the “ AMERICAN Entomoxoecist,” it is but proper to say, that in conjunction with Mr. Benj. D. Walsh, State Entomclogist of Illinois, I commenced last September, the publication of that journal. It is devoted to Economic Entomology, and is published monthly, by R. P. Studley & Co., of St. Louis, at $1,00 per annum. We felt that pending the issuing of our annual reports, something was needed, as amore frequent means of communication with the people. The paper has received the highest encomiums from the press throughout the country, and as an enter- prise has proved successful beyond our expectations—evidence of the great demand for, and need of, the kind of information which it gives. As there must necessarily be a limit to areport of this character, I am compelled to defer till another year, accounts of the Chinch Bug, Rocky Mountain Grasshopper, and some other insects which at- tracted general attention during the year, and do so the more willingly, that their habits have been pretty fully given in former publications, and in the above periodical. In conclusion, I tender my sincere thanks to those gentlemen, throughout the country, who have assisted me in one way or another, and especially to the Superintendents of the Pacific, Iron Mountain, Hannibal & St. Joseph, and North Missouri Railroads, for free passes over their respective routes. Respectfully submitted, CHARLES V. RILEY, Sr. Louts, Mo., Dec. 2d, 1868. State Entomologist. NOXIOUS INSECTS. THE BARK-LICE OF THE APPLE-TREE. [Fig. 1.] (Homoptera, Coccidex.) There are two species of Bark-lice that attack the Apple-tree in the United States, which I will briefly describe. The first, which is a native North American insect, is now known as Harris’s Bark-louse ( Aspidiotus Har- visit, Walsh.) The color of the scale is dirty white, and its form is irregular, being usually egg-shaped ; but, however variable in outline, it is always quite flat and causes the infested tree to wear the appear- ance of Figure 1; while the minute eggs which are found under it in winter time are invariably blood red or lake-red. This species has scarcely ever been known to increase sufficiently to do material damage, for the reason doubtless that there have, hitherto, ae ways een natural enemies and parasites enough to Resp it in ‘due bounds. Though I have not witnessed it in Missouri myself, I am in- formed by several persons that it occurs in the northern part of the State, and a communication from R. B. Palmer, of Hartville, Wright county, published inthe Rural World, of October 15, 1866, and stating that the lice are destroying the best apple orchards in that neighbor- hood, evidently refers to this species. The second species, whichis known as the Oyster-shell Bark-louse (Aspidiotus conchiformis, Gmélin), is by no means so harmless however, for it is one of the most pernicious and destructive insects, which the apple-grower in the Northern States has to contend with. This species presents the appearance of Figure 2, and may always be distinguished from the former by having a very uniform muscle- shaped scale of an ash-gray color (the identical color of the bark), and by these scales containing, in the winter time, not red, but pure white colored eggs. 8 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF There is scarcely an apple-orchard in Northern Illinois, in Iowa or in Wisconsin, that has not suffered more or less from its attacks, and many an one has been slowly but surely bled to death by this tiny sap-sucker. It was introduced into the Eastern States more than seventy years ago from Europe, and had already reached as far west as Wisconsin in 1840, from whence it spread at a most alarming rate, throughout iy the districts bordering on Lake Michigan. It occurs at the ams) present time in Minnesota and Iowa, but whether or not it op #7, extends westward beyond the Missouri river, there are no Wy =| data to show. Its extension southward is undoubtedly lim- e ited, for though so abundant in the northern half of [linois, Sq observation has clearly proved that it cannot exist in the Sesouthern half of the same State. I have also experimen- Ngee tally proved that it cannot exist in the latitude of St. Miles’, Louis, the experiment being made in the following man- “ner: On the 12th of May last, I received some scales from Jesse Hodgson, of Panola, in Woodford county, Illinois, the eggs under which were at that time hatching. Upon fastening the bark containing these scales to the twigs of a living apple-tree, that Aeing in a position where I could easily watch them, the young bark- lice crawled actively over these living twigs, and soon fastened them- selves, as is their wont, around the buds. They soon began to secrete the waxy fibres, shown at Figure 3, 3, and in time assumed the white appearance of the first scale, which has been very aptly termed the larval scale by Mr. Walsh. But the growth at this point was arrested and they all soon afterwards died. As there were three twigs thickly covered, and as I could discover no parasites or cannibals of any kind, it is to my mind conclusive that THIS BARK-LOUSE CANNOT EXIST FURTHER SOUTH IN MISSOURI THAN st. LouIsS. The experience of others is to the same effect, for Dr. Morse informs me that certain apple trees which he procured from the North, and which he planted at Kirkwood, St. Louis county, some years ago, though covered at that time with these bark-lice, are now entirely free of them; and Mr. Wm. Muir, of Fox Creek, in the same county, has had a similar experience with trees which he imported several years ago from Burrell & Co., of Lockport, N. Y., and which at the time of their receipt were very badly infested. The fruit-growers of Southern Missouri, have therefore little to fear from this Oyster-shell Bark-louse, and it is not unlikely that it would die out in the country considerably north of St. Louis, if im- ported there; but, as it exists and flourishes near the southern border of Iowa, and extends, in Illinois, below our northern boundary, there is every reason to believe that it will flourish in the extreme northern counties of our State if once introduced there. Now, up to the present time, it has not made its appearance, as far as I can learn, in any of the orchards in that part of Missouri, and it seems that, as a State, we are entirely exempt from this most grievous orchard pest. In or- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 9 der to definitely decide this matter I took particular pains, while at Hannibal during the summer, to inquire of the old fruit men there on this point, and even John Fry, one of the oldest settlers, has never heard of its appearance in that vicinity. The responses from numer- ous letters that were sent, with the same query, to men living in other northern parts of the State, are to the same effect. Believing there- fore, that this insect can flourish in our extreme northern counties if once introduced there, and that at present the fruit-growers of that ~ region are exempt from it, I cannot too strongly urge them to hold the vantage ground they now have. Jet every man therefore who reads this report, and who contemplates planting an apple orchard in North Missouri, in duty to himself and to his neighbors, subject every young tree which he receives from northern or eastern nurseries, to @ rigorous inspection; and if any be found infested, let them be thoroughly cleansed before planting. By this means alone, can we hope to retain thatimmunity, which we have so far enjoyed ! It should indeed be a maxim with fruit growers to inspect all young trees received from a distance; for many of our very worst insect foes, such as the Canker-worm, Root-louse, etc., are undoubtedly transported from one place to another, principally on nursery stock. In order that the Oyster-shell Bark-louse may be at once recognized and thoroughly understood, I will proceed with its history : During the summer of 1867, three independent observers were closely studying the habits of this insect in Northern Illinois, unbe- known to each other, namely: Dr. H. Shimer, at Mount Carroll; Benj, D. Walsh, at Rock Island, and myself, at Chicago. Up to this time, though it had frequently been treated of, yet much that was recorded of its history was mere conjecture. For instance, Harris states that there are two broods each year, while Fitch assures us that the scales are the bodies of the gravid females, covering and protecting their eggs; neither of which is the case. The gist of Dr. Shimer’s observations which were recorded in a paper published in the Transactions of the American Entomological Society, (Vol. 1, No.4) are, 1st—that he discovered that the tarsal joint of the newly hatched larva, which is very small, possesses no claw, but is furnished at the extremity with four fleshy hair-like pro- cesses upon which the young louse walks, and which he calls digituli; 2d—that the scale is constructed by the insect, and consists of the moulted skins of the louse,soldered together by some secretion which he believes to be the excrement. In these characteristics, he finds sufficient grounds for separating this insect from the Bark-louse fam- ily (Coccrpm) to which it has been referred by Linnzus, Goeftroy, Fab- ricius, Burmeister, Reaumur, Curtis, Westwood, and many other au- thors, and erects a new family (LeprmosapHip®), and a new genus ( Lepidosaphes), to contain it. He furthermore takes it upon himself to deny what all these authors have insisted upon, viz:—that the loss of members, or the change from the perfect and active larval form 10 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF ms Ns represented at Figure 3, x to the motionless and memberless forms shown ats and.6 of the same figure, is an evidence of the degenera- tion or degradation in this insect as it approaches the imago state. Mr. Walsh, whose observations are recorded in his First Annual Report, as Acting State Entomologist of Illinois, found nothing to in- duce him to separate this insect from the old genus A'’spidiotus in the Bark-louse family, to which it had hitherto been referred. He also showed that there were three distinct growths of the scale, differing from each other in size and color, which he named respectively the “larval scale,” “medial scale” and“ anal sack.” He also inclined to believe that both the “ medial scale” and “ anal sack” were formed “ by the anal surface of the original young larva being at two succes- sive periods abnormally dilated and extended backwards, in the form of a sack closed at tip; and that, after this process is accomplished, the insect always moults or sloughs off the whole of the external scale.” As to the formation of the “larval scale” he offers no expla- nation. My own observations will be found in the “Report of the Com- mittee on Entomology,” published in the Transactions of the Illinois State Horticultural Society for 1867—pp. 109-112. Having had no op- portunity of continuing them the past summer, and as they will con- vey a good idea of this insect’s mode of growth, I repeat them in part. [Fig. 3*.] The young lice usually leave the scales during the first week in June. Prior to their hatching, the eggs which were previously snow- white, become yellowish, and if the weather turn cool, immediately after hatching, they will remain for two or three days under the scales before dispersing over the tree. The following notes as before stated, were made in Cook County, [linois. June 6th.—Most of the eggs are hatched, but the young have not yet left the scales. *These figures are highly magnified, the hair lines at their sides approximating the natural lengths. 1, egg—natural size scarcely .01. 2, larva, as it appears when running over the twigs— natural length .01. 3, its appearance soon after becoming fixed. 4, appearance of scale after the second plate is formed. 5, form of louse (ventral view) soon after losing its members. 6, form of louse (ventral view) when full grown and just about to deposit. 7, fully formed scale, contaiming louse, se it appears from the underside, when raised. 8, highly magnified antenna of larva, show- ing joints. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 11 June 9th.—The past two days have been exceedingly warm, the thermometer rising above 90 degrees F. in the shade, and the young lice are running all over the twigs. June 11th.—They have all become fixed, having gathered in the greatest numbers around the base of the lateral shoots of the termi- nal twigs. June 12th—A white, waxy secretion commences to issue from the body, in the shape of very fine, delicate threads (see Fig. 3, 3). June 22d.—They have increased materially in size, the waxy secre- _ tion vanishing soon after the last date, leaving what appears to be the body, of a yellowish brown color, though in reality the body is under- neath and separate, and has lost all trace of members. July 1st.—Though watched every day, there is no perceptible change since the 22d of June. July 2d.—They are now 0.03 long, or three times as large as when hatched, and a thin, waxy secretion commences to appear at the pos- terior end. July 6th.—This secretion has increased rapidly, and taken on a somewhat oval form, with usually a slight cut or depression posterior- ly. It appears quite distinct trom the original yellowish-brown por- tion, and is duller, or of a more grayish color. Onraising it carefully, the louse is seen underneath, yellowish, of a flattened form, the ante- rior tapering more than the posterior portion, which latter is always distinguished by having a patch of bright reddish-brown (see Fig. 3, 5). Though from analogy it must have a beak of some kind, it is so ex- ceedingly fine and fragile that I have never been able perceive it. July 10th,—There seems to be another pause in the growth, the scale presenting the appearance of Figure 3, 4. July 12th.—A third plate or secretion has commenced from the posterior portion. July 15th.—This last plate enlarges rapidly, and is the exact color of the bark. July 20th.—The three plates are at present readily distinguished ; the last, which is considerably larger than the two others together, haying usually taken a slight curve, which gives the scale its charac- teristic form. August 1lst—Their growth is to all appearances completed, the scale measuring 0.12, while the louse measure but 0.05, occupying thus about half the space within. The three different growths are now not readily distinguished, though the narrow end is always reddish-brown. On lifting the scale the insect does not fall out, being retained by a slight whitish fringe extending from each side of the scale (see Fig. 3, 7). August 12th—Some of them have commenced to deposit eggs. August 28th—The eggs are now, apparently, all deposited, and I have watched with interest, as the deposition went on, the body of the parent louse shrinking day by day, instead of extending and becoming a NS < Se 12 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF gravid, until it is now a mere atom at the anterior or narrow end of the scale, in a few days scarcely to be noticed at all. The oyster-shell bark-louse produces but one brood annually, and these eggs, therefore, remain under the scales for more than nine months of the year, subjected alike to the continuous warmth of the fall months, and to the severe frosts of winter; freezing and thawing again and again, without their vitality being in the least impaired. In » order to show the conclusions which I came to, after the above obser- vations, I will, in a measure repeat them. All writers on this Bark-louse, copying after Fitch and others, tell you that the scale you see on your trees is the gravid body of the female insect. Now, though for aught I know the body proper of the female may, in some Coccidan species, extend and cover the eggs she deposits, itis no such thing in this instance; and I am prepared to affirm that the scale is no more the insect’s gravid body than is the empty muscle shell the distended outer membrane of the muscle, or the oyster shell that of the oyster. How this scale is formed I do not profess to have discovered. With regard to our native white species, already referred to (p. 7), Mr. Walsh, in the Practical Entomologist for December last/refutes Har- ris’s theory, namely, that it is formed in the same way as the down which exudes from other lice, and shows, with some plausibility, that it may consist of the cast-off skins of the insect. Now, in my own humble opinion, with the imported species under consideration, I am inclined to uphold Harris, for the following reasons: besides the fine waxy filaments which it secretes when becoming fixed, I have found that, even before these are thrown out, it is covered with a fine, white bloom, proving that it can and does secrete from the general surface; having carefully lifted the scale, every day during the growth of the third portion referred to, the louse has invariably been found in the same shape and condition, without apparent connection with it, while the scale, to all appearances, actually increases in bulk during the time the eggs are being deposited. Furthermore, the exuvie of such a tiny insect would be infinitely thinner and more delicate than is the scale, and as the insections, especially of the verter, are always plainly visible with a glass, in the louse, we should expect to see them in the scale, which is, however, perfectly smooth. Again, the louse is of the same color throughout its growth, while at one time the three parts of the scale are perceptibly different in this respect. Moreover, Reaumur long ago (Memoires, tom. IV., p. 26) observed a species occurring on the peach in France to cast its skin in flakes, much in the manner as many of our Dipterous and Hymenopterous laryze are known to do; while he also described a species (pp. 64, 65, ibid.) occuring on the vine, which covered its eggs with a white, _ gummy, cottony secretion;.and Mr. Walsh himself, in the February, number of the little monthly already referred to, p. 57, speaking o species occurring on the under surface of the leaves of the Olea THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ; 13 fragrans, shows how in that species the “scale” is not formed of the lifeless body of the female, but is a distinct integument, con- structed by the female to protect herself and her eggs, and probably secreted from the general surface of the body. However, I believe that the entomologist will have about as diffi- cult a task to ascertain its real mode of growth as would the physiolo- gist to learn how the flesh on your fingers acquires its natural form. We might with equal reason try to learn why and how the thousand different excrescences and galls caused by insects are formed! Why isit that the larva hatching from an egg deposited on a rose leaf by a little four-winged fly, the Rhodites ignota of Osten Sacken, causes a peculiar growth or gall in the form of a mangel-wurzel, or beet seed, to surround it, while that of a similar fly, belonging to the very same genus—the Lhodites radicum of Osten Sacken—hatched from eggs deposited in the root of the same plant, causes an entirely different gall? Why is it that the puncture of a little yellow louse, Pemphi- gus (?) vitifolia, Fitch (or as Henry Shimer, of Mt. Carroll, would have it, Daktylosphera vitifolve), by puncturing a grape leaf, causes an unnatural growth to surround and entomb it in the shape of the little green globular galls of different sizes,so common on Clinton grape vines, while the same sized puncture of another louse (Apis vitis, Scopoli) produces no such effect? Why, again, does a little Lepidopterous larva, often found in the golden rod (the larva of Gelechia gallesoli- daginis, described in a future chapter of this report), produce an elongated hollow gall, while a Dipterous larva ( Zrypeta solidaginis, Fitch), in a neighboring stalk produces one that is round and solid? Or, lastly, why should the suction of different species of Dipterous larvee (Cecidomyia«), produce the wonderful galls found on our wil- lows, causing in many instances not only a total change in the texture of the leaf, but also in its mode of growth? To me the formation of our Bark-louse scale appears somewhat an- alagous to all of these, and a thousand other such phenomena known to science; and in answering how such growths, peculiar to each spe- cies, are formed, or why each is so constant in its character, I can only say that it is their nature; or, with Devere, “that knowledge of first causes belongs to Him alone, who allows the eye of man to see final causes only.” The more we endeavor to study the why and the wherefore of these things the more the mind is filled with the idea of Infinity, and escaping from all visible impressions of space and time rises to sublimest contemplation of the Creator. The growth of the scale under consideration, to my mind, depends no more on the will of the louse underneath it than does the sponge on that of the slimy, jelly-like creature which secretes it, or the coral on that of its polype; or, to use amore patent illustration, than the growth of our bones, though secreted from our organs, depends on our will. By carefully lifting one of these scales during the months of July 14 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF and August, any of you may find the true louse underneath, occupy- ing but a portion of, and being quite separate from it. From analogy we may presume that there are males as well as females of this species, since winged males are known to occur in the genus Aspidiotus, and it has been my great aim and hope to discover this gentleman. Though an extremely small percentage of the scales may generally be found dwarfed and empty during the first days of August, suggesting that a male may have escaped, yet as likely as not these may have been killed by some cause or other. In the latter part of June I counted five hundred scales ona single twig, and marked them to prevent mistake or confusion in recognizing them again. After watching them steadily, and carefully lifting each one on the 28th of August, they all, with the exception of two, were found to contain eggs. The same average would doubtless have been found over the whole tree; and from this fact Iam constrained to believe that as a rule no males appear, and that if there be exceptions where they do occur, they are in such proportion as to be of little avail. Mr. Shimer, in speaking of the Clinton grape gall, already alluded to, states that he opened thousands of them before he found a male; and it is difficult to conceive what effect a single delicate male, shut up in a gall, could have on the thousands of others not dignified by his presence. When we reflect onthe abnormities occurring among our plant-lice, I see no reason why our bark-lice should not be herma- phrodite as arule,and yet occasionally produce males. They are still lower in the scale of Nature than the plant-lice, and one of them—the celebrated Cochineal—puzzled naturalists a long time as to whether it was a plant or an animal. There is in fact so much of the anoma- lous about this family that it furnishes a rich and interesting field of study. The observations of both, Mr. Shimer, Mr. Walsh, and myself agreed as to the time of hatching; as to the mode of growth of the './ scale, and as to finding no females¥ but as to the process by which the scale was formed there was _ difference of opinion. The reason, it seems to me, is obvious enough: in attempting to elucidate the pro- blem we reach beyond the limits of our power of perception into the realms of conjecture. It is easy enough to watch the mode of growth of an oak-apple, but it is not such an easy matter to ascertain the reason why the kind which occurs on the red oak (produced by Cynips guercus-inanis) should form inside with radiating spokes from a com- mon central cell; while that on the black oak (produced by Cynips' quercus-spongitica) should form inside with a dense spongy substance around a similar central cell. Mr. Shimer may, in part, be right in stating that the larval scale is formed by the young louse shedding its skin; but the extremely fine skin alone would not form such a scale, and he strangely overlooks the wax-like filaments secreted from the general surface of the body as well as the peculiar dis- tinction in the growth of the “medial” and “anal” sacks. That these THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 15. two last scales are constructed by the louse, of its own cast skins and some excrementitious secretion, as he suggests, is also made ez- tremely doubtful, from the simple fact that you may raise them every day of their growth and find the louse underneath, entirely free and separate. But afterall, though of great scientific interest this matteris of no practical importance whatever, for as we shall see hereafter the great point to be borne in mind, in a practical light, is the time of hatching of the egg. As the female Bark-louse is only capable of motion for a period of from two to three days at the most, after which time she becomes as permanently fixed for the rest of her life as is the tree on which she is fastened ; and as the winged males (even if they ever exist) could not assist in the spread of the species, it may puzzle some to divine how this insect spreads from tree to tree and place to place. That it is transported to distant places, mainly on young trees, there can be no doubt, and there are various ways in which it can spread from tree to tree in the same orghard, though it can only thus spread dur- ing the few days of its active larval state. Mr. Walsh believes that the only way, as a general rule, that it can spread from tree to tree, when the boughs of those trees do not absolutely interlock, is by a few of these active young larvee, crawling accidentally on to the legs of some bird, that chances to light on one tree and afterwards flies to. another, and he even goes so far as to say that he believes this Bark- louse would soon cease to exist, if all the birds in the world were killed off (Rep. p. 41). My friend Walsh seems to have a special ° grudge against the birds, an4 it is hard to imagine how he could make such a statement, in face of the fact that where there is one bird, there are a hundred insects roaming constantly from tree to tree, that are just as capable of giving the young lice a lift. Moreover the specific gravity of the young louse is so slight that it almost floats in the air,and is undoubtedly aided in spreading by the winds; while on a tree very thickly covered with old scales, its traveling propensities are sufficiently developed to cause it to run down the trunk of the tree and even over the ground, and as it travels at the rate of two or three inches per minute, it could manage to measure several rods with its microscopic legs, in the course of its active state. Though essentially belonging to the apple tree, this Muscle- shaped bark-louse is not unfrequently found both upon the Currant, the Plum and the Pear. I have seen the scales fully developed and bearing healthy eggs on the fruit of the White Doyenne pear, of the Transcendent crab, and of the wild plum (Prunus Americana) which have been sent to me by Mr. T. D. Plumb, of the State Journal, Madi- son, Wisconsin; and, though on the hard bark of a tree, we cannot judge of the amount of sap they absorb, it is quite apparent on these soft fruits, for each scale causes a considerable depression from the general surface. I have also received twigs of the Persian lilac from 16 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF F. Starr, of Alton, Ulinois, covered with a species, which, if not the same, is exceedingly like it. NaturaL Remepies.—It was last year simultaneously discovered by Mr. Walsh and Mr. Shimer, that a species of mite (Acarus family) preyed unmercifully on the louse as well as on its eggs. This mite was described by Mr. Shimer as Acarus malus in the paper already referred to, and it appears that it greatly resembles the young bark- lice. Mites are not true insects, but belong to the same class (Arach- nida) to which our spiders belong, and although the species are nu- merous—some causing galls on plants, some living externally on vegetable substances and seeds, either ina sound or rotten condition, others devouring animal substances, both dead and living, while others again are parasitic on certain animals—yet they all are readily distinguished in the perfect state from true insects by having four pairs of legs, and by the head and thorax being soldered in one piece without any joint whatever. Some of them, in the larval state, have but six legs, thus still more closely mimigking the young bark-lice, but they all acquire eight in the full grown state. This mite, so insig- nificant that in the larval state it can only be noticed by careful watching with a pocket-lens, has, doubtless, done more to save the apple trees in the Northern States than any one thing else; and its existence explains the gradual decrease of the Bark-louse that is known to have occurred in many orchards, and also accounts for its entire extermination on certain trees. Fig. 4. The next most efficient aid we have is the Twice-stabbed lady-bird ( Chilocorus bivulnerus, Muls.) This good friend is readily recognized by its polished black color, and the blood-red spoton each wing-case. Itis represented magni- wim” > fied at Figure4, the hair line at the side showing the natural length. Its larva (Fig. 5) isa dark gray prickly affair, and is extrene- Fig. 5. ly active and voracious. In changing to pupa, the larval skin splits open on the back, but the naked leries about one foot long, each terminating in 32 chamber considerably en- Iarged. The female catch- is esa Cicada which she stings f S and paralyzes, and drags into one of these chambers; and itis not very unlikely that she should occasionally alight on some human being with a Cicada in her grasp, and upon being brushed off, should retaliate by stinging the offender, and then fly off, leaving the Cicada behind, which, in absence of the hornet, would yery naturally be accused of the sting. An allied spe- eies of Digger wasp (the Stizus spectosus of Say) has been actually observed, by Mr. Rathvon, to carry off a few belated individuals of the Periodical Cicada; but the usual prey of both these species is the larger annual Cicada ( @. pruinosa, Say), and they both occur too late in the season to be the cause of all the stinging we hear of. By THE Ovrrosrror.—The ovipositor of the female (Fig. 13, }) is certainly capable of inflicting a wound, but the Cicada is anything but pugnacious,and when not in the act of ovipositing, this instru- mentis securely enclosed in its sheath. That this is the stinging in- strument is rendered extremely doubtful, for the following reasons: Ast. All the stinging we hear of has been done suddenly, while the 28 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF insertion of the ovipositor would necessarily be a gradual opera: {Fig- 13-] tion, requiring at least one minute; 2d. The real function of the ovipositor is to convey an egg into the wound which it makes, and I have been unable to trace a single case where eggs were found in the flesh. All such ae- counts have proved to be fabrications, and the straightfor- ward report which Mr. V. T. Chambers, of Covington, Ky., gave inthe August number of the American Nat- ) uralist, of a negro being stung on the foot by a Cicada, proved, after all, to be a mistake, for “ Mr. Winston did not see the insect with its instrument én situ ;” 3d the three following facts, which are reliable, prove that stinging in the usual sense of the term, by this instrument is almost impossible: First, Mr. Wm. Muir, associate editor of Col. man’s ural World, carefully lifted a female from off a tree, while she was yet in the act of ovipositing, and as carefully placed her on his little finger, holding it as near as possible in the same direction and position as the branch grew from which she was taken. She instinctively endeavored to continue ovipositing, and, holding firmly to his finger, tried again and again to insert the ovipositor, but with- out the least success, for it could not make the least impression on the soft and yielding flesh, but continually slipped from one side to the other. Second, it is recorded that Mr. Peter A. Brown, of Philadel: phia, Pa., himself inflicted a puncture with the ovipositor, several times, upon his hand, without experiencing any more pain than that produced by a prick of a pin or any other pointed instrument, and that no swelling ensued. Third, Dr. Hartman, of Pennsylvania, intro- duced some of the moisture from the ovipositor into an open wound and it caused no inflammation whatever. By tHe Brak, or Haustettum.—The beak (Fig. 13, a) is an organ which both sexes of the Cicada possess, and by which they take their nourishment. I have seen them insert it into and extricate it from the branches of different trees, and know that the operation is quite rapid, and that the instrument must be quite sharp and strong: All the more authentic cases of stinging, indicate this to be the instrument,* and it is quite likely that, just as the sting of a bee will affect some persons nigh unto death, and have no effect whatever on others, so the puncture of the beak of a Cicada will be more serious with some than with others. That there is no poison *Mr. D. B. Wier, of Lacon, [is., who well knows the difference between the male and female Cicada, recollects distinctly, that when they were there in 1854, he was stung in the finger by the male, the sting not causing very severe pain. Mr. B. T. Parker, of St. James, Phelps county, Mo., an intelligent fruit grower, who has given some time to the study of insects, informed me that he was stung on the neck by a male Cicada, evidently with the beak, and that the sting was not so painful as that of a bee. Dr. M. M. Kenzie, of Centerville, Reynolds county, Mo., has communicated the fact that Frank Smith, aged 14 years, living on Henpeck, in the lower part of Reynolds county, was stung by a Cicada on the back of the left hand, The wound healed by first intention, and the next torning there was only a black clot, about the size of a pin’s head, to mark its place, with scarcely any swelling, THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 29 gland attached to this beak, is no argument against its stinging power, for several true Bugs are es to produce severe stings by their beaks, while the hairs and spines of some caterpillars have a similar power. _ THE INJURY WHICH CICADAS CAUSE TO FRUIT TREES.—REMEDIES. While living under ground they have been accused of killing pear trees, and more especially by Miss Margaretta H. Morris, in accounts of them published in 1846. The late Dr. Smith, of Baltimore, how- ever, who made extensive observations, denied their being capable of such injury. He says: “The larva obtains its food from the small vegetable radicals that everywhere pervade the fertile earth. It takes its food from the surface of these roots, consisting of the moist exudation (like animal perspiration), for which purpose its rostrum or snout is pro- vided with three exceedingly delicate capillaries or hairs which pro- ject from the tube of the snout, and sweep over the surface, gathering up the minute drops of moisture. This is its only food. The mode of - taking it can be seen by a good glass.”—In Prairie Farmer, Decem- ber, 1851. While they can, if they wish, insert their beaks into roots, and very likely do so in some cases, yet I ineline to believe, that Dr. Smith’s views are correct, for though Dr. Hull, of Alton, Illinois, has often found them firmly attached to different roots by the legs, he has never found the beaks inserted. The fact that they will rise from land which has been cleared of timber, cultivated, and even built upon for over a dozen years, certainly contravenes Miss Morris’s statement, while their long subterranean existence precludes the necessity of rapid suction. Itis also quite certain that if they thus killed trees, we should oftener hear of it, and I have captured a gigantic but unnamed species of Cicada on the plains of Colorado, 50 miles from any tree, other than a few scattering willows. In the perfect state, however, the female is capable of doing great injury to trees by hacking up their twigs, in the process of depositing, and although their injury in the forest is not generally felt, it isa very different thing in our orchards, and especially in the nursery. The following editorial from the old Valley Farmer of November, 1855, will show how serious the injury may sometimes be: “ We planted an orchard of the best varieties of apple trees last spring. We had taken particular pains, not only in selecting the best varieties, but in planting the trees, and hoped in a few years to par- take of the fruit. But our hopes were destined to be blasted. The locusts during the summer destroyed nearly all of them; not one in six is living. To look at them one would think that some person had been drawing the teeth of a saw over the bark of every tree.” It also appears that in some instances they injure trees by the es Est) FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF insertion of their beaks for nourishment, for Mr. Gustavus Pauls, of Eureka, had a young apricot tree which was so thoroughly punctured in this manner, that he toek a gallon of coajulated sap from it, and he attributes the death of some of his trees to this cause. I am con- vinced, however, that the injury done in this manner is comparative- ly trifling. On the 13th of June I was sent for by four different parties in St. Louis county, who wished me to try and save their trees from the ruinous work of these cicadas, which had by this time began to de- posit their eggs in real earnest. I found that whenthe wind was high they could, by its aid, be driven to some extent, but that without its aid they could not be driven at all; as when started, they are just as likely to fly behind as before you. I tried lye, whitewash and sul- phur, air-slacked lime and finally carbolic acid, and found that none of these mixtures would affect them. Indeed, after experiments in- volving about $200, I am convinced that there is no available way of entirely preventing this ruinous work when they once commence to deposit. The nursery of Mr. Stephen Partridge, a few miles west of St. Louis, which is surrounded on all sides by timber, was more se- riously injured than any other which I saw, and he lost many hundred ~ dollars’ worth of apple, peach and pear stock. They also punctured his grape vines very freely, preferring the Clinton and Taylor among varieties. By having all hands turn out early in the morning, and between six and seven o’clock in the evening, while they hung list» lessly to the branches, he succeeded in crushing thousands of them, and thus saved parts of his nursery from total ruin. But it becomes a hopeless task to try to stay their disastrous work when once they have acquired full power of flight; though, while in their feeble and help- less condition, as they leave the ground, they can not only be de- stroyed to far greater advantage by human agency, but hogs and poultry of all kinds, eagerly devour them. There were, it is true, many accounts afloat last summer of hogs being poisoned by them, and, though it is not impossible that one was occasionally killed by over-glutting,* such cases were very rare indeed. From the foregoing, the importance of knowing beforehand when to expect them becomes apparent, and the following chronological table, will not only prove of great scientific interest but of practical value. In the greater part of Missouri, the fruit grower may rest from all anxiety as to their ap- pearance for thirteen years to come, but in the month of May, 1881, let him leok out for them. THEIR CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY, WITH PREDICTIONS OF THE FUTURE APPEAR- ANCE UF ALL WELL ASCERTAINED BROODS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. As nothing had been published up to A. D. 1868, as to the re- gular appearance of any thirteen year broods of Cicadas, it is not at * Mr, F. R. Allen, of Allenton, informs me that during years when the army worm (Leucania unipunctata, Haw.) occurred in‘such swarms, hogs and chickens feasted on them to such an extent that the former frequently died, while the latter laid eggs in which the parts naturally white would be entirely green when cooked. : THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 31 all surprising that errors were committed by former writers on the subject. In the following chronology ef this insects periodical visits, everything heretofore published has been revised as far as possible. The mass of facts from which the generalizations are made would be tedious if given in detail, and are therefore for the most part omitted. This chronology could not, of course, be made complete from a single season’s researches, and it may even contain errors, but it will remain as a foundation for tuture work, and before another seventeen years shall have passed away, we may hope to have this part of the history of our curious Cicadas completed and perfected. While the discovery of the thirteen year broods, dispelled much of the fog in which this chronology had hitherto been wrapped, it at the same time, rendered a complete and lucid exposition of that chronology extremely difficult. The northern boundary line of the thirteen year broods is about latitude but in Illinois one of them ascends between two and three degrees above this line, while the seventeen year broods descend below it in several places, the two broods sometimes occupying the same territory. Two broods of thesame kind, appearing in different years may also overlap one another, as in the instance given in the account of brood XXII in Virginia, where the “locusts” appear every eighth and ninth year. In order to make the subject as clear as possible, and to facilitate references, I have num- bered the different broods of this insect in accordance with the date of their future appearance from and after the present year. BROOD I.—Septemdecim—1852, 1869. In the year 1869, and at intervals of seventeen years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in the valley of the Connecticut river. According to Dr. Asa Fitch (N. Y. Rep. I, p. 40), they appeared there in 1818 and 1835, and according to Dr. Smith they occurred in Franklin, Bristol and Hampshire counties, Massachusetts, in 1767, 84, 1801, 718, 35 and 52. BROOD II. Tredecim—1856, 1869. In the year 1869, being the same as the preceding, they will in all probability appear in Georgia, in Habersham, Rabun? Muscogee, Jasper, Greene, Washington and adjacent counties, having appeared there in 1843 and 1856, according to Dr. Smith. BROOD III.—Septemdecim—1853, 1870. In the year 1870, and at intervals of seventeen years thereafter, they will in all probability appear in what is known as the “Kreitz Creek Valley” in York county, Pa., and possibly in Vinton county, Ohio, and Jo. Daviess county, Ills. Mr. 8. 8. Rathvon, of Lancaster, Pa., speaking of this brood, says: “Lancaster county is bounded on the southwest by the Susquehanna river, dividing it from the county " “No ~ ~~ 3 82 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF of York, along the northeastern margin of which there is a mountain range, sloping downto theriver. Along that slope Cicadas were abun- dant the present season (1868—Brood XXII). But on the southwest side of the range, in what is known as the Kreitz Creek Valley, there were none. They appeared last in this valley in 1852, and previous to that year at intervals of seventeen years from time immemorial.” Dr. Smith records their appearance in 1853, both in Vinton county, Ohio, and Jo. Daviess county, Illinois. BROOD IV.—Tredecim—1857, 1870. In the year 1870, being the same as the preceding, they will in all probability appear in Jackson, Gadsden and Washington counties, Florida, having appeared there according to Dr. Smith in 1844 and 57. BROOD V.—Septemdecim—1854, 1871. In the year 1871, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will in all probability appear around the head of Lake Michigan, extend- ing as far east as the middle of the State of Michigan, and west an unknown distanceintoIlowa. Alsoin Walworth county and other por- tions of Southern Wisconsin, and southward into Illinois. This brood is equal to Dr. Fitch’s 6th. It extends all over Northern Illinois, and as far south as Edgar county, and its appearance in 1837 and 1854 is well and thoroughly recorded. In Champaign county, Lls., it over- laps Brood XVIII, or the Southern Illinois tredecim brood, while it also interlocks with Brood XIII (septemdecim) in the same county. They will also appear in the same years in the southeast by eastern part of Lancaster county, Pa., in what is called the “ Pequea Valley,” having appeared there in vast numbers in 1854, The earliest known record we have of the appearance of period- cal Cicadas, is in Morton’s “ Memorial,” in which it is stated that they appeared at Plymouth, Plymouth county, Mass., in the year 1633.— Now, according to that date, one might be led to suppose that this re- corded brood of Morton’s belonged to this fro as exactly 14 periods of 17 years will have elapsed between A633 and 1871; but, strange to say, we have no other records of his brood than that in the ‘* Memorial,” whereas there are abundant records of their appearing one year later in the same locality, ever since 1787. There is there- fore good reason to believe that the visit recorded by Morton was a premature one, and that it was properly due in 1634, I have there- fore placed it in Brood XIII, and have little doubt but that if records could be found, these “would prove the Cicadas to have appeared in 1651, 1668, 1685, 1702, 1719, 1786, 1753, and 1770, as they did in 1787, 1804, 1821, 1838, and 1855. BROOD VI.—Tredecim—1858, 1871. In the year 1871, being the same year as the preceding, and at in- tervals of 13 years thereafter, they will in all probability appear in THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 83 the extreme southwestern corner of Mississippi, and in the adjoining part of Louisiana. Dr. D. L. Phares of Newtonia (near Woodville), Miss., says that in 1858 they extended over most of Wilkinson and part of Amite counties, Mississippi, and East and West Feliciana, La. He has himself witnessed the appearance of this brood during the years 1832, 1845 and 1858, while it is distinctly remembered by aged people in his neighborhood as having also appeared there in the years 1806 and 1819. Dr. Smith gives their range from the Mississippi river, east to a ridge 45 miles from the river that divides the State, north and south, and north and south to the boundaries of the State; re- cording them as occurring in 1806, 719, 82, 45 and ’58. BROOD VII.—Tredecim—1859, 1872. In the year 1872, and at intervals of 13 years thereafter, they will in all probability appear in Jackson county and around Cobden and Jonesboro, in Union county, South Illinois, in Kansas, Missouri, Geor- gia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi. According to Mr. Paul Frick of Jonesboro, they were in Union county, Ills., in 1858, and he also thinks it was a great year for them about 1832. Those of 1858 were probably premature stragglers of the 1859 brood, while Mr. Frick is most likely mistaken as to the year 1832, since the Rev. George W. Ferrell of Cobden, Union county, witnessed their appearance at that place in 1833, and also in 1846 and 1859; and Cyrus Thomas has also recorded their appearance in 1859 in the 5th Rep. of the Ills. State Agr. Soc., p. 458*, while a paragraph in the Baltimore (Md.) Sun of June 13, 1859 says “the locusts have made their appearance in ‘ Egypt’ in Southern Illinois, and cover woods and orchards in swarms.” This brood not improbably extends westward into Missouri, for several of the old settlers around Eureka, in St. Louis county, Mo., recollect it being “ locust year” about the time of its last appearance, while Mr. L. D. Votaw of Eureka, and Wm. Muir of Fox Creek, Mo., both believe it was exactly 9 years ago, or in the year 1859. Dr. Smith records it in DeKalb, Gwinnett and Newton counties, Georgia, in 1846 and ’59; in the northern part of Tennessee also, in 1846 and 59; in the whole eastern portion of Miss- issippi from the ridge which is 45 miles from the river, on the west, to the eastern boundary, in 1820, 733, 746, and 759; in Carrol Parish, Louisiana, in 1859; and in Philips county, Kansas, in the same year. _ By referring to Brood XV, it will be seen that in 1846, or during the first year of the Mexican war, this 13-year brood appeared simul- taneously with a 17-year brood in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. * Tf Mr. Paul Frick is correct, the brood he has witnessed may possibly be a detachment of the Mississippi and Louisiana Brood VI; in which case the Cicadas appear for two consecutive years in Union county, Ills., as they do (See Broods XIII and XIV) in Central Ohio, and portions of Northwestern Missouri. 3SRSE 84 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF BROOD VIII.—Septemdecim—1855, 1872. In the year 1872, being the same year as the preceding, and at in- tervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in the southeastern part of Massachusetts ; across Long Island; along the Atlantic coast to Chesapeake Bay, fare up the Susquehanna at least as far as to Carlisle in Pennsylvania; also, in Kentucky, at Kan- awha in Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, on the Ohio river. This is the brood referred to in Brood VY, and which there is every reason to be- lieve is the one recorded by Morton in his “ Memorial,” as occurring in 1633. Dr. Fitch,:in the account of his 3d brood (N. Y. Rep. I, p. 39), says: “The third brood appears to have the most extensive geographical range. From the southeastern part of Massachusetts, it extends across Long Island, and along the Atlantic coast to Chesapeake Bay, and up the Susquehanna at least as far as to Carlisle in Pennsylvania; and it probably reaches continuously west to the Ohio, for it occupies the valley of that river at Kanawha in Virginia, and onwards to its mouth, and down the valley of the Mississippi.probably to its mouth, and up its tributaries, west, into the Indian Territory. This brood has appeared the present year, 1855, and I have received specimens from Long Island, from South Illinois, and the Creek Indian country west of Arkansas,” etc. There is every reason to believe that Dr. Fitch, in this account, has confounded this septemdecim Brood VIII, with the great tredecim Brood XVIII, for it so happened that they both occurred simulta- neously in 1855, but the exact dividing line of these two broods is not so easily ascertained. Certainly, after reaching the Ohio river, the septemdecim brood extends beyond Gallipolis, Ohio, for Prof. Potter, ; in his “ Notes on the Cicada decem septima,” seognie their appear- —anee at that place in 1821; and Dr. Smith records their appearance at , Frankfort, Lexington and Wiewinsabnee! Kentucky, in 1838, and 1855. _ But I strongly incline to believe that well nigh the rest of the terri- “tory mentioned by Dr. Fitch was occupied by the tredecim brood, the . zeasons for which belief will be found in the account of brood XVIII. Cicadas also appeared in Buncombe and McDowell counties, North Carolina, i im 1855, but until they appear there again it will be impossi- ble to say, Sonitiyely! whether they belong to this septemdecim Brood Vill, or, to the tredectm Brood XVII. BROOD IX—Septemdecim—1857, 1874. In the year 1874, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will propably occur in southeast Nebraska. The occurrence of this brood was communicated to me by Mr. Clarke Irvine, of Oregon, Holt county. The brood is most likely con- fined to the eastern or timbered portion of the State, and I judge it to be septemdecim, from the fact that the latitude is rather more northerly than tredecim is known to occur. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 35 BROOD X—Tredecim—1862, 1875. In the year 1875, and at intervals of 13 years thereafter, they will most likely occur in different parts of Texas. According to Dr. Smith they appeared in vast numbers in some parts of Texas in 1849, though he was not able to get any particulars. BROOD XI—Septemdecim—1859, 1876. In the year 1876, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will in all probability appear in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Mary- land, Illinois and Indiana. According to Dr. Smith they appeared from Raleigh, North Carolina, to near Petersburg, Virginia, in 1842 and 1859; in Rowan, Davie, Cabarras and Iredell counties in the same State in 1825, 1842 and 1859; in the valley of Virginia as far as the Blue Ridge on the east, the Potomac river on the north, the Tennes- see and North Carolina lines on the south, and for several counties west, in 1808, 1842 and 1859; in the south part of St. Mary’s county, Maryland, dividing the county about midway east and west, in 1825, 1842 and 1859; in Illinois about Alton in 1842 and 1859; and in Sulli- van and inox counties, Indiana, in 1842 and 1859. BROOD XIIl—Septemdecim—1860, 1877. In the year 1877, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in the vicinity of Schuylerville and Fort Miller, in New York. From thence along both sides of the Hudson to its mouth, where they extend, at least, to New Haven, in Connecticut, and west across the north part of New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. Also in Dearborn county, Indiana; Kalamazoo, Michigan; in Penn- sylvania, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. . This brood is recorded by Prof. Potter as having occurred at North Haven, Conn., in 1724, 1741, 1758, 1792, 1809 and 1826. It was also recorded by the same writer as having occurred-in 1826 in Mid- dlesex county, N. J.,.and by Dr. Fitch as having occurred in 1843 throughout the whole country mentioned above. In 1860, again, it was spoken of in the old series of the Prairie Farmer (Vol. 22, p. 119) as having occurred that year in New Jersey, and Dr. Smith re- cords it throughout the whole State in 1775, 1792, 1809, 1826 and 1843. Mr. Jas. Angus, of West Farms, Westchester county, N. Y., has him- self witnessed its recurrence in the years 1843 and 1860. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Rathvon found a few individuals in 1860, and Dr. Smith says it extends from the Susquehanna to the Delaware riv- er, bounded by Peter’s mountain on the south. In Virginia it oc- curred from the south part of Loudon county to the Roanoke river, and from the Blue Ridge to the Potomac in 1826,1843 and 1860. In Maryland from Ann Arundel county to the north part of St. Mary’s, and from the Potomac to Chesapeake Bay, in 1809, 1826, 1843 and 1860. In Rockingham, Stokes, Guilford, Rowan, Surrey and adjacent 36 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF counties, North Carolina, in 1792,1809, 1826 and 1843. In Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1843 and in 1860, and in Kalamazoo, Michigan, dur- ing the same years. BROOD XIII.—Septemdecim—1861, 1878. In the year 1878, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear along the centre of the State of Illinois, all along the southern part of Iowa, and around St. Joseph, in Buchanan county, in North Missouri. The records are abundant, of their appearance, in 1844 and 1861, all along tke southern border of Iowa, and in Mason, Fulton, McDon- ough and Champaign counties in Central Illinois. In 1861 they also occurred in Champaign county, Central Ohio, and in Buchanan county, Northwest Missouri; and this brood not unlikely occupies, more or less, the whole strip of country between these two points. Their ap- pearance in 1861 was associated with the first year of the rebellion; and Dr. Smith records this brood both in Hlinois and Iowa in 1844. BROOD XIV.—Septemdecim—1862, 1879. In the year 1879, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in the whole of western Missouri, commenc- ing south about Johnson and Saline counties, and extending in a northwesterly direction to Lawrence and above, in Kansas, south to Arkansas, and west an unknown distance into Kansas; also, in Cen- tral Ohio. The occurrence of this brood in 1845 and 1862 is well remenrbered -by several of my correspondents, and is recorded by Dr. Smith. At St. Joseph, in Buchanan county, Mo., Cicadas were not so thick in 1862 as in 1861. Had it been the reverse, or, in other words, had they been more numerous in 1862 than in 1861, I should have been inclined to record the visit of 1861 as but a precursor to this Brood X; but as it is, I believe the two broods are distinct, and that they occur for two consecutive years, both in Central Ohio and in portions of Northwest Missouri. This brood has not been traced further east, in Missouri, than Sa- line county, and yet a detachment of it certainly occurs in Ohio, for Mr. Clarke Irvine, of Oregon, Holt county, Mo., well remembers their occurrence in Central Ohio in 1845 and 1862. Though there is no knowledge of the appearance of this Brood XIV in Illinois, yet the fact of its occurring both in Ohio and in North Missouri, and that, too, but one year after Brood XIII, would indicate that there may have been, in times past, at all events, if there is not at the present day, a geographical connection between these two broods. BROOD XV.—Septemdecim—1863, 1880. In the year 1880, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear from western Pennsylvania to Sciota river, THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 37 east, and down the valley of the Ohio river as far as Lewis county, in Virginia. This brood is recorded in Ohio as far back as the year 1812, by “A.M. B.,” writing to the Chicago Tridune, under date of June 22, 1868. Harris also records its appearance in Ohio in 1829, and they were quite numerous in Coles county, in the centre of the same State in 1846, or during the first year of the Mexican war, while Dr. Smith re- cords it in the eastern part of the State, extending over twelve coun- ties, west, to the Sciota river, and to Sandusky, on Lake Erie, in 1829, 46 and 63; and in Lewis county, Virginia, since 1795. As before stated this brood occurred in Ohio in 1846, simultaneously with the tredecim brood VIL in South Illinois. Dr. Fitch, in his account of his 5th brood, also records its appearance, and states that it reached to Louisiana. But just as the septemdecim Brood VIII was confounded with the great tredecim Brood XVIII in 1855, so this septemdecim Brood XV was doubtless also confounded with it in 1829, for they both occurred that year. Had the western country been as thickly settled in 1829 as it was in 1855, the tredecim Brood XVIII could undoubtedly have been traced in Southern [linois and Missouri, etc., in the former as it was in the Jatter year. This belief is furthermore greatly strengthened from our having no other record of the appearance of this septemdecim brood, in Leuisiana, than Prof. Potter’s statement that they appeared there in 1829, whereas they have occurred there since 1829 at intervals, not of 17, but of 13 years, and were there the present year, 1868, as will be seen on referring to Brood XVIII. The dividing line of these two broods (XV and XVIII) is probably the same as with broods VIII and XVIII. BROOD XV1.—Tredecim—1867, 1880. In the year 1880, being the same as the preceding, they will, in all probability, appear in the north part of Cherokee county, Georgia, having appeared there according to Dr. Smith in 1828, 741, ’54, and ac- cording to Dr. Morris, in 1867. This brood occurredin 1867 simultane- ously with the northern septcmdecim brood XXI. BROGD XVII.—Septeméecim—1864, 1881. In 1881, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in ald probability, appear in Marquette and Green Lake counties, in Wis- consin, and may also appear in the western part of North Carolina, and about Wheeling, Virginia; in Northeast Ohio, and a few in Lan- caster county, Pa., and Westchester county, New York. There is abundant evidence that they appeared in the counties namedin Wisconsin in 1864, and fair evidence that they appeared that year in Summit county, Northeast Ohio, while straggling specimens were found in the same year, by Mr.S. S. Rathvon, in Lancaster coun- ty, Pa., and by Mr. James Angus, in Westchester county, N. Y. Dr. Fitch also records their appearance in 1817, or 17 years previously, in 38 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF the western part of North Carolina, and Dr. Smith, in Wheeling, Vir- ginia, in 1830, 47 and 64. The distance between the localities given is very great, and it is doubtful whether all these records belong to one and the same brood. BROOD XVIIT.—Tredeim—1868, 1881. In the year 1881, and at intervals of 13 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in Southern Illinois, throughout Missouri, with the exception of the northwestern corner, in Louisiana, Arkan- sas, Indian Territory, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North and South Carolinas. Though, as already stated, I published the first aceount ever given of the existence of a 13-year brood, yet, besides the others mentioned in this chronology, this particular brood has been traced since, as having occurred in the years 1816, 729, 42, 55 and 68; and Mr. L. W. Lyon, at the July (1868) meeting of the Alton, (Ills.} Horticultural Society, even mentioned its appearance in 1803. In Missouri, it occurs more or less throughout the whole State with the exception of the northwest corner that is bounded on the east by Grand river, and on the south by the Missouri riyer.* The southeast part of the State, where Dr. Smith has reeorded it since 1829, is most thickly oceupied. I enumerate those counties in which there is undoubted evidence of their appearance during the present year (1868) viz.: Audrain, Bollinger, Benton, Clarke, Chariton, Calla- wav, Cooper, Cole, Franklin, Gasconade, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Marion, Macon, Morgan, Moniteau, Pike, Phelps, Pulaski, Polk, Pettis, Schuyler, St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Francois, St. Clair, Warren, and Washington. It not improbably overlaps some of the territory occupied by the septemdeceim Brood XIV, but I do not think it extends into Kansas. In Hllinois it oceurs more or less throughout the whole southern half of the State, but more especially occupies the counties from the south part of Adams county along the Mississippi to the Ohio, up the Ohio and Wabash rivers to Edgar county, and then across the centre of the State, leaving some of the central counties in South Hlinois unoccupied. To be more explicit, I enumerate all the counties in which it undoubtedly occurred during the present year (1868): Adams (south part, back of Quincy ), Bond, Clinton (northwest corner, adjacent to Madison), Champaign, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Clay, Clark, Edwards, Edgar+ (especially in the eastern part), Franklin, Gallatin, Hardin, Hamilton, Johnson, Jasper, Jersey, Jefferson, Law- rence, McLean (east end), Macon, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, #As Mr. Wm. Raucher, of Oregon, Holt county, saw a few individuals in the northeast part of Buchanan county in 1855, it may occur in small numbers in districts even north of the Mis~ gourl river. j Edgar county also has the septemdecim Brood IT, THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 Pike, Perry, Piatt, Pope, Richland, Randolph, Sangamon, Saline, St. Clair, Union (northeast corner), Washington, Wayne, Wabash, Wil- liamson and White. There were none the present year, either at Decatur, in Macon county, or at Pana in Christian county; nor were there any at Bloomington or Normal, in McLean; nor in Dewitt county, which lies south of McLean; nor in Spring Creek, Iroquois county, which is northeast of Champaign. In Kentucky, according to Dr. Smith, it occurred in the northwest corner of the State, about Paducah and adjacent counties south, in 1829, 42, and 55, and it occurred there in 1868. In Arkansas, it occupied all the northern counties in 1842, ’55 and ’68. In Alabama, it occupied Russell and adjacent counties on the east side of Black Warrior river, in 1842, 755 and ’68. In Tennessee, it occupied Davidson, Montgomery, Bedford, Wil- liamson, Rutherford and adjacent counties in 1842, ’55* and ’68. In North Carolina, it appeared in Mecklenburg county, in 1829, "42,55 and 68. In South Carolina, the Chester district and all the adjoining coun- try to the Georgia line, west, and to the North Carolina line, north, was occupied with it in 1816, ’29, 742, 55 and ’68. In Georgia, it has occurred in Cherokee county since the year 1816. In Louisiana, it appeared in Morehouse, Caddo, Clairborne, Wash- ington and adjacent parishes, in 1855 and ’68. Italso doubtless occurs in Mississippi and Indian Territory, though I am unable to specify any localities. BROOD XIX.—Septemdecim—1865, 1882. In the year 1882, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in Monroe, Livingston, Madison and adjacent counties, and around Cayuga Lake, in New York. Mr. T. T. Southwick, of Manlius, Livingston county, records their appearance there in 1865, and, as will be seen by referring to the Prairie Farmer, vol. 16, p. 2, they appeared during the same year near Cayuga Lake, while Dr. Smith records their appearance in 1797, 1814, 31 and 48. BROOD XX.—Septemdecim—1866, 1883. In the year 1883, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in western New York, western Pennsyl- vania and eastern @hio. In the last mentioned State they occur more especially in Mahoning, Carroll, Trumbull, Columbiana and adjacent counties, overlapping, especially in Columbiana county, some of the * Though they occurred in large numbers in Davidson county and other portions of Tennessee in 1855, and also the present year, yet in Lawrence county they appeared in 1856, instead of 1855—~ another instance of a belated brood, 40 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF territory occupied by Brood XV. In Pennsylvania, they occupy nearly all the western counties, and their appearance is recorded in 1832, 49 and ’66, by Dr. Fitch (his second brood), Dr. Smith, and sev- eral of my correspondents; the following counties being enumerated: Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson, Chemung, Huntingdon, Cambria, Indi- ana, Butler, Mercer and Beaver. BROOD XXI.—Septemdecim—1867, 1884. In the year 1884, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear in certain parts of North Carolina and Cen- tral Virginia. In 1850 and 1867 they appeared near WilkesVoro N. C., and were also in Central Virginia during the last mentioned year, while Dr. Smith mentions them as occurring in Monroe county, and the adjacent territory, in Virginia in 1833 and 1850. Dr. Harris (Inj. Insects, p. 210) records their appearance at Mar- tha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in 1833, but as I cannot learn that they were there, either in 1850 or 1867, I ine that Dr. Harris’s informant was een BROOD XXII.—Septemdecim-—1868, 1885. In the year 1885, and at intervals of 17 years thereafter, they will, in all probability, appear on Long Island; at Brooklyn, in Kings county, and at Rochester in Monroe county, New York; at Fall River, and in the southeastern portion of Massachusetts; at Oakland (Rut- land?), Vermont; in Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware and Gagne in northwestern Ohio, in southeastern Michi- gan, in Indiana and inal, This brood has been well recorded in the East in 1715, 1732, 1749, 1766, 1783, 1800, 1817, 1834, 1851 and 1868. It is spoken of in “ Haz- zard’s Register” for 1834, published in Philadelphia, while Mr. Rath- von has himself witnessed its occurrence during the four latter years in Lancaster county, Pa. It is the fourth brood of Dr. Fitch, who only says that it “reaches from Pennsylvania and Maryland to South Carolina and Georgia, and what appears to be a detached branch of it occurs'in the southeastern part of Massachusetts.” He is evidently wrong as to its occurring in South Carolina and Georgia, and it is strange that he does not mention its appearance in New York, for Mr. F. W. Collins, of Rochester, in that State, has witnessed four returns of it there, namely: in 1817, 84, 751 and ’68, while the Brooklyn papers record its appearance there the present season. As these two points in the State are about as far apart as they well can be, the intervening country,is probably more or less occupied with this brood. Mr. H. Rutherford, of Oakland,* Ver- mont, records their appearance in that neighborhood in 1851 and 1868. *I can find no such post office as Oakland in Vermont, and incline to believe that the Tribune EobOn tee made Oakland out of Rutland, and more especially as Rutland is on the New York order b= leet THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 41 (N. Y.Semi-Weekly Tribune, June 27). He alsowitnessed them in the same place in 1855, and as will be seen by referring to Brood XVIII, they also occurred on Long Island and in southeastern Massa- chusetts in that same year, 1855. Exactly 13 years intervening be- tween 1855 and 1868, one might be led to suppose that they hada tredecim brood in the East. But did such a brood exist, it would cer- tainly have been discovered ere this, in such old settled parts of the country, and all the records go to show that they have nothing but septemdecim there. By referring to Brood VIII, the mystery is readily solved, for we find that in that part of the country there are two sep- temdecim broods—the one having last appeared in 1855—the other the present year, 1868. In Ohio, this brood occurred more or less throughout the whole western portion of the State, for our correspondents record them as haying appeared in 1868 in Lucas and Hamilton and several interven- ing counties. Mr. F. C. Hill, of Yellow Springs, in Green county, Southwest Ohio, has witnessed their appearance in 1834, 1851 and 1868, and they occurred in the northwestern part of the State during the three same years; while the correspondent to the Department of Ag- riculture, from Toledo, Northwest Ohio (July, 1868, Monthly Rep.), says it is their 9th recorded visit there. Dr. Smith records it as occurring around Cincinnati, in Franklin, Columbiana, Pike and Miami coun- ties. In Indiana, there is reliable evidence of their appearance, in 1868, in the southern part of the State, in Tippecanoe, Delaware, Vigo, Switzerland, Hendricks, Marion, Dearborn, Wayne, Floyd, Jefferson and Richmond counties. The evidence seems to show that, as in Ohio, throughout the State, they belong to this septemdecim Brood XXIU, for Mr. F. Guy, of Sulphur Springs, Mo., has personally informed me that they were in Southern Indiana in 1851, and even in Tippecanoe county, on the Wabash river, where, from their proximity to Brood XVIII, one might have inferred them to be tredecim, they are recorded as appearing in 1834 and 751. In Kentucky they appeared around Louisville. In Pennsylvania, * Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, the territory occupied by this brood is thus described by Dr. Smith: “‘ Beginning at Germantown, Pa., to the middle of Delaware; west through the east shore of Maryland to the upper part of Ann Arundel county; thence through the District of Columbia to London, West Virginia, where it ##> laps over the South Virginia district (see Brood XII) from the Potomac to Loudon county, some 10 or 12 miles in width, and in this strip of territory Ci- cadas appear every 8th and 9th year. Thence the line extends through the north counties of Virginia and Maryland to the Savage mountains, and thence along the south tier of counties in Pennsyl- vania, to Germantown.” From the above synoptical view it results that there will, during the next 17 years, be broods of the Periodical Cicada somewhere or 42 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF other in the United States in A. D. 1869, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, "76, 77, °78, 79, °80, ’81, 82, ’83, 84 and ’85—or every year but 1873. It further ap- pears that the. anaes of distinct broods, appearing in distinct years, within the following geographical diaenete. are as follows: In south- ern New Engiand 4 broods, years ’69, 772, "7 and ’85; in New York 5 broods, years 772, 77, ’82, 93 and 785; in New Jersey 2 broods, years 72 and °77; in Pennsylvania 7 broods, years 770, 71, ’72, "77, ’80, ’83 and 85; in Ohio 7 broods, years ’72, ’78, 79, 80, 81, ’83 and ’85; in Indiana 4 broods, years 71, “76, 77 and ’85; in Illinois 6 broods, years 771, 72*, 76, 77, “78 and ’81*, and probably another in Jo Daviess county, year 7/0; in Wisconsin 2 broods, years 71 and ’82; in Michigan 2 broods, years 71 and ’85; in Iowa 2 broods, years 71 and 778; in ee braska 1 brood, year 74; in Kansas 2 broods, years 7z* and 79; Missouri 4 broods, years 72*, 78, 79 and ’81*; in Louisiana and Mis: sissippi 3 broods, years *71*, ’72* and 81*; in Tennessee 2 broods, years ’72* and ’81*; in Arleanoan. Indian Territory and Alabama, 1 brood, year ’81*; in Kentucky 3 broods, years 72, ’81* and 85; in Georgia 4 broods, years 69*, ’72*, ’80* and ’81*; in South Carolina 1 brood, year ’81* ; in North Carolina 6 broods, years 772?, 76, 77, 812, ’81* and 84; in East and West Virginia} broods, years "72, 77, 780, 81 and 84; in Maryland 4 broods, years "72, 76, 77 and 85; in District of Columbia 1 brood, year 785; in Delaware 2 broods, years ’72 and 5; in Florida 1 brood, year 73* ; in Texas 1 brood, year 75*. * The broods marked (*) belong to the 13-year or tredecim race of the Periodical Cicada. APPLE-TREE BORERS. (Coleoptera, Cerambicide.) THE ROUND-HEADED APPLE-TREE BORER—Saperda bivittata, Say. we 14.] Pb It is a fact which has not been disputed by any one whom I have queried on the subject, that apple trees on our ridges are shorter lived than those grown on our lower lands. Hitherto no particular reason has been given for this occurrence, but I think it is mainly at- tributable to the workings of the borer now under consideration, I THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 43 have invariably found it more plentiful in trees growing on high land than in those growing on low land, and it has also been my experi- ence that it is worse in ploughed orchards than in those which are seeded down to grass. Fifty years ago, large, thrifty, long-lived trees were exceedingly common, and were obtained with comparatively little effort on the part of our ancestors. They had not the vast army of insect enemies to contend with, which at the present day make successful fruit-growing ascientific pursuit. This Apple-tree borer was entirely unknown until Thomas Say described it in the year 1824; and, according to Dr. Fitch, it was not till the year following that its de- structive character became known in the vicinity of Albany, N. Y., for the first time. Yet it is a native American insect, and has for ages inhabited our indigenous crabs, from which trees my friend, Mr. A. Bolter, took numerous specimens, in the vicinity of Chicago, ten years ago. It also attacks the quince, mountain ash, hawthorn, pear and the June-berry. Few persons are aware to what an alarming extent this insect is infesting the orchards in St. Louis, Jefferson and adjacent counties, and, for aught I know, throughout the State. a Getslaalds ddaveReadaee eet a aean ene poaeats “concer dasinevestespeee suerieee pepneroncccncc «tell Leaf-roller of the Strawberry.......scccssessessecsees sceaesaccdbsessne\ condeuenl’ bubecvslesveciesbo ens seoet wena ey ammmmmmmloze TCWG ATTN COU Tenesaeedadeds ccvssc¥s aSe SERED e eee ees eteeOEeiaeeees Margined Blister-beetle............. 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aah eetemaaeer oteveezevevseve es ce “¢ Syrphus fly........ autisesaaesoestants ddeecaceccsvecsscecccavessanessuacpstuqcseenuets=ehieusedmeseeannan «« Borer of the Grape vine....... {SEIU PICONET, Beano oadcensasee=nnensceaseeossssieaeesketls Rose bush—Cut-worms On.....+.0. abesecovsccussevcacssesssoa! senessnanvatass an snasaiss es etnies =ee ta ete ree PETG ULUITIOLN sre cewencasesuserecupiecuscrseiessiereestsacsereen ecccscessaeccecceseceesoscessasiass ovsecescosocsluessunses Seed curculio of the Grape...... sponsors Secaseuers SPARE ere sosesere scaccsseeccerne sees sseensoteaeaereneee «COI Mage Ot.s.. ..06 © ccnccceccccccncesenss tesnveccececer cecsusce eevevccsece oo0nbeonssesywateshslelielssekienat tevsoccsee Seventeen and thirteen year broods of the Periodical Cicada, ............cscccosseccssnsssenvecessoasecscsers &mall White Bristly Cut-worm ........ SRE ERO Ona COS OIRO SII DOSDON: ceccpemsecesansscsseeneanee su deoenepsonseabnases Solidago gall-moth...... Recs ean Wane saenoneensanaeneeees oe saeco saeceeecsescaesenucseeeca@acsn = Ssshiauetin oni anmmsetaae Speckled cut-WorMm........ccsccscesesceee Sect pataseaenecmee tps sanneasaeerertcenssencesaset eases os supaeedecunenenane SPhind 5-MaCuUlatd.serecrecceceeeseee easeeee Gonsusmnsaseneananan Sess tb ceeiseasauunensucnsasaskeemenr savsdeee aeneeenereeeseem ens See GLVIUE sa spnnnapsnanssnansanes som sce iesspase acne onc enccacnsncvepsscoscanvesscesss ees caress svoceesocedsccscaseuasencd Spined Soldier=Dupr....c.ss0s0s¥ieaceisoosaccavesvavssessvensese ssavesessenscccesesoasececesenssnesicshi else anetmenentRERentitly BM aSh) DUP. coe sccieeses ence cnce J enosho seecsec suieobelncvooncucapacuncscesanaceSeenasaselesaosttanass tate atte te mmaneet Stalk-borer of the Potato. Salis plan esnislarie'cs teeles sts eean eerie sos entestnessnssengas letsaseassecens ean Seaiihas st haeeas ta eeeen $<) Weevil Ofgthe lh OHIO. gi. s.025+-0+ssnbaesosseanreeseseranesaesteaneee dorenoosenorsasecnnes seve ssanslasdsteppoessene Piraw berry lemtra eri. ..s..cMMses+cs0eseceeessecscesevsse= sae seneeeanenteee acsanes tadccseoscdsedensnecesenaseeeeeeeeene Sting of the Periodical Cicada.......... seaecenreenenns ae ansenwent an eaeere Seeetenaptesceensiscessend Aeeencecuscast-Hssccnce Striped Blister-beetle..........csssseeresece Aron corcras sc nweasnecunaaaeesmouneasnasuonensees bcscnae asda ceentnneswecenaaees Strietrus fimbi iatus....cceo0e ase 8 seeeeeeeene Seccccesacduaverseresvavesesccuavesssayse oceseeds cccctccwascesemunsiauet Syrphus fly of Root-louse.......cscrccoscesseeees csuvcetecenetestopiescnestavesvecesvancuctaseas sdsbeunsaebesseneeecerene Subangular Ground-beetle ....,.....0cceccecee obcoccsesdecevcuehedesevaevessesssscsawesssisssvelapesshapeeee ee =e tentaaam Subjoined Hadena........ ...ce0e- ania slednn t's sane'etnsenracseee scbecbn as oeveveevaeevecechaceses span esanuseueneea =e nieneam Sy Camore—Bag=wWornt OM. ..00e ssc00sseacooenes, ososssssscotessaceesesasesesse csseongnysicaass sduienypeeaantee nant 26 30 15 anal 15 65 140 150 50 137 91 92 93 95 97 99 101 105 180 137 65 150 114 139 138 70 169 114 150 118 121 124 70 42 129 154 18 86 173 84 95 96 113 113 92 93 142 26. 96 114 121 58 84 150 INDEX. Tetraend Virgintcd. aseccreccocrecces socccrecrersccccvecccees cuvdeavedsdcecevsucbecdbensvascbstendives ssnauesnseebuseteness SERRA op ETRE ace covacevatctudeaasvese ss svevbsasacevliasncenoptavdaveeunsneversxssasccuesas sedescsenarcess sheertceccen atrecse MARAE NIST POP ESETRVCCUIC . cccocstencesisalendcosssccssvassnesssd snecosdeegneoesnidexsaxstdnave eageeeee MCCPAEERE EL CCOCEES = Thyridopteryx Cphemer@for Mis ..sscerecsecsvecesecssecrerseecsessvses svssssesscresssessscssssenssresssvssseseeeseeseees Tortrix Rileyand. ss. seeeeereee eeeccece oocee See 000 oe scedecceseccctctccsccnceconsonscssneacantedscccscenscoes secseocccees DRIAL AIR WHURE TY atdtaettacenccaac toscana casstadacevatebeccsesccossccossessuccscuvesacetssssest Sscetaedsnenuseenewe s paaetesves MPPCE-CLICKECL. . 0.00. cecesccceccrrsccvessscscseves Reawanssees aeessetinks irate eaesdeses satecepessoaaces Maspeetuepuseerersveces sit Trupaned AptVvord...cacsrere seldeacsioascees adeubsve et) @acesevasaacepis) ocsaaer a idvaneseeasaaengssenereeeae sercccesccoscseress Two distinct forms of the Periodical Cicada....... ....cseeceeeenee dds nissces'sstedcacdesercoeeeenteatertntaceses MRP TPR TELA BRITS TLC WEEN o case clsc odes. snes senetdeocdccsevcvacerceccevedcdecorsctascucossadncess cape onandeeuadeteusseentvcseenses Warlepated Cut-Worim.....:.cccsccscsscccessccsccose eeascareieaemns eeenneaameeeee Ber POCRERERCOR Pec, pensesse eee Vine Root-borer........++. Le cuecnosceegoson Henenocnce Heeceececeec Sencher sete terest sanadscassans ce sernanecs Virginia Tiger-beetle..........0.06 Gsenessescedasaesve sannwen cd nen msemecedens tunes ddecstntaces¥oacsvanceeucews PUNT ONUELX scsscacencsesosscecvcesescescccseraveses Warddecsepennne darbausetacdeucseedccnnskyeast Weneeddvoeedeccessasaene OWiEGR=WOIXDD: << s0ccc0c0aeres0 SERCO OCLECOLEE CLEP OETRELEE APOC HACE OC PEE Oe FesaseeNvecassa sipadsmaterdaodesertaceneass Western Striped Cut-worm.............- aveseinsvarisasaednaasts-pack edacaseasesrsesc.sutwscsitesssasdcdersceseesaae Wheat Cut-worm........ Sah vesmiecterspaswssceees suaesdenabacenatd seater adacssrases cuashewsctitedies -moubersceanmusevorars rn esrraree Od TASSOCK MOU. .cccevacencocesncsesccessaccecressccesccore Bisacwed acscesdecusscovaeseslndacecdecdes diandebe SOG END occ.» saatasenvanesdedvoccesedtersacr ser ayaewae Lede ducbords cis vass Cotoncusvscacecodess/oaddamaveccsearacsasevecsers “6 See LUTZ TI! ovccoccnsne PERECAERE C07. COREE AOSD SEES A cccnercenrase cece easedane dence tudeanees soesae Serer Renee Wooly Apple-tree louse........ scare cecenecenene Foe CORRE CESAR EDEL OP HECICEE OL COE DE COSRLEEL OL CEL COSELIEET CCEACC Cr CEERI 6€ ~Ellm-tree louse .........ceceeee eiadesabesaess cs SGagdaaTeee sae cadcvssatsceseseasees padudanispasacdasiacdeeacees Sheree RUE MPL NUOUIN ies cetecacd: sivstrsesdvesss)(ssupienvcsssoncesseccecceessrecovssssstsessiaest~netslaacentncsamincesoane ‘43 - aiieeces "a yrs eae ft Re Fs al +, QT A eo - e. ‘4 ‘ owaoed Poe te qe eee P F : + VARTA Regn eS ana ite Sa rer Pererrareseccsivis |, |< d, : : oe ty area Pry ty: + enn ‘ . § i ane ane beeen ad ' 2 ‘ - " . ‘ ' 7 ‘ , - ’ ¢ or. © . ’ » G& , 2) d ‘ a : x. Ae a a ‘ fd 4 . a \W a paves i wv, ‘ey fi wa 4 Rey ri . a ee. | Tee he 7 or ve 7 u 7 : APOE eee cake “I ‘SECOND ANNUAL REPORT ON THE Noxious, BENEFICIAL AND OTHER PN SEC rs, OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, MADE TO THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, PURSUANT TO AN APPROPRIATION FOR THIS PURPOSE FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE.’ BY CHARLES V. RILEY, STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. JEFFERSON CITY: Horace Wilcox, Public Printer. 1870, " | ota ath 6S GE RH M6) eA EAA. idle Bi ‘“ St a0 ee f { fever 4 PE PEO Bes BT pt ee ay & Voataimedded Wacdr wn Dat BAe OT May A aE SN tet TAT) a a ae GeO ¥ } 5494 ye ya; wan 4 ac. aiyage Sekt oe 325 ls F| ¥ #ha! Jotk e Mo eaucutal he kANAS, * 16 Jes | >i! rateeemiaert i sate a afta hog i eae Sa) ath see Gicnts { % dia: Vi ti a i ‘tn ayer : aa ; Ye “ cyere Sidi! 4° oT ke iim ab fb ips iy - ‘ “RA nie Peat h dani oma 3h Me bes. 2d? fade ey, (bres 1 fas if nwo ya bogagwal ov 1197 nasal © Setauecig sew dale W aKa ye ce. opi alt Jad-b wie) it . ebant l ped? alvaeltine 9 ne. de Ixe¢ oo PREFACE. Yo the Members of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture: GENTLEMEN :—I herewith submit, for publication, my Second An- nual Report on the Noxious, Beneficial and other Insects of the State of Missouri. For my First Report, 1 prepared two lithographic plates, a cer- tain number of which were colored. Such plates, when well exe- cuted, are an adornment to any work, but they are expensive; and upon conferring with different members of the Board, it was thought best to furnish two such plates for one-half the edition, rather than one plate for the whole edition. The plan has not worked well, hew- ever, since many of those persons most interested in the Report, and for whom it is more especially designed, failed to get copies which had plates. For this Second Report, therefore, I have confined the illustra- tions to wood. Most of these wood-cuts are executed in the best style of the art, but they cannot possibly show to good advantage on such paper as was used in last year’s Report; and the pains taken in the preparation of these cuts, and in hiring the very best engrav- ers the country affords, seems too much like waste of time and means, when their effect is so spoilt by poor ink and poorer paper. If it is in the power of the Board, by proper action, to secure a better qual- ity of paper for this Report, I sincerely hope that such action will be taken; for a clear impression of an insect cut is often absolutely necessary, to enable the general reader to recognize, in the field, the living form of the particular species which it represents. The cause of Economic Entomology lost one of its greatest champions, and the farmers and fruit-growers of the West, and espe- cially of our sister State, Illinois, suffered an irreparable loss, in the sudden death, on November 18th, 1869, of Mr. Benj. D. Walsh, of Rock Island. At the time of his death, he was State Entomologist of Illinois, and my Associate iu the Editorship of the American Ento- mologist, published at St. Louis; and I hardly need say that this sad and unexpected fate of my friend has very much increased my own _ labors. WhenI add to this the fact that Mr. Walsh was prostrated for over three months last spring and summer, and that Mr. Wilcox, our State Printer, was ready for this Report at an earlier day than [had 4 PREFACE. anticipated; you will not be surprised to learn that several subjects which I had contemplated treating of, have been unavoidably de- ferred another year. . In order to make the sense of the text plain to every reader, and at the same time to insure scientific accuracy,I shall continue to con- form to the rules Jaid down in the introduction to my First Report— namely, to print all descriptions of merely scientific interest in smal} type; to use as far as possible a common name for each insect, always adding the scientific appellation in cta/zcs and parenthesis, so that it can be skipped,if necessary, without interfering in the least with the sense of the sentence; andto give the Order and Family to which each insect belongs, in parenthesis under each heading. The reader will also bear in mind that the dimensions given, are expressed in inches and the fractional parts of an inch, 0.25 thus im- plying a quarter of aninch; and that the sign g is an abbreviation tor the word male,the sign 2 for female, and the sign ? for neuter. My grateful acknowledgments are due to the Superintendents ‘of the Missouri Pacific, South Pacific, Iron Mountain, Hannibal and St. Joseph, North Missouri, and Illinois Central Railroads for free passes over their respective routes. All which is respectfully submitted by CHARLES V. RILEY, State Entomologist. Sr. Lours, Mo., Dec. 2, 1869. [CopYRIGHT SECURED TO THE AUTHOR. ] NOXIOUS INSECTS. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENTOMOLOGY. READ BEFORE THE MISSOURL STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, AT ITS ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING, BY C. V. RILEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, {n the preparation of my Annual Report, I have dwelt in detail on many insects that have attracted attention during the year, either by their injuries or benefits. In that Report numerous illustrations will be used to appeal te the eye of the reader, and as it will be published in the same volume with your transactions, I deem it superfluous at the present time to dwell on the natural history of any one insect. Permit me, therefore, te cursorily refer to a few of the prominent en- tomological events of the year, and afterwards to make a few gener- alizations, which it is hoped will prove of some little interest and value. The year 1869 may be set down as one in which our crops, as a generai thing, have suffered less than usual from insect depredations. At least such has been the case in Missouri, and, judging from ex- tensive correspondence, the same statement would hold true of most of the northern and middle States of the Union. True, the Army-worm (Leucania unipuncta, Haw.), and thesGrain Plant-louse ( Aphis avene, Fabr.), appeared in many parts of the State in sufficient force to do considerable damage, and these twe insects may always be expected in a tolerably wet year that was preceded by a very dry one. But most insects, and especially those which afflict you as horticulturists, have behaved exceedingly well, though it is difficult to say whether we are to attribute this good behavior on their part, to the increased knowledge of their habits which has 6 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF been disseminated among those who have to deal with them, or to the more potent and unalterable workings of Nature. The Chinch Bug, which in the dry summer of 1868, committed such ravages upon our grain crops in many portions of our State, and especially in the southwest, was scarcely heard of in 1869, after the copious rains which characterized the past summer commenced to shower down. The Apple Worm, or Codling Moth has been alto- gether less injurious than it was the year before, and in Adair, Bu- chanan, Cooper, Callaway, Cass, Lewis and Polk counties, especially, and probably all over the State, our orchards have been loaded with fair fruit. This result was predicted by the writer, and may be at- tributed prineipally to the scarcity of the insect, resulting from the partial failure of the apple crop in 1868; but in some part to the im- proved methods of fighting the foe. For, as in our civil strifes, we introduce improvements in the machinery which is to slay the oppos- Ing armies, so in this progressive age, we believe in introducing ma- chinery to battle with our liliputian insect hosts, whenever itis avail- able. And the experience of the past year proves, that to destroy this insect, old pieces of rumpled rag or carpet placed in the erotch of a tree, are to be preferred to the hay-bands wrapped around it, be- cause it requires altogether less time to place the rags in their place than to fasten the hay-band; and the worms which spin up in them can be killed by wholesale, either by scalding the rags or by pressing them through the wringer of a washing machine. Owing to the severe drouth of 1868, which was unfavorable to its successful transformations, that dreaded foe of the fruit-grower, the Plum Curculio, was scarce in the early part of the season, and our plum and peach trees set a fuller crop than they had done before for years; but the subsequent moist weather was favorable to the under- ground evolutions of this little pest, and the new brood appeared in great numbers about the end of June and beginning of July, when they did much damage to stone-fruit and some damage to pip-fruit. by the gougings which they made for food. As stated in an essay read before the State meeting of our Illinois horticultural friends, i have discovered a little cannibal in the shape of a minute yellow species of 7’ hrips, which destroys vast numbers of the “ Little Turk’s’” eggs; and let us hope, that by attacking the Curculio in its most vul- nerable point, this 7’ Arips may in the course of a few years reduce the numbers of the Curculio, as the ladybirds have done with the Colorado Potato-bug, or as the minute mite (Acarus mali) is known to have done with the common Oyster-shell Bark-louse of the Apple. The eggs of the Apple-tree Plant-louse (Aphis mali) which last win- ter so thickly covered the twigs of the apple trees in many orchards, hatched and produced a prodigious number of lice as soon as the buds commenced to burst. In this immediate neighborhood they were soon swept away, however, by their cannibal insect foes, and by insectivorous birds, such as the warblers, etc.; but a physiological THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. q fact connected with this insect has been developed this year by Dr. EK. S. Hull, the able Lllinois State Horticulturist, which is of such im- portance that I cannot pass it over even in this brief report. He has ascertained that we suffer from the injurious punctures of their little beaks long after the lice themselves have disappeared. In fact, he has proved to his own satisfaction that the so-called ‘‘ scab” in apples, which prevailed to such an alarming extent last year, and rendered thousands and thousands of bushels valueless for market purposes, is actually caused by the punctures of these lice. I said that the doctor had proved this matter “ to his own satisfaction,” because I believe that caution requires that we should not consider it as an established fact until all objections to it can be dispelled. Personally I have made no observations on this matter, but the facts in the case all add weight to Dr. Hull’s theory, if such it can be called. Hitherto the cause of the “scab” on apples has been involved in mystery. It was supposed to have a fungoid origin; yet an examination will show that the scabby appearance is not caused by any live fungus, but by arrested growth of the cells which have become corky and cicatrized. The importance of this discovery of Dr. Hull’s, should it once be firmly established, cannot well be estimated; for when we have once ascertained the cause of a disease, it need scarcely exist any longer. By destroying the lice we shall prevent scabby apples, and experience teaches that they can be destroyed by a good syring- ing of tobacco-water. We may expect, in this immediate vicinity, an almost total exemption from “scab” next year, for the apple trees are remarkably free from the minute black bead-like eggs of the Plant-louse with which they were so thoroughly peppered a year ago. The Tent Caterpillar (Clistocampa Americana) was more abund- ant than usual in our orchards, and the Tent Caterpillar of the Forest ( Clisiocampa sylvatica) also appeared in great numbers both on our orchard and forest trees. A worm which I have called the Pickle Worm, (Phacellura niti- dalis, Cram.) and which had never been publicly noticed before, ap- peared in immense numbers, and did great damage to our.cucumbers and melons by boring into the fruit, but as this insect, with others, will be fully treated of in my forthcoming Report, I will’pass on to a more general subject. ‘ presented, or become too well known. We can well A i afford to endure his unpleasant odor, when we duly 2 , reflect on his kind services. Just think of it, you bit- ter bug-haters—this little soldier has, beyond all doubt, saved thou- sands of dollars to the State of Missouri in the last few years, by heroically stabbing and slaying countless hosts of one of your worst enemies! That he should have the bed-buggy odor is not very sur- prising, since he appertains to a large and extensive group, (the Scew- tellera family) most of the other species belonging to which are plant- feeders. Indeed it is a very general rule, to which I know of but one exception* that the insect in the great Reduvius family among the Half-winged Bugs, every one of which is of carnivorous propensities, never have this peculiarly nauseous aroma; and that it is bestowed only upon certain plant-feeding bugs, to protect them no doubt from their insect foes, in the same manner as the skunk is protected from the eagle by his odoriferous tail. Yet while many of the plant-feed- ing Bugs do have this odor, a good many of them are entirely free from it, and some few of them really smell so agreeably that the fact has been thought worthy to be recorded by entomological writers. Even that detestable pest, already referred to, the common Squash Bug, sometimes emits a pleasant aroma, altogether different from that which it normally gives out; for I have kept this winter, in a separate box, one which emits a most pungent but agreeable smell, very much resembling that of a very ripe, rich pear. But perhaps the most sug- gestive fact of all is that, notwithstanding the close alliance between the two Orders of Half-winged and Whole-winged Bugs, there is not a single known species of the latter that has ever been known to ex- hale the bedbuggy effluvium, which is met with in so many species belonging to the former. Tue Instprous FLower-spue.—First among the insects frequently mistaken for the Chinch Bug, may be mentioned the Insidious Flower- bug (Anthocoris insidious, Say) already referred to under the head of “Cannibal Foes of the Chinch Bug.” This little Flower-bug has beeu usually referred by entomologists to the same extensive group (Lycus family) as the true Chinch Bug, though more recent authors have placed it in a distinct group on account of itsshort three-jointed beak. Tue Asu-Gray Lrear-Bue.—Second among the Bogus Chinch Bugs may be mentioned the Ash-gray Leaf-bug (Piesma cinerea, Say) a * A shiny black species of Nabis (Nabis marginatus, Uhler, wie smells as much likea Bed Bug as the most peaceable Plant-feeder. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 33 small greenish-gray bug of which I present herewith a highly magni- fied figure (Fig. 8), its true size being about the same as that of the Chinch Bug for which it has been mistaken, though it lacks altogether the conspicuousblack and white markings which characterize that [Fig. 8.] little grain pest, and really resembles it in nothing but the unpleasant odor which it emits. In the summer of 1868, Col. F. Hecker, of St. Clair county, Illinois (See Am. Entomologist, I, p.19), found an insect, which he mistook for the Chinch Bug, destroying the blossom \- buds of his grape-vines. Now as the Ash-gray Leaf- bug is known to work in this way on the Grape-vine, * and as I found it abundant in Col. Foster’s vineyard, on the Iron Mountain Railroad in this State, it was doubt- less this species which injured Col. Hecker’s vines; for the true Chinch Bug has never hitherto been observed to attack woody plants like the Grape-vine, but confines itself exclusively to herbaceous plants, such as wheat, oats, Indian corn, etc. The Ash- gray Leaf-bug belongs to an entirely different group from the Chinch Bug ( 7ingis family) all the species of which have a short 3-jointed beak, which however differs from that of the 3-jointed beak of the _ Flower-bugs (Anthocoris) by being encased in a groove when not in use, They mostly live on green leaves in all their three stages, after the fashion of plant lice. Like the Chinch Bug, the Ash-gray Leaf-bug hybernates in the perfect state, and may be found in the winter in considerable numbers under the loose bark of standing trees and es- pecially under that of the Shag-bark Hickory. ; With the exception of the Ash-gray Leaf-bug, there is no North American species belonging tothe genus, that is known to attack fruit trees or fruit-bearing bushes or vines; though there are several - that infest forest trees—each species generally confining itself to a particular genus of trees. But in Kurope there is a species, the Pear- tree Leaf-bug (Zingis pyri) which is so injurious to the Pear, that the French gardeners have given it the name of “the Tiger.” It is to be hoped that it may never, like another European pest of pear- growers, the Pear-tree Flea-louse (Psylla pyri)—which has already been introduced into the New England States, and will perhaps make its way out West—traverse the Atlantic ocean and take out its natu- ralization papers in this country. Tue Fira-tixe Necro-pue.—Third among the bogus Chinch Bugs may be mentioned the Flea-like Negro-bug (Corimelena pulicaria, [Fig. 9.] Germar), of which I bere present a magnified out- Pe line (Fig. 9). Its color is black with a white stripe each side. This insect resembles the Chinch Bug in having an ordinary 4-jointed beak, but differs from it in belonging to a very distinct and well marked group (Scutellera family), which is piurncterized by the enormous size of the “scutel” or shield. 3—E R 34 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF In the most numerously represented division of this family the scutel forms a large triangle, extending along the back about half-way to the tip of the abdomen, as may be seen in the figure of the Spined Soldier-bug (Fig. 7), referred toon a previous page. But in another division of this family which does not contain nearly so many species, the scute!, instead of being angular, is rounded at top and covers more or less the entire upper surface of theabdomen. Itis to this last division that the Flea-like Negro-bug belongs, and the dirty yellow or white stripes at its sides arereally nothing but the thick- ened anterior edge of the front wings, all the remaining part of the front wings, as well as the entire hind wings, being, in repose, com- pletely hidden under this enormously extended shield. In the Bor- dered Soldier-bug, as the reader will perceive from the Pp annexed drawing (Fig. 10), which I reproduce from my First Report, the scutel is indeed rounded, and also > extends a considerable distance over the abdomen; but ,as it otherwise agrees with the other Soldier-bugs in the rest of its organization, it is classified with them, Y *% and not with our Negro-bug. The Flea-like Negro-bug has been known to injure various plants for two or three years back. I found it exceedingly abundant last summer in all parts of the State which I visited. It has a great pas- sion for the fruit of the Raspberry, and is sometimes so plentiful as to render the berries perfectly unsaleable by the bed-bug aroma which it communicates to them, as well as by sucking out their juices. Wherever it occurs, the nauseous flavor which it imparts to every berry which it touches, will soon make its presence manifest, though the little scamp may elude ocular detection. Itis really too bad that such alittle black varmint should so mar the exceeding pleasure which a lover of this delicious fruit always experiences when in the midst of a raspberry plantation in the fruit season. It is also quite injurious to the Strawberry, puncturing the stem with its little beak, and thus causing either blossom or fruit to wilt; and the following extract, taken from a communication to the Western Rural by Mr. B. Pullen, of Centralia, Ills., undoubtedly refers to the same Bug, and would indicate that it made its first appearance in that neighborhood last summer: “A new insect, to us here, has appeared on our strawberries for the first time the past season, damaging the crop very much. It re- sembles somewhat the Chinch Bug, so destructive to our wheat and corn, and, judging from the peculiar odor they emit on being mashed, should think them very nearly related. Some claim that they are of a different species altogether. Whether this be so or not those inter- ested in the cultivation of the strawberry are anxiously looking for- ward to another season to see if they are to continue their depreda- tions. It likewise attacks the Strawberry in Canada, as an account of its attacking that plant, is given by my friend, C. J.S. Bethune, in the THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 35 Canada Farmer for August 1st, 1867; and it was under this very same serious charge that it was apprehended and brought up for trial at the last May meeting of the Alton (Ills.) Horticultural Society. It alse attacks both Cherry and Quince, occurring on these trees in very large nambers, and puncturing the blossoms and leaves, but espe- cially the fruit stems, which in consequence shrivel and die. It is also quite injurious to garden flowers and especially to the Coreop- sis, and abounds on certain weeds, among which may be mentioned the’ Red-root or New Jersey Tea-plant (Ceanothus Americanus), and Neckweed or Purslane-speedwell (Veronica peregrina). In the month of June under these two last named plants, they may be found in countless numbers of all sizes and ages, from the small light brown wingless, newly hatched individuals, to the full fledged jet black ones. In fact they breed on these weeds, and there is no more effectual method of checking their increase and thus preventing their injuries to our cultivated fruits, than by sprinkling these weeds, and the ground underneath them, with a good strong solution of Cresylic soap. [should advise the propagation of a small patch of either one of these weeds near a strawberry patch, as a decoy for the Bugs, which may thus be, to some extent, enticed away. from the straw- berry plants, and killed more readily. There are two other species of Negro-bug which are common in this State, though they never swarm in such injurious profusion as does the Flea-like Negro-bug. The first of these (Corémelena latera- dis, Fabr.) is absolutely undistinguishable from it however, except in being fully one-half longer and wider. The shape, sculpturing and coloring are exactly the same, even down to the lateral white stripe; so that, but for the fact of ne intermediate grades in size occurring, the two would be certainly censidered as mere varieties of one and the same species. The other Negro-bug (Cor. untcolor, Beauv.) is fully twice as long and wide as our insect; but though resembling it closely in every other respect, yet differs very notably in lacking the white anterior edging to the front wings. It might indeed be said, that the biggest Negro dresses entirely in black, while the two other smaller sized darkies relieve the sombre monotony of their sable suits, by wearing a conspicuously white shirt-collar. To these three bogus Chinch Bugs, might be added one or two other species of small stinking Bugs which have been, by some per- sons, mistaken fer the true Chinch Bug. But enough has been already said to show, that insects which in reality are shaped and fashioned as differently as are cows and deer, are yet often confounded together in the popular eye, principally, no doubt, because they have the same peculiar bed-bug aroma. Should the ignorance of the popular judg- ment in confounding these tiny creatures which seem to the Ento- mologist so very, very different from each other, therefore, be des- pised and ridiculed? Far be it from me to display such intolerant stupidity! As well might the nurseryman ridicule the grain-grower, . 36 : SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF because the grain-grower cannot distinguish a Baldwin Seedling from a High top apple; or the grain-grower the nurseryman because the nurseryman cannot tell Mediterranean from Tea wheat, or Club from Fife. I do, however, entertain an abiding hope that by the pres- ent very general and praiseworthy movement towards the populari- zation of Natural History, and by the dissemination of Entomological Reports, a better knowledge ofthis practically important subject will soon existin the community. Our farmers will then, not so often wage a war of extermination against their best friends, the cannibal and parasitic insects, while they overlook and neglect the very plant- feeders which are doing all the damage, and upon which the others are feeding in the very manner in which a Wise Providence has ap- pointed them to adopt. - RECAPITULATION. The following important points in the history of the Chinch Bug, may be considered as firmly established : 1st. Chinch Bugs hybernate in the perfect or winged state in any old dry rubbish, under dead leaves, in old straw, in corn-shucks and corn-stalks, among weeds in fence-corners, etc., etc. Therefore all — such substances should be burned up,as far as possible, inthe spring. 9nd. The earlier small grain can be sowed in the spring, the more likely itis to escape the Chinch Bug; for it will then get ripe be- fore the spring brood of bugs has had time to become fully developed at the expense of the grain. 3d. The harder the ground is where the grain is sowed, the less chance there is for the Chinch Bug to penetrate to the roots of the grain and lay its eggs thereon. Hence the importance of fall-plough- ing and using the roller upon land that is loose and friable. And hence, if old corn-ground is sufficiently clean, it is a good plan to har- row in a crop of small grain upon it without ploughing it at all. Moreover this rolling plan should always be adopted, as the best wheat-growers both in this country and in Europe attest that the heavier the ground for wheat is rolled, the better will be the crop. 4th. A single heavy rain immediately checks up the propagation of the Chinch Bugs. Continued heavy rains diminish their numbers most materially. A long-continued wet season, such as that of 1865, almost sweeps the whole brood of them from off the face of the earth ; but from the rapid rate at which they multiply there will always be enough left for seed for another year. It may be laid down, not only as a general, but universal rule, that this insect is never ruinously destructive, except in those sections of country where there is con- tinued hot dry weather; and that if, in two adjoining districts, there has been a dry summer in one and much wet weather during the sum- mer season in the other, however plentiful and destructive the bug may be in the first district, it will scarcely be heard of in the second. Certainly this state of facts is.-not exactly that from which any rea- sonable man would infer, that the paucity of Chinch Bugs in a wet e o THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ot season is caused by an Epidemic Disease taking them off. We might as well maintain that, although there was no Epidemic Disease among the children of Israel that had just crossed the Red Sea, or among the Egyptians that staid at home, it was simply and solely an Epi- demic Disease that slew the pursuing hosts of the Egyptians and cov- ered the bottom of the Rea Sea with their carcasses. THE ARMY-WORM—Leucania unipuncta, Haw. { Lepidoptera Noctuide.] Among those insects which attract especial attention, either from the peculiarity of their habits, or the vast amount of damage which they inflict, the notorious Army-worm holds a conspicuous place. The mode in which these worms travel in vast armies when in search of food, the great value of the cereals and the grasses to which they for the most part confine their ravages, their sudden appearance in such incomputable numbers, and their equally sudden disappearance, all tend to arouse the curiosity and interest of even the most indiffer- ent observer. Before giving a history of this insect, it will be necessary to state that there are four distinct caterpillars, producing four perfectly dis- tinct moths, which have been designated as Arm y-worms in various parts of the United States. First—The Tent-caterpillar of the Forest ( Olisiocampa sylvatica, Harr.) has been erroneously known by the name of “Army-worm ” in the northwest corner of the State of New York. A back view of this caterpillar is given in the accompanying sketch (Fig. 11) (Fig-11.] by which it will at once be recognized by the \\WWV, reader. For a number of days, last June, this worm sy, might have been seen marching “single file” up the rail- = road track on Pilot Knob, in the scorching rays of the noon- = day sun; and it is often found crawling along roads in very “¥—considerable numbers. Yet it cannot with propriety be called an Army-worm, and our Eastern friends had best drop the title and avoid confusion in the future. ; Second—The Cotton-worm (Anomis aylina, Say), 1s tet=—very generally known by the name of “ the Cotton Army- #== worm,” in the South. The term as applied to this species is = not altogether inappropriate, as the worm frequently appears in immense armies, and when moved by necessity will trave} Z/A\NS over the ground in “solid phalanx ;” and so long as the word “Ootton” is attached—its ravages being strictly confined to this plant—there is no danger of its being confounded with the true Army-worm. ‘The term has furthermore received the sanction of custom in the Southern States, and of Mr. Glover in his Department Reports. Ae 38 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF As various attempts have been made, with more or less success, to grow the cotton plant in the southern parts of this State, a descrip- ‘tion of this insect will not be inappropriate, the more especially, since it will teach the reader the difference between it and the true Army-worm. The Cotton-worm was first seientifically described by Mr. Thomas Say, in the year 1827. According to Dr. D. L. Phares, ef Woodville, Miss., it destroyed at a low estimate, 200 tons of cotton in the Baha- mas as long ago as 1788; while in Georgia it completely destroyed the crop in 1793. According to Dr. Capers* its injuries were noticed in 1800, and it likewise proved very destructive in 1804, 1825 and 1826. Since the last date, as we may learn from old volumes of the American Farmer, of Baltimore, Md., and from the Patent Office Reports, it has done more or less damage to the crop almost annually, in some part or other of the cotton-growing district. As with the real grass-feed- ing Army-worm of the Middle States, it swarms in particular years to such an extent as to utterly ruin the crop, while in other years it is scarcely noticed. This fact has led many to infer that there is a stated periodicity in its returns in such immense numbers; but the natural history of the worm confutes such an idea, while the records give no foundation for the inference. The sudden increase or decrease of this, as of other species of noxious insects, depends on climatic, as well as on other equally potent influences. [Fig. 12.} The egg, (Fig. 12, @), according to Dr. Phares is shaped “ pre- cisely like a scull-cap, with rows of pinheads from base to apex as thickly set as possible,” appearing as if moulded in a very deep saucer. These eggs are of a translucent green color, and are depos- ited upon the under side of the leaves, and from their small size, are naturally difficult of detection. Each female moth deposits from 400 to 600, and according to the late Thomas Affleck, of Brenham, Texas, they hatch two days after being deposited, if the weather be moist and warm. The worms (Fig. 12 4, + grown) at first feed upon the par- enchyma or soft fleshy parts of the leaves, but afterwards devour in- *Patent Office Rep., 1855, p- 24. RE Kt s THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 differently, not only any portion of the leaves, but also the blossom- bud and blossom, together with the calyx leaves at the base of the boll, thus causing the lobes which hold the cotton, to fall entirely back and allow the cotton to drop at the slightest touch. While young these worms readily let themselves down by a web when disturbed, but when older they make less use of this web, and jerk themselves away to a considerable distance when suddenly touched. They cast their skins at five successive periods, and come to their growth in the incredibly short space of fifteen or twenty days. Mr. Affleck even states that they usually enter the chrysalis state on the eleventh day after hatching; but I incline to believe that such a brief larval exist- ence is extremely exceptional, and the length of time required for them to mature will not only differ in different individuals of the same brood, but will vary with the state of the atmosphere. At Figure 12 ¢ is given a side view, and at d a back view of a full-grown worm. It has the normal complement of legs—namely 16—but the two fore- most pair of false legs, or those under segments 6 and 7, are so re- duced in size that they are scarcely used in motion, and it conse- quently loops when walking. I have upon two occasions received full-grown specimens of this worm, and they differ materially, both in depth of shade, coloration and markings, as indeed do almost all the larvz of moths belonging to the same (Noctua) family. The most common color is light green, though they are frequently quite dark with a purplish hue at the sides, and with black backs. Whether light or dark colored, how- ever, they are more or less distinctly marked with pale longitudinal lines and black spots, as in the above figures. Mr. Lyman, in his “ Cotton Culture,” says of this insect: “The first moths that visit a crop deposit their eggs anddie. These eggs in ten days become little worms, which fall to eating the leaf on which they were hatched, and as they grow, consume the plant and pass to another. But age comes on apace with these ephemeral creatures ; the worm presently grows weary of devouring,‘selects a leaf, rolls himself in a little cocoon and dies.” Of course this is a!serious mis- take to think that the worm dies, else how could it produce the moth which, as Mr. Lyman himself shows, afterwards issues from the cocoon. It is astonishing to find such gross errors creeping into our popular works, but then, the study of these contemptible little Bugs, even if they do sometimes totally destroy the crop, is of course beneath the dignity of the man who can write a work on cotton culture!! The truth of the matter is that, when they have completed their growth, the worms fold over the edge of a leaf (Fig. 12 ¢), and, after lining the inside with silk, change to chrysalids (Fig. 12 7), which are at first green, but soon acquire a chestnut-brown color; after remaining in this last state (in which, though the insect is inactive, it is yet full of life, and undergoing wonderful development) from seven to fourteen days, or even longer, the moth escapes, the chrysalis being held fast 40 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF within the cocoon by means of several very minute hooks with whieh the tail is furnished. [ Fig. 13.] At Figure 13 a, this moth De { eegis represented with the wings Viayy expanded, and at b, with the wings closed. The general color of the upper surface is a golden-yellow inclining to buff, with a faint olive tint near the outer or posterior margin. The fore wings are crossed, as in the above figures, by more or less distinct, irregular lilac-colored lines. But the chief character- istic is a dark slate-colored, or black spot on the front wings, in which spot there are paler scales forming almost a double pupil as repre- sented in the figures, while between this spot and the base of the wings there is a much smaller pure white dot. In general color and in the position of the larger spot, this moth bears a remarkable re- semblance to that of the true Army-worm of the Northern and Middle States. Mr. Affleck, who certainly had abundant opportunities for observ- ing the fact, assured me that this moth rests in the position shown in Figure 15, 6, namely, with the head downwards. He wrote on August 92d, 1868: “The Cotton moth ( Ophinsa xylina of Harris in his corres- — pondence with myself) never alights in any other position, or if by accident it first assumes another position, it instantly wheels around head down.” According to the best authority, there are three different broods of worms during the year, the first appearing in June or July, and the last, which does the most damage, appearing in August or Septem- ber, or even later. Mr. Lyman, in the little work already referred to, says: “That nature hasmade no provision by which either the fly, the worm, the chrysalis or the eggs, can survive the winter or exist for any length of time where the coiton plant is not a perennial.” But this is surely an error, which Mr. Lyman would never have made, had he possessed a better knowledge of insect-life ; and as Mr. Glover found that the chrysalis was killed by the slightest frost, the insect evidently winters over in the moth state, as do many others belong- ing to thesame tribe. Mr. W. B. Seabrook gives strong evidence that this is the case, in a “* Memoir on the Cotton Plant,” read in 1843, be- fore the State Agricultural Society of South Carolina, wherein he says: “That the Cotton Moth survives the winter is nearly certain. An ex- amination of the neighboring woods, especially after a mild winter, has often been successfully made for that purpose.” And Dr. Phares states positively that the moth hybernates in piles of cotton seed under shelter, under bark and in crevices of trees in dense forests and other secluded places, and that it may often be seen on pleasant days in winter. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 41 The two principal remedies which have hitherto been relied upon are, Ist, hand-picking; 2d, destroying the moths by fires, to which they are naturally attracted. The first method is sure, but tedious and somewhat impracticable on a very large scale. The second is most effectual if carried out when the first moths appear, in May and June. lf these two methods were persistently carried out in the early part of the season throughout any given cotton-growing county, they would of themselves be sufficient to save the crop; but the efforts of individuals are of no avail, where there are slovenly neighbors who neglect to perform these labors. It would therefore be of incalcul- able advantage, if something could be applied to the plants which would prevent the moths from depositing their eggs upon them, as the industrious planter could then set at defiance his more slovenly neighbor.' Mr. Affleck was enthusiastic in his praise of cresylic soap as such a plant-protector, and I received a long letter, writteh a few weeks previous to his death, and showing how he had found that no cotton moth had ever deposited an egg on any plant that had been sprinkled with a solution of this soap. But Dr. Phares states that it was pretty thoroughly tried last year, and proved a failure, though he does not give the reason why. It is some little consolation to know that the character of the sea- son determines their numbers, and that if none make their appear- ance in any stage by the first of July, there is little to be feared from them the rest of that year. Third—tThere is in the South another insect (Laphrygnia frugt- perda, Sm. & Abb.?) which is frequently known by the ominous name uf “Army worm ;” an insect which also will attack cotton, though it prefers grasses and weeds. This species in its habits resembles the true Army-worm of the Middle States, more closely perhaps than does the Cotton Army-worm, and Mr. Joseph B. Lyman, in his recent work on “Cotton culture ”* (p. 92), calls it the “Army-worm;” yet to prevent confusion, the cognomen should be lisdatareiaeseibadt and the term - “Southern Grass-worm ” (by which it is already very generally known) should be strictly applied to this third bogus Army-worm. We now come to the veritable Army-worm of the Northern and Middle States —the insect which is the subject of this article, and we will dwell for a few moments on the PAST HISTORY OF THE TRUE ARMY-WORM. If we trace back the history of the Army-worm in this country, we find that inaccuracy and confusion characterize most of the ree- ords concerning it previous to the year 1861. In that year, however, by the contemporaneous observations and experiments of several entomologists, in different sections of the United States, its natural history was first made known to the world, and the parent moth iden- tified. * Cotton Culture, by J. B. Lyman, late of Louisiana. Orange Judd & Co., New York. 42 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF The very earliest record which we find of its appearance in this country is in Flint’s 2nd Report on the Agriculture of Massachusetts, where it is stated that in 1743 “there were millions of devouring worms in armies, threatening to cut off every green thing.” In 1770 it spread over New England in alarming numbers. Dr. Fitch in his 6th Report quotes the following full and interesting ac- count from the Rev. Grant Powers’s Historical Sketches of the Cois Country in the Northern partof New Hampshire. “In the summer of 1770 an army of worms extended from Lancaster, the shire town of Coés County, N. H,, to Northfield, Mass., almost the whole length of the Granite State. They began to appear the latter part of July, and continued their ravages until September. They were then called the ‘Northern Army,’ as they seemed to advance from the north or north- west to the south. It was not known that they passed the highlands between the rivers Connecticut and Merrimack. Dr. Burton, of Thetford, Vermont, informed the author that he had seen the pastures so covered with them, that he could not put down his finger without touching a worm, remarking that ‘he had seen more than ten bushels inaheap. They were unlike anything that generation had ever seen. There wasa stripe upon the back like black velvet, and on each side a stripe of yellow from end to end, and the rest of the body was brown. They were seen not larger than a pin, but in maturity were as long as a man’s finger and of proportionate thickness. They appeared to be in great haste, except when they halted to feed. They entered the houses of the people and came up into the kneading troughs as did the frogs in Egypt. They went up the sides of the houses and over them in such compact columns that nothing of the boards or shingles could be seen. Pumpkin-vines, peas, potatoes and flax escaped their ravages. But wheat and corn disappeared before them as by magic. Fields of corn in the Haverhill and Newbury meadows, so thick that aman could hardly be seen a rod distant, were in ten days entirely defoliated by the ‘Northern Army.’ Trenches were dug around fields a foot deep, as a defence, but they were soon filled and the millions in the rear passed on and took possession of the interdicted feed. Another expedient was resorted to: Trenches were cut, and thin sticks, six inches in diameter, were sharpened and used to make holes in the bottom of the trenches within two or three feet of one another, to the depth of two or three feet in the bottom lands, and when these holes were filled with worms, the stick was plunged into the holes, thus destroying the vermin. In this way some corn was saved. About the first of September the worms sud- denly disappeared. Where or how they terminated their career is unknown, for not the carcass of a worm was seen. Had it not been for pumpkins, which were exceedingly abundant, and potatoes, the people would have greatly suffered for food. As it was, great priva- tion was felt on account of the loss of grass and grain.” THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 43 The same writer adds that “in 1781, eleven years after, the same kind of worm appeared again, and the fears of the people were arhpg ss excited, but this time they were few in number.” In 1790 their ravages are again recorded in Connecticut, where they were very destructive to the grass and corn, but their existence was short, all dying in a few weeks (Webster on Pestilence, I, 272.) Their next appearance in the Eastern States was in 1817, after an interval of twenty-seven years, according to Fitch, who quotes the following paragraph from the Albany (N. Y.) Argus: Worcester, Mass., May 22nd, 1817.—“ We learn that the black worm is making great ravages on some farms in this town, and in many other places in this part of the country. Their march is a ‘dis- played column,’ and their progress is as distinctly marked as the course of a fire which has overrun the herbage in a dry pasture. Not a blade of grass is left standing in theirrear. From the appearance of the worm it is supposed to be the same which usually infests gar- dens, and iscommonly called the cut worm. % a & This same worm is also destroying the vegetation in the northern towns of Rensselaer and eastern section of Saratoga, New York. Many meadows and pastures have been rendered by their depreda- tions as barren asaheath. It appears to be thesame species of worm that has created so much alanm in Worcester county, but we suspect it is different from the cut worm, whose ravages appear to be confined to corn.” It was not until after a lapse of forty-four years from the last mentioned date, namely, in the summer of 1861, that this worm again spread over the meadows and grain fields of the Eastern States. During the interval, however, it had from time to time attracted at- tention in the Western States, where it often proved quite destruc- tive. Thus, in [linois, itis recorded as having appeared in 1818, 1820, 1825, 1826, 1854, 1841, 1842, 1845 and 1856, and according to Mr. B. F. Wiley, of Makanda, II].,it was quite numerous and destructive in the southern part of the State in 1849, and appeared. there also in 1857, though it was confined that year to limited localities.* Mr. J. Kirkpatrick, of Ohio, mentions its appearance in the northern part of that State in 1855. He says: “ Last season (1855), in consequence of the heavy rains in the early part of June, the flats of the Cuyahoga, near Cleveland, were flooded. After the subsidence of the water, and while the grass was yet coated with the muddy deposit, myriads of small blackish caterpillars appeared; almost every blade had its inhabitant; no animal could feed upon it without, at every bite, swallowing several; if anew blade sprung up, it was immediately devoured, but what was most remarkable, the insects did not attempt to remove to land a foot or two higher but that had not been covered by the water.”’+ é *Prairie Farmer, July 18th, 1861. {Ohio Agricultural Report, 1855, p. 350. 44 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF The year 1861 will long be remembered as a remarkable Army- worm year, for this insect was observed in particular localities throughout the whole nerthern and middle portion of the United States from New Engiand to Kansas. It was first noticed in numbers sufficient to cause alarm, in Tennessee and Kentucky during the month of April; and toward the close of the same month it appeared in the southern counties of Illinois. By the end of Juneit had visited nearly all portions of the latter State, proving more or less destruc- tive to grass, wheat, oats, rye, sorghum and corn. Its advent in Missouri was simultaneous with that in Illinois, and judging from what facts I have accumulated, it occurred very gen- erally over this State, though recorded only in St. Louis, Jefferson, Warren, Boone, Howard and Pike counties. No mention is made of its occurrence, at this time, in any of the States or Territories west of Missouri, but to the East, scarcely a single State escaped its ravages. In many portions of Ohio it entirely destroyed the hay and grain crops, and in the eastern part of Massachusetts the damage done was reported to exceed a half million of dollars. Singularly enough, I can find no trace of the occurrence of this insect in Missouri prior to the year 1861, and the first intelligible ac- count of it from the pen of a Missourian, is that by Dr. Wislizenus of St. Louis, published in the Transactions of the St. Louis Academy of Science (Vol. II, No. 1, pp. 159-60). My good friend Wislizenus then erroneeusly supposed it to be identical with the Bombyx grami- nis of Northern Europe—an insect which commits similar devasta- tions on the grasses and cereals in that country. But I believe he is now well aware that it is an entirely distinct species. Since 1861 the Army-worm has never spread so generally over such a vast extent of country, though in 1865 it appeared in consid- erable numbers around St. Joseph in this State, and in 1866 did some damage near Quincy, Ills.,as we learn from the Quincy Whig. Last year it made its appearance again 1n vast numbers in many portions of this State, especially in St. Louis, Jefferson, Cooper, Cal- laway, Henry, St. Clair, Marion, Ralls, and Lafayette counties, and in some counties in Illinois and Indiana. The first intimation I received of its appearance in Missouri was the following letter sent to me by Mr. A. E. Trabue of Hannibal, under date of June 8th: Tinclose a match-box with grass and two worms, which we think are Army-worms. They are here in myriads destroying the grass. Destroyed a hundred acres of blue grass meadow in five days, and are now advancing on me. What are they and their habits? Carbolic acid (one part acid, 20 parts water) kills them if they get a good drench with it, but is too expensive at that rate. They will cross a trail of it without injury, though they evidently dislike the smell. Have sent to town for coal tar to see if they will cross it when the ground is soaked with it. The advancing column is a half mile wide. The hogs are very fond of them; will not notice corn when they THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 45 can get Army-worms, but we have more of the latter than they can dispose of. A. E. TRABUE. Upon receipt of this letter, I visited Hannibal and ascertained that the worm was even more numerous around New London, and especially on the farm of Mr. A. McPike. ITS SUDDEN APPEARANCE AND DISAPPEARANCE. The popular idea about the sudden appearance of an insect has always been an erroneous one. The ‘blows” or “ gentiles” in meat, “skippers” and mites in cheese, plant-lice on plants, etc., etc., are very generally supposed to have a spontaneous origin, and our sud- den Army-worm invasions have very generally been accounted for’ in the same way, by those who know nothing of Nature’s workings. Yes, and so-called savans—will it be credited !—have been anxious to so far tickle the popular faney as to conceive and give birth to theories (such as that of larval reproduction) which were not one whit more sensible or tenable. It is well known to entomologists, and the reader, by perusing the article on “Cut-worms” in my First Report, will soon become aware of the fact, that most of the larvz of our Owlet Moths (family Noctvide) rest hidden during the day and feed in the morning and evening, or at night. They are all smooth, tender-skinned worms, and cannot endure the scorching rays of the sun. Consequently many of them live almost habitually, just under the surface of the soil, while others shelter themselves under vegetable substances dur- ing the day. Our Army-worm forms no exception to the rule, for upon closely watching the habits of the hosts I witnessed last sum- mer in the field, and of hundreds which I had confined in breeding cages, I ascertained that they frequently hide themselves Cut-worm fashion, just under the surface of the ground, or under the plants upon which they feed. The Army-worm delights, in fact, in cool, moist and shady situations, and from the passage already quoted, from Mr. Kirkpatrick, where it is shown that the worms which swarmed on the Cuyahogo flats, did not attempt to remove to land a foot or so higher: and from further facts recorded by Dr. Fitch, it becomes evi- dent that its natural abode is in the wild grass of our swamps, or on low lands. During an excessive dry summer these swampy places dry out, and the insect, having a wider range where the conditions for its successful development are favorable, becomes greatly multi- plied. The eggs are consequently deposited over a greater area of territory, and if the succeeding year prove wet and favorable to the growth of the worms we shall have the abnormal condition of their appearing on our higher and drier lands, and of their marching from one field to another. For justso soon as the green grass is devoured, in any particular field in which they may have hatched, these worms are forced, both from hunger and from their sensibility to the sun’s rays, to leave the denuded field. 46 : - SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF Thus the fact becomes at once significant and explicable, that almost all great Army-worm years have been unusually wet, with the preceding year unusually dry, as Dr. Fitch has proved by record. The appearance of this insect last summer in the West forms no ex- ception, for the summer of 1868 was unusually dry and hot, while that of 1869 was decidedly wet. I may remark here, in further cor- roboration of these views, that, as might have been expected, no Army-worms were noticed last year in the Eastern States; for though in the summer of 1868 we of the West suffered so severely from drouth, yet in the East they were blessed with the usual amount of rain-fall, and in some sections had even more than the average amount. There is in reality nothing in the least mysterious in the sudden appearance and disappearance of the Army-worm, for the truth of the matter is, that there are afew of these insects in some part or other of the country every year, and I have for the past four or five years captured one or more specimens of the moth every fall. The eggs hatch during the early part of May, in the latitude of South I]li- nois and South Missouri,and the young worms may feed by millions in a meadow without attracting attention; but when they have become nearly full grown and have stripped bare the fields in which they were born, and commence to march as described above, they neces- sarily attract attention, for they are then exceedingly voracious, devouring more during the last three or four days of their worm-life, than they had done during the whole of their previous existence. As soon as they are full grown they burrow into the earth, and, of course, are never seen again as worms, Their increase and decrease is dependent on even more potent influences than those of a climatic nature. The worms are attacked by at least eight different parasites, and when we understand how persistent these last are, and how thoroughly they accomplish their murderous work, we cease to wonder at the almost total annihilation of the Army-worm the year following its appearance in such hosts. In the words of the late J. Kirkpatrick “their undue increase but combines the assaults of their enemies and thus brings them within bounds again.” We must also bear in mind, that besides these parasitic insects, there are some cannibal insects, such as the Fiery Ground-beetle (Calosoma calidum, Fabr.) and its larva,* which prey unmercifully upon the worms, while the “Mosquito Hawks” (Z7bellule) and bats, doubtless destroy many of the moths. Hogs, chickens and turkeys revel in the juicy carcasses of the worms, and sometimes to such an extent that, as lam informed by Mr. T. R. Allen, of Allenton, the former occasionally die in consequence, and the latter have been known to lay eggs in which the parts naturally white, would be green when cooked. Small birds, of various kinds, and toads and frogs also, -*First Report, Fig. 34. TF te THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 47 come in for their share of this dainty food; while the worms, when hard pushed, will even devour each other. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ARMY-WORM. Previous to the year 1861, but very little accurate knowledge had been acquired respecting the habits of the Army-worm, and nothing whatever of a scientific nature had been published. A few very observing farmérs ventured to predict its appearance during very wet summers succeeding very dry ones. They did not know why this was the case, but it was a fact that they had learned from experience. It was also known that the worm attacked only the grasses and cereals, that it was gregarious in its habits, and that it disappeared suddenly, in a manner as seemingly mysterious as that in which its advent was supposed to have been made. These few facts were about the enly ones of real value, respecting the habits of this insect, that could be gleaned from the statements of those who had suffered most from its ravages; while the subject seems to have been, up to that time, entirely ignored by entomologi- eal writers. In 1861, however, its very general appearance, and the vast amount of damage it did, attracted the attention, not only of farmers, bat of several well-known entomologists, among whom may be men- tioned our late friends, Walsh, of Illinois, and Kirkpatrick, of Ohio; and Cyrus Thomas, of Illinois, Dr. Fitch, of New York, and J. H. Klippart, of Ohio. As might have been expected, diverse conclusions were arrived at, and various theories entertained by these writers, and some very spirited correspondence between Messrs. Walsh and Thomas and Walsh and Klippart may be found in old files of both the Ohio Furmer and the Prairie Farmer. The principal point of dispute was, whether the Army-worm win- tered in the egg or chrysalis state, and, as a consequence, whether: it was single or double-brooded. It is needless to follow these gentlemen in their discussions, which were frequently caustic and pungent; but sometimes panteuk more of the character of personal wrangling than of a calm and conscien- tious search after truth. Two of the five parties mentioned above, are now in their graves, and while one of those yet living—Mr. Cyrus Thomas—believed in the two-brooded character of the insect; the other two evade the question entirely. Mr. Walsh took the ground that it was single-brooded, and the experience of the past year has convinced me that he was correct. The Army-worm, like all other insects, hatches from an egg, and this egg is evidently deposited by the parent moth at the base of perennial grass-stalks. In Southern Missouri it hatches out about the middle of April; in the central part of the State about the first, and in the northern part about the middle of May; in Massachusetts, 48 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF about the middle of June, and in Maine about the middle of July. In every. locality the worm goes underground about a month afterwards to assume the pupaorchrysalis state, and stays underground between two and three weeks. Hence, in the southern part of this State the moth appears about the fore part of June, and a month later in each successive locality as we go north, till in Maine, the period becomes the fore part of September. Of course, these dates will vary some- what with the character of the seasons, and sometimes from local causes; but, broadly speaking, they will hold good. The moths soon pair, and sometime during the summer and fall months, deposit their eggs in the positions already indicated. Many eggs are thus deposited in tame meadows, but there is little doubt in my mind that the great bulk of these eggs are deposited in low, damp situations, and if the fall should prove wet, instead of dry, many of them would perhaps get drowned out, and we should thus have another potent influence at work to decrease the numbers of the worm the succeeding year. I make this suggestion with all due con- sideration, for I have long since concluded that the instincts of insects, as of some of the higher animals, are not always suflicient to guard against all contingencies. It has been demonstrated beyond the possibility of a doubt, that the Plum Curculio deposits its eggs in fruit that overhangs water, and in other positions where the grub must inevitably perish; and certain flesh-flies are well known to deposit their eggs, by mistake, on flowers which have a putrescent smell. Darwin has remarked that a small South American bird (Furnarius cunicularius) which builds its nest at the bottom of a narrow, cylindrical hole, which extends horizontally several feet underground, is so incapable of acquiring any notion of thickness, that, although he saw specimens constantly flitting over a low clay wall, they continued vainly to bore through it, thinking it an excel- lent bank for their nests.* Many such instances of misdirected in- stinct might be cited, and they all lead me to believe that the female Army-worm moth would be just as likely to lay her eggs in situa- tions where they would drown out, as in situations more favor- able. The above may be considered as the normal habit of the Army- worm; but exceptional individuals occur, perhaps one in a hundred, but demonstrably not as many as one in twenty, which lie in the chrysalis state all through the winter and do not come out in the moth state till the following spring. The proportion of those which lie over till spring is doubtless greater in the more northern States than itis with us. The great fault which Mr. Walsh made in his ex- cellent paper on this insect, published in the Illinois State Agricul- tural ‘Transactions for 1861, was, that he drew his lines too rigidly; and allowed of no exceptions to the rule which he laid down, of its single-broodedness, He also fell into an error in roughly estimating ' # Voyage Roundithe World, p. 95...) GUS) su) See ee EE a THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 49 the average life of the moth at from three to five weeks. I have often caught the moths, both in the fall and spring months, even in years when the worms themselves were unnoticed by Sarmier, and Dr, Levi Bartlett, formerly of Pesotum, Ills., informed me shila he was practising i in Chicago, that he had himself ascertained that they would sometimes live at least three months, and that he had often found them as late as October. We must also bear in mind that they do not all mature and issue from the ground together, even in the same locality; but that an interval of from six to eight weeks may intervene between the issuing of the first and last moths. With these facts before usit is easy to comprehend how some of the moths ‘live long enough to deposit their eggs on newly sown fall grain, though grass meadows are more favorite resorts. It also becomes clear that the moths may sometimes lay their eggs before harvest upon growing grain, sufficiently high from the ground, for the egg to ‘be carried off with the straw; and this accounts for several well authenticated instances of the Army-worm starting from stack-yards, The. Army-worm larva varies but little in appearance from the time it hatches to the time when it is full grown. Some specimens are a shade darker than others, but on many thousands examined, I have found the markings very uniform as represented in the annexed _, is-14] cut (Fig. 14). The general color is dingy black, and ita is striped longitudinally as follows: On the back a ||broad dusky stripe; then a narrow black line; then: > \ i a narrow white line; then a yellowish stripe; then a MA) narrow sub-obsolete white line; then a dusky stripe; ‘\/ then a narrow white line; then a yellowish stripe; then a sub-obsolete white line; belly obscure green. Those who are more particular will find a detailed description at the endof this article. The chrysalis (Fig. 15) is of a shiny mahogany- brown color, with two stiff converging [Fig. 15.) _ thorns at the extremity, having two fine «9 curled hooks each side of them. The ™ general color of the moth is light reddish-brown or fawn color, and it is principally characterized by, and receives its name from, a white spot.near the center of its front wings, there being also a aasky ob- lique line running inwardly from their tips. The accompanying [Fig. 16.] illustration (Fig. 16), though darker than it should be, will show wherein it differs from »the Southern Cotton Army-worm, notwith- standing the colors of the two moths are nearly alike. Our Army-worm moth was first described by the English En- tomologist Haworth in the year 1810, in his Lepidoptera Brittanica, page 174, as ne ipo: Subsequently the French Entomologist Guenéo —ER 50 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF (Noctuelites I, p. 77) overlookinz the former’s description, and re- garding it as a new species, named it Leucania extranea. Of course Haworth’s name takes the precedence. It is considered a common species even in Kuropean collections, and Guenée mentions it as oc- curring in Brazil. A variety without the white spot occurs in Java and India, and still another, lacking the white spot, and having a dark border on the hind wings, occurs in Australia; while an occa- sional specimen has been capturedin England. A figure is given in Stainton’s Entomologist’s Annual for 1860, of one captured there in 1859, but if the figure be a correct one, the specimen is much lighter than ours, and the characteristic white spot is not nearly so conspicuous. PARASITES OF THE ARMY-WORM. Tue Rep-taiLteD Tacutna Fry—Zxorista leucaniw, Kirk.—To one who has never before seen the Army-worm in its might, the sight of the myriads as they return thwarted in their endeavors to cross, or of the living, moving and twisting mass which sometimes fills a ditch to the depth of several inches; is truly interesting. At Hannibal { was much surprised to find that fully nine worms out of every ten had upon the thoracic segments, just behind the head, from one to four minute, narrow, oval white eggs, about 0.04 inch long, attached firmly to the skin; and my companions were equally surprised when .I informed them that these were the eggs of a parasite, and that every one of the worms which had such eggs attached to it, would eventually succumb to one of the maggots these eggs produced. The eggs are no doubt deposited by the mother fly just behind the head, so that the worm may not reach the young maggots when they hatch, and be enabled to destroy them with its jaws. I have found several different kinds of cut-worms with just such eggs attached invariably on the back just behind the head. They are glued so strongly to the skin of the worm that they cannot be removed without tearing the flesh. The large two-winged parasitic flies which deposited these eggs, were wonderfully numerous, buzzing around us and about the worms likeso many bees, and the moment one was caught, I recognized it as the Red-tailed Tachina Fly. This is one of the most common and abundant of the Army-worm parasites, and attacks itin widely different parts of the country. I have also bred the same fly from the Variga- ted cut-worm (larvaof Agrotds inermis* ), and a variety of it from our common large Cecropia worm, which is often found on apple and other fruit trees. It was first very briefly andimperfectly described as Hxor- sta leuca[i|@, by the late J. Kirkpatrick, in the Ohio Agricultural Report for 1860, page 358, and was subsequently much more fully de- scribed as Senometopia [ Exorista] militaris by Mr. Walsh, in his Army-worm paper already referred to. Of course Mr. Kirkpatrick’s -#¥irst Report, p. 72. dhe a ee ae THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 51 name has the priority, but l introduce Mr. Walsh’s original descrip- tion of the fly and likewise the very same figure (Fig. 17) which he used to illustrate it. [Fig. 17.] Ezorista leucanie—Length, .25 to .40 inches, or from 6 to : 10 millimetres, the females not exceeding .30 inch. Face sil- very, with lateral black hairs only on the cheeks, at the top of which is a black bristle. Front, golden-olive, with a black cen- tral stripe, and lateral black convergent hairs. Occiput, dusky. Labium, brown, with yellowish hair. Maxipalps, rufous. Eyes, cinnamon-brown, covered with very short dense whitish hair. Antenne, two basal joints, black, with black hairs; third joint, flattened, dusky, and from two anda half to three times the = length of the second joint; seta, black. The entire hinder part of the head tess with dense whitish hair. Thorax glabrous, bluish-gray, lighter at the side, with four irregular black vitte, and black hairs and bristles. Scutel, reddish-brown, whitish be- hind, glabrous, with black hairs and bristles. Pectus, black, glabrous, with hairs and latera} bristles. Legs, black, hairy; thighs, dark cinereous beneath; pulvilli, cinereous. Wings, hy aline ; nervures, brownish; alule, opaque greenish-white. Abdomen, first joint black ; second and third, opalescent in the middle with black and gray, and at the sides with rufous and gray; last joint, rufous, slightly opalescent at the base with gray; all with black hairs and lateral bristles. Be- neath, the first joint is black, the others black, margined with rufous, all with black hairs. In the male the space between the eyes at the occiput is one-seventh of the transverse diameter of the head; in the female it is one-fourth. The colors of the abdomen sometimes ‘‘grease’’ and fade in the dried specimen. Bred fifty-four specimens from about the same number of Army-worms. Described from eight males and six females. Two species, similarly marked with rufous, but generally distinct, occur at Rock Island. Mr. Kirkpatrick also described on the same page of the Ohio Report for 1860, another species (?) to which he gave the name of Osten Sackenzi. But upon the very face of it, this proves to be buta smaller specimen of his /ewcanie; for the characters on which he would build this other species, are none of them constant. Hesays it differs from leucanie in its smaller size; in the gray bands on the abdomen not being so distinct; in some little variation in the position of the brown, and in the pulvil/{i|@ being more distinctly gray. Now leucanie@ va- ries from 0.25 to 0.40 inch in length; the brown on the abdomen is opalescent and varies; the Lec ye and gray abdominal markings vary far more in depth a shade than there set forth, and the abdo- men in fact, if the least greasy, often loses all trace of gray. [Fig. 18.] THe YELLOW-TAILED Tacaina FLy, (Hxoris- ta Havicauda, N. Sp.)\—We have another spe- cies in Missouri however, which may be call- —7ed the Yellow-tailed Tachina Fly, and which differs so notably from the Red-tailed species that it may be recognized even on the wing. It is almost twice as large, and the head in- stead of being narrower than the thorax as in leucanie is broader. Its flight is also more vigorous and its buzz twice as loud, I represent this species at Fig- ure 18, and draw up the following description for the scientific reader: Exorista flavicauda, N. Sp.—Length, 0.35 to 0.50 inch. Head broader than thorax; face, sil- very-white, the cheeks inclining to yellow, with lateral black hairs extending to near the base of 59 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF antennx, and one stiffer and longer bristle at top of cheeks; front, dusky, ferruginous, with two” rows of black converging bristles; divided by a broad depressed stripe of a brighter ferruginous color and without bristles ; occiput bright ferruginous; labium ferraginous with hairs of same color; maxipalps rufous; eyes dark mahogony-brown, and perfectly smooth; antennz, two basal joints rufous, with black hairs, third joint flattened, dusky,, and thrice as long as second; seta, black ; entire hinder part of head covered with dense white hairs. Thorax, more decidedly blue than in Ieucania, broader (instead of narrower) in front than behind; the vitte less distinct ; scute! of same color as thorax. Abdomen, stout and more cylindrical than in leucania; first joint dark bluish-gray ; second, light bluish-gray, becoming darker along the middle, at sides and at lower border ; third joint, like second above, but golden-gray at sides (no rufous); last jomt entirely yellow or pale orange, with no other color and but few black bristles around anus. Wings more dusky than in leucania; alule, opaque bluish-white. Lega, black ; pulvilli pale yeHow. Described from one captured, 4 bredQ. Space between eyes atoceipat fully one-third the widtl: of head. [Fig. 19.] To give an idea of the other parasites which attack the Army-worm, I will briefly allude to them, and transmit Li) descriptions for the scientific reader. ; (es Tue Grassy Mesoctorus—Mesochorus vitreus, Walsh. (Fig. 19.)—Length of body .08 inch, (two millimetres,) to .13 inch, (three millimetres); the small speci- mens being parasitic on the Army-worm and the large ones captured in Rock Is- land county. Male, general color light rufous. Eyes and ocelli, black; antennx fuscous, except toward the base. Upper surface of thorax in the larger specimen fuscous; inter- mediate and posterior tibia with spurs equal to one-fourth of their length ; posterior knees slightly dusky ; tips of posterior tibiz distinctly dusky. Wings hyaline; nervures and stigma, dusky. Abdomen, a translucent yellowish-white in its central one-third; the remaining two-thirds piceous- black, with a distinct narrow yellowish annulus at the base of the third joint. In the larger speci- men, which seems to be immature, the basal abdominal joint, and the articulations of the terminal joints are lightrufous. Appendiculum of the abdomen composed of two extremely fine sete, thick- ened at their base, whose length slightly exceeds the extreme width of the abdomen. The female differs from the male, in the head from the mouth upwards being piceous. The thorax and pectus, in all three specimens, are also piceous-black. Abdomen as in the smaller male. Ovipositor, which is dusky, slightly exceeds in length the width of the abdomen. Tue Diminished PezomAcHus—Pezomachus minimus, Walsh, (Fig. 20.).—Length of the body {Fig. 20.] .07 to .10 inch., (2 to 24 millimetres). Male, general color, [Fig. 21.] piceous. Eyes black; antenne black, except toward the at base, where they are light rufous. Legs rufous; hind legs a little dusky. Abdomen narrowed; second and sometimes (& J [the third joint annulate with rufous at tip. The female dif- | 2 7 E b J é “ny Oe fers from the male in the thorax being almost invariably 3 / “P rufous, and in the first three abdominal joints being gener- WT ieh i ally entirely rufous, with a piceous annulus at the base of the third, which is sometimes absent. The abdomen is also fuller and wider. Ovipositor dusky, equal in length to the width of the abdomen. No vestige of wings ineithersex, and the thorax contracted and divided as in Formica Fig. 22.] The larvz of this species issue from the body of the Army-worm, and spin on its skin, small cocoons symmetric- ally arranged side by side, and enveloped in floss (Fig. 21). It belongs to a genus of wingless Ichneumons, and in its turn is preyed upon by a small Chalezs fly (Chaleis albifrons, Walsh) which is represented at Figure 22. Tue Minitary MicroGasteR—Microgaster militaris, Walsh, (Fig. 23).—Length 0.07 inch. (Fig. 23.] Head black; palpi whitish ; antennz fuscous above, light brown beneath towards the base. Thorax black, polished, with very minute punctures. Wings hyaline ; (\f ie neryures and stigma fuscous; lower nervure of marginal, and exterior nervure of second submarginal cellule entirely obsolete. Lower nervule of third and terminal “ exerted. The cocoons of this little parasite are spun in irregu- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 53 lar masses, and are so completely covered with loose white silk that as a whole they look like little pieces of fine wool attached to the back of the Army-worms. They were very numerous last year in this State, and were sent to. me by several correspondents, under the supposition that they were the eggs of the Army-worm. Nothing could be more unsafe and erroneous than such a conclusion; for in- stead of giving birth to new generations of the Army-worm they pro- duce the little flies which are its most deadly foes. All the numer- Fig. 24] ous specimens which I bred accord exactly with the above named species. This parasite is also in its turn infested by two parasites (Glyphe viridascens (Fig. 24) and Hockeria perpulera, Walsh), but while over 90 per i cent. of Army-worms are killed by primary parasites, only about 18 per cent. of these primary parasites are destroyed by the secondary parasites. Tar Porcep Opnion—Gphion purgatue, Say*.—Body pale honey-yellow, somewhat sericeous ; {Fig. 25.] antenna rather longer than the body; orbits yellow, dilated be- fore, so as to occupy the greater part of the hypostoma; ocelli large, prominent; wings hyaline; stigma slender; first cubital cellule with two opaque, subtriangular spots; no areolet; meta- thorax with a single, raised, rectilinear, transverse line, near the base. Length, seven-tenths of an inch. This large Ichneumon Fly (Fig. 25) has been bred from the Army-worm. The ovipos- itor is very short, and instead of piercing the skin of her victim as do all the other Ichneu- mons that have been described, the female Ophion simply attaches her egg, which is bean- shaped, by a pedicle to the skin. The footless grub which hatches from this egg does not entirely leave the egg-case, but the last joints of its body remain attached to the shell, while it reaches over, and with its sharp jaws gnaws into the side of the worm (Packard). This Ophion has been taken in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, Dlinois, Missouri and Carolina and doubtless occurs all over the Uni- ted States. Tue Army-worm IcHNEUMON Fiy—Jchneumon lucanie, Fitch— Dr. Fitch* has briefly described another true Ichneumon Fly under the above name, which he bred from the Army-worm. Thus we have seven distinct and true parasites which attack this worm, and besides these, two others, undescribed, are figured in Har- ris’s Injurious Insects (last edition p. 630), swelling the number to - mine. Can we longer wonder that this dreaded foe to the farmer, never molests his crops for two successive years ? HABITS OF THE ARMY-WORM, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS DESTRUCTION. Since the great bulk of the eggs of the Army-worm are depos- ited in the summer and fall months in grass swamps and grass mead- * Ophion purgatus, Say.—0O. lateralis, Brullé. *N. Y. Reports, Vol. III, p. 126. 54 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF ows, and the eggs do not hatch out till the following spring, it be- comes obvious that burning over grass meadows in the winter or very early in the spring, must destroy most of the eggs. Many instances might be given where, in past years, burnt grass escaped the worm, while all the unburnt grass in the neighborhood was badly infested, and in one instance part of a meadow having been accidentally burnt and part remaining unburnt, the burnt portion in the following sum- mer, had no Army-worms on it, and the unburnt portion swarmed with them. Thus,if you burn your meadows over annually you will seldom be troubled with this pest, and if you get your neigh- bors to do the same thing, and in addition will also burn all the wild grass around you, the Army-worm will never do you any damage. The remedy is so simple that all can apply it. The best time to do this burning, is, as all practical men well know, in the dead of the year, when the ground is frozen; the roots of the grass are then un- harmed by the fire. Of course, ploughing the land late in the fall or late in the spring, will have the same effect as burning it, for if the eggs are turned two or three inches underground they will surely rot and fail to hatch. Here we see, as in the case of the Canker-worm, which I shall presently treat of, and as in the case of almost every other noxious insect, it is necessary accurately to investigate the habits and puculiarities of each one before we ean effectually coun- terwork it. During my visit to Hannibal last June, I ascertained that the worms orignated in a large 100-acre field of very rich blue-grass, be- longing to Mr. W. R. Flowerree. This gentleman makes a business of fattening cattle, and intended feeding off the grass in the fall; but that same blue-grass field had neither been pastured nor plowed the year before ; and this was the very reason why the worms originated there, as the reader will readily perceive from the foregoing account of the insect’s habits. The Army-worm when traveling will scarcely turn aside for any- thing but water, and even shallow water-courses will not always check its progress; for the advance columns will often continue to rush head-long into the water until they have sufficiently choked it up with their dead and dying bodies, to enable the rear guard to cross safely over. I have noticed that after crossing a bare field or bare road where they were subjected to the sun’s rays, they would congre- gate in immense numbers under the first shade they reached. Inone instance I recollect their collecting and covering the ground five or six deep all along the shady side of a fence for about a mile, while scarcely one was seen to cross on the sunny side of the same fence. Though they will nibble at clover, they evidently do not relishit, and almost always pass it by untouched. They will eat any of the grasses, and are fond of oats, rye, sorghum, corn and wheat, though they seldom devour any other part but the succulent leaves. They often cut off the ears of wheat and oats and allow them to fall to the ground, and THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. . 55. they are perhaps led to perform this wanton trick, by the succulency of the stem immediately below the ear. South of latitude 40° they generally appear before the wheat stalks get too hard, or early enough to materially injure it; but north of that line, wheat is generally too much ripened for their tastes, and issometimes even harvested before the full grown worms make their advent. I have heard of the Army-worm, sometimes passing through a wheat field when the wheat was nearly ripe, and doing good service by devouring all the chess and leaving untouched the wheat; but the following item from Collinsville, Illinois, which appeared in the J/is-. sourt Democrat, contains still more startling facts, and would indi- cate that even a foe to the farmer as determined as this, may some- times prove to be his friend. “ HARVEST AND Crops.—Notwithstanding the unfavorable weather, many farmers have commenced the wheat harvest. The yield in this immediate vicinity will be superabundant. Some fields were struck with rust a few days since, but the Amry-worm making its appearance simultaneously, stripped the straw entirely bare of blades and saved the berry from injury. These disgusting pests have saved thousands of dollars to farmers in this neighborhood. A few fields of corn and grass have been partially destroyed, but by ditching around fields, the woe ravages have been confined within comparatively narrow imits. The worms may be prevented from passing from one field to an- other by judicious ditching. Mr. Trabue has large meadows, sepa- rated only by a road from the blue-grass field of Mr. Flowerree; and he thought he could keep out the worms by simply making a V-shaped ditch ; believing that they could not crawl over, so long as the earth crumbled. The first evening after it was dug, this ditch seemed to be effectual, and the bottom was covered with one seething, twisting mass of the worms; but a heavy rain came on in the night following,, after which they crossed without difficulty. Mr. Jas. Dimmitt how- ever, who had 80 acres of wheat adjoining the fatal blue-grass field, effectually protected it by surrounding it with a ditch which had the inner side slanting under, towards the field it was intended to protect. It was indeed most fortunate that Mr. Dimmitt had hit upon the true method in the beginning, for his wheat was yet in that soft state, in which many of the ears would have been devoured or cut off; and friend Trabue was not long in profiting by his example. A good plan to destroy the worms which accumulate in the fur- row or ditch is to burn straw init; for the fire not only kills the worms, but makes the earth in the ditch friable and more efficient in preventing their ascent. A heavy roller passed over a field will kill almost every worm, and I have already stated that hogs and poultry will devour great numbers of them. But it is always better and easier to prevent than to cure. Levcinia uxreoncra, Haw.—Larva—General color dingy black, with the piliferous spots, placed in the normal position, but scarcely visible, though the soft hairs arising from them are easily seen with a lens. Four lateral light lines, of almost equal thickness, and at about equal 56 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF distance from each other, the two uppermost white, the two lowermost yellow; a much less dis- tinct dorsal white line, frequently obsolete in middle of segment, and always most distinct at the divisions : a jet black line immediately above the first lateral white one, the dorsum-near it, thickly mottled with dull yellow, but becoming darker as it approaches the fine dorsal white. jine, along each side of which it is perfectly black. Space between lateral light lines 1 and 2, dull yellow, the white lines being relieved by a darker edge; that between lines 2 and 3 almost black, being but slightly mottled along the middle; that between 3 and 4 yellow, mottled -with pink- brown, and appearing lighter than that between 1 and 2. Venter greenish-glaucous, mottled and speckled with neutral color, especially near the edge of the 4th lateral line. Legs glassy and of: ~ same color as venter, those on thoracic segments with black claws, those on abdomen with a large shiny black spot on the outside. Stigmata oval, black, and placed in the 3d lateral light line. Head pale grayish-yellow, speckled with confluent fuscous dots; marked longitudinally by. two dark lines that commence at the corners of the mouth, approach each other towards the centre, and again recede behind; on each side are four minute polished black eyelets, placed on a light crescent-shaped ridge, and from each side of this light ridge a dark mark extends more or lezs among the confluent spots above. Described from numerous ayerage living specimens. «= * Imago—Front wings: general color tarnished yellowish-drab, inclining torusset 5. sprinkled - with blackish atoms, the basal half of the costal margin being lighter than the rest. Dee spots brighter than rest of wing, being either fulvous or rust-red, each having ordinarily.” a tar- nished centre, the reniform or ‘‘kidney-shaped”’ spot, having at its lower border a conspicuous white point, indistinctly surrounded by blackish, from which point the moth takes its name; between this point and the terminal border a transverse row of black dots (one on ‘each - vein) . much arcuated above; and inside and parallel with it a less distinct row, the dots-forming which, are between the nerves; an oblique dark streak, shaded off gradually posteriorly, but re-. lieved anteriorly by the same bright color as the ordinary ‘‘spots’’ runs from the head of. this row _ of dots to the apex of the wing; nerves more or less marked with white, especially towards: their tips ; posterior or terminal border with arow of black spots between the nerves ; fringés same color as wing, with a narrow dusky line inside their middle. Hind wings partly: trans ae smoky-brown, with a slight purplish lustre, the veins, lunule, and terminal poe more dt us fringes pale yellow with a dusky middle line. a Under surfaces opalescent yellowish-white, the front wings shaded with smoky-gray, the costa narrowly, and the terminal margin broadly freckled with dusky specks, the fringes: and_a shade near the apex flesh-color, and a distinct dusky band across their outer one-fourth, narrower but darker on the costa than in the middle of the wing: the hind wings with the lunule distinct and a'so speckled anteriorly and posteriorly, the basal edge of the posterior portion wee aiid ‘idle ‘& series of black dots on the nerves. se Head and shoulders of same color as basal part of costa; thorax same as front. waaaes sale: m2n same as hind wings; beneath all more uniformly gray. INSECTS INFESTING THE SWEET-POTATO.: «> =< TORTOISE-BEETLES. a (Coleoptera, Cassidee.) In my First Report I described eleven different and distinct. in- sects which habitually prey on the common Irish Potato. (Salanum tuberosum). I will now give an account of the worst insect enemies of the Sweet-Potato (Jpomea batatus), all of which attack that. plant in this State. Before doing so, however, it will be as well to remark, that one species belonging to the same family as those which feed on the Sweet-Potato, and which is quite frequently met with in Missouri, namely, the Clubbed Tortoise-beetle (Deloyala clavata, Oliv. Fig. 26,) THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. Be [Fig. 26.] feeds in reality on the common Irish Potato, thus swelling the number of insects which injuriously affect that most valuable esculent, to a round dozen. The larva of the Clubbed Tortoise-beetle is not yet known, and it is the per- fect insect which has been found to attack the Potato. This = is doubtless the species which Mr. Huron Burt of Williams- burg, Callaway county, referred to in the Journal of Agriculture of June 6th; 1868, as“ a scale-like, terrapin-shaped hard insect, spread | out like a flying-squirrel,” that adhered tenaciously to the leaves of _ his potato plants. By referring to Figure 26 the reader will not be ; slow to learn why these beetles are called Tortoise- beetles, for the © patches of dark opaque color which extend on the thin projecting » semi-transparent shell of that species, remind one very forcibly of the © paws of a mud-turtle. The true legs however, which, asin all other ~ insects, are six in number, and which in this species, are so short that they scarcely” reach beyond the thin shield-like crust that extends from : the body, may readily be seen when the insect is: turned upside down. “The insects which attack the Swéet:Potato: % are few in species, que ee peter 1 cone to this group ‘of Tortoise-beetles. “With BIg ES - the-exeeption of the Cucumber Flea beetle ¢ . < (Haltica cucumeris, Harr.), figured and de- ; ) \.. scribed on page 101 Oe the First Report, and LH a few solitary caterpillars, I have never found any other insects on this plant; but these Tortoise-beetles are of themselves $ sufficiently numerous in individuals and species to often entirely destroy whole fields of this esculent, and they are especially severe on the plants when newly transferred from the hot-bed. These insects are at present included in the great CHRYSOMELA family. of beetles, though they were formerly placed in a separate family (Cassio) by themselves, and there certainly are few groups more strongly characterized. They are almost ll of a broad sub- depressed form, either oval or orbicular, with the thorax and wing- covers so Bigronagiity dilated at the sides into a broad and flat margin, as to forcibly recall the appearance of a turtle, whence the Sooulae name. Many have the singular power, in a greater or less degree, of changing their color when alive, and as I shall show further on, some of them shine at will with the most brilliant me- tallic avis: Insects, as with the higher animals, usually void their excrement in such‘a manner that they effectually get rid of it, and in some cases they. take pains to fling it as far from them as possible, by means of their hind legs. I have especially noticed this cleanly habit in the Oblong:winged Katydid (Phylloptera oblongifolia, DeGeer), of which I have had numbers breeding in confinement durirg the past two summers. They almost always fling their excrement straight 58 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF from them, so that if they are in a horizontal position, it adheres to the sides of their cages instead of falling to the bottom. In the great majority of insects the anus is situated at, or near the last ring, and usually on the ventral side, so that the feces are easily left behind; but the larvz of several species of beetles that have the peculiar habit of covering themselves with their own excrement, have the anus not on their bellies, but on their backs. The Three- lined Leaf-beetle* (Zema trilineata) has this habit, and is enabled to cover itself by the singular position of the anal vent which is on the back of the last segment. A closely allied European species, but belonging to a different genus ( Crioceris merdigera) has the same habit. In this country there is also another yellowish oval jump- ing beetle (Blepharida rhois, Forster), which in the larva state covers itself with its excrement. In this instance the anus is at the end of the last segment, but it is sufficiently extensile at the will of the insect to allow of the accomplishment of the feat. This last larva isa disgusting looking thing, and I found it last year very abundant along the line of the Iron Mountain Railroad, on all three of the Sumachs—Rhus aromatica, glabra and copalina—preferring them in the order of their naming. But the larvee of the Tortoise-beetles are par excellence the true dung carriers, for they excel all others in this medigerous art. Inthe instances related above, the load is carried immediately on the back, but our Tortoise-beetles are altogether more refined in their tastes, and do not allow the dung to rest on the body, but simply shade themselves with a sort of stercoraceous parasol. The larvee of all the species that have been observed to feed on the Sweet-Potato are broad and flattened like the beetles, and have the margin of the body furnished with spines which are often barbed, (Fig. 27,2). They all belong tothe genera Cassida and Coptocycla, and there are thirty-two of these spines, or sixteen on each side of the body. Four of these are situated on the prothorax, which forms two anterior projections beyond the common margin; four of them—the two anterior ones longer than the others—are on each of the two fol- lowing thoracic segments, and each of the abdominal segments is furnished with but two. There are nine elevated spiracles each side superiorly, namely, one immediately behind the prothorax and eight on the abdominal segments. The fore part of the body is projected shield-like over the head, which is retractile and small. [Fig 28] In a closely allied genus (Chelymorpha) to _[is- 29.J SLspots (Ch. cribraria, Fabr., Fig. 28, pupa; 29 y beetle) found upon Milkweed ( Asc/epias), and which has the body greatly rounded above, with y searcely any lateral flange, the larva, as ob- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 59 sprangling. In another genus also ( PAysonota) to whieh belongs the Five-dotted Tortoise-beetle (Ph. quinguepunctata, Walsh & Riley, [Fig. 30.] Fig. 30, 4), and which is intermediate in form be- = tween the last named genus (Chelymorpha) and those with the body greatly flattened ( Cassida, Coptocyela, Deloyala) the prickles of the larva are s./ also smooth and only 20 in number, i. e., 10 on each “side, as may be seen by referring to Figure 30, a- b Mr. Walsh found this insect in Northern Ilinois, and though we do not know upon what particular plant it feeds, yet from analogy we may infer that it subsists on some Composite flower, as other species belonging to the same genus are known to do. Almost all the larvz of the beetles belonging to the great Cury- SOMELA family, of which the Colorado Potato Bug may serve as an ex- ample, have, besides the six legs at the anterior end of the body, an additional proleg, or protuberance which serves as such, at the pos- terior end; but the larve of our Tortoise-beetles have no such proleg, and the six anterior legs are short, thick and fleshy, and with the re- tractile head, give these larve, froma side view, as great a resem- blance to a turtle as have the beetles. Though lacking an anal preleg, however, they are characterized * by having a movable forked tail, in the shape of two long prong-like horny filaments which both spring from a broad neck situated imme- diately above the anus. The anus projects and curves over the back at the will of the insect, and by the aid of this fork and of some of the lateral spines, it forms the parasol of dung which so nicely pro- tects it. When we read of those Hottentots who cover different portions of their bodies with the uncleaned intestines of sheep and oxen, we fee} shocked at such barbarism, and can scarcely comprehend how human beings can defile themselves with the like disgusting materials. Such men must be pitiable indeed, for they can have no other object than the gratification of their filthy and beastly pleasures. There is nothing so repulsive about our insect Hottentots, for the dung parasol of our Tortoise-beetles has neither offensive odor or appearance, and its true character is generally sufficiently disguised by being inter- mixed with the cast-off skin and prickly spines; and though those species, first referred to, which directly cover their backs, often look sufficiently unclean, we know that they thus aet at Nature’s bidding and for a useful purpose. All the Tortoise-beetle larvee which I have bred to the perfect beetle state, have come to their growth in about three weeks after hatching. They cast their skins at three successive periods, and these skins are slipped on to the fork, where in most instances they remain. On carefully detaching from a full grown larva the dung with which these skins are mixed, these three successive skins are easily recog- nized, the smallest being at the extremity and the largest at the base 60 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT UF of the fork. They are especially recognizable in the Mottled Tortoiye beetle (Cassida guttata, Oliv., Fig. 36,) mentioned below, which re- moves most of its dung before each moult. Fig. 31. The eggs from which these larva hatch, are de- posited singly upon the leaves, te which they are fas- tened by some adhesive substance. They are of irregular angular form; flat, and somewhat narrower at one end than the other; ridged above and at the sides, but smooth and obovate below. They are usually furnished with spine-like appendages, which however are sometimes entirely lacking. They look, in fact, \ very much like miniature specimens of those curious skate-barrows or Mermaid’s purses, which are found so commonly along the sea-shore, and which are the empty egg-shells of certain kinds of Ray-fish or Skate. Those of the common (olden Tortoise-beetle (Fig. 51,) are 0.04 inch long, and of a dull, dirty white color. The Tortoise-beetle larva, when full grown, fasten the last two or three joints of the body to the underside of a leaf, by means of a sticky secretion, and in about two days change to pupz. The pupa of those species which have 32 barbed spines, is flat with usually four or five broad but thin and transparent. serrated leaf-like appen- dages on each side of the abdomen, and the prothorax, which is greatly dilated and covers the head, is furnished around the edge with smaller barbed spines. The broad leaf-like spines at the edges of the body are bent under while the transformation is being effected, but are soon afterwards stretched stiffly out with a forward slant. The pupa loses the pronged tail, but asthe old larval skin is left adhering to the terminal segments the prong of dung still protects it in most eases. The legs and antenne are not free in this, as in the pupz of most other beetles, but are soldered together as in the chrysalis of a butterfly, and yet it has the power of raising itself up perpendicularly upon the tail end by which it is fastened. The pupa state lasts about a week. Having thus spoken in general terms of this anomalous group of beetles, I shall now refer more particularly to a few of the species. Most of those mentioned below infest the Sweet-Potato both in the larva and perfect beetle states. They gnawirregular holes and when sufficiently numerous entirely riddle the leaves. They usually dwell on the underside of the leaves, and are found most abundant during the months of May and June. There must be several broods during the year, and the same species is often found in all stages, and of all sizes at one and the same time. In all probability they hybernate in the beetle state. I have proved by experiment that Paris green—one part of the green to two of flour—when sprinkled under the vines, will kill these insects, though not near so readily asit does the Colorado Potato AIAN THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 61 Bug. Moreover, as these Tortoise beetles usually hide on the under’ side of the leaves, and as the vines trail on the ground, it is very diffi- cult to apply the powder without running some risk from its poison- ous qualities. I therefore strongly recommend vigilance when the plants are first planted, and by the figures and descriptions given below the reader will be enabled to recognize and kill the few beetles which at that time make their appearance, and thus nip the evil in the bud. The Bermuda and Brazilian Sweet-Potato plants are more vigorous than the Nansemond, and less liable to be attacked. THE TWO-STRIPED SWEET-POTATO BEETLE—Cassida bivittata,, Say. This is the most common species found upon the Sweet-Potato, [Fig. 32.} and seems to be confined to that plant, as Ihave (ies never found it on any other kind. Its transfor- mations were first described by myself in the Prairie Farmer Annual, tor 1868, (p. 53.) The =) larva (Fig,27,2 enlarged; Fig. 32, natural size), is dirty white or yellowish-white, with a more or less intense neutral-colored longitudinal line along the back, usually relieved by an extra light band each side. It differs from the larvez of all other known species in not using its fork for merdigerous purposes. Indeed, this fork is rendered useless as a shield to the body, by being ever enveloped, after the first moult, in the cast-off prickly skins, which are kept free from excrement. Moreover, this fork is seldom held close down to the back, as in the other species, but more usually at an angle of 45° over or from the body, thus suggesting the idea of a handle. {In Kirby & Spence’s In- troduction (p. 426), may be found the following passage in reference to the positions in which the fork of the larve of these Tortoise- beetles is carried: “The instrument by which they effect this is an anal fork, upon which they deposit their excrement, and which in some is turned up and lies flat upon their backs; and in others forms different angles, from very acute to very obtuse, with their body ; and occasionally is unbent and in the same direction with it.” Reau- mur is referred to as authority for these statements, and the language would lead us to suppose that the forks were thus variously carried by different species; but Reaumur never said anything of the sort. His language has been poorly rendered, for he distinctly referred to the different positions which the same insect could give to the fork, and I believe that the peculiarity mentioned above has never been observed in the larve of any other species of the genus. When full fed, this larva attaches itself to the underside of the leaf, and in two days the skin bursts open on the back, and is worked down towards the tail; when the pupa, at first pale,soon acquires a dull brownish color, the narrow whitish tail, which still adheres pos- teriorly, being significant of the species. See (Fig. 27, 3.) _ The beetle (Fig, 27, 4) is of a pale yellow, striped with black, and though broader and vastly different scientifically, still bears a gen- 62 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF eral resemblance to the common Cucumber-beetle ( Diabrotica vit- tata, Fabr.) These beetles may be seen quite thick around young peach and apple trees quite early in the season, and a little later they venture into the trees and pair off; but as soon as the Sweet-Potato plants are set, they leave everything else for them. THE GOLDEN TORTOISE-BEETLE—Cassida aurichalcea, Fabr. Next to the preceding species, the Golden Tortoise-beetle is the most numerous on our sweet-potatoes; but it does not confine its {Fig. 33.] injuries to that plant, for it is found in equal abundance on the leaves of the Bitter-Sweet and on the different -kinds of Convolvulus or Morning .~ Glory. The lava (Fig. 33, a, natural _ size 6,enlarged with the dung taken on tive fork), is of a dark brown with a pale shade upon the back. It carries its feecifork directly over the back, and the ex- crement is arranged in a more or less regular trilobed pattern. The loaded fork still lies close to the back in the pupa, which is brown like the larva, and chiefly characterized by three dark shades on the transparent prothorax, one being in the middle and one at each side, as represented at Figure 34, ec. The perfect beetle (Fig, 34, d), when seen in all its splendor, is one of the most beautiful objects that can well be imagined. It ex- (Fig. 34.] actly resembles a piece of golden tinsel, and with its legs withdrawn and body lying flat to a leaf, the uninitiated would scarcely suppose it to be an insect, did it not suddenly take wing while being observed. At first these beetles Aves. are of a dull deep orange color, which strongly c relieves the transparent edges of the wing-cov- ers and helmet, and gives conspicuousness to six black spots, two (in- dicated in the figure) above, and two on each side. But in about a week after they have left the pupa shell, or as soon as they begin to copulate, they shine in all their splendor, and these black spots are scarcely noticed. THE PALE-THIGHED TORTOISE-BEETLE—Cassida pallida, Herbst. This species can scarcely be distinguished from the preceding. It is of a somewhat broader, rounder form, and differs in partially lacking the black spots on the wing-covers, and in having the thighs entirely pale yellow, while in aurichalcea they are black at the base. It likewise feeds upon the Sweet-Potato, and its larva differs only from .that of the former, in its spines being brighter and lighter col- ored, and in having a dull orange head, and a halo of the same color on the anterior portion of the body. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 63 THE MOTILED TORTOISE-BEETLE—Cassida guttata,* Oliv. [Fig. 35.] This species(Fig. 36) whichis _ [Fig- 36] oe the next most common of those latitude of St. Louis, is at once distinguished from all the others Hy. IRS here described, by being usually a black, with theshoulders black to “ the extreme edge of the transpa- rent wing-covers. It isavery variable species, and is frequently more or less speckled or mottled with gold, while more rarely it has a uni- form golden appearance.t The larva, which is represented enlarged and with the dung re- moved at Figure 35, a, is of a uniform green color, with a bluish shade along the back, which shade disappears however whenever the insect has fasted fora few hours. It carries its dung in irregular broad masses, often branching as in the species next to be described. The pupa (Fig. 35, b,) is also of a uniform green color, with a conspicuous black ring around the base of the first abdominal pair of spiracles. Before changing to pupa and previous to each moult, this larva is in the habit of removing the dung from its fork. THE BLACK-LEGGED TORTOISE-BEETLE—Cassida nigripes, Oliv. (Big. 37.] This species, which is likewise found on the Sweet-Potato, is a little “7, the largest of those here- /7 tofore mentioned. The beetle (Fig. 38) has the power, when alive, of put- ting on a golden hue, but a isnot so brilliant as C. aurichalcea, from which species it is at once distinguished by its larger size and by its black legs and three large con- (Fig. 38-] spicuous black spots on each wing-cover. The larva >< = (Fig. 37, b,) is of a pale straw color with the spines, ‘which are long, tipped with black; and besides-a dusky shade along each side of the back, it has two dusky spots immediately behind the head, and below these A last, two larger crescent marks of the same color. The ee dung is spread in a characteristic manner, eXtending laterally in long shreds or ramifications. (See Fig. 37, a.) The pupa * This insect is referred by Boheman to the genus Cortocycla, which differs from Cassida by more slender, not distinctly clavate and nearly filiform antennez. + This species has very probably been described under different names. It is C. eruciata, Fabr. ; C. signifer, Herbst, and from larve found on the same batch of plants, and differing in no respect whatever, I have bred specimens which were determined by Le Conte as C. trabeata, Lec. 64 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF (Fig. 37, c.) is dark brown, variegated with paler brown as in the fig- ure, while the spines around the edges are transparent and white, THE PICKLE WORM—Phacellura nitidalis, Cramer. (Lepidoptera, Margarodide.) As long ago as the year 1828, Dr. T. W. Harris described and named the common Squash Borer (_£yeria [ Trochilium] cucurbita). This borer is a true caterpillar, having sixteen legs, and very much resembling the common Peach Borer.. It is hatched in the early part of summer, from eggs placed by the parent moth on the stems of the vine, close to the root. It penetrates the stem, and by devouring the pith, frequently causes the death of the vine. When full fed it re- treats a short distance into the ground and forms a cocoon of a gummy substance covered with particles of earth. Within this cocoon it passes the winter, and early the next summer issues as a moth. This moth is very beautiful, with a conspicuous orange colored body spot- ted with black; with the front wings blue-black and with the hind wings perfectly transparent. Ever since the day when it was first described by Harris, this in- sect has been known as the Squash Borer. It seems to be confined, however, to a few of the more Eastern States, and although Mr. Wm. Klussman, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, thinks he is troubled with this species, and has given up the growing of all winter squashes in con- sequence of its ravages (Country Gentleman, Nov. 11, 1869, page 378), yet it certainly is not of common occurrence in the Valley of the Mis- sissippi, or we should more often hear of it. There is, however, another borer which attacks the roots of cu- curbitaceous vines, and which is but too common all over the coun- try. I refer to that ubiquitous little pest the Striped Cucumber-beetle (Diabrotica vittata, Fabr.) an insect which annually destroys thou- sands of dollars’ worth of vines in the United States, and for which remedies innumerable—some sensible, but the greater portion not worth the paper on which they are printed—are published every year in our different agricultural papers. The natural history of this “Striped Bug,” as it is more commonly called, was first made known in the West by Dr. Henry Shimer, of Mt. OntseIn in the Prairie Farmer, for August 12, 1865. But as every- thing pertaining to such a very common and destructive insect, can- not be too often repeated, I will here relate its habits in the briefest manner.. The parent beetles (Fig. 39) make their appearance quite early [Fig. ae in the season, when they immediately commence their work of destrudtion. They frequently penetrate through the cracks _ that are made by the swelling and sprouting of the seeds of melons, cucumbers, or squashes, and by nipping off the young sprouts, destroy the plant before it is even out of the ground.. WHE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 65 ‘Their subsequent work when the vines have once pushed forth their leaves, is too well known to need description. Yet notwithstanding the great numbers and the persistency of these beetles, we finally suc- ceed, with the proper perseverance and vigilance, in nursing and pro- tecting our vines, till we think they are large enough to withstand all attacks. Besides, by this time, the beetles actually begin to diminish in numbers, and We congratulate ourselves on our Success. But lo! All of a sudden, many of our vines commence to wilt, and they finally die outright. No wound or injury is to be found on the vine above ground, and we are led to examine the roots. Here we soon discover the true cause of death, for the roots are found to be pierced here and there with small holes, and excoriated to such an extent, that they present a corroded appearance. Upon a closer examination the authors of this mischief are easily detected, either imbedded in the root, or lurking in some of the corroded furrows. They are little whit> _ ish worms, rather more than a third of an inch long, and as thick as a good sized pin; the head is blackish-brown and horny, and there is a plate of the same color and consistency on the last segment. These worms are in fact the young of the same Striped Bug which had been so troublesome on the leaves earlier in the season; and that the in- sect may be as well known in this, its masked form, as it is in the beetle state, I present the annexed highly magnified figures of the [Fig 40] = = worm (Fig. 40), No. 1 showing a back view M- and No.2 a side view. The beetles, while ti’ feasting themselves on the tender leaves of ‘9 the vine, were also pairing, and these worms iy) hatched from the eggs which were deposited ‘ near the roots by the female. When the worms }\ have become full-grown, which is in about a ““? month after they hatch, they forsake the roots and retire into the adjoining earth, where a around, and compacting the earth on all sides forms for itself a little cavity and in a few days i throws off its larva skin and becomes a pupa. 2 This pupa is much shorter than was the worm, and is represented enlarged in the annexed Figure 41, No. 1 ventral [Fig. 41.] view, and No. 2 back view, the hair lines at the sides (> showing the natural size. This pupa state lasts about two weeks, at the end of which time the skin is again moulted, and the perfect beetle form assumed. All the parts of this newly developed beetle are at first soft, but after remaining motionless in its cell, till these soft parts have acquired solidity and strength, it breaks through the walls of its prison and works itself up to the light of day. - There are from two to three generations each year, the number rate according to the latitude, or the length of the winter. To —ER : z = 8 2. 66 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF show however, how the different broods run into one another, and to prove how difficult it is to separate them by distinct lines, I will state that at Kirkwood, Mo., I found this insect abundantin its three stages of larva, pupa, and beetle, during the first days of October last. And in a large jar partly filled with earth, in which I placed a number of infested roots about that time, I to-day (Nov. 8, 1869) find both pupx and beetles. The soil in this jar was kept as nearly as possible in the same condition as that out of doors, and as I noticed the beetles around the vines even after the first frosts, I am led to infer that, in this latitude at least, the insect often hybernates as a beetle, and not always as a pupa, as intimated by Dr. Shimer. Of all the multifarious remedies proposed against the attacks of this insect, there are none:so effectual or so cheap in the end, as in- closing the young vines in boxes which are open at the bottom, and covered with millinet on the top. Such boxes are made at a trivial cost, and if properly stored‘away each season after use, will last for many years. Whenever other remedies must from necessity be resorted to, there is nothing better than sprinkling the vines, early in the morning with Paris-green and flour, (one part of the green to four or five of flour) or with white hellebore. It of course follows, that if the beetles are effectually kept off, there will after- wards be no worms at the roots. Much complaint was made last summer, in various parts of the country, of the sudden death of cucurbitaceous vines, from some un- known cause, and Henry Ward Beecher seems to have suffered in this manner, like the rest of us, but could find no worms in the roots of his vines. I know from experience that such vines are subject to a species of rot in the root—a rot not caused by insects, and for that reason the more serious, since we cannot tell how to preventit. Ihave seen whole melon patches destroyed by this rotting of the roots, but in the great majority of instances where I have examined vines that had died from “some unknown cause,” I have had no diffieulty in either finding the worms of the “Striped Bug” yet at work on the roots, or else the unmistakable marks of their having been there. Indeed, by the time a vine dies from the effects of their gnawings and burrow- ings, the worms have generally become fully grown, and have hidden themselves in their little pupal cavities. So much for the two borers which have heretofore been known to attack plants belonging to the Gourd family. We have seen how they both bore into the roots of these plants, and how one of them in the perfect state attacks the leaves. No other borers have been known to attack these plants, though the 12-Spotted Diabrotica (D. 12-punc- (Fig. 42] tata, Fig. 42), may often be found embedded in the rind of ; both melons, cucumbers and squashes. But we now come to a third insect which attacks plants of this same Gourd fam- *° ily. It neither bores into the root, nor devours the foliage, however, but seems to confine itself to the fruit; and I have THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 67 called it the Pickle Worm, from the fact of its often being found in cucumbers that have been pickled. [Fig. 43] At Figure 43, a, lrepresent one of these worms of the nat- ual size. They vary much in appearance, some being of a yellowish-white, and very . much resembling the inside of in unripe melon, while others ire tinged more or less with ¢ green. They are all quite soft, and translucent, and there is a transverse row of eight shiny, ightly elevated spets on nel twe bevind the others on the back. (See Fig. 43, c.) Along the back and towards the head, these spots are larger than at the sides, and each spot gives rise to a fine hair. The specimen from which I obtained my first mcth last summer was very light colored, and these spots were so nearly the color of the body as to be scarcely visible. The head was honey- yellow bordered with a brown line and with three black confluent spots at the palpi. The cervical shield or horny plate on the first segment was of the same color as the body, and so transparent that the brown border of the head when retracted shone distinctly through it as at Figure 43, %. The breathing-holes or stigmata are small, oval, and of the same color as the body, with a fulvous ring around them. In some of the young worms the shiny spots are quite black and conspicuous. My late associate, Mr. Walsh, communicated to me the following descrip- tion of such a marked specimen, from which he bred the very same species of moth as from the paler individuals: The description was taken when the worm was but half grown. Length }inch. Color pale greenish-yellow; 16 legs. Head pale rufous, the Y-shaped sutures and the mouth black. Cervical shield as in Figure 43, d,each half edged with black, center rufous. Marked under shield on each side as at ¢,and the same lateral marking on joints, 2and 3. Above on joints 2and3asat7. On joints 4-11, eight (in- cluding 2 lateral) spots transversely arranged, and behind these, two dorsal spots. Of the eight spots the two lateral ones on each side are substigmatal. Stigmata edged with dusky. Anal joint with five spots as in g, the middle one large and transverse. Body with some sparse long dusky hairs, 6-8 times as long as wide, a little tapered toward the head. Spins a thread. Legs and prolegs nearly immaculate. The worms commenced te appear in the latitude of St. Louis, about the middle of July, and they continued their destructive work till the end of September. They bore cylindrical holes into the fruit and feed on its fleshy parts. They are gross feeders and produce a 68 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF large amount of soft excrement. I have found as many as four in @ medium-sized cucumber, and a single worm will often cause the fruit to rot. They develop very rapidly and come to their growth in from three to four weeks. When about to transform they forsake the fruit in which they had burrowed, and drawing together portions of some leaf that lies on or near the ground, spina slight cocoon of white silk. Within this cocoon they soon become slender brown chrysalids with the head parts prolonged, and with a very long ventral sheath which encloses the legs. If it is not too late in the season the moths issue in from eight to ten days afterwards. The late individuals, however, pass the winter within their cocoons; though, from the fact that some moths come out as late as Me cabes I infer that they may also win- ter over in the moth state. The moth produced by this worm (of which Figure 43, 2, repre- sents the male) is very strikingly marked. It is of a yellowish-brown color, with an iris-purple reflection, the front wings having an irregu- lar, semi-transparent, dull golden-yellow spot, not reaching their front edge, and constricted at their lower edge; and the hind wings having their inner two-thirds of this same semi-transparent yellow. “The under surfaces have amore decided pearly lustre. The thighs, the breast, and the abdomen below, are all of a beautiful silvery- white, and the other joints of the long legs are of the same tawny or golden-yellow as the semi-transparent parts of the wings. The ab- domen of the female terminates in a small flattened black brush, squarely trimmed,and the segment directly preceding this brush is of a rust-brown color above. The corresponding segment in the male is, on the contrary, whitish anteriorly and of the same color as the rest of the body posteriorly, and he is, moreover, at once distinguished from the female, by the immense brush at his tail, which is generally much larger than represented in the above figure, and is composed of narrow, lengthened (/igu/ate) scales, which remind one of the petals of the common English daisy, some of these scales being whitish, some orange, and others brown. This moth was deseribed nearly a century ago by Cramer, under the scientific name of Phak{[clellura nitidalis, and it may be known in English as the Neat Cucumber Moth. The genus to which it belongs is characterized chiefly by the partly transparent wings, and by the immense scaly brush of the males. The antenne are long, fine and thread-like, those of the male being very finely ciliated; the abdomen extends beyond the wings, and the legs are very long and slender. The species are for the most part exotic, and the larve of all of them, so far as known, feed on cucurbitaceous plants. The following item, taken from a St. Louis paper, though some- what facetious, will give an idea of the extent of the injuries caused by this insect in that vicinity : What’s the matter with the cucumbers? A lady of our acquaint- ance, the other day, sent to market to purchase some cucumbers for \ THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 69 pickling purposes. They were placed in a vessel to be washed, previ- ous to being put in the brine. It was then observed that small, sin- gular looking worms clung in the ‘wrinkles’ on the outside of some of the cucumbers. These were washed off, when accident led to the discovery that inside every one of the cucumbers was secreted a white, cerrugated, creeping thing, from half an inch to over an inch in length, resemblingin miniature a rattlesnake’s rattles, and not a very pretty object to look upon. It turns out that nearly, if not all the cucumbers brought to this market this season are affected the same way. These worms certainly do not look very good to eat,in the unpickled form; but we are told that they are entirely harmless in the natural state, and probably add to the pungency and crispness of the gherkin when forming part of the chow-chow, and other relishes which grace every well regulated square meal]. Like the mites in the cheese, which with some are supposed to testify to the Sood quality and healthfulness of the article, we suppose worms in the pickles may fairly be considered a question of taste; but, if it is not obtrusive, we will add that we do not believe they are to our taste or digestion, and, if it is all the same to the cucumber merchants, we would rather not take any in our’n. In Missouri, I have myself found this insect quite abundant in various parts of St. Louis and Jefferson counties, and the cucumbers seem to have fared worse than the melons. That it was not confined to these two counties, is also proved by the following communication which appeared in the Journal of Agriculture, of September 10, 1869: Pleasant Hill, Mo., September 2, 1869.— Last winter, seeing many glowing accounts of the “ Alton Large Nutmeg Melon,” I sent to Mr. Barler and procured some, paying thirty cents an ounce for them; planted and worked well; during August, had some melons. The first few tasted right well, but soon my “Green Citron” cantelope ripening, the difference in the taste of the two was found to beso great that we could not eat the Alton Nutmeg. Furthermore, the latter had worms in them—the larvze of some insect—eating into nearly every one. The Green Citron was rarely attacked by them. I have raised this variety of Green Citron for several years, and would not give one of the melons for a dozen AJton Nutmegs. It is sweet. juicy and very rich in taste. When a boy, I can remember a cante- lope that was raised by my father, called “Persian.” I think the Green Citron probably derived from it. Yours, G. C. BroapHEAD. In Illinois, it was very destructive around Alton, during the month of August; for, on July 19th, I received specimens from G. W. Copley, of that place, and found (Sept. 2, 1869), on visiting Mr. O. L. Barler’s large melon fields, that fully three-fourths of his melons had been injured by it. Since then, several other Alton men have as- sured me that it was equally destructive with them. It also occurred around Springfield, for Mr. P. M. Springer sent to me, the last of Octo- ber, a specimen of the moth which he had bred from a cucumber- boring werm; while Mr. Walsh also found it abundant at Rock Is- land, inthe northern part of that State. Jn Michigan, as I learned: from Mr. W. B. Ransom, of St. Joseph, 70 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF it greatly injured the cucumbers and melons around that place; and Mr. Glover, of the Department of Agriculture, informs me that he has found the worm on Squash, in Florida, in July. Thus it appears that this Pickle Worm has a wide range, and that last summer it simul- taneously fell upon the cucumbers and melons in widely different parts of the country. Of course, in making pickles, the worm is pickled with the cucumber, and we shall consequently continue to hear startling stories about the worms in the pickles. ; This insect, so far as Ican ascertain, has never before been fig- gured or described in this country; nor can I find any mention made of its destructive work in past years. I am, therefore, led to the con- clusion that it was never numerous or destructive enough in the past, to attract attention. Thisfact becomes the more astonishing, when we consider how wide-spread and general its injuries were the past summer; and it furnishes another illustration of thesudden and enor- mous increase, in some particular year, of an inseet which had scarcely ever before been noticed. The system of Nature is so complicated, and every animal organ- ism is subject to so many influences that affect its inerease or de- crease, that we are not surprised at the fluctuation in the relative numbers of any particular species. The “Struggle for Life,” as ex- pounded by Darwin, is no where more effectual in bringing about changes than in insect life. We are at first a little puzzled to ac- count for the sudden advent, and the equally sudden departure of such insects as the Army-worm, Chinch Bug, Wheat Midge, ete., but when we once acquire a just conception of the tangled web in which every insect is involved, we wonder rather that the balance is so well kept. Our Pickle-worm is an indigenous species, and has, doubtless, existed in some part or other of the country from time immemorial ; and now that its habits are recorded and its history made known, I should not be at all surprised to learn that individuals have suffered from it in years gone by. The French Entomologist, Guenée, gives as its food-plant, a species of potato, and it is just possible thatit may not always have fed upon the same plants on which it was found last summer. At all events, let us hope that it will disappear as suddenly as it appeared; but should it oceurin great numbers again next year, the foregoing account will enable those who grow melons, cucum- bers or squashes, to understand their enemy, and to nip the evil in the bud, by carefully overhauling their vines early in the summer, and destroying the first worms that appear, either by feeding the in- fested fruit to hogs or cattle, or by killing the worms on the spot. I know from experience that this worm when pickled with the cucum- ber, does notin the least affect its taste, and is not in the least inju- rious to the human system; but as itis not very desirable food, pickles. should always be halved, before being brought to the table, especially if they were gathered from a field or garden known to be infested. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 71 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE-VINE. Under this head, I shall continue the series of articles begun in my First Report, in order to give the grape-growers of our State a thorough understanding of their insect enemies, and thus lessen the hindrances and drawbacks to viticulture—that most important and pleasant part of rural industry, which is increasing with sueh unpre- cedented rapidity. . THE HOG-CATERPILLAR OF THE VINE—Cherocampa pampt- natriz, Sm. & Abb.* [Lepidoptera, Sphingidz.] Of the large solitary cat- erpillars that attack the Grape-vine, this is by far the most common and inju- rious in the Mississippi Val- ley. I have frequently found the egg of this insect glued singly to the under- side of aleaf. Itis 0.05 inch in diameter, perfectly round and of a uniform delicate yellowish-green color. The Z, young worm which hatches ty. from it, is pale green, with along straight horn at its tail; and after feeding from four to five weeks it acquires its full growth, when it presents the appearance of Figure 44, the horn having become comparatively shorter and ac- quired a posterior curve. This worm is readily distinguished from other grape-feeding spe- cies by having the third and fourth rings immensely swollen, while the first and second rings are quite small and retractile. It is from this peculiar appearance of the fore partof the body, which strikingly suggests the fat cheeks and shoulders and small head of a blooded hog, that it may best be known as the Hog-caterpillar of the vine. The color of this worm when full grown is pea-green, and it is wrink- led transversely and covered with numerous pale-yellow dots, placed Synonyms, Sphinz, [Darapsa] myron, Cramer; Otus cnotus, Huebner. Of the four different generic names under which this species has been classified, ‘‘ Sphinz’’ is a general term for all the Hawk-moths and refers to the sphinx-like attitude often assumed by their larvee; ‘‘ Chwrocampa’’ is derived from two Greek words which mean ‘‘ Hog-caterpillar ;’’ and ‘‘ Darapsa’’ and ‘ Otus’’ are gibberish. Of the three different specific names, ‘‘ Myron’’ refers to an ancient Greek who bore this appellation, ‘‘ cnotus’’ is pure unadulterated gibberish, and ‘‘pampinatriz’’ is from the Latin and signifies ‘‘a female vine-pruner.’’ Both Harris and Fitch describe this insect under the name of Cherocampa pampinatriz; and this, as the appellation best known to our grape-growers, and the most characteristic of the habits of the species, [should prefer to retain, although no doubt, ac- cording to the strict Law of Priority, the specific name of Myron ought to be employed. Mr. Walker, Dr. Clemens and Dr. Morris call this species ‘‘Darapsa Myron,’’ and Mr. Grote calls it “© Otus Myron.’’ By ringing the changes with sufficient ingenuity upon the four generic and the three specific names, we may obtain no less than twelve different names for this one insect! 72 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF in irregular transverse rows. An oblique cream-colored lateral band, bordered below with a darker green, and most distinct on the middle segments, connects with a cream-colored subdorsal line, which is bor- dered above with darker green, and which extends from the head to the horn at the tail. There are five and often six somewhat pale yel- low triangular patches along the back, each containing a lozenge- shaped lilac-colored spot. The head is small, with yellow granula- tions, and four perpendicular yellow lines, and the spiracles or breath- ing holes are orange-brown. When about to transform, the color of this worm usually changes to a pinkish-brown, the darker parts being of a beautiful mixture of crimson and brown. Previows to this ehange of color Mr. J. A. Lintner, of Schoharie, New York, has ob- served the worm to pass its mouth over the entire surface of its body, even to the tip of its horn, covering it with a coating of apparently glutinous matter—the operation lasting about two hours.* Before (Fig. 45.] . transforming into the pupaore wv alis state, it descends from the vine, and with- forms a mesh of strong brown silk, within which it soon changes to a chrysalis (Fig. 45.) of a pale, warm yellow, speckled and spotted with brown, but eharacterized chiefly by the conspicuous dark brown spiracles and broad brown ineisures of the three larger abdominal segments. (Fig. 46.] The moth (Fig. 46) which in time bursts from this chrysalis, has the body and front wings of a fleshy-gray, marked and shaded with olive-green as in the figure, while the hind wings are of a deep rust-color, with a small shade of gray near their inner angle. This insect is, in northerly regions, one-brooded, but toward: the south two-brooded, the first worms appearing, in the latitude of St. Louis, during June and July, and giving out the moths about two weeks after they become chrysalids, or from the middle of July to the first of August. The worms of the second brood are full grown in September, and passing the winter in the chrysalis state, give out the moths the following May. On one occasion I found at South Pass, Illinois, a worm but one-half grown and still feeding as late as Octo- ber 20th, a circumstance which would lead to the belief that at *Proc, Ent. Soc,.. Phil., III, p. 663. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 73 points where the winters are mild, they may even hybernate in the larva state. This worm is a most voracious feeder, and a single one will some- times strip a small vine of its leaves ina few nights. According to Harris it does not even confine its attacks to the leaves, but in its progress from leaf to leaf. stops at every cluster of fruit, and either from stupidity or disappointment, nips off the stalks of the half-grown grapes and allows them to fall to the ground untasted. It is fortu- nate for the grape-grower, therefore, that Nature has furnished the ready means to prevent its ever becoming excessively numerous, for I have never known it toswarm in very great numbers. The obvious reason is, that it is so freely attacked by a small parasitic Ichneumon fly—belonging to a genus (Microgaster) exceedingly numerous in species—that three out of every four worms that we meet with will generally be found to be thus victimized. The eggs of the parasite are deposited within the body of the worm, while it is yet young, and the young maggots hatching from them feed on the fatty parts of their victim. After the last moult of a worm that has been thus attacked, numerous little heads may be seen gradually pushing through differ- ent parts of its body; and as soon as they have worked themselves so far out that they are held only by the last joint of the body, they commence forming their small snow-white cocoons, [Fig. 48.] which stand on ends and present , _,the appearance of Figure 47. In Mec) about a week the fly (Fig. 48, a, $8. magnified; }, natural size) pushes open a little lid which it had pre- viously cut with its jaws, and soars away to fulfil its mission. It is one of those remarkable and not easily explained facts, which often confront the student of Nature, that, while one of these Hog-cater- pillars in its normal and healthy condition may be starved to death in two or three days, another, that is writhing with its body full of parasites will live without food for as many weeks. Indeed, I have known one to rest for three weeks without food in a semi-paralyzed condition, and after the parasitic flies had all escaped from their cocoons, it would rouse itself and make a desperate effort to regain strength by nibbling at a leaf which was offered to it. But all worms thus attacked succumb in the end, and I cannot conclude this ar- ticle to better advantage than by reminding the Grape-grower, that he should let alone all such as are found to be covered with the white cocoons above illustrated, and not, as has been often done, destroy them under the false impression that the cocoons are the eggs of the worm. Numbers of these little white cocoons are sent to me every year under the supposition that they are eggs, and no doubt many of them get destroyed by the very persons who ought to cherish them, ° 74 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ACHEMON SPHINX—Pdilampelus achemon, Drury.* (Lepidoptera, Sphingidz.) [Fig. 49.] a This is another of the large Grape-vine-feeding insects, belonging to the great Sphinx family, and which may be popularly known as the Achemon Sphinx. It has been found in almost every State where the Grape is cultivated, and also occurs in Canada. It feeds on the American Ivy (Ampelopsis quinquefolia, with as much relish as on the Grape-vine, and seems to show no preference for any of Athe different varieties of the lat- ‘ter. It is, however, worthy of remark, that both its food-plants belong to the same botanical Family. The full grown larva (Fig. 49.) is usually found during the latter part of August and fore part of September. It measures about 3} inches when crawling, which operation is effected by a series of sud- [Fig. 51.] den jerks. The third segment is the largest, the second but half its size and the first still smaller, and when at rest the two last men- tioned segments are partly withdrawn into the third as shown in the figure. The young larva is green, with a long slender reddish horn rising from the eleventh segment and curving over the back, and *The synonyms for this insect are Sphinx Crantor, Cramer, and- Pholus crantor, Huebner. The genus Philampelus—meaning literally ‘‘ fond of the vine’’—was erected by Harris to include this and the next species. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 15 though I have found full grown specimens that were equally as green as the younger ones, they more generally assume a pale straw or reddish-brown color, and the long recurved horn is invariably replaced by a highly polished lenticular tubercle. The descriptions extant of this worm are quite brief and incomplete. The specimen trom which my drawing was made, was of a pale straw color which deepened at the sides and finally merged into a rich vandyke-brown. A line of a feuille-morte brown, deep and distinct on the anterior part, but indistinct and almost effaced on the posterior part of each segment, ran along the back, and another line of the same color, con- tinuous, and with its upper edge fading gradually, extended along each side. The six scalloped spots were cream-colored; the head, thoracic segments and breathing-holes inclined to flesh-color, and the prolegs and caudal plate were deep brown. The worm is covered more or less with minute spots which are dark on the back but light and annulated at the sides, while there are from six to eight trans- verse wrinkles on all but the thoracic and caudal segments. The color of the worm, when about to transform, is often of a most beautiful pink or crimson. The chrysalis (Fig. 50) is formed within a smooth cavity under ground. It is of a dark shiny mahogany- brown color, shagreened or roughened, especially at the anterior edge of the segments on the back. Unlike the Hog-caterpillar of the Vine, just described, this in- sect is everywhere single-brooded, the chrysalis remaining in the ground through the fall, winter and spring months, and producing the moth towards the latter part of June. I rather incline to believe however that there may be exceptions to the rule in southerly lati- tudes, and that in such latitudes it may sometimes be double- brooded; for I have known the moth to issue near St. Louis during the first days of August, and have this very year found two worms in the same locality as late as the 25th of October, neither of which was quite full grown, though the leaves on the vines upon which they were found had almost all fallen. Apparently such premature de- velopment of SpAinx moths is a well-known occurrence among the different European species; for Chas. Darwin remarks that “a num- ber of moths,.especially Sphinw moths, when hatched in the autumn out of their proper season, are completely barren; though the fact of their barrenness is still involved in some obscurity.* The moth (Fig. 51), is of a brown-gray color variegated with light brown, and with the dark spots, shown in the figure, deep brown. The hind wings are pink with a dark shade across the middle, still darker spots below this shade, and a broad gray border behind. I once had an excellent opportunity of observing how it burst open the chrysalis shell, for while examining a chrysalis, the moth emerged. By a few sudden jerks of the head, but more especially by friction *See Variation of Animals and Plants, etc., II, pp. 157-8, English Edition, and the references there given in the foot-note. Th SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF ! with the knees of the middle pair of legs, it severed and ruptured the thin chrysalis shell, and the very moment the anus touched the rup- tured end, the creamy fluid usually voided by newly-hatched moths was discharged. I have never found any parasite attacking this species, but its solitary habit and large size make it a conspicuous object, and it is easily controlled by hand, whenever it becomes unduly numerous upon the Grape-vine. THE SATELLITE SPHINX—Pdilampelus satellitia, Linn.* (Lepidoptera Sphingide.) Like the preceding insect this one occurs in almost. every State in [Fig. 52] the Union. It also bears a strong iy fil} | i resemblance to the Achemon Sphinx, and likewise feeds upon the Ampelopsis as well as upon the Grape-vine; but the worm may readily be distinguished sfrom the former by having five cream-colored spots each side, instead of six, and by the spots themselves being less scalloped. In the latitude of St. Louis, _— this worm is found full grown Z) throughout the month of Sep- ‘tember, and a few specimens may even be found as late as the last of October. The eggs of this species, as of all other Hawk-moths (Sphinx family) , known to me, are glued singly ‘ to the leaf of the plant which is . to furnish the future worm with § food. When first hatched, and for sometime afterwards, the larva is green, with a tinge of pink along the sides, and with an immensely long straight pink horn at the tail. This horn soon begins to shorten, and finally *The synonyms for this insect are Sphinz lycaon, Cramer; Pholuslycaon, Hvebner, and Daphni pandorus, Huebner, Mr. A. Grote (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., I, p. 60), believes that the Sphina lycaon of the authors above quoted, is distinct from S. Satellitia, Linn., and would fain ‘‘ eliminate”’ a third species (posticatus). For reasons which it would be tedious to give here, 1 prefer to regard lycaon as a variety of satellitia. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. iW] curls round like a dog’s tail, as at Figure 52, c. As the worm grows older it changes to a reddish-brown, and by the third moult it entirely loses the caudal horn. When full grown, it measures nearly four inches in length, and when crawling, appears as at Figure 52, a. It crawls by a series of sudden jerks, and will often fling its head savagely from side to side when alarmed. Dr. Morris* describes the mature larva as being green, with six side patches; but though I have happened across many specimens of this worm during the last seven years, I never once found one that was green after the third moult; nor do I believe that there are ever any more than five full-sized yellow spots each side, even in the young individuals. The specimen from which the above figure was made, occurred in 1867, at Hermann, Missouri, in Mr. Geo. Husmann’s vineyard. The back was pinkish, inclining to flesh-color; the sides gradually became darker and darker, and the five patches on segments 6—10 inclusive, were cream-yellow with a black annula- tion, and shaped as in the figure. On segments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, were numerous small black dots, but on each of the following five seg- ments there were but two such dots. A pale longitudinal line ran above the yellow patches, and the head and first joint were uniformly dull reddish-brown. The most common general color of the full-grown worm is a rich velvety vinous-brown. When at rest, it draws back the fore part of the body, and retracts the head and first two joints into the third (see Fig. 52,5), and in this motionless position it no doubt manages to (Fig. 53.] escape from the clutches of many a hungry insectivorous bird. Dr. | Morris, copying perhaps after Harris, erroneously states that the three anterior joints, together with the head, are retracted into the fourth, and Mr. J. A. Lintner+ makes the same false assertion. It is é *Synopsis of N. A. Lepidoptera, p. 178. 7Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., IIT, p. 659. 48 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF the third segment in this species, as well as in the Achemon Sphinx, which is so much swollen, and into which the head and first two seg- ments are retracted. When about to transform, the larva of our Satellite Sphinx enters a short distance into the ground, and soon works off its caterpillar- skin and becomes achrysalis of a deep chestnut-brown, and very much of the same form as that of the Achemon Sphinx, figured on page 74. The moth (Fig. 53), makes its appearance in June of the following year, though it has been known to issue the same year that it had existed as larva. In this last event, it doubtless becomes barren, like others under similar circumstances, as was shown on page 75. The colors of the moth are light olive-gray, variegated as in the figure with dark olive-green. The worms are easily subdued by hand-picking. THE ABBOT SPHINX—TZhyreus Abbott, Swainson. (Lepidoptera, Sphingide.) This is another of the large Grape-feeding insects, occurring on the cultivated and indigenous vines and on the Virginia Creeper, and re [Fig. 54.] having in the full-grown aT, ee i ty, .. larva state, a polished tu- . ame 2=\)ercle instead of a horn at the tail. Its habitat is given by Dr. Clemens, as New York, Pennsylvania, > Georgia, Massachusetts, and Ohio; but though not so common asthe Sphinx moths previously describ- ed, yet it is often met with both in Illinois and Mis- souril. The larva which is represented in the upper partof Figure 54, varies considerably in appearance. Indeed, the ground-color seems to depend in a measure on the sex, for Dr. Morris describes this larva as reddish-brown with numerous patcnee of light- green, and expressly states that the female is of a uniform reddish- brown, with an interrupted dark brown dorsal line and transverse strie. Ihave reared two individuals: which came to their growth about the last of July, at which time they were both without a ves- tige of green. The ground-color was dirty yellowish, especially at the sides. Each segment was marked transversely with six or seven slightly impressed fine black lines, and longitudinally with wider THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 79 non-impressed dark brown patches, alternating with each other, and giving the worm a checkered appearance. These patches become more dense along the subdorsal region, where they form two irregu- lar dark lines, which on the thoracic segments become single, with a similar line betweenthem. There was also a dark stigmatal line with a lighter shade above it, and a dark stripe running obliquely down- wards from the posterior to the anterior portion of each segment. The belly was yellow; with a tinge of pink between the prolegs, and the shiny tubercle at the tail was black, with a yellowish ring around the base. The head, which is characteristically marked, and by which this worm can always be distinguished from its allies— nofmatter what the ground-color of the body may be—is slightly roughened and dark, with a lighter broad band each side, and a cen- tral mark down the middle which often takes the form of an x. This worm does not assume the common Sphinx attitude of holding up the head, but rests stretched at full length, though if disturbed it will throw its head from side to side, thereby producing a crepitating noise. The chrysalis is formed in a superficial cell on the ground; its surface is black and roughened by confluent punctures, but between the joints it is smooth and inclines to brown; the head-case is broad and rounded, and the tongue-case is level with the breast; the tail terminates ina rough flattened wedge-shaped point, which gives out two extremely small thorns from the end. The moth (Fig. 54, below) appears in the following March or April, there being but one brood each year. It is of a dull chocolate or grayish-brown color, the front wings becoming lighter beyond the middle, and being variegated with dark brown as in the figure; the hind wings are sulphur-yellow, with a broad dark brown border breaking into a series of short lines on a flesh-colored ground, near the body. The wings are deeply scalloped, especially the front ones, and the body is furnished with lateral tufts. When at rest, the abdo- men is curiously curved up in the air. ; THE BLUE CATERPILLARS OF THE VINE. Besides these large Sphinx caterpillars, every grape-grower must have observed certain so-called “ Blue Caterpillars,” which, though tar from being uncommon, are yet very rarely sufficiently numerous to cause alarm, though in some few cases they have been known to strip certain vines. There are three distinct species of these blue caterpillars, which bear a sufficiently close resemblance to one another, to cause them to be easily confounded. The first and by far the most common with us is the larva of 380 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EIGHT-SPOLTTED FORESTER—Alypia octomaculata, Faby. (Lepidoptera, Zygeenide.) , bogie At Plate I, Figure 18 of my First Re- port, the male of this moth is illustrated by the side of its supposed larva, Figure 19 of the same Plate. In the text (pp. 136-7) I expressed some doubts as to whether this last was the rightful larva of the Hight-spotted Forester, and as I have since reared several moths from the larva ag, State, and ascertained that the worm there ‘figured does not belong to the Hight = spotted Forester, but in all probability to the Pearl Wood Nymph, I will now give the characters of these three different blue caterpillars, so that they may readily be distinguished hereafter. The larva of the Kight-spotted Forester may often be found in the latitude of St. Louis as early as the beginning of May, and more abundantly in June, while scattering individuals (probably of a second brood) are even met with, but half-grown, in the month of Septem- ber. The young larve are whitish with brown transverse lines, the colors not contrasting so strongly as in the full-grown specimens, though the black spots are more conspicuous. They feed beneath the leaves and can let themselves down by a web. The full-grown larva often conceals itself within a folded leaf. Itis of the form of Figure 55, a, and is marked transversely with white and black lines, each segment having about eight light and eight dark ones. The bluish appearance of this caterpillar is owing to an optical phenome- non from the contrast of these white and black stripes. The head and the shield on the first segment are of a shiny bright deep orange color, marked with black dots, and there is a prominent transverse orange-red band, faint on segments 2 and 3; conspicuous on 4 and 11 and uniform in the middle of each of the other segments. In the middle segments of the body each orange band contains eight black conical elevated spots or tubercles, each spot giving rise to a white hair. These spots are arranged as in the enlarged section shown in the engraving (Fig. 55, 6), namely, four on each side as follows: the upper one on the anterior border of the orange band, the second on its posterior border, the third just above spiracles on its anterior bor- der—each of the three interrupting one of the transverse black lines —and the fourth, which is smaller, just behind the spiracles. The venter is black, slightly variegated with bluish-white, and with the orange band extending on the legless segments. The legs are black, and the false-legs have two black spots on an orange ground, at their outer base; but the characteristic feature, which especially distin- guishes it from the other two species, is a lateral white wavy band— THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. $i obsolete on the thoracic segments, and most conspicuous on 10 and 11—running just below the spiracles, and interrupted by the trans- verse orange band. I quote heré Harris’s full description of this larva (Correspondence, p. 286), as it agrees with mine, except in giving the number of transverse black lines as 6 on each segment; instead of 8, from the fact that he does not include the two which border the orange band, on account of their being interrupted. I have preferred to consider each segment of this worm as 8-banded, to distinguish it more readily from the other two species, which have respectively only six and four. ‘Length, when at rest, one inch and two-tenths, very pale blue, transversely banded with orange on the middle of each segment, the bands dotted with small black points, producing hairs, and surmounted by black lines, and between each of the bands six transverse black lines. A large, irregular, white spot on the side of the tenth and eleventh segments, and a series of smaller white spots on each of the other segments except the first three. Head orange dotted with black. Legs blackish externally. The full-grown, have a decidedly bluish tinge, entirely owing, however, to an optical phenomenon from the contrast of the white with the transverse black lines. The head is of a pale dirty orange or rusty yellow, with about eight black dots on each side ; [about 10 large and 14 small dots in all,] a semicircular plate on the top of the first segment and the anal valves are pale orange dotted with black. There is a transverse series of black dots on the second and’ third segments, without an orange band. LHach of the other segments is transversely banded with orange and dotted with black; the dots being in two alternate rows, and all of them emitting distinct, long whitish hairs. [The anterior dots on the back of segments 4, 5 and 6 and the pos- terior ones on 11, are considerably larger than the rest]. Between each of the bands there are six slender, continuous, black transverse lines. The points are also connected by interrupted black lines. Legs at base orange, black externally and at tip, except the anal pair which are orange, dotted with black. ‘The large white lateral spot is common to the side of the tenth and eleventh segments. The other lateral white spots are situated immediately behind the bands on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth segments, the anterior spots being largest; and thence they diminish to the ninth, while again the posterior spot is very large and very distinct. ‘The orange bands are interrugted on the top of the seventh, eighth and ninth segments.”’ This larva transforms to chysalis within a very slight cocoon formed without silk, upon, or just below the surface of the earth, and issues soon after, as a very beautiful moth of a deep blue-black color, with orange shanks, yellow shoulder-pieces, each of the front wings with two large light yellow spots, and each of the hind wings with two white ones. The illustration (Fig. 55,c) represents the female, and the male differs from her in having the wing spots larger, and in having a conspicuous white mark along the top of his narrower ab- domen. : I have on one or two occasions known vines to be partly defoli- ated by this species, but never knew it to be quite so destructive as it is represented in the following communication from Mr. W. V. An- drews, of New York city, which I take fromthe February (1869) num- mer of the American Naturalist : “That a man should desire to raise his own Isabellas is laudable _and praiseworthy ; and I see no reason why such desire should exist exclusively in the breasts of our bucolic friends. The inhabitants ot New York, as a general thing, clearly are of the same opinion, as is evidenced by the number of grape-vines ornamenting the doors and trellis-work of the houses of our citizens; not, of course, in the be- nighted regions of Wall street, but up-town; say from Sixteenth street northward. A friend of mine residing on Thirty-fourth street, showed me, in March last, a very fine vine, which he calculated would prodnee t him sundry pounds of choice grapes, and in the pride of his ER 82 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF heart he invited me to “call along” occasionally, and feast my eyes » on the gradual development of the incipient bunches. Thinking that August would be a good month for my visit, I “ called along,” won- dering in my mind whether my friend would, when the time of ripe grapes came, desire me to help myself out of his abundance; or whether he intended to surprise me with a little basket of nice bunches, garnished with crisp, green leaves. The first glance at the grape-vine banished all doubts on this point. There were an abun- dance of bunches on the vine, in a rather immature condition, of course, but of foliage there was not a trace. Of course I expressed my surprise, though, for certain reasons, I felt none; and asked my friend why he selected a species of vine for shelter, ornament, and use, which produced no foliage. He rebuked my ignorance pretty sharply, and told me that a few weeks before, the vine was covered with leaves; but, for some inexplicable reason, they had all disappeared—eaten, he guessed, by something. He guessed right. There were at least a hundred of the larve of A, octomaculata, the rear guard of a mighty host, wandering about the branches, apparently for the purpose of making sure that no little particle of a leaf was left undevoured. Pretty little things they were, with harmoniously blended colors of black, yellow and blue, but so terribly destructive! I had the curi- osity to walk through all the streets to the east of Third avenue, as low as Twenty-third street, and every vine was in the same predica- ment. If grape leaves, instead of fig leaves, had been in request for making aprons, and one A/ypia had been in existence at the time, I doubt if in the whole Garden of Eden enough material would have been found to make a garment of decent size. The destruction of the crop for 1868 was complete. “This was bad. But it was not half so bad as the helpless ignor- ance which possessed nearly all of the unfortunate owners of vines. Scarcely one that I conversed with had the remotest idea of the cause of the disaster, and when I explained that it was the caterpillar of a beautiful little black moth, with eight whitish-yellow spots on its wings, which had eaten up the foliage, my assertion was received with such a smile of incredulity, as convinced me that there is no use in trying to humbug such very sharp fellows as are the New York grape-growers. “Tt is a little remarkable, however, that the destruction was con- fined to the eastern part of the city. I saw several luxuriant vines on the western side; and across the river at Hoboken, and at Hudson City, not a trace of A. octomaculata was discernible. “The insect, then, is very local in its habits, and it is a day-flyer ; and, from these facts, I infer that its ravages may be very materially checked. A little poisoned molasses, exposed in the neighborhood of the vine, would operate on the perfect insect [extremely doubtful] ; while a good syringing with soft soap and water would bring down the caterpillars effectually.” THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 83 THE BEAUTIFUL WOOD NYMPH—Eudryes grata, Fabr. (Lepidoptera, Zygeenide.) Here is another moth (Fig. 56), surpassing in real beauty, though (Fig. 56.] not in high contrast, the species just de- 2 scribed. The front wings are milk-white, # broadly bordered and marked, as in the y figure, with rusty-brown, the band on the outer margin being shaded on the inner side with olive-green, and marked to- wards the edge with aslender wavy white _ line: under surface yellow, with two dusky spots near the middle. The hind wings are nankin-yellow, with a deep brown border, which does not extend to the outer angle, and which also contains a wavy white line: under surface yellow with a single black spot. Surely these two moths are as unlike in general appearance as two moths well can be; and yet their caterpillars bear such a close resemblance to each other, and both feed upon the Grape-vine! The larva of the Beautiful Wood Nymph is, in fact, so very similar to that of the Kight-spotted Forester, that it is entirely unnecessary to figure it. It differs more especially from that species by invariably lacking the white patches along the sides, by the hairs arising from the black spots being less conspicuous, and by the hump on the eleventh seg- ment being more prominent. The light parts of the body have really a slight bluish tint, and in specimens which I have found, I have only noticed six transverse black stripes to each segment. This larva, when at rest, depresses the head and raises the third and fourth seg- ments, Sphinx-fashion. It is found on the vines in the central por- tion of the State as early as May and as late as September, and it de- vours all portions of the leaf, even to the midrid. It descends to the ground, and without making any cocoon, transforms to a chrysalis, which is dark colored, rough, with the tip of the abdomen obtusely conical, ending in four tubercles, the pair above, long and truncate, those below broad and short (Packard). ° Some of them give out the moth the same summer, but most of them pass the winter and do not issue as moths till the following spring. THE PEARL WOOD NYMPH—£udryas anie, Huebner. (Lepidoptera, Zygeenide.) This is another pretty little moth, so closely allied to, and se much resembling the preceding species, that it is not necessary to produce its picture. It is a smaller species, and differs from the Beau- tiful Wood Nymph in having the outer border of the front wings paler and of a tawny color, with the inner edge wavy instead of straight; &4 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF and in that of the hind wings being less distinct, more double, and extending to the outer angle. The larva is said by Dr. Fitch to so much resemble that of the preceding species that “we as yet know not whether there are any marks whereby they can be distinguished from each other.” (Report [Fig. 57.) 3, § 124.) The mothis more common c ¢=% with us thanits larger ally, and though 4.-S\, amining a number of additional speci- mens of the larva of this insect, which has continued its injuries to strawberry roots in some parts of St. Louis county and of South Illinois; and though I have nothing to add to its economy as set forth in my last Report, I find it necessary to revise the description of the larva for the benefit of the entomological student. As stated at the time, my former description was drawn up from two rather poor alcoholic specimens, and after more carefully examining a great number of good, living larve, I find that description not sufficiently accurate. Upon more careful study, this larva plainly shows its Family characteristics, and the ventral appendages are rarely as prominent as previously indicated (Rep. 3, Fig. 38), being in reality but largely developed tubercles which the larva has the power of extending or retracting. The following description should therefore replace the other : COLASPIS FLAVIDA, Say—Larva—Color yellowish. Body slightly arched. Anal joints smaller than the others. First joint horny above and of the same color as head. Dorsum with about three wrinkles to each joint and sparsely clothed with yellowish hairs, each springing from a minute rufous polished point. Stigmata, 9 on each side, rufous, the first between joints 1 and 2, the others placed on a lateral series of swellings, commencing with joint4. Joints 4—11 inclusive, each with 8 substigmatal concolorous shiny plates (Fig. 16, a), the upper row lateral and divided from the second by a longitudinal depression: the second row forming tubercles which are retracted or pro- jected at will. Head (Fig. 16, b, under side; c, upper side), honey-yellow, rounded, slightly flat- tened in front; epistoma and labrum of same color: mandibles darker, triangular, with the inner edge slightly excavated near the tip; antenne apparently two-jointed, short and with the terminal joint often bifid; maxille well developed, the inner lobe furnished with strong hairs; maxillary palpi prominent, 4-jointed; labium sub-obsolete; labial palpi forming simply two small piliferous tubercles. Legs scaly, pale, setous, and terminating ina brown claw. Anal joint not horny below. Length, 0.25—0.30 inch. Described from numerous specimens. tO Oe THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 THE HARLEQUIN CABBAGE-BUG.—Strachia [Murgantia] histrionica, Hahn. (Heteroptera, Scutelleridz.) Prior to the year 1870 the insect which forms the subject of this sketch was not known to occur in Missouri. It has of late years been gradually travel- ing towards us from the more southern States, and has already made its presence a little too manifest in some of our south- ern counties, and in Kansas I have met with it at a latitude higher than St. Louis. It extends to Guatemala, and is found in a Mexico; and it varies very much, as most species are found to do when their geographical distribution is studied. As it extends southward we find the dark colors predominating, and becoming more intensified and brilliant, and Stal has described a species (Murgantia munda) from Mexico, which is doubtless but a geographical race, since all the intermediate grades occur between it and the more northern form of histri- onica. My friend, Mr. P. R. Uhler,; has made some interesting experiments on the species, which have clearly proven that when reared in the dark the pale red parts predominate ; while if reared in the bright day-light, the dark blue colors-predominate. I gave a short account of it in the American Ento- mologist (Vol. II., pp. 79, 80), and cannot do better than repeat that account here with such modifications and additions as are necessary to render it more complete. Cabbage-growers in the North are apt to think that the plant which they cultivate is about as badly infested by insects as it is possible for any crop to be, without being utterly exterminated. No sooner are the young cabbages above ground in the seed-bed, than they are often attacked by sev- eral species of Flea-beetles. By these jumping little pests the seed-leaves are frequently riddled so full of holes that the life of the plant is destroyed ; and they do not confine themselves to the seed-leaves, but prey to a consid- erable extent also upon the young rough leaves. After the plants are set out, the larve of these insects are found upon the roots, in the form of tiny elongate six-legged worms. Through the operations of these subterranean foes, the young cabbages, especially in hot dry weather, often wither away and die; and even if they escape this infliction, there is a whole host of cut- worms ready to destroy them with a few snaps of their powerful jaws; and the common White Grub, as we know by experience, will often do the very same thing. Suppose the unfortunate vegetable escapes all these dangers of the earlier period of its existence. At a more advanced stage in its life, the stem is burrowed into by the maggot of the Cabbage-fly (Anthomyia bras- sice )—the sap is pumped out of the leaves in streams by myriads of minute 36 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF Plant-lice covered with a whitish dust (Aphis brassice)—and the leaves them- selves are riddled full of holes by the tiny larva of the Cabbage Tinea (Plutella cruciferarum), or devoured bodily by large fleshy larvee of the differ- ent owlet moths or of the white butterflies that were treated of in my second Report. : Severe as are these inflictions upon the northern cabbage-grower, there is an insect found in the Southern States that appears to be, if possi- ble, still worse. This is the Harlequin Cabbage-bug, so called from the gay theatrical harlequin-like manner in which the black and orange-yellow colors are arranged upon its body. The first account of the operations of this very pretty but unfortunately very mischievous bug appeared in the year 1866, from the able pen of Dr. Gideon Lincecum, of Washington county, Texas, and was printed in the Practical Entomologist (Vol. I. p. 110). His remarks are to the following effect: The year before last they got into my garden, and utterly destroyed my cabbage, radishes, mustard, seed turnips, and every other cruciform plant. Last year I did not set any of that Order of plants in my garden. But the present year, thinking the bugs had probably left the premises, I planted my garden with radishes, mustard, and a variety of cabbages. By the first of April the mustard and radishes were large enough for use, and I discoy- ered that the insect had commenced on them. I began picking them off by hand and tramping them under foot. . By that means I have preserved my 434 cabbages, but I have visited every one of them daily now for four months, finding on them from thirty-five to sixty full-grown insects every day, some coupled and some in the act of depositing their eggs. Although many have been hatched in my garden the present season, I have suffered none to come to maturity; and the daily supplies of grown insects that I have been blessed-with, are immigrants from some other garden. The perfect insect lives through the winter, and is ready to deposit its eggs as early as the 15th of March, or sooner, if it finds any cruciform plant large enough. They set their eggs on end in two rows, cemented together, mostly on the underside of the leaf, and generally from eleven to twelve in number. In about six days in April—four days in July—there hatches out from these eggs a brood of larve resembling the perfect insect, except in having no wings. This brood immediately begins the work of destruction . by piercing and sucking the life-sap from the leaves; and in twelve days they have matured. They are timid, and will run off and hide behind the first leaf-stem, of any part of the plant that will answer the purpose. The leaf that they puncture immediately wilts, like the effects of poison, and soon withers. Half a dozen grown insects will kill a cabbage in a day. They continue through the summer, and sutficient perfect insects survive the winter to insure a full crop of them for the coming season. This tribe of insects do not seem liable to the attacks of any of the can- nibal races, either in the egg state or at any other stage. Our birds pay no attention to them, neither will the domestic fowls touch them. I have, as yet, found no way to get clear of them, but to pick them off by hand. To give some idea of their numbers in Texas, Mr. Benj. R. Townsend, of Austin, in that State, wrote me, under date’of February 28, 1870, that he had, within a few days, gathered 47,000 of the bugs. In September, 1870, I received from William R. Howard a single speci- men of this bug, which was found depositing her eggs near Forsyth, in THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 37 Taney county, and this was the first announcement of its appearance in Missouri. From the same source I learn that last July myriads of the insects appeared on the cabbages of the Hon. Jesse Jennings in that county, and that the plants were finally ruined. They have likewise been found on the grounds of Mr. B. F. Lee, in Marshfield, Webster county. Through the kindness of Mr. Howard and of Mr. Townsend I have received a number of specimens and have been enabled to present the following facts in its economy : The eggs (Fig. 17, c), are 0.05 inch long and 0.03 inch wide, and, as stated by Dr. Lincecum, are usually deposited in two rows of about half a dozen each, and they are beautiful objects. When first deposited they are of a light green color, but they soon become white, with black bands. They may be likened to little barrels, for though the sides are straight, the edges are rounded off and the black bands, recalling the hoops, and a black spot near the middle, recalling the bung-hole, add to the resemblance. There are two black bands, the upper thicker than the lower, and the black spot is just above the lower band (Fig. 17, d)._ The upper edge is slightly crenated and drawn a little over a convex lid which is marked with a crescent-shaped black spot on the outside (Fig. 17, e). The inner sides by which the eggs are fastened to each other are almost entirely black. In depositing, the ‘ ovipositor is moved from row to row in a zig-zag line. To afford a passage to the young larva, one of the heads of the barrel—the one, of course, that is not glued to the surface of the leaf—is detached by the beak of the little embryo as neatly and as smoothly as if a skillful cooper had been at work on it with his hammer and driver. And yet, instead of employing years in acquiring the necessary skill, the mechanic that performs this delicate opera- tion with unerring precision, is actually not as yet born into this sublunary world! The larva (Fig. 17, a) is of a uniform pale greenish color, marked with polished black as in the figure. The pupa (Fig. 17, b) differs from it only in some of the pale marks inclining to orange, and in the possession of con- spicuous wing-pads; and they both differ from the mature bug, not only in the non-possession of wings, but in their antenne being but 4 instead of 5- jointed, as they afterwards become. There are several broods of this bug during the course of the year, and the eggs will sometimes haich the third or fourth day after deposition; while Mr. Howard informs me that the bugs will go through all their moult- ings and be ready for reproduction within a fortnight. The mature bug (Fig. 17, g & A) is prettily marked with polished orange and blue-black, the relative proportion of the two colors being very varia- ble and the orange inclining either to yellow or red. Besides cruciferous plants, Mr. Howard has found it feeding on a variety of the Pea. It is said that no criminal among the human race is so vile and de- praved, that not one single redeeming feature can be discovered in his character. It is just so with this insect. Unlike the great majority of the extensive group to which it belongs, it has no unsavory bedbuggy smell, 38 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF but on the contrary exhales a faint odor which is rather pleasant than oth- erwise. I have already referred to the beauty of its coloring. As offsets, therefore, to its greediness and its thievery, we have, first the fact of its be- ing agreeable to the nose, and secondly the fact of its being agreeable to the eye. Are there not certain demons in the garb of angels, occasionally to be met with among the human species, in favor of whom no stronger argu- ments than the above can possibly be urged? No remedy other than hand picking, is yet known; and I have had no opportunity of trying the effects of the various applications such as salt, ashes, soot, ete. It is an interesting fact that in Europe, the cabbage grower is pestered with a bug (Strachia ornata, Linn) which bears a striking general resem- blance to our insect in color and ornamentation, and which, as I was assured by M. E. Mulsant, of Lyons, France, has the light parts red in spring and yellow in autumn. THE RASCAL LEAF-CRUMPLER—Phycita* [Acrobasis] nebulo, Walsh. (Lepidoptera, Phycide.) [Fig. 18.] Such is the name given to an insect which is quite common in the Western States, and which also occurs in Ontario, but does not seem to be known in the Eastern or extreme Southern States. It was first described by Mr. Walsh, in the Prairie Farmer for May, 1860, p. 308. It is one of those insects which is hardly noticed while carrying on its most destructive work; for it is most vora- cious during the leafy months of May and June, and is then more or less hidden by the foliage of the tree which it so effect- ually helps to denude. But the naked- ness of winter, though it does not reveal the surreptitious worm, lays bare and ren- ders conspicuous its little house, and * For reasons repeatedly given, I retain the technical name first given to this moth by Mr. Walsh. It was certainly properly referred to that genus as characterized by Westwood (Synopsis, p. 113). But genera haye become so multiplied of late years, that many of the older and earlier erected are fast yanishing from our classification. None but the specialist can undertake to keep up with the endless new generic characters that are being made, too often, to my mind, on the most trivial grounds; and none but the specialists are particularly interested in these changes. For practical purposes, there- fore, unless there are good and suflicient reasons for making a change, it is best to adhere as much as possible to those names by which notorious insects have become generally known. ‘This course is al- ways safe, if the more modern genus to which the insect should be referred is in some way hinted at for the entomological student. Phycita nebulo, Walsh is Myelois indiginella, Zeller, as Il am informed by the latter author who has had occasion to examine specimens which I forwarded to him. In real- ity it belongs to the genus Acrobasis as characterized by the same author in the Isis of 1848, p. 606. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 these houses—these larval cases—whether closely attached in clusters to the twigs as at Figure 18, b, or hidden in a few seared and silk-sewed leaves as at Figure 19, are unerring tokens of past injury to the tree, and symbols of increased injury in the future, unless removed. The bunches of leaves an- [Fig. 19.] chored to the tree by strong silken ca- bles and breasting defiantly every win- ter’s wind, are, indeed, significant insignia upon which is written in char- acters, if not in words—“ result of care- less culture and unpardonable neglect.” This insect sometimes becomes so prodigiously multiplied in young or- chards or in the nursery, as to seriously affect the health of the trees; for 1t does not confine itself to the leaves, but often in early spring commences on the swelling buds, attacks the young fruit, or gnaws the tender bark. Though I have not met with this Leaf-crumpler in Southern Illinois, it nevertheless occurs throughout our own State, and is quite injurious in the southwestern counties. There is but one brood a year, and the larva, about one-third grown, invariably passes the winter protected in its case. At this season of the year it is always of a deep red- dish-brown color. As the leaves expand in spring it rouses from its winter lethargy, and after “heaving anchor”—to use a nautical expression—by ‘severing the silken connections of its case, travels in search of food, and, having found it, secures its case again and breaks its long fast. Toward the end of May it acquires its growth, when the earlier brown color frequently takes on a more or less decided deep green hue. It is a smooth worm with the head and thoracic joints as represented at ¢. The case at this time usu- ally presents the appearance of Figure 18, a, being crooked and twisted ‘like a little horn, gradually enlarging, cornucopia-fashion, from tip to mouth, and reminding one strongly of a piece of bird dung. It is formed of the worm’s excrement and other debris, interwoven with silk, and is com- pletely lined on the inside with a carpet of the last named material. The worm leaves it for feeding purposes mostly during the night. The chrysa- lis is formed inside this case, and the moths commence to make their appear- ance during the forepart of June, and later as we go further north. The moth (Fig. 18, d and Fig. 20, c) has the front wings of a pale ash-gray color, variegated with cinnamon-brown and dark brown; while the hind wings are of a uniform dusky-gray. The male is distinguished from the female by a little horn-like tuft on the basal joint of the antenne, which is a characteristic of the genus. The worms hatching from the eggs deposited by these moths are about one-third grown when winter sets in, and they pass this season as already described, and thus the insect continues from year to year the cycle of its life. I have bred this insect from Apple, Cherry, wild and cultivated; Plum, wild and cultivated; Quince, and Crab-apple, and have noticed the cases on 40 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF Peach. Near St. Louis it has been, if anything, more injurious to quince than to apple trees. Yet it does not seem to be able to live on the Pear. Remepies.—The Rascal Leaf-crumpler is one of those insects which, from their peculiar habits, are easily subdued. The orchardist has but to bear in mind that it is single-brooded, and that it passes the winter in its case, and he will understand that by collecting and destroying these cases in the dead of the year when the tree is bare, he effectually puts a stop to its increase. If this fact were more generally recognized, we should see fewer of these insects in our orchards and nurseries. Whether collected in the winter or pulled off the trees during the spring and summer, these cases should always be thrown into some small vessel, and deposited in the centre of a meadow, or field, away from any fruit trees. Here the worms will wander about a few yards and soon die from exhaustion and want of food; while such parasites, hereafter mentioned, as are well developed or in the pupa state, will mature and eventually fly off. In this manner, as did Spar- tacus of old, we swell the ranks of our friends while defeating our foes. When so simple a remedy is at hand it is hardly necessary to seek for others. Applications of air-slacked lime to the tree when the foliage is moist, have been urged as a remedy; but it would seem that the worm is too snug in its retreat to be much affected by any such dustings, and there is scarcely any occasion to resort to any other than the simple and effectual remedy suggested. Because empty cases are found after such applications, men must not run away with the idea that the inmate has been’scared away ; for there is always a certain proportion of old cases which are empty. These stick to the tree long after the moths have escaped from them, and furnish a snug retreat for some other insects. The female Canker-worm particularly is fond of depositing her eggs within such old cases, as I have frequently found them crowded with such eggs. Natural Enemies.—In Mr. Walsh’s time but one real parasite was known to infest the Leaf-crumpler, and that was a little two-winged fly, which might easily be confounded with the common House-fly. It has not yet been described, and as my friend Dr. LeBaron bred it on several occasions the past year and has undertaken to describe it, I present below his descrip- tion, as kindly furnished me for use. This Tachina. larva becomes a pupa within the case of its victim, and Mr. D. B. Wier tells me that it was so abundant at Lacon, that the Leaf-crumpler was not one-tenth as numerous in 1871 as it had been in 1870. TACHINA [EXORISTA] PHYCIT®, LeBaron—Imago.—Length, 0.20 inch. Antennz black, third joint twice as long as the second; face silvery, without bristles at the sides; sides of the front silvery at the lower part, pale golden above; the middle black vitta occupying a little more than half of the width of the inter-oecular space; frontal bristles continued down the face to opposite the end of the second joint of antennx; palpi blackish-brown; eyes hairy. Thorax black, with the ordinary ciner- eous stripes scarcely perceptible. Abdomen black, varied with cinereous at the base of the segments; a large fulvous spot on the side of the abdomen occupying nearly the whole of the side of the sec- ond segment, half or more of the third, and sometimes a small spot on the first; bristles on the mid- dle as well as at the hind-margin of the second and third segments. Venation of the wings of the usual type; first posterior cell almost closed, before the end of wing; fourth long vein slightly curved after the angle; fifth long vein prolonged to the margin; hind cross vein moderately sinuous. Tarsal claws and pulyilli unusually long. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 41 Female? A single specimen, a very little larger than the others, was obtained from,the same lot of leaf-crumplers, which possibly may be the 9 of the same species. It differs as follows: Front broader; antennz dark brown; the cinereous markings of the body more distinct; the tip of abdomen fulvous, but without the fulvous spot at the sides; and with the tarsal claws of ordinary length. This species appears to belong to the subgenus Ezorista of Meigen, closely allied to Tachina proper, and differing from it chiefly in having the eyes hairy, and in the presence of bristles on the middle, as well as at the hind margin of the second and third abdominal segments, whereas Tachina has only the latter. Mr. Wier has given me specimens, said to be bred from it, of a small Ichneumon-fly which proves to be Limneria [Banchus] fugitiva, Say.* It is a small black species with the legs pale yellow, except the hind tibize which are white with black base and tip, and the hind tarsi which are black with the base of the first joint white. In this genus the terminal part of the abdomen is compressed laterally, and arched, and the ¢ ovipos- itor is so short that it does not extend beyond the tip of abdomen, so that the sexes do not differ very strikingly. This particular species infests other insects,t and I have obtained it from larve, at Chicago, IIl., as well as at St. Louis. Puycita [ACROBASIS] NEBULO, Walsh— Imago.—I yeproduce here the description of the moth in Mr. Walsh’s original words: ‘‘ Expansion of wings 7-10. Length of body 3-10. General color light cinereous, varied with dusky. A row of about seven subsemilunar or linear dark spots on outer margin of fore wing. Thenone-fourth ofthe distance to the body a waving light cinereous band parallel to the exterior margin, marked on each side with dusky black. Nearly at the centre a much abbreviated black band. Beyond the centre on the costal margin a subtriangular dusky black spot, the apex of which connects with the apex ofa much larger subobsolete triangular brick red spot which extends to the interior margin, and is bounded on the outside by a wavy light cinereous band, which is again bounded by a wavy dusky black band proceeding from the apex of the costal triangle. Base of wing dusky black, enclosing asmall round light cinereous spot. Hind wings and all beneath light cinereous shaded with dusky, the fore wings darker. Tarsi dusky with a narrow light cinereous fascia at the apex of each joint. Hind tibia fasciate with dusky at the apex, sometimes obscurely bifasciate. Intermediate tibia fasciate with dusky at the centre, the fascia generally extending to the base, but becoming lighter. Anterior tibia dusky, with a narrow apical light cinereous fascia. Palpi, both labial and maxillary, dusky.’’ When compared with other closely allied and resembling species, this little moth may be charac- terized in the following manner: The ground color of the front wing is decidedly bright and pale; the discal spots are almost always confluent, thus forming an abbreviated transverse bar; the dark markings are well defined and the triangular dark costal spots starting from the inner third of the wing is distinctly relieved, while the ‘‘brick-red’’ (nearer a cinnamon-brown) triangular spot which opposes it is large, so that the space it occupies on the inner margin is nearly as wide (generally within one-third) as that between it and the transverse posterior line. The lower half of the basal space is often of a distinct cinnamon-brown, and an oblique dusky band, which Mr. Walsh has not mentioned, is often quite distinct, running from near the apex to the brown triangle, where it connects with the inner margin. The species recalls, in facies, the European Myelois suavella. Ina suite of specimens bred from Apple, Quince, Plum and Cherry, there is sufficient variation to prevent a too rigidly drawn description, but the above characters obtain in all of them, and such variation as oceurs, runs in the direction of the variety presently to be described. Larva—Brown or greenish in color. Cylindrical. Tapering gradually from first to last joint. Head and cervical shield darker than the rest of body, slightly shagreened, sparsely covered with long hairs, the shield quite large, convex, and occupying the whole surface between stigmata—there being in front of the latter a sub-cervical dark horny plate. Joints 2and3 wrinkled as at Figure 18, c the former with two rather conspicuous dark dorsal piliferous spots. The other joints with a few fine hairs, the stigmata plainly visible, and the anal covering but slightly horny. Legs and prolegs of moderate size and of same color as body. Described from numerous specimens. Chrysalis—Mahogony-brown, with no striking character. Abdomen, especially above, with very minute punctures. * Ent. of N. A. LI, p. 701. + Mr. J. A. Lintner, of Albany, N. Y., has given me specimens bred from Saturnia maia, Drury; Mr. H. T. Bassett, of Waterbury, Vt., specimens bred from Dryocampa senatoriaSm., and I have Moe it from Dryocampa stigma, Sm., from Euchetes egle, Harr, and from Clisiocampa sylvatica, alr. 42 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF VARIETY NEBULELLA (Fig. 20, e).—I have bred asingle specimen from wild Crab (Cratequs) which differs in some essential features from the normal form, but which nevertheless can only be considered a variety of it, as I observed no larval differences. It differs in the more uniform and subued tone of the front wings, the markings being more suffused and indistinct; but principally in the relative narrowness of the space outside the transverse posterior line the greater consequent width of the middle area, and smallness of the triangular brown spot—the space it occupies on the inner margin being scarcely one-half as wide as that between it and the transverse posterior line. The discal spots are also separated. ; Described from one good specimen. An interesting fact connected with this variety is, that pre- cisely the same form occurs in Europe, as I found a single specimen in the cabinet of M. J. Lichtenstein of Montpellier, France, which he had captured in that vicinity, and which he allowed me to bring home forcomparison. Itseems to be rare, even there, and whether indigenous or imported from this country, is a question yet to be solved. THE WALNUT CASE-BEARER—Acrobasis juglandis, LeBaron. Cepiipnters, Phycide.) There are several other worms tolerably common with us which me, form cases very much like those of gj the Rascal Leaf-crumpler just de- scribed. One of these which is tor- y tuous and crooked, like the pre- 4 ceding, is found attached to the leaf of the Post oak, the worm skeleton- = izing the leaf for food. Another, / which is straight, is found on the Soft maple, the inhabitant drawing a few leaves together and likewise skeletonizing them. The moths which these produce are not yet known; but there is a straight case-bearer found on Hickory and Walnut which pro- duces a moth so much resembling our nebulo, that, though the insect cannot be considered a very injurious one, I am led to give a brief account of it for purposes of comparison, and to show how distinct species, with constant larval characteristics, may so graduate into each other in the perfect state as to render knowledge of their larval habits absolutely necessary to dis- tinguish them. The case of this insect (Fig. 20, 6) is invariably straight, and the excre- mentitious grains which cover it on the outside, are very closely and neatly woven together. It is attached by the small posterior end to the main leaf- stalk, and the worm draws down and fastens two of the leaflets to hide it, and then feeds upon them from the point to the base (Fig. 20, a). The worm differs in no respect from that of nebulo, except in being more com- monly dark greenish. There is, in all probability, but one brood a year, and as with nebulo the larva passes the winter in a partially grown condi- tion; and as it lives during the summer on a compound leaf, it very wisely abandons this leaf, and anchors its case firmly to the more enduring twig, before winter sets in. )) THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 43 The moth very closely resembles nebulo, as may be seen by referring to Figure 20, d, which shows its wing characters, the colors being the same. In this cut I have given two subsidiary sketches, the one at c showing the typ- ical nebulo, the other at e representing a crab apple feeding variety of the same; and the general reader will readily perceive (providing the public printer does not give us too muddy an impression) that the intermediate figure (d) differs less from the upper (c) than from the lower one (e). Yet the differences in the habits of the larve show that the Walnut Case-bearer is a distinct species. ACROBASIS JUGLANDIS, LeBaron.—(Fig. 20, d)—I have bred this species from Hickory, but as Dr. LeBaron has also bred it abundantly from Walnut, and has signified his intention of describing it in his second annua) Report, I adopt his proposed name, and shall content myself with pointing out the manner in which it may generally be distinguished from nebulo. Firstly, by the paler basal area of the front wings, which is sometimes almost white, especially near the costa, and by the head and shoulders and sometimes the ¢ antennal horn partaking of this paler color. Secondly, by the darker median space, the dark triangular costal spot not being well relieved posteriorly, but extending so as sometimes to darken the whole space. Thirdly, by the discal spots always being well separated. Such are its specific characters as taken from 3 hickory-bred and 6 walnut-bred specimens; but of the former there is 1 which when placed alongside of some of the more abnormal specimens of nebulo, can scarcely be distinguished from them, and, if chosen without knowledge of its larva, would certainly be placed with them; while of the latter there are two which nearly as closely resemble the variety nebulella. In general characters, in the size of the brown triangular spot, and the manner in which the inner margin is divided, juglandis is intermediate between nebulo and nebu- lella. In one of the hickory-bred specimens, the general color is quite warm, and the basal area carneous rather than white. Natourat Enemies.—From a lot of parasites bred from this insect by Dr. LeBaron, I find four distinct Ichneumon-flies. Three of them are black with legs variously marked with yellow reddish and black, and they all be- long to the genus Pimpla* which is characterized chiefly by the joints of the abdomen being for the most part broader than long, and the ovipositor of the female, with its sheaths, never extending more than the length of the abdomen beyond its tip. The fourth isa yellow fly belonging to the genus Perilitus, and as I am kindly informed by Mr. E. T. Cresson, is a new spe- cies. I therefore describe it by the name of PERILITUS INDAGATOR, N. Sp—Imago— @, Head almost glabrous, transverse, deep honey-yellow, the trophi pale, except the tips of jaws, which are dusky; ocelli touching each other, black; eyes black, very large, occupying nearly the whole side of face, and with a’few very short hairs; antenne With about 24 joints, pale fuscous; reaching, when turned back, to about the middle of abdomen. Thorax honey-yellow beneath and very slightly pubescent; very finely punctured and slightly pubes- cent above; prothorax honey-yellow and prominently convex; mesothorax with lateral and posterior sutures black; metathorax black. Abdomen with the pedicel black and slightly punctured; depressed, narrow at base, widening behind, slightly pubescent above; the other joints glabrous, polished, deep honey-yellow, the second joint largest and as long as all the subsequent ones together; ovipositor ex- tending about the length of the abdomen beyond its tip, rufous with the sheaths black. Legs pale honey-yellow, the tarsi, especially at tips, slightly dusky, the hind femora and tibize a little dusky towards tips, and a narrow rufous ring at base of former. Wings hyaline, iridescent; veins brown; stigma honey-yellow, with an opaque brown claud; two cubital cells, the outer small, sub-quadrate; the radial large; one discoidal, long and narrow. Length, exclusive of ovipositor 0.18 inch. Described from 1 ¢ bred from Acrobasis juglandis, LeB. * These are Pimpla conquisitor, Say (Ent of N. A. Il, p. 689,) Pimpla indagatrix, Walsh, Cress. (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. ILI, p. 146,) and Pimpla annulipes, Br. (Hist. Nat. des Ins. Hym. IV, p. 102.) 44 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE APPLE-LEAF SKELETONIZER—Pempelia Hammondi, N. Sp. (Lepidoptera, Phycidz.) [Fig. 21.] The leaves of apple trees, and especially of young trees, are preyed upon by such a host of insects that their histories alone would furnish material fora good sized volume. The little worm which forms the subject of this sketch has never been described, and yet it is often- times so injurious and its work is so intimately associated with that of one or two other species, with which perhaps it has been confounded, that an account of it becomes doubly necessa- ry. Though having different habits, it is quite closely related to the better known Rascal a © Leaf-crumpler. In the fall of the year the foliage of trees in young orchards, and es- pecially in the nursery, often wears a blighted, corroded, rusty look, and upon carefully examining it such appearance ail be found to result from the gnawings of this little Skeletonizer. A badly infested orchard or nur- sery presents such a decidedly seared aspect that it attracts attention at a great distance; and while traveling by rail I have often pointed out the work of this insect and felt as sure of its presence in certain orchards, as though I had closely examined the trees. The rusty appearance is produced by the worm feeding solely on the green pulpy parts of the upper surface of the leaf, and thus leaving un- touched the more fibrous frame-work. In some cases the pulpy portions are eaten off very thoroughly so that nothing remains but the semi-transparent epidermis below, and the net-work of veins; but more usually a certain amount of the parenchyma is left and this it is which acquires a bright rust- red appearance. The worm always covers the leaf with loose tender silken threads, with which it mixes numerous little black, gunpowder-like, excre- mentitious grains; and it is under this covering that it feeds. It is semi- gregarious, either living alone on the leaf, or in company within a bunch of leaves tied together. The worm (Fig. 21, a) is usually of a "brown color marked on the back as at b, but it varies from brown to pale yellowish-brown or greenish. The markings are pretty constant, however, and the distinguishing feature consists of four conspicuous black shiny tubercles, with a pale basal an- nulation near the head, as at c. The chrysalis is of a light brown color with no striking characters. It is generally formed among the leaves, in a very slight cocoon, and often in the folds made by a leaf-roller which is generally found in company with it. In confinement I have known the worms to go below ground where they cemented their cocoons on the outside with grains of sand. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 45 The moth expands about 0.45 inch and has the front wings of a deep glossy purplish-gray, marked with two transverse pale bands, as in the figure (d). It may be popularly known as Hammond’s “ Knot-horn.” I first received specimens of this worm in the summer of 1869, from Mr. A. C. Hammond of Warsaw, and W. T. Nelson of Wilmington, Ills. My late associate, Mr. Walsh, had intended to describe the species, and I now carry out his intention by naming it in honor of Mr. Hammond, whose experience with it, as given in the following extracts from one of his letters, will throw further light on its habits: In August and September, 1868, I noticed that the leaves of my apple trees were being destroyed by some insect. An examination revealed the fact that the mischief was caused by a small greenish larva about half an inch long, with two dark stripes on its back. Their mode of operating appeared to be to locate themselves on or near the end of the twigs in commu- nities of from three or four to a dozen, and form a dwelling place by webbing together a quantity of leaves with a material resembling spider’s web. Within this shelter they live, feeding upon the leaves. In June, 1869, I found the same insect at work in my orchard in great numbers. At this time the apples were about one-fourth grown, and we found that the worms generally inclosed two or three apples within the mass of leaves and that they were feeding upon these as well as upon the leaves, of course causing them to drop. Their ravages were principally confined to a few varieties. The yellow Bellflower, Winesap and Ben Davis appeared to be their favorites. They had caused fully one-half of the fruit to fall from several hundred trees in my orchard. In Europe a larger species of a closely allied genus (Acrobasis consoci- ella), which I have received from Mr. P. C. Zeller of Prussia, works upon the leaves of the oak in very much the same manner as ours does on those of the Apple ; and it is one of those insects attended by a companion larva, Our insect seems to be similarly attended by two companion larve, namely, the two species next to be treated of. At least it is almost always foundin conjunction with them. So faras we now know there is but one annual brood of the Apple-leaf Skeletonizer; but the moths issue very irregularly, and the worms may be found all through the summer, but particularly in the fall, as long as the leaves remain on the tree. I have found but partially grown worms as late as November—unfortunates that seemed doomed to a wintry death. The moths commence to make their appearance in the vicin- ity of St. Louis by the first of May, but I have had them issue as late as the last of July. ReEMeEDIES.—This insect, like a good many others, shows a decided pre- dilection for unthrifty, tender trees, and careful, clean culture is the best preventive. A little hand picking at the proper time will do much to prevent its injuries, and I incline to believe that it may be extirpated by dust- ing the trees with air-slacked lime. I have bred from it two small Ichneu- mon-flies, one of which isa Microgaster; but during my absence last summer the specimens were destroyed by mice. The larva of some Lace- wing fly (Chrysopa)also preys upon it, and its round white cocoon may often be found among the skeletonized leaves, and should be saved. 46 4 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF PEMPELIA * HAMMONDI, N. Sp. Imago (Fig. 21, d).—Average expanse 0.48inch. Front wings glossy purplish-brown with two silvery gray transverse bands dividing the wing on costa in about three equal parts, the basal band sharply defined outwardly and always extending to inner margin, the posterior band never extending more than half way across the wing, and generally not more than one-third, illy defined. In some specimens the basal transverse band is quite narrow, with the basal space a shade paler than the median: in others the band forms a double line. In some speci- mens also, a narrow pale transverse line outside the second band, and a pale terminal shade, are visible. Hind wings uniformly paler gray. Under surface glossy gray, with no marks, the front Wings a shade darker than the hind. ¢ differs from 9Q in the basal portion of the antennz being curved, and the curve filled with a tuft of scales. Described from numerous bred specimens. The species has the general facies of the European Cryptoblabes bistriga, which is a larger insect. Larva.—Length 0.45—0.50 inch. General color olive, or pale green, or brown, with a broad dark stripe along each side of back. Tapers slightly both ways, joints 4-12 inclusive, divided into two transverse folds. Freckled with numerous pale specks and with piliferous spots, the specks often taking the form of two pale broken lines along the upper edge of dark stripe. The piliferous spots are pale with a central black dot, and are best seen in the dark specimens. On joints 4-12 inclusive they are placed 4 in a square on the middle of the back, and four more each side, the two upper lateral ones being on the anterior fold, the stigmata appearing as minute rufous specks between them. Both these spots are often double. The third lateral spot is on the posterior fold and the fourth {is subventral and anterior. The hairs proceeding from these spots are long and setaceous. Head horizontal, freckled, pale behind, tinged with green in front and with a few long hairs. Joint 1 also freckled and with a large black piliferous tubercle with a pale basal annulation and in range with middle of dark stripe. Joint 2 with similar black tubercles with a white centre and replacing the uppermost lateral pale spot. There are but two of the small pale dorsal piliferous spots on this joint (between the tubercles) as well as on joint 3. Beneath immaculate, except that the thoracic legs have sometimes a few dusky dots. In the very dark specimens the head, cervical shield and anal plate remain pale. The cervical shield is then well defined with four small piliferous specks at anterior edgae, and the large shiny tubercle forms the extreme anterior angle. In many specimens the subdorsal dark stripe is obsolete or sub-obsolete, but even then the four black tubercles on joints 1 and 2 characterize the larva sufficiently. Described from numerous specimens. : Pupa.—0.24 inch long; rather stout and short, with two minute diverging spines and a few stiff bristles at tip. THE GREEN APPLE LEAF-TYER.—Tortrix Cinderella, N. Sp. (Lepidoptera Tortricide.) In company with the foregoing Leaf Skel- etonizer may almost always be found two or three different species of small green worms which aid materially in withering and denud- ing the leaves from young apple trees. These worms bear so close a resemblance to each other that it is almost impossible to character- ize them. The species under consideration is of a uniform yellowish-green color, with the head and neck horny and a shade more tawny, the head being marked with a crescent-shaped * Genera and families, so-called, are often instituted on such trivial and even variable characters amsng the smaller moths, that the proper placing of a species becomes very difficult, and ofttimes impossible. As Mr. Walsh informed me in 1869, specimens of this moth were that year sent to the English microlepidopterist, Mr. H. T. Stainton, who referred it to the genus Acrobasis (See Am. Ent. I p. 32). Upon carefully examining my own specimens, I found that the antennal characters of the ¢ placed itin the genus Pempelia rather than Acrobasis, and I at once suspected that the specimens sent by Mr. Walsh to Mr. Stainton were all 9. Upon communicating with Mr. Stainton on thesub- ject, and sending him the ¢, my supposition was veriticd. But, after all, as the late Dr. Clemens tritely remarked, our system of classificafkon is yet ‘‘one of convenience and not of nature. ’’ THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 47 black mark on which are the eyelets, and another dusky spot at base on the sides (Fig. 22, a). It webs the leaves together, generally folding a single leaf in two, and living within the fold. Like all true leaf-folders it is very nimble, and wriggles away and drops to the ground when disturbed, while the Skeletonizer makes no especial effort to escape. In feeding, the Leaf- tyer is not confined to the parenchyma. This worm changes to a chrysalis within a fold of the leaf, lined with silk, and when about to give forth the moth, works its way partially out at one end (Fig. 22, d.) The chrysalis (Fig. 22, b) is peculiar from having a rounded projection in front of the head. The moth (Fig. 22, c) is amost unassuming little body with the front wings of a dark ash-gray without a shade of any other color, the hind wings paler. In the early part of the year this species may often be found more numerous than the Skeletonizer, but the latter predominates, so far as my experience goes, in the fall. There is much more to observe yet of its hab- its, and I now merely introduce it and give it a name because of its associ- ation with the preceding species. The same remedies which apply to that will answer for this. TortTRIx CINDERELLA, N. Sp.—Imago (Fig."22, c).—Alar expanse exactly 1-2inch. Front wings deep glossy ash-gray, immaculate. Under a lens they have an irrorate appearance, while in cer tain lights some of the scales appear to form a series of darker transverse sinuous lines. Also scat- tered over the wing may be noticed a dozen or more reddish scales, which are not sufficient, how- ever, to destroy the uniform immaculate appearance. Head, mouth-parts, antenne, legs, and abdomen of same color. Hind wings paler and semi-transparent. Fringes of all wings concolorous. Under surface of wings*pale nacreous, inclining to pale fulvous around the margins. Described from two bred specimens. Larva (Fig. 22, a).—Length 0.50inch. Form of that of Acrobasis nebulo, wrinkled very much in the same manner. Color yellowish-green, the piliferous spots of the same color, but readily dis- tinguished by their polished surface; they are placed in a transverse row on thoracic joints, and on joints 412 there are four rhomboidally on dorsum, two laterally on the first fold and one subventral. Stigmata between the two lateral spots, and yellowish. Head and cervical shield gamboge-yellow; only a shade darker than body; labrum and two basal joints of antennz paler or white, the terminal joint brown; ocelli on a somewhat crescent ‘shaped black spot (the most conspicuous character) a second dusky spot at base of head laterally. Legs immaculate. Described from many specimens. Pupa (Fig. 22, b).—Length0.25—0.30inch. Brown, characterized by a peculiar rounded projection from front of head; by a little pointed prominence at base of each antennz, and each side of penul- timate abdominal joint; and by terminating in a broad suppressed piece which produces two decurved hooks. Posterior rim of abdominal joints rasped dorsally, and a slight rasped dorsal ridge near the anterior edge of larger joints. Legs reaching only to end of wing-sheaths. The head-prominence varies in size and slightly in form. THE LESSER APPLE LEAF-FOLDER— Tortrix malivorana, LeBaron. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidz.) This is the name given to a small pale green worm, by Dr. LeBaron,* who found it doing much damage to the young apple trees in the nursery of Mr. D. B. Wier, of Lacon, IIl., in the summer of 1870, but which almost disappeared in 1871. In habit and in size, form and color, it is the exact * First Ann. Rep. on the Ins. of Il1., pp. 20—23. 48 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF counterpart of the Leaf-tyer just described.* The chrysalis is also similar, but the moth, instead of being uniformly ash-gray, is of a bright orange, but of exactly the same size and equally uniform in coloration; so that by imagining a bright golden orange instead of deep ash-gray, Figure 22, c) would answer for this species. I have little doubt but this worm is also very generally associated with the Skeletonizer, as I found the latter had been quite abundant in Mr. Wier’s nursery last fall; and it very probably helped in some degree to cause the blasted appearance of the nursery which was attributed solely to the Lesser Leaf-folder the year before. In the Prairie Farmer for February 10th, 1872, M. Wier gives the fol- lowing account of the habits of this Lesser Leaf-folder : This is one of those ephemeral, and as we might say, local insects, that often do great damage at some point, and may not be troublesome again in that locality for years. Our nurseries were scourged with it during the summer of 1870 to so great an extent that from the twentieth of June until the first of September, hardly a green leaf could be found on the younger trees. My attention was first called to it in the fall of ’63, by a neighboring nurseryman, who wished me to call and see how the Codling moth (as he termed it) had injured his apple seedlings. His acre or more of seedlings could have looked no worse if they had been sprinkled over with dry straw, and burned over, yet, as was the case in our nursery, there was scarcely a Tortrix to be seen the succeeding sum- mer, and his seedlings made a very strong growth. I next saw it in my nursery in June ’64, when it swept over a large lot of two-year-old apple trees in June, but did no serious damage, as there appeared to be but one brood. It was next seen as stated above about the 12th of June, 1870, involving the entire apple nursery here, and more or less the orchards. At that time the caterpillars were about half grown, but were not numerous. enough to do serious damage. They commenced to change to chrysalids about the 20th of June, and in three to four days, the little bright orange moths were flitting around amongst the trees, depositing the eggs for another brood of worms. ‘The eggs soon hatched, and as the second brood of worms. was at least one hundred times more numerous than the first, the trees soon began to show signs of damage. I did not determine positively, but I am quite certain that this brood changed to moths in about thirty days, or the 20th of July, and they at once laid their eggs, increasing perhaps fifty fold (enemies had begun to prey upon them). ‘They matured about August 20th, and laid eggs for another brood, about equalling the second. ‘These so far as I could see were all killed by frost, that were not destroyed by their nat- ural enemies, when about two-thirds grown. , The first thing that will be noticed where it is present, is that in look- ing along nursery rows, leaves will be seen with large reddish-brown spots on them. A close examination will show that these leaves have been folded upwards until their edges met, and are closely fastened together with fine silken threads. Grasp the leaf between the thumb and finger, open it care- fully and a small, greenish, very lively caterpillar will be found between the folds, and if you do not grasp the leaf so as to squeeze it, the worm will wriggle out and fall to the ground. It has a pale, amber-brown head, and in many individuals the whole body is of a brownish tint, especially on * Specific differences may yet be discerned, as Dr. LeBaron has not very minutely characterized his larva, THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 49 the anterior portion, and when near mature. We do not usually observe the caterpillar until well grown, for the reason that when first hatched it appears to be in the centre of the opening bud, out of which it eats the heart, and of course stops the growth, leaving generally only three to four leaves to expand. It soon chooses one of these and folds it up as above, and then feeds on its upper cuticle, which makes the conspicuous brown blotches on the exposed side, or under side of the leaf. One leaf is gener- ally more than sufficient to feed the caterpillar. When mature it lines the sides of the leaf with soft white silk, and changes to a dark mahogany- brown chrysalis; about three-tenths of an inch long, slender and lively ; : its most distinguishing point is a little knob terminating its anterior extrem- ity. Ina few days these chrysalides change to bright orange-colored moths, three-tenths of an inch long and spreading their wings about half an inch. There is no noxious insect, that has come under my observation, that is more difficult to combat successfully than this. There appears to be no way of getting at it with any of the remedies usually employed for destroying such insects. While it is young it is too inconspicuous to be seen, and is always covered by a close web, or-hid in the folds of the young leaves, and when it becomes larger it is ‘snugly sealed up between the folds of a ‘leaf, at all times out of reach of liquid or dry applications. The only remedy that I can suggest is the tedious one of looking over the trees about the time the first brood of larve are coming to maturity, carefully picking the injured leaves off, with the worms in them and destroy- ing them. Yet the little things are so delicate, and so easily destroyed by natural causes, that our labor in doing this would be more than half the time thrown away, for the reason that a first brood is no sure sign that there will be a second, and a second that there will be a third; the weather must be continuously dry and hot for them to breed to a noxious degree. Thus, we had here ten times as numerous a first brood the spring of 1871 as we had the spring of 1870; yet the last season they did but little harm, while the year before they swept everything before them. Yet these two seasons were quite similar in this neighborhood, and the difference in their ravages can only be accounted for on the hypothesis that being numerous two years in succession in the same place, their natural enemies bred up also, and destroyed them. THE APPLE-LEAF BUCCULATRIX—Bucculatrix pomifoliella, Clem. (Lepidoptera Tineide.) . This is a small insect hitherto com- paratively little known, and which yet a | attracted some attention during the past ss two years. It was sent to the office on several occasions for name, and was -found, though by no means abundantly, in several orchards, and more espe- cially in that of Mr. T. R. Allen of Allenton. It cannot be classed as a very injurious insect with us, but to illustrate how unduly multiplied it may at any time become, and the importance ofa proper knowledge of its habits, [ 4 S— -presenting them when open) : maxille very small with an elon- sated basal piece, and an inner lobe covered with hair; maxil- lary palpi with two indistinct joints; labium inconspicuous with no palpi apparent. Length v.s) inch. Described from three alcoholic specimens. Pupt (Pig. 26, b).—Y-ellowish, elon gite, with all the parts of the future beetle distinet, the head at right angles with thorax, the antenne laid ‘straight under the thorax, the last pair of legs except the tarsi hidden under the wingsheaths. Length_0.30 inch. Described from several specimens. * Som: specimens occur which are eitirely black, the reddish spots being obsolete; but they are exceptional. , tI have also reared from similar canes jCallidium amanum, Say, and Dr. Shimer in the paper alluded to, on page 52, states that he has likewise bred this species as well as Lyctus opaculus, Lee. I have also bre« Elaphidion Asics rane Lec. abundantly from such canes. t Dr. Geo. H. Horn (P. E. S. P. I, p. 29) also refers to this larva as infesting hickory trunks, but neither of these authors give as description of the larva. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ao» GRAPH DISEASE. On the Cause of Deterioration in some of our Native Grape-vines, and one of the probable reasons why European Vines have so generally failed with us. THE GRAPE-LEAF GALL-LOUSE—Phylloxera vitifolie,* Fitch. The experience of the past year, enables me to add much of interest and importance to last year’s account of the above insect. This experience has already been made public in an article published in the Rural New Yorker, and reproduced in the Rural World of St. Louis. I am pleased to know that the views there set forth receive the indorsement of such an ex- perienced and practical man as Mr. Geo. Husmann, the well known grape authority in our State, and editor of the vineyard department of the last- named journal. + It is well known that nearly all the varieties of the European grape- vine ( Vitis vinifera) have, in the end, proved valueless when introduced and cultivated in the eastern half of the United States. The majority of them grow well at first, and a few exceptional cases might be mentioned where * This is the specific name by which I last year gave an account of this grape-vine insect; and 1 employ it again for that very reason, and for the further reason that it is the name most familiar to the American reader. I have already given my opinion (rd Rep. p. 95, note) that though the name is objectionable, it ought perhaps to be retina. It is doubtful, however, Whether many other entomologists will agree with m+; and while I believe in carrying out the ‘‘law of priority’’ to its fullest extent, consistent with reason, there are many cases where it must give way to that of ‘taccord.’’ The present is perhaps just sucha case; for aside from the technical objection, Dr. Fitch knew so little of the insect’s true characters, when he named it, that he cannot be said to have de- seribed it, and did not refer it to its proper genus which was already erected to receive it. His name will, therefore, doubtless give way to that of Phyllorera vastatrir, which Planchon first gave to the root-inhabiting form, and which has generally been recognized abroad. The same may be said of Westwood’s name Peritymbia vitisana, which was.also proposed for the same insect in 1868, in a com- munication to the Ashmolean Society of Oxford, England. While I would not, therefore, carry out the ‘‘law of priority’’ too relentlessly, I have no sym- pathy or patience with a certain modern system of attaching to an insect the name of the author who erects the last new genus, instead of that of the describer of the species.. This pernicious system— which if not frowned down, will lead to utter confusion and land us in absolute chaos—seems to be getting more and more fashionable among naturalists in this country, and I regret to say, among some entomologists. That man, in my opinion, is no true naturalist, who can pass through the museums of this country and witness the manner in which the names of the aiier authors are ignored, without feelings of just indignation! He will very naturally look upon it as an attempt on the part of modern ingrates to rob well-earned and long-worn laurels from the older authors, whose spirits still survive, if their bodies are prevented by the grave, from rebuking the insult, Aside from the moral injustice of such a rule, it is hurtful to any science in its practical application; for, as genera multiply, the student will find increasing difficulty in referring to original descriptions: whereas, by the old established rule, the describer’s name is an infallible index. In lists or cata- logues, such as that of Coleoptera by LeConte, and that of Bombycide by Grote & Robinson, where the synonyms are given, this difficulty does not present itself, though the moral objection remains. As the science of entomology grows, and synonymy multiplies, it will, in my opinion, become more and more necessary to attach the author’s name to a species in ordinary works, and any system which will require a continual changing of authorship should not be countenanced. Species—how- ever much they may be changed and modified in the course of ages—have for all the purposes of the naturalist a permanency which under the old- rule would render our specific nomenclature like permanent, and secure it against constant change; whereas, genera—though in the proper sense they may haye a similar permanency—are, for all practical purposes, more the creations of man than of Nature; and as they have been unstable and changeable in the past, so they will be in the future, and our generic nomenclature will ever have an indefinite, protean, insecure character. In Europe this system is almost universally ostracised; and—let botanists and ornithologists do as they please—it is to be hoped it will not grow in favor among entomologists in America. It was not followed by any of the older authors, and I am glad to know that some of our leading living entomologists, including Dr. G. H. Horn, Mr. E. 'T. Cresson, Mr. P. R. Uhler, Mr. J. A. Lintner, Dr. Asa Fitch, and Dr. LeBaron, are opposed to and do not adopt it. In these Reports—how- ever prevalent the contrary fashion may become—I shall always attach to the species the name of its first describer; and shall never change the orthography, cven of a name that may be grammut- ically objectionable, until Corrected by the author himself. +Mr. Husmann says: (Ru. W., Noy. 18, 1871); ‘‘ We copy the following from the Rural New York- er, and think it one of the most interesting papers we have read for a long time—one that will be of more use to the yintner in his selection of yaricties, and throw more light on the deterioration of for- inerly healthy varieties than anything that has been said or done lately. The grape growers of the country owe Prof. Riley a debt of gratitude for his thorough and scientific investigation of this sub- jJect.?? : DG FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF some of them, such as Black Hamburg and Chasselas, have even fruited successfully for many years, especially when isolated or trained against walls; while they more generally do well when isolated in cold houses. But the general truth of the first statement holds good. It is also well known that some of our native vines, which for a while were universal fa- vorites on account of their productiveness, vigor and other excellent quali- ties, have of late years sadly deteriorated. Among such the Catawba was for a long time the popular grape; but its cultivation is now entirely aban- doned in many parts of the Mississippi Valley, and even at Hammondsport and other parts of New York, and Nauvoo, Illinois, where it is still largely cultivated, I learn from experienced grape-growers that it is fast on the de cline. This deterioration—this failure, has been attributed to a variety of causes, for in the absence of anything definite and ascertainable to keep it within bounds, the speculative turn of our minds is sure to have full scope- and grasping at every shadow of probability, leave no possible theory un- searched. As in all such cases, also, the mind gets lost in, and is satisfied to vaguely rest with, the theory least provable; and to some occult and mys- terious change of climate we are at last satisfied to attribute the change though if the meteorological records were carefully examined, they would probably show no difference in the mean annual condition of our climate during the past half century. It is very natural to suppose that vines of European origin should be less hardy in this country than our native varieties, that asin the case of the Spanish Chestnut, the English Gooseberry, etc., etc., there is something in our climate which precludes their flourishing as well here as there. I would by no means deny that such is the case, for it is this very comparative ten- derness which predisposes them the more to the destructive agent of which Tam about to speak. Yet when we consider that in some parts of Europe, where the Vine flourishes, the extremes of heat and cold are as great as here ; that we possess a great variety of soil and climate, and that by covering and other modes of protection in winter, we may, where necessary, counteract the rigor of the latter—it would appear that we certainly have attributed too much to climatic influence: and such a view is strengthened by the fact that our native varieties, if free from the insect which forms the subject of his article, usually do well when cultivated in Europe, and further that the Vitis vinifera is not a native of Europe, but of western Asia. The above reflections are of a general character, but apply more par- ticularly to the great State of Miss thee which is admitted to be, in many parts, eminently adapted, both by soil eed climate, to the coltiwaee of the Vine. One of the reasons why the European vines do well in California, out- side of and beyond the more favorable clime in that portion of the continent, is, no doubt, because the insect which here affects them, like many other species common on this side of the Rocky Mountains, has not yet crossed to the other side. Ifsuch is the case, our California neighbors should take warning from Europe, and guard, if possible, against an invasion. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ai The announcement that I have at last ascertained one of the principal causes—if not the sole cause—of this decline, and that, knowing the cause, we may in a measure obviate it, will doubtless cause many a grape-grower to wonder. Some may even pooh-pooh the idea, and deem it impossible that they have so long remained in ignorance of so important a fact, that a “bug-hunter” should discover it at last. Let the facts speak. * This destructive agent is none other than the little insect we are now treating of. The general history of the louse, and the habits of the gall-inhabiting type were sketched in my last Report, and need not be repeated. FURTHER PROOF OF THE IDENTITY OF THE AMERICAN INSECT WITH THE EUROPEAN, That the two are identical there can no longer be any shadow of a doubt. I have critically examined the living lice in the fields of France, and brought with me, from that country, both winged male and female specimens, preserved in acetic acid. 1 find that the insect has exactly the same habits here as there, and that winged specimens which I bred last fall from the roots of our vines, accord perfectly with those brought over with me. In the different forms the insects assume, in their work, and in every other minutia—the two agree. WHY I CONSIDER THE GALL-LOUSE AND ROOT-LOUSE IDENTICAL. Firstly, wherever this insect has been noticed in England, both the gall-inhabiting and root-inhabiting types have been found. In France the galls occur abundantly on such of our American varieties as are subject to them here, while a few have occasionally been found on their own varieties. Secondly, I have successfully transferred the leaf-lice on to the roots, while M. VY. Signoret has succeeded in obtaining leaf-galls from lice hatched on the roots. Thirdly, the winged form obtained by Dr. Shimer from the galls in this country agrees in its characters with those from the roots. Fourthly, the nodosities on the roots are, as already stated, perfectly analogous to the galls on the leaves, and differ only in just such a manner as one would expect from the difference in the plant tissues—a view greatly strengthened by the fact that when the gall-lice are forced, by their excessive numbers, to settle on the tendrils or leaf-stalks, they produce swellings and knots approaching more nearly to those on the roots than to the galls. These *It is really amusing to witness how the facts here set forth have been received by those who never spent ten minutes investigation of the subject in their lives. In the silkworm disease that has of late years been so prevalent in Europe, M. Pasteur, wfter the most painstaking and elaborate ex- periments, at which he sacrificed his health, unraveled its mysteries, gave to the world the true pa- thology of pebrine, and what is more, showed how it might be eradicated. Yet, as I shall show fur- ther on, the men most interested were very slow to believe the hard, dry facts which had been snatched from the unknown, and—never haying studied the case themselves—were more inclined to consider the disease as something mysterious—something altogether beyond man’s understanding, and consequently uncontrollable. ‘Che most ignorant are always the most skeptical! I might men- tion several parties who have expressed their opinion that the Payllexera has no connection with dis- ease or decline in the Vine. Tosuch, [simply say: examine for yourselves, before giving an opinion. Others whom I might mention go to the other extreme and assert that it must be the cause of mildew, oidium, ete., and without any good reason put a similar opinion in my mouth. ‘To these last, I sav: Read aright, do not misconstrue, and by no means jump to conclusions! 58 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF facts sufficiently attest the identity of the two types, and we have here another case of an insect possessing two distinct habits. It is also like many others of its Family, polymorphic, /. ¢., it exists in different forms ; yet we have to do with but one species. FURTHER FACTS RESPECTING THE HABITS OF THE ROOT-INHABITING TYPE. The young hatched from the eggs on the roots are absolutely undis- tinguishable from those hatched in the galls; and the gravid apterous female differs in no respect whatever from the mother gall-louse. There is, how- ever, a different egg-depositing form, which, as it moults, becomes tubercled, and more elongated or pear-shaped, as shown at Figure 28, j. Some of these tubercled individuals remain without wings, while others seem to be [Fig. 28.] EXPLANATION OF FIGURE 28.—a, shows a healthy root; b, one on which the lice are working, representing the knots and swellings caused by their punctures; c, a root that has been deserted by them, and where the rootlets have commenced to decay; d, d, d, shows how the lice are found on the larger roots; e, female pupa, dorsal view; f, same, ventral view; g, winged female, dorsal view; h, same, ventral view; i, magnified antenna of winged insect; j, side view of the wingless female, lay- ing eggs on roots; k, shows how the punctures of the lice cause the larger roots to rot. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. a9 destined from the first to acquire wings. The young, after attaching them- selves, become in a measure stationary, and remind one very much of young bark-lice. The fine hair-like sete, which in their functions and elasticity are analogous to our tongue, become loosened from the more fleshy ros- trum or sheath, as shown at Figure 28, j, and are often so firmly inserted into the root that the louse, if disturbed from its place, generally hangs by them. Three of the threads of this tongue are sufficiently conspicuous, but there should be, from analogy, four. The females on the roots seem to be less prolific than those in the galls, and their eggs if anything are rather larger. These eggs are always of a bright yellow color, and, on the dark root, are detected with the naked eye as readily as the lice, which become darker or of a dull orange as they grow older. The insect is found on the roots in all stages during the summer months. In the winter it is found dormant, principally in the larva state, and no eggs are to be seen. With the circulation of the sap in spring, the activity ot these young recommences, and in a short time afterwards eggs are depos- ited again. At this season the punctures of their little beaks produce very decided swellings and an excess of moisture at the wounded parts. The winged forms are by no means uncommon and commence to issue from the ground perhaps as early as July. When I last examined the roots before my departure, or about the middle of May, no pupe were found; but winged insects were obtained as early as July in France, and after my return I had no difficulty in obtaining all I wished, especially during the latter part of September. The pup are easily recognizable with a good lens, by the lit- tle dark pad-like wing-sheaths at the sides of the body (Fig. 28, e, f)—and the sexes may even be distinguished at this stage by the greater constriction of the body near these pads in the female, compared to the male, her abdo- men being larger. Before giving forth the winged insect, these pups become quite restless and active, and in a state of nature they no doubt issue from the ground. The winged female (Fig. 28, g, h), seems to be much more common than the male, and is distinguished by her more lengthened abdomen—the wings, when closed, extending not much more than its length beyond the tip, while in the male they extend more nearly three times its length. The dusky thoracic band is not so distinct and the abdomen is more produced at the apex in the male; and there is also a slight difference in the venation of th¢ wings of the two sexes, which venation is best seen in the fresh specimens, as it becomes in a measure obsolete in drying. In the abdo- men of the female two or three large eggs are plainly visible, especially after being soaked in acetic acid. The two-jointed tarsus or foot is also plainly visible in such specimens, and I have found the joint movable, while M. V. Signoret, of Paris, has obtained the skin of the tibia or shank with the basal joint of the tarsus hanging to it. Prof. Westwood also refers to a short basal tarsal joint in the gall insect which he described. These facts, trivial as they may appear, are very important in a scieritific view, as they forever settle the differences that have existed as to the proper systematic position which the louse occupies. 60 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF SUSCEPTIBILITY OF DIFFERENT VINES TO THE ATTACKS OF THE LOUSE. [have carefully examined a great many different kinds of vines within a cireuit of thirty miles of St. Louis, as well as in Cole, Jefferson and Boone counties, in this State, and the summary which follows indicates the sus- ceptibility of the different varieties to this disease. There may be objec- tion on the part of some persons to the placing of some of the varieties in the following tables; and the opinions both of botanists and vine-growers are so at variance that I shall give in the subsidiary note* my reasons for * CLASSIFICATION OF THE N. A. GRAPE-VINES.—In few genera of plants, is it more necessary te accumulate abundant material in order to arrive at correct classification, than in the genus Vitis. The species are with difficulty defined, as they vary, in a marked manner in different sections of the country; and the foliage of the same individual vine often varies greatly at different ages and seasons. Preserved leaves are not alone to be trusted, therefore, but every stage of growth must be considered, from the wood to the different leaves, the blossom, bunch, berry and even the seed, which in its shape, and especially in the development of its raphe (or cord) furnishes, according to Dr. Engel- mann, some of the most permanent distinguishing traits between the species. It is interesting to know that not a single real species has been added to those belonging to the old territory of the United States, east of the Mississippi river, since the time of Linnzus and Michaux; though Rafinesque, LeConte, and perhaps others, have attempted to distinguish a great many more. The number of Grape-vines bearing edible fruit, * now considered species by the best botanists, in the territory of the United States, is limited to9. They may be tabulated as follows: I. Vines which are of practical consequence, as having yielded our different cultivated vari- eties. 1. Viris Lasrusca, Linn. Northern Fox. 2 ‘< MSTIVALIS, Michx. Summer Grape. 3: ‘* RIpARTA, Michx. River Bank Grape. 4 *“* yuLPINA, Linn. Southern Fox, or Muscardine. If, Vines of less consequence, and which have thus far given no cultivated varicties. 5. Vitis CORDIFOLIA, Michx. Winter or Frost Grape. 6. ‘* CALiFoRNICA, Benth. Confined to California. vi ARIZONICA Engelm. Similar to the last. 8. ‘** CANDICANS, Engelm. Mustang Grape of Texas. 9. ‘** RUPESTRIS, Scheele. Bush Grape or Sand Grape. Of these 9 species only 4 grow wild in our own State, viz: e@stivalis, cordifolia, riparia, and ru- pestris. In stating last year (8rd Rep. p. 90) that our cultivated varieties had been referred to four species, including cordifolia and omitting riparia, I followed the later editions of Gray’s Manual, in which the latter is considered as a variety of the former. The reasons for adopting a different course will be found in the following synopsis which has been kindly prepared for me by the author: THE TRUE GRAPE-VINES OF THE OLD UNITED STATES. BY DR. GEORGE ENGELMANN, OF ST. LOUIS. I. Grape-vines with loose bark (at last separating in shreds), climbing by the aid of branched tendrils, or (in No, £) scarcely climbing at all. a. Berries small, 3—6 or rarely 7 lines in diameter; seeds obtuse, with the raphe (or cord) more or less promi- nent (except in No. 4) over the top. All the species of this group, just like the European grape-vine, ex- hibit on well grown shoots a regular alternation of two leaves each having a tendril (or its equivalent, an inflorescence), opposite to them, and a third leaf without such a tendril. 1. VITIS CORDIFOLIA, Michaua—Usually tall, climbing high, trunks not rarely 6—9 inches in di- ameter. Leaves middle sized, heart-shaped, mostly entire or rarely slightly tri-lobed, with shallow broad teeth, usually smooth and shining on both sides, the young ones sometimes slightly downy be- low; berries xmong the smallest; in large bunches, black without a bloom, maturing late in the fall, asually with only one short and broad seed marked by a prominent raphe. This is 2 common plant especially of the river-bottoms, and well known under the name of Winter grape, Frost grape or Chicken grape. It is found from New England to Texas, and westward to the western limits of the wooded part of the Mississippi valley. In this valley, at least, the fruit has a _ *There are a few species forming the sections (or according to others, genera) Cissus and Amp elop- sis which are now classed with Vi/is ; but they bear no edible fruit, and are otherwise easily distin- guished from the true Grape-vines. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 61 so placing them. I am familiar with the views of many of the leading grape-growers of the country, and have had an opportunity of studying the genus by the excellent herbarium of Dr. Engelmann. It is gratifying to know, therefore, that the position given to such cultivated varieties as obtain in this herbarium, agrees with that given to them by leading grape- growers—the views of the botanist and the practical man coinciding. - When we find it so difficult to properly separate the wild species, we can no longer wonder at the difference of opinion as to the nature of many strongly and even fetidly-aromatic taste. No cultivated varieties of the species are known. 2. VITIS RIPARTA, Michaua—Mostly a smaller plant than the last, but with larger and more or less cut-lobed glabrous shining (or rarely when young, slightly downy) leaves, the lobes long and pointed; the teeth also mre pointed than in cordifolia; berries as small, or usually larger than in the last, mostly with a bloom, in smaller bunches, mostly 1 or 2 seeded; seeds with a less prominent raphe. This species prefers thickets or rocky soil on river banks and extends as far west and south as the last, and much farther north, being the only grape-vine in Lower Canada, where it is found even 60 miles north of Quebec. The northern form, in Canada, northern New York to Michigan and Nebras- ka, has fewer and larger berries in a bunch and is easily distinguished from V. cordifolia. The southwestern form, however, approaches more closely to this last species, with which Prof. Gray in the later editions of his Manual has united it. The fruit ripens earlier than that of cordifolia, and is much pleasanter. In St. Louis « variety found on the rocky river banks is brought to market in July. A number of cultivated varieties are referable to this species, among which the Taylor Bullit, the Dela ware and the Clinton, are the most prominent. ; 3. VITIS HSTIVALIS, Michaux: Smaller than the first, climbing over bushes and smaller trees; leaves large, of firmer texture than the preceding ones, entire, or often more or less deeply and ob- tusely 3—5 lobed, with short and shallow, broad teeth; when young always very woolly, mostly bright red or rusty; at last smoothish but dull and never shining like the preceding ones; berries usually larger than in both others and, when well grown, in compact bunches, coated with a distinct bloom; seeds usually 2 or 3, with a very prominent raphe. This is the well known Summer grape common throughout the middle and southern States, usually found on uplands and in dry open woods or thickets, maturing its fruit inSeptember. Itis themost variable of our grape-vines and hence has seduced superficial observers into the establishment of nu- merous nominal species. A form with large leaves which retain their rusty down at full maturity has often been mistaken for Labrusca, which does not grow in our State. Another form, more bushy than climbing, with deeply lobed rusty-downy leaves and very sweet fruit, is Vitis Lincecumii of the sandy soil of Louisiana and Texas. This species assumes a peculiar form approaching V. cordifolia through its smaller black berries without bloom and in larger bunches, when it gets into shady woods with rich soil. Another form with ashy-white, downy, scarcely lobed leaves, and fruit like the last mentioned, which grows in our bottoms, often climbing high trees, or growing over bushes on the banks of lakes, I have distinguished by the name of cinerea. It is not always easy to distinguish such torms from the other species and perhaps less so to unite them under the single species, @stivalis, un- less the essential characters above enumerated be closely attended to, and the numberless gradual transitions from one form into the other be watched. We cultivate many varieties of this valuable species, the most important of which are the Tirgin- ia Seedling, the Cynthiana and the Herbemont. 4, VITIS RUPESTRIS, Scheele: A small bushy plant, often without any tendrils, rarely somewhat climbing; leaves small (2—3 inches wide) mostly broader than long, heart-shaped, scarcely ever slight- ly lobed, with broad coarse teeth and usually an abruptly elongated point, glabrous, and of a rather light green color; berries middle-sized, on very small bunches; seeds mostly 3—4, obtuse, witha very delicate raphe. This very peculiar grape-vine is found only west of the Mississippi, from the Missouri river to Texas and westward probably to New Mexico. In our State where it is called Sand grape, and in Ar- kansas, it grows on the gravelly banks and over-flowed bars of mountain streams; in Texas also, on rocky plains, whence the Latin name; it is there also known under the name of Sugar grape. Its lus- cious fruit ripens with us in August. It is nowhere yet in cultivation but may in future prove of value. b. Berries large, 7—9 or even 10 lines in diameter; raphe scarcely visible on the more or less deeply notched top of the seed.—These plants on well grown shoots bear a tendril opposite each leaf with only rare and irregular intermissions. 5. Vitis Lasrusca, Linnaeus: Plants usually not large, climbing over bushes or small trees, though occasionally reaching the tops of the highest trees, with large (4—6 inches wide) and thick, entire or sometimes deeply lobed, very slightly dentate leaves, coated when young witha thick rusty, 62 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF of our cultivated varieties; for some of them bave become so modified that they furnish scarcely any indication of their parentage. If those grape- growers who take interest in such matters will send specimens of such cul- tivated varieties as they wish to properly classify, to Dr. Engelmann, either directly or through me, they will at least get the opinion of one who is good authority, and such action may be mutually profitable. Specimens should be sent at flowering time, and should include the whole shoot with full-sized and young leaves, blossom, and tendril; and after the fruit is ripe a bunch of the berries and seeds from the same stock should follow. The proper classification of our different varieties is of more import- ance, in this connection, than would at first appear. Since the publication of some of the facts set forth in this article, a few enterprising French grape- growers, in the districts desolated by the louse, have conceived the idea of importing from this country such varieties as are most exempt from the attacks of the Phylloxera, and M. LeFranc, the Minister of Agriculture, has likewise expressed his intention of so doing. Already a number of varie- ties, and especially Cunningham, Herbemont, Norton’s Virginia, Concord, Hartford Prolific, Clinton and Martha have been shipped to M. J. Leen- hardt, of Montpellier, France; and others to Switzerland, by Messrs. Isidor Bush & Co. If America has given this plague to Europe, why should she not in return, furnish her with vines which are capable of resisting it? At least nothing but good can come of the trial, for though our grapes are gen- erally sneered at on the other side of the water, we have made such rapid improvements in viticulture during the last ten years, that they scarcely know anything of our better kinds; and many of those which do well in or sometimes whitish, wool or down, which in the wild plant remains on the lower side, but almost disappears in the mature leaf of some cultivated varieties; berries large, in rather small or middle- sized bunches, bearing 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 seeds. ; This plant, usually known as the Foa-grape or Northern Fox-grape is a native of the eastern slope of the continent from New England to South Carolina, where it prefers wet thickets; it extends into the Alleghany mountains, and here and there even down their western declivity, but is a stranger to the Mississippi Valley. The most important varieties of this grape-vine now cultivated in our country (such as the Catawba, Concord, Isabella, Hartford Prolific, and dozens of others) are the offspring of this species; they are all easily recognized by the characters above given, and mo 5 ea readily by the peculiar arrangement of the tendrils as above described. Lf. Grepe-vines with a firmly adhering bark, which does not scale off; tendrils almost always simple; berrics very large (7—10 lines in diameter), very few in a bunch; seeds with transverse wrinkles or shallow grooves on both sides. 6. VITIS VULPINA, Linna@us: Bushy, or sometimes climbing high, with small (2 or at most 3 inches wide) rounded, heart-shaped, firm and glossy dark green leaves, smooth or rarely slightly hairy on the under side, with coarse, large or shallow teeth. This southern species, known under the name of Southern Fox-grape, Bullace, or Bullet-grape is found along water-courses, not further north than North Carolina and Arkansas, and may possibly stragele into southeastern Missouri. Some of its cultivated varieties, especially the white Scupper- nong, are highly esteemed in the South but do not perfect fruit in the latitude of St. Louis. I recognize only three other species of true grape-yines in the territories of the United States. The most remarkable of these is the Mustang grape of Texas, Vitis candicans, Engelm. (V. Mustangensis, Buckley), with rather large, rounded, almost toothless, rarely deeply-lobed leaves; white woolly on the under side, bearing lurge berries, which in its native country are now beginning to be made into wine. Vitis Californica, Bentham, the only wild grape of California, has rounded downy leaves, and small berries, and is not made use of as far as known. . Vitis Arizonica, Engelm. similar to the last, but glabrous, with middle-sized berries, reported to be of a luscious taste. Neither of these . show a prominent raphe on the seed, so that this character is peculiar only to the first 3 species _, here enumerated. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 63 ‘Missouri will doubtless succeed in France. Such of our vines as have already been cultivated there are often differently classified by their writers to what they are by American authors, and ¢gonfusion consequently ensues. Thus, one of my correspondents, M. Laliman, of Bordeaux, who has eul- tivated a number of them for several years, classes the Clinton and Taylor as estivalis, and the Norton’s Virginia and Delaware as Labrusca.* I will now indicate the susceptibility of different varieties to the disease. Vitis vinifera (Kuropean).—A]] European varieties with roots badly affected. In many instances decomposed and gone, with the vines about dead. No leaf-galls. . VT. riparia (River Bank). Clinton.—Leaf-galls extremely abundant. Root-lice only moderately so. Taylor—Where leaf-galls are few, root-lice abundant; where galls are abundant, fewer root-lice. Delaware—A few leaf-galls; lice abundant on roots. Othello (hybrid with v/nifera)—Both leaf-galls and root-lice, the latter tolerably numerous. Louisiana (some say a seedling of vinifera, others again believe it estivalis)—Leaf-galls and root-lice, but neither bad. Alvey—Few leaf-galls; plenty of root-lice. Cornucopia (hybrid with vinifera)—No leaf-galls; roots badly affected with lice. Wild vine—Numerous leaf-galls and a few root-lice; much in same condition as Clinton. V. estivalis (Summer). Cunningham—No leaf-galls, but a few root- lice. Cynthiana—Occasionally a few galls; lice abundant on roots. The vine has a vigorous growth and the roots are large and strong. Herbemont —A few leaf-galls, and scarcely any root-lice. Norton’s Virginia—No leaf- galls, but some root-lice. V. Labrusca (Northern Fox). Isabella, or seedlings of Isabella—No leaf- galls; a few root-lice: roots strong and vines flourishing. Martha—No leaf-galls; very few root-lice. Hartford—No leaf-galls; very few root-lice. Concord—No leaf-galls; scarcely any root-lice. Almost entirely exempt. _ Ives—No leaf-galls; lice tolerably abundant on roots. North Carolina—No leaf-galls; very few root-lice. Maxatawney—No leaf-galls; root-lice quite abundant. Creveling—A few leaf-galls; root-lice abundant. Catawba— No leaf-galls; root-lice very numerous, abounding even on the larger roots as on the European vines. Goethe (hybrid with vinifera)—No leaf- galls, but lice on roots very numerous. In the vineyards of Messrs. Isidor Bush & Sons, of Bushburg, Mo., this vine was very vigorous and thrifty in 1869 and 1870, but has done poorly the present year. Dracut Amber—No leaf-galls; few root-lice. Wilder (hybrid with vinifera)—No leaf-galls; not many root-lice. Challenge (hybrid with vinifera—No leaf-galls; roots af- fected but moderately. Diana—No leaf-galls, but plenty of root-lice. V. vulpina (Southern Fox or Muscadine)}—As it is not grown in this local- ity, being considered absolutely worthless here, I know little about it. From this experience it would appear that no vines of those named, are entirely free from the attacks of the root-louse; but that the European va- rietics are most susceptible to it—the Northern Fox, next in order, the * Etude sur les d’vers Phylloxera, et leur médications. 64 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF River Bank grape next, andthe Summer grape the least affected. It would likewise appear that galls are occasionally found on all of the species ex- cept the European, and as they have in a few instances, been found on this species in Europe, it cannot be considered entirely exempt.* Nevertheless, in general terms, the River Bank grape must be considered the species which the gall-louse prefers. Experience on this point will, no doubt, vary in dif- ferent parts of the country, and more extended experience may modify some of these deductions. We thus see that no vine, whether native or foreign, is exempt from the attacks of the root-louse. Yet, on the principle that a small dose of poi- son may prove harmless or even beneficial where an over-dose will kill, we find that a small number of root-lice produce no serious effects upon the vine; and that it is only where they are very numerous, and cause not only the fibrous roots, but even the larger ones to waste away, that their evil effects are perceptible. With most of our native vines when the conditions are normal, the disease seems to remain in the former mild state, and it is only with the foreign kinds, and with a few of the natives, under certain conditions, that it takes on the more acute form. In France, according to M. Laliman, the American varieties which have resisted the root-louse best are the Clinton, Taylor, Herbemont (known there as Warren), and some others which are considered valueless here, such as Pauline, Elsimboro, Lenoir, Mustang of Texas, and a kind of York-Madeira ; while those which succomb are Isabella, Scuppernong, Concord, Norton’s Virginia, Maxatawny, Hartford Prolific, Cynthiana, etc. This experience differs a little from ours, but shows that the Labruscas suffer most there also. MEANS OF CONTAGION FROM ONE VINE TO ANOTHER. The young lice, whether hatched upon the roots or in the galls, are quite active and crawl about for some time; and that they will spread from one vine to another, either under ground upon the roots or on the surface of the ground during the night, is highly probable. Such, however, cannot be the mode of spreading from one vineyard to another; for were it so, the malady could not possibly have assumed such proportions in so short a time, as it has done abroad. One method of transport is upon the roots of seed- lings and cuttings, but the insect cannot in this manner find its way to an old vineyard, and there must be still another means. Here we come to that part of the natural history of our louse which must assume the form of hy- pothesis until further observations shall be made. In this country the mal- ady is general, but in France, where it is still spreading from one place to another, they have a good opportunity to watch its progress; and Planchon finds that it always commences at certain circumscribed points and spreads from these points in more or less regular circles. There is no way of ac- counting for these nuclei—these starting points in the center of an old vine- * Since this was written I have been informed by Mr. Glover, of the Department of Agriculture, that the leaves of certain European vines, in green-house, such as Muscat Hamburg aud Madam Pince. were crowded with the galls, eyen as late as December; and that they had begun to spread on to Son- ora and the Duc de Malucoff. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 65 yard that never showed signs of the disease before, except on the hypothesis of the winged insect having flown there and started the colony. We have already seen that certain individuals of the root-inhabiting type become winged. Why these individuals become winged while others never do, is, perhaps, not for us to understand. Signoret ventures the La- marckian suggestion that the need of quitting roots that are already de- stroyed may be one reason, and the pupe are certainly found more particu- larly on badly infested roots. All plant-lice multiply agamically during the summer months while they are abundantly nourished, but towards winter when, by this mode of reproduction, and by the diminishing nutriment in the dying foliage, the lice become, so to speak, exhausted, then lo and be- hold winged males and females appear! Numerous other facts in insect life, such as the production of drone bees solely from unfertilized eggs, etc., indi- cate that the winged male may be, insome way or other, connected with cefect- ive vitality ; and Mr. Thomas Meehan, of the Gardeners’ Monthly, has so fre- quently observed such to be the case with plants, that he considers ita law “that with a weakened vitality comes an increased power to bear male tlow- ers.”* But this throws no light on the production of winged females, and here, as in thousands of other instances, nature tells us plainly to be sat- isfied with the facts without the explanation. Our winged female is a reality! What, then, are her functions? In the breeding jars she invariably flies towards the greatest light, and her large compound eyes, and ample wings indicate that she was made for the light andthe air. We have also seen that she is burdened with two or three eggs only, and my opinion is that after meeting her mate, her sole life duty is to fly off and consign her few eggs to some grape-vine or grape-bud, and that the lice hatching from these eggs constitute the first gall-producing mothers. I am led to this opinion by the fact that about the middle of May, in looking for the galls, [ always find but two or three to a vine, and general- ly but one to a leaf. These vernal galls—as one would expect from the greater vitality of the young from fertilized eggs, and the greater succulency of the leaves at that season—are much larger than the ordinary summer form, and generally have a decidedly rosy tint on one side. Similar galls have also been found in France. Just as many other insects prefer certain species of plants, or even certain varieties of a species, so our winged Phyl- loxera shows her preference for the Clinton and_its close allies. She occa- sionally deposits her eggs on other varieties, as I have found the large ver- nal galls on Concord, Hartford Prolific, ete., and it follows that she must do so where no riparia vines occur. But, except on the varieties of the latter species, the young lice hatching from her eggs do not seem to be capable of forming galls, on the leaves, but make straightway for the roots, Only in this manner can we account for the galls abounding so much more on some varieties than on others. Some persons may wonder how a minute insect with such delicate wings, braced with so few simple veins, as those possessed by our Phylloxera oa Am. Ass. Ady. Sci., 1869, p. 256, Te 66 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF can manage to fly through the air to any great distance;, and those who have not witnessed them in flight are very apt to underrate their power of volitation. There is a conical gall very common on the upper surface of the leaves of our Shell-bark hickories. This gall is made by a louse very closely allied to our Grape-leaf gall-louse and was named Phylloxera caryefolic by Dr. Fitch.* This louse occurs abundantly in the winged form, and fur- nishes an excellent illustration of the power of the insects of this genus to fly. Let any one watch these winged gall-lice, as they issue, during some warm day in June, from the fimbriated mouth of their gall, and he will be struck with astonishment at the facility and power with which they fly off. They are no sooner out of the gall than the wings commence to vibrate so as to become invisible, and the insect suddenly darts away with wonderful force. They must likewise, often be carried great distances by the wind. Again, it would at first sight seem almost impossible for the female to de- posit her loose eggs which have no viscous property, upon a swaying leaf; but this very feat is accomplished by another little louse of the same genus,} which may be found depositing its eggs all through the summer months, on the under side of the leaves of our young Post oaks. PROBABLE REASON WHY ITS INJURIES ARE GREATER IN EUROPE THAN WITH US. It is a well recognized fact among careful observers, that in the natural state there is greater harmony between the fauna and fioraof a country than in the more artificial state that civilized man induces by cultivation. Through a long series of ages, the species least able to contend in the struggle for life, “go to the wall,” until at last, by a process of elimination, the balance is struck and we find the animal and plant world well adapted and adjusted to each other. For this reason the native vines which now flourish in this country are those which have fought the long battle in the past and have best resisted the enemy. They are, in short, best adapted to the circumstances, and by their more vigorous nature resist the hypertrophy of the bark caused by the punctures of the lice, and form new bark under it. The European vines, on the contrary, are not only of a more highly improved and tender character, but have not been accustomed to the dis- ease. They consequently succumb more readily, on the same principle that many diseases that are comparatively harmless among civilized nations, acquire greater virulency and play fearful havoc when introduced among Savage, or hitherto uncontaminated peoples. There may be other reasons, such as the different modes of culture and difference of soil; for in the French districts so badly affected the vines are either grown with a single stake or no stake at all, and their soil is gener- ally much poorer than ours. In America, also, we know that there are sey- eral natural enemies of the louse, and these checks haye, in all likelihood, never been imported into Europe with their prey. That the louse will in *Rep. IL. § 166. 7 This is a species of Phylloxera which is yet undescribed, but which M. J. Lichtenstein proposes to call Ph. Rileyi. It infests the leaves of our Post oak very much in the same manner as the European Ph. quercus infests their oaks—causing a similarly pale speckled appearance of the upper side of the leaves. It differs from all described species in the great length and prominence of the tubercles. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 67 time find enemies, and lose its acute power of doing harm even in Europe, is highly probable; and M. Planchon has already noticed that the infested vines in the later invaded departments of Gard and Herault retained a com- paratively greener color than in that of Vaucluse, first invaded. Such has been the history of the Hessian fly and a number of other insects imported into this country. These are the explanations I venture, and whether they be generally accepted or not, the facts remain. OUTWARD AND MORE VISIBLE EFFECTS OF THE ROOT DISEASE. As long as the lice are confined to the more fibrous roots which, in a measure, are renewed each year, the vines show no decided outward signs of the malady, which may then be considered in its incipient stage. As they become multiplied and fasten on to the larger roots, their work becomes more visible in a sickly, yellowish appearance of the leaf; anda reduced growth of the vine is the result. As the roots waste away these symptoms become more acute, and at this stage of the disease the lice have generally left, so that when the vine is about dying it is often difficult to find any trace of the cause of death. On the rotten roots little eight- legeed mites are frequently met with, and they are also to be found in the galls. They may always be distinguished from the true lice by their white, or dirty-white, color. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. Last year, from the knowledge we then had of this insect in this country, | recommended the destruction of the Clinton vine, where other and better varieties succeeded as well. This advice was given in order to get rid of the galls, and wherever it has been followed it has had the desired effect. It was given, however, under the impression that the lice would not attack the roots except where the leaves were covered with galls; whereas, in truth, the roots would appear to be less affected (at least during the growing season) where the leaf-galls are abundant than where they are scarce; while they may be absolutely ruined where no signs of galls exist. Consequently there is no longer any urgent need of, or good reasons for, destroying our Clinton vines. By doing’so we may diminish the number of galls, but we. can never exterminate the root-lice. Future experiments will no doubt show that good results will attend the grafting of such varieties as are known to be most seriously affected, on to the roots of less susceptible varieties. The insect should be especially watched, as it is apt to be most trouble- some, on poor, gravelly or clayey soils. In deep, rich soils I think there is less danger. In France it has been found to be less troublesome on sandy soils, and in my studies I have always noticed that minute, soft-bodied insects do poorly in sand.* The greater the growth of vine the greater the growth of root, and consequently, vines that are trained on walls and which thus more nearly approach the wild state, or which are rendered vig- orous by a rich soil, are least susceptible to the disease. _ *In examining vine roots this fall in some parts of Northern [linois, where sand formed a prom- inent portion of the soil, I found very few root-lice, except on _Cordifolia yines whose leaves had been covered with galls. Even on these the general healthfulnéss of the roots, indicated that they had not been infested during the summer, and that the lice had all come from the last galls of the _ Season. 68 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF REMEDIES. DESTRUCTION OF THE GALL-LICE.—F rom what we have already seen, we may justly infer that this insect cannot of itself spread from one vineyard to another without going through the gall-producing phase; anda few galls on the leaves are, no doubt, invariably the first signs of its advent, by nat- tural means, into a vineyard not previously attacked. By natural means, I mean without the aid of man’s assistance, by which they are introduced from one place to another on the roots. If these galls, therefore, could only be foundand destroyed, it would be one way of effectually heading off the evil; and in a new vineyard a little vigilance in searching for these galls might save much subsequent loss and labor. I shall not treat here of the natural enemies of the louse, which are of such a nature that they cannot be practically controlled and increased. DestRuctTION oF THE Root-LicE.—I hope next spring to institute a series of experiments on the root-lice, with a view to the discovery of a practical remedy. It were to be desired that others having opportunity and occasion would do likewise. Here is an excellent chance for our different agricul- tural colleges, which have greater means and facilities than any one individual can possibly have. As a guide to such experiments, and to profit as much as possible by the experience of others, I will synopsize the results of trials in France. From these results, which I give below, we may learn that no reliable and cheap remedy, that will destroy all the lice after they have become numerous, has yet been discovered; and the best advice that can at present be given is to guard against the insect’s introduc- tion into new vineyards by carefully examining the roots before planting. If knots and lice are found upon them, the latter may be destroyed by the same means used against the Apple root-lice—. e., by immersing the roots in hot soap-suds or tobacco-water. Preparations of carbolic acid have, so far, given most satisfaction, and I have great hopes of benefit from the saponaceous compound prepared in this country by James Buchan & Co., of New York. This compound is not yet manufactured in France, where they have to use the pure acid or the crystals. Carbolic acid added to water at the rate of one-half to one per cent, has been successfully employed, and M. Leenhardt, of Sorgues, has by its use, succeeded in keeping his vineyard alive and bearing, while all those around him are destroyed. He uses a heavy bar, thickened and pointed at the end, wherewith to make two or three holes, a foot or more deep, around the base of each vine. He then fills these holes with the liquid, which gradually permeates the soil in all directions. A good post-hole augur, such as we use in this country, would work more rapidly, with the advantage of compressing the earth less, but it would do more injury to the roots. Oid of cade.—This empyreumatical oil, which is common and cheap in France, when dissolved in any alkali (the urine of cows being good enough) THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 69 and applied in the same manner described above, has also given good results. A mixture composed of lime and sulphur boiled in water at the rate of about five pounds lime and five pounds sulphur to one gallon of water, and applied when hot, has been found good. Alkalies seem to invigorate the vines, but do not affect the lice. They are also too costly. Salt—vVines on lands strongly impregnated with salt have been found to resist the attacks of the lice. Acids generally are neu- tralized by the lime which most soils contain. Sulphur has been thoroughly tried without any good results, either upon the leaf-lice or root-lice. Sulphuretted hydrogen.—They have tried to pump this into the soil, but the pumps always break, and no one would think of going to such trouble here. Sulphate of iron is of no account. Sulphate of copper destroys the roots. Numerous other chemicals have been experimented with, but with very lit- tle or no success, and they are besides not applicable on a large scale. Irrigation and submersion have been pretty thoroughly tested, and it is doubtful, even where they can be employed, whether they have any other effect than that of invigorating the vines, as the lice are, many of them, still found alive after a submergence of months. These methods must be considered conservatives rather than curatives. RESUME OF THE INSECT’S HISTORY. We have had in this country, from time immemorial, an insect attack- ing our native vines, either forming galls on the leaves or gall-like excres- cences on the roots.* This insect is polymorphic, as many others of its Family are known to be. It also exists in two types, the one, which may be termed radicicola, living on the roots, while the other, which may be termed gallecola, dwells in galls on the leaves. The latter is found more especially on the Clinton and its allies, while the former is found on all varieties, but flourishes best on vines belonging to the vinifera species. The gall-inhabiting type was noticed and imperfectly described in 1856, but the root-inhabiting type, being less conspicuous, was unknown in this country till last year. Such an insect is very readily transported from one country to another on grape roots, seedlings, etc., and just as our Apple root-louse (Hriosoma lanigera, Hausm.) was imported into Europe towards the close of the last century, so we find that our Grape-louse was similarly imported, in all probability within the last decade. The mode of transport will become all the more intelligible when I state that M. Signoret showed me, last July, the yet living progeny of some lice which he had placed in a tightly-corked glass tube the year before; and that he had managed to keep a few alive for study all through the siege of Paris up to the time mentioned. Nothing would be more natural than its introduction at Bordeaux, *1 have been able to trace them with absolute certainty as far back as 1845, forin the herbarium of Dr. Engelmann is a specimen of wild riparia gathered in this State in that year, the leaves of which are (lisfigured by the very same gall. 70 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF where M. Laliman has, for a number of years, been assiduous in the cultivation and trial of our different American vines. Or it might have been introduced at the nurseries of the Audebert Bros., near Tarascon,* where all sorts of American plants have been cultivated; and, if I mistake not, M. Planchon, with commendable zeal, has so thoroughly sifted the history of the subject in France that he can trace the first invasion, with tolerable certainty, to a point near this place, Tarascon. It doubtless existed in France a few years before its injuries attracted attention, and the first notice of its work was made in the vineyard of M. de Penarvan, at Ville-neuve-les-Avignon, in 1863. The scourge soon increased and spread, and in 1868 and 1869 acquired such dimensions as to thoroughly alarm the great grape-growing districts of beautiful France. At first all sorts of hypotheses were put forth as to its cause. Some book-worms even thought they had found in this root-louse the Phtheir of the ancient Greeks, but the intelligent labors of M. Planchon soon dispelled all such illusions, and proved that the Phtheir of the ancients was a true bark-louse (Dactylopius longispinus, Targ.) of a totally different nature, and still existing in the Crimea.} In this manner our root-louse was known and studied in a foreign land before its presence was even suspected in this—its native country. CONCLUSION—NO NEED OF UNNECESSARY ALARM. Knowledge of the facts I have here brought forth need not alarm the grape-grower any more than correct knowledge of some indisposition, hith- erto incomprehensive and consequently uncured, should alarm the human patient. It was only a few years ago that our eyes were opened to the true character of the entozoa known as Trichina spiralis, and there can be little doubt but that previous to our knowledge of this parasite many a death occasioned by it was attributed to other unknown causes. It may not be more easy to cure the disease now than it was formerly, but we are, by understanding its nature, enabled to easily guard against and prevent it- “ Full knowledge of the truth,” says Helmholz, “always brings with it the cure for the damage which imperfect knowledge may occasion.” The Phyl- loxera has always existed on our vines, and those varieties which in the past have best withstood its attacks will be very likely to do so in the future. The presence of a few lice on such varieties need cause no fear, for the idea of ever entirely exterminating such an insect from the country must be per- fectly utopian, and all we can do is to watch and more particularly care for those varieties that most easily succumb. In the future, the vineyardist will be enabled; by the revelations here made, to trace to a definite cause many a failure which has hitherto been wrapped in conjecture and mys- tery. In thus calling the attention of the grape growing community to this interesting little insect, which is sapping the roots of their vines, my inten- *M. Laliman in the essay already mentioned (p. 63), shows that this nursery has not existed for nearly fifteen years; but this fact does not preclude the possibility of the louse having been first intro- duced there. “It would only indicate—if the spread of the disease can be traced trom that peint—that it existed in France, without attracting attention, at an earlier epoch than is generally sup aeerts + See an Essay entitled La Phthiriose on Pédiculaire de la Vigne ches les Anciens. Bulletin de la So:>. des Agr. de Fra ice, July, 1870. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 71 tion is to do good and not cause unnecessary con .ternation. Let me hope that others may be induced to study the microscopic plague and thus not only assist to fill the gaps yet occurring in its natural history, but help us to become better masters of it. Only those who have witnessed the fearful havoc it has made abroad—where in three years it caused a loss of 25,000,- 000 frances in the single department of Vaucluse, France,—can fully appre- ciate its importance and its power, under favorable circumstances, to do. harm. I must remind those who live outside of Missouri, that my observa- tions in this country have been confined to different parts of this State, and apply more especially to this portion of the Mississippi Valley. The insect occurs, however, very generally over the country east of the Mississippi river, even into Canada; and there are strong indica- tions that it produces similarly injurious effects elsewhere. To give a single example: According to the records, most of the vineyards on Staten Island which were flourishing in 1861, and which were composed principally of Catawba, had failed in 1866, and Mr. G. E. Meissner, of Bush- berg, who then owned a vineyard on that island, informs me that he had noticed the nodosities, and that the roots of the dying vines had wasted away.* Icannot conclude without publicly expressing my indebtedness to- Messrs. Lichtenstein and Planchon, of Montpellier, France, for the cordial and generous manner in which they gave me every facility for studying the insect there, and witnessing experiments in the field. * Since the above was written, I have listened to an essay on Grapes, by Mr. P. Manny, of Free- port, Stephenson county, Illinois. In this essay, which was read before the Illinois State Horticul- tural Society, the writer states that his Delaware, Iona and Salem vines lose their lower roots. He- attributes this loss of roots to the tenacity of the soil (though more likely owing to unseen root-lice), and has remedied it in a measure by grafting on Clinton roots. 72 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF BENEFICIAL INSECTS, 21lLA WORMS. “Si Patrie utilis compensatus est labor.” INTRODUCTORY. Silk is at once the strongest and most tenacious of fibres, and makes the most beautiful, durable and valuable of tissues. What gold is to metals, or the diamond to precious stones, that silk is to all other textile fibers. Upwards of 35 years ago speculators succeeded in creating an immense furore throughout this country on the subject of silk-culture. It is not my purpose to repeat the history of the silk excitement, which by the name of the Morus multicaulis fever stands out prominently as an integral part of the history of our Republic. Inflated to its utmost the bubble soon burst, and with its collapse came a reaction which has ever since prejudiced Americans against an industry which is justly considered one of the very richest with many nations of the earth. Asa people we are too apt to go to extremes, and the history of the White Willow hedge fever in the West, some ten years ago, and of other similar speculations which have for a while excited the people’s mind, is present to tell us that the Morus multicaulis fever does not stand alone as an evidence of the fact. Strong as was the reaction and the prejudice against silk-culture, yet during the last few years the subject has received increasing attention, and Commissioner Capron refers hopefully to it in his last report from the De- partment of Agriculture.* It has been shown that some races of the worm will feed and flourish on Osage orange, and that some parts of this great country are, so far as climate is concerned, eminently adapted to the rear- ing of this precious insect, whose industry increases that of man. Indeed, so much of an exaggerated nature has been said and written on the subject, since the close of the Rebellion, and more particularly in California, that there is some danger of a repetition of the history of 85 years ago. It has occurred to me that an accurate account of the Mulberry Silk- worm, and of such other introduced or indigenous species as seem to war- ‘ant it, may, in great measure, prevent any such unfortunate recurrence, and really prove interesting and valuable to the people of Missouri as not only revealing the habits of some of the most splendid moths which enrich *1870, p. 8. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 73 our fauna and constantly attract the attention of the knowledge-seeker ; but as giving information which may at any future day become invaluable in an industrial sense. Though we may not, at present, be able to compete, in their own mar- kets, with the cheaper labor of parts of Europe and Asia, there is no reason why, with proper intelligence, we may not produce our own silk as cheaply as it can be brought here from those countries; and I am convinced that should we ever be cut off by war, from those countries on which we rely for our present silk supply, we can easily fall back on our own resources ; and there are few parts of the United States better adapted to the raising of silk than the southern counties of Missouri. Even now, there is no reason why the young people, and those unable to do harder work, in thousands of fam- ilies, in that section of the State more especially, should not spend a few weeks each year in the pleasant work of producing cocoons. The spinning wheel and the distaff have been superceded and driven from the household by modern machinery; and the time which used to be given to their work- ing in former days, might be profitably devoted now-a-days to silk-raising and reeling. Such a substitution of the finer for the coarser fiber would in- deed be typical of our modern civilization and progress compared with the old. Not very many years have elapsed since grape-culture was considered impracticable in this country, while the practicability of pisciculture is only just now beginning to be realized; and to one who is familiar with the de- tails of sericulture abroad, it becomes very clear that, with the endless variety of our soil and climate, the production of silk might soon be added to our constantly increasing resources—especially if fostered and encouraged at the start by wise government. It is not always wise to prophecy, and yet, to me, the day is not far distant when there will be on our Pacific coast silk-reeling establishments, worked it may be by the most skilled Japanese labor—establishments which will create a ready market for cocoons reared with us, even if we do not erect jilatures or reeling establishments ourselves ; for the completion of the Union Pacific railroad brings us into direct com- munication with the far West, and an import duty of about 10 per cent. on raw silk, though it would of course be protested against by the manufactur- ers, would give stimulus to this production and certainly benefit the country. Nothing in that well known “Boy’s own Book” had half the interest for me, in childhood, as the chapter on the Silkworm. The feeding of the worms was the pet summer occupation of my boyhood; while the risks ven- tured and obstacles surmounted to procure mulberry leaves for the same purpose, are prominent among the reminiscences of after college life. Since then I have lost no opportunity to inform myself of the details of the silk industry, so that I speak from no little experience. Before proceeding to the more specific consideration of these silk- worms, I may as well state that my object is not so much to go into detail, since whole volumes might be, and have been, written on the Mulberry Silk- worm alone. My purpose is to lay before the people of Missouri such ex- 74 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF perience as is yet unrecorded, and to sift from the mass ‘of unimportant facts, the more salient and valuable ones. Of the eight species which will be treated of, four, namely, mori, cynthia, yama-mai, and Pernyi, are of foreign origin, and the other four, namely, Cecropia, Promethea, Luna, and Polyphemus, are native. I shall give an ac- count of the changes these different worms undergo, because these changes have not before received sufficient attention. It will be noticed that, when newly hatched, all of them, even to the mulberry species, are, in form and structure, exactly alike; and that they differentiate more and more as they increase in size, until each acquires its specific characters. This is in accord- ance with a law which has only lately been fully appreciated, and which prevails throughout nature; namely, that in the early stages, the species of a genus or of a Family closely resemble each other, no matter how dissimi- lar they afterwards become. ‘To the Darwinian such facts are significant, as implying descent from a common ancestry. All these silkworms cast their skin four times during the feeding period, and thus have five different stages of growth; the worm resting and fasting from one to three days, then gradually working off the old skin, and after- wards knocking off the head. The males ofall generally issue from the cocoons before the females. This is no doubt due to the fact that the females are generally the largest, have the most vitality, and consequently require a greater time to feed, and to assimilate the food ; for it has often been noticed that a small female will develop faster and consequently issue sooner than a large male. The males generally have much broader antenne than the females; but in Promethea the difference is not great, and in cynthia it is often impercep- tible. They all, when in the cocoon, are furnished with an acrid or Bombycie fluid, with which they weaken the resisting force of their cocoons, and facil- itate the exit of the moth ; though those which make rounded or closed co- coons are much more amply supplied than those which form pointed or open ones. All the cocoons, whether pointed or rounded, are spun in one continu- ous thread. In issuing, the moths of all of them rupture, more or less, the threads of the cocoon, thus rendering it valueless for reeling. Many writ- ers assert to the contrary; but I have examined no deserted cocoon which has not shown some broken threads, and have witnessed the threads break during the emergence of the moth. Such as are naturally open are broken less than the others; but if only a half dozen threads are sundered, the cocoon is spoiled for reeling purposes. All the native cocoons are at times found drilled with large holes, and gutted by birds or squirrels; and those which fall to the ground are frequently destroyed by mice, rats and moles. All the moths are night flyers. All the large heavy worms, when full grown and in a state of nature, hang on the under side of leaves and twigs, being too heavy to sustain themselves in an upright position. They are all of some shade of green—no matter what their color when younger—and in a \ THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 75 measure similate the leaves of their food-tree, so as to render detection difficult. They all, whether native or foreign, need fresh air for their well-being ; confinement in rooms and in large numbers together undoubtedly predis- posing to disease. In breeding insects entomologists well know that those species even which best bear confinement, rapidly degenerate in the course of a few generations, and it is a very general law with animal and plant life, that the more it approaches the artificial in contradistinction to the natural, the less vigorous in constitution it becomes. It is a little singular that the principal trees which may be used for producing the best silk, namely, the Mulberry, Osage orange and Ailan- thus, are all three of them remarkably free from the attacks of other insects. By judicious breeding and selection I believe that the native worms may be improved in their silk-producing qualities, and that the foreign ones may be acclimatized and better adapted to our conditions. With this brief prelude I will at once introduce— “The worm that spins the Queen’s most costly robe,” THE MULBERRY SILK WORM—Bombyx [Sericaria] mori, Linn. Cees, Bombycide.) ITS PAST HISTORY. Silk seems to have been first manufactured and used as an article of clothing in Asia. At least it was first obtained from thence by the ancients, and the Romans called it, from the name of the country whence it was sup- posed to be brought, Sericum. According to the best records its cultivation commenced in China under the reign of Emperor Houng Ti (Emperor of the Earth), and the Mulberry Silkworm is undoubtedly indigenous to China, where it fed naturally on their wild mulberries. The wild worm has yet to be discovered, however, and will doubtless be found eventually in some of the provinces of China. A wild variety, of small size, living on Mulberry, is said to occur in Java, but it is difficult to say whether it is there indigenous and has always been wild, or whether it has sprung from escaped specimens of the domesticated races.* Long before the Christian era, silk was cultivated both in China and India, where a class, whose occupation was to attend to silkworms, appears to have existed from time immemorial, being mentioned in the oldest San- scrit Books.t Its cultivation can be traced back in China to at least 2700 B. C. From China it was exported to India, Persia, Arabia, and the whole of Asia. *Maurice Girard. Les Auiliaries du ver a soie. p. 5. 1864. Colebrook in Asiatic Researches, V. 61—quoted by Kirby & Spence. 76 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF The manner in which silk was produced long remained a mystery to the ancients, and Aristotle first rightly conjectured that it was unwound from the pupa of a caterpillar. At Rome, even as late as A. D. 280, a silk attire of purple was considered by the Emperor as a luxury too expensive for an empress—it being worth its weight in gold. In Europe the mode of producing and manufacturing it was not made known till about the middle of the sixth century, when two monks of the order of St. Basil, arrived at the court of the Emperor Justinian, at Con- stantinople, from a missionary expedition to China, and brought with them the seeds of the Mulberry, and communicated the mode of rearing the worms. In Greece its culture and manufacture soon spread, and the Vene- tians in the hight of their prosperity carried supplies to the whole West of Europe. It was introduced in time into Spain, Portugal and Sicily, and in 1540 extended to Piedmont, and throughout Italy. Here the product soon outranked in excellence the very best of Asiatic origin. In France we hear of mulberry trees being planted near Avignon as far back as 1340. Later, namely, in 1494, silk-culture was introduced into Alan ; but it did not become thoroughly established till 1603, when encouraged by Henry IV. Ithas now become one of the most important industries of that country. In 1865 the value of silk goods produced was estimated at $106,500,000, of which $26,- 500,000 (raw material) was imported. The home consumption was $35,000,000, and the export $71,500,000. The number of silk looms employed in the empire was about 225,000, and gave bread to half a million of the inhabitants. The United States paid France in 1865, $9,900,000 for. her sill goods. During and since the war we have been more economical. About the year 1605, James I, who, while king of Scotland, was forced to beg of the Earl of Mar the loan of a pair of silk stockings to appear in before the English ambassador, endeavored to encourage its culture in Eng- land; but the climate is not favorable to the rearing of the worm, and yet the English annually import millions of dollars’ worth of raw silk, and only recently a “ Silk Supply Association” has there been formed, which now publishes a monthly journal, and the objects of which are thus stated: 1. To stimulate the production of silk, by cottage cultivation and other- wise, in every county where the mulberry tree is capable of giving food to the silkworm. 2. To encourage the introduction and exchange of the best kinds of silkworms in silk-producing districts. 38. To offer practical sug- gestions and encouragement to the producers of silk for improving the quality and securing a better classification, and for ensuring greater care in the reeling of the silk. 4. To promote the cultivation of silk in the various silk-producing districts in India, where the production of silk has not recently increased, and in other districts of India, where the cultivation of the silkworm has almost ceased, but which are known to possess special advantages, by the growth of the mulberry tree and the habits of the peo- ple, for its propagation. 5. To promote the exportation of cocoons from countries not well able to reel them. 6. To communicate with the Foreign, Colonial and Indian Departments of her Majesty’s Government, and to obtain the aid of the English representatives in the British colonies and consular agents in all foreign countries to promote and extend the cultiva- tion of silk. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 77 There are but four countries which export raw silk ; namely, China, Japan, Italy and France. Estimates gleaned from recent statistics bring the different countries in the following order in regard to their production of this export. At the head is China, which produces every year silk to the value of nearly $100,000,000; then Italy, $42,000,000; France, $26,000,000 ; India, $24,000,000; Japan, $17,000,000; Turkey and Asia Minor, $12,000,- 000; Persia, $5,000,000; Spain and Portugal, $3,000,000; Syria and Austria, each, $2,000,000; Greece, $1,000,000. Then follow other countries, aver- aging from $900,000 to $100,000, while the United States at present produces scarcely any—the product for ten years being, according to the last census, 3,945 pounds; of which California produced 3,587; Pennsylvania, 1; Vir- ginia, 15; North Carolina, 95; Georgia, 14; Mississippi, 31; Louisiana, 1; Tennessee, 153; Kentucky, 45; and Missouri, 3. An interesting proof of the gradual spread of silk over the globe is furnished by the similarity of name given to it by different nations as fol- lows: China, se; Mongolia, sirkeh; Corea, sic; Arabia, serik; Greece, cnpxév ; Roman, sericum; Medieval Latin, seda; Italy, seta; France, soie, satin; German, seide; Denmark, silcke; Sweden, silke; Anglo-Saxon, siolk; England and America, silk. ITS HISTORY IN AMERICA. During the reign of James I. of England, or in the beginning of the 17th century, sericulture was first attempted in Virginia. Other efforts were subsequently made, but were very naturally abandoned for the obvious reason that the raising of tobacco, cotton and sugar were found more prof- itable. Many years subsequently it began to attract renewed attention, and was gaining strength and importance when the Revolution deranged and crushed it. After the Declaration of Independence, feeble efforts were made to naturalize the worm in the more northern States; and, according to William H. Vernon, of Rhode Island,* $30,000 or $40,000 were annually realized from rearing the worms in Connecticut, at the beginning of the present century. But from the few data which we have to guide us, we may conclude that silkworm culture, with the exception of the fitful start during the mul- ticaulis fever, was very generally abandoned in the States. And indeed the climate of the New England States is by no means well adapted to the rais- ing of the worms; and worse still, there was no market for the cocoons. But the conditions have materially changed within the past decade. Under the stimulus of the duties on the manufactured goods, the growth of silk- manufacture has been unprecedently rapid; for there is no duty on the raw material, and the completion of the Union Pacific railroad has enabled its rapid and direct importation from China and Japan. The Oneida Community, of Oneida Co., N. Y., have been far more suc- cessful as manufacturers than as raisers. They turn their attention to the * Methodical Treatise on the Cultivation of the Mulberry Tree; on the Raising of Silkworms, etc. From the French of M. De la Brousse. Boston, 1928, . : ’ 78 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF manufacture of sewing silk of different grades, and though the first silk was made in 1866, they realized the very next year the sum of $25,000, and at present their business has so increased that they employ about 150 female operators in their factories. Half a dozen years ago, within a radius of fifty miles of New York, there were not 50 looms running on broad silks and serges, where now there are nearer 500. In and around Boston there are nearly as many; and Philadelphia boasts of about 30. Last fall I visited Paterson, N. J., and spent some time in the surrounding country for the purpose of inquir- ing into this new industry. From Mr. Thos. N. Dale, of the Dale Manufac- turing Co., I learned that in Paterson alone there are some 380 establish- ments manufacturing silk, employing about six hundred persons, and making nearly all kinds of goods. Of ribbon factories, the largest in the United States are there, two of them employing from three to four hundred hands, though the leading specialty is silk dress goods, chiefly blacks. A large business is also done in pongee silks, or handkerchiefs, which are sold plain to New York merchants, by whom they are sent to various print works on Staten Island for a finish. The establishment of the Dale Manufacturing Company, which is the largest, produces braids, cords, dress trimmings, etc., in great variety. This concern, like others, does a heavy business in manufacturing trams and organzines (warp and filling) for silk establishments throughout the country. Another factory employs numerous hands exclusively on ladies’ trimmings, gimps and fringes. Several others are making sewing silk, hat bands, ete. Mr. Dale uses the best European machinery, and has a seri-meter and dynamometer for testing the strength and elasticity of the thread, and scales for weighing it, all from Berthand & Cie of Lyons, France. He employs 350 hands, earning on an average from $5 to $6 a week. He uses nearly a bale (100 Ibs.) of raw silk each day, for which he pays from $9 to $12 per pound. $5,000,000 of capital are invested in the business in Connecticut, the establishment of Cheney Bros., at Hartford, being the largest in that State. All these facts serve to show that there is at present an unlimited demand for reeled silk right at home, and I believe that reeling establish- ments will be built wherever sufficient cocoons are raised to warrant them. The production of the raw material is beginning anew under far more favorable auspices than ever before, and not only in California, Arizona and New Mexico, which for this purpose are favored by heaven; but right here, in this portion of the Mississippi Valley, I believe the day will soon come when silk-raising will be carried on profitably. Any community by cooperation might add to its annual product by this industry, without in the least affecting its other industrial pursuits. Individuals have successfully raised the worms, and Mr. J. F. Wielandy informs me that his uncle, Mr. Pagan, of Highland, Illinois, raised them successfully for four consecutive years. He had some of the silk on exhibition before the Board of Trade of St. Louis; and specimens were sent to Switzerland, and pronounced, by ‘ THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 79 six different manufacturers, equal to the best grown in Europe. Some atten- tion has been paid to the subject in Utah, and worms have been repeatedly raised; on a small scale, by myself and others in various portions of our own State. All these trials have gone to prove that the worms can be raised with us; and they have not been remunerative simply because they were carried on more for pleasure than profit, and not extensively enough to warrant the purchase or manufacture of suitable reeling ma- chines. SILK GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. Through the efforts of Colonel Warren, of the California Farmer ; the late M. L. Prevost, and others, much attention has been paid to gilk-raising on the Pacific Coast since the close of our civil strife. That they have, in that section of the country, a climate most eminently adapted to the growth of the Mulberry and the rearing of the worms, admits of no doubt what- ever. The extremes of heat and cold, the thunder storms and rains which often occur in France and Italy during the rearing and breeding season, 7. e., in May, June and July, are almost unknown in some of the California Coast Valleys. M. L. Prevost, who by his enthusiasm earned for himself the title of “Pioneer Silk Culturist of the Pacific Coast,” * selected some 10,000 acres in San Bernardino county as a basis for a silk settlement. In a short time he managed to create a great interest in the subject, especially in Los Ange- los, Santa Barbara, and San Bernardino counties. In 1867, he published the “ California Silk-growers’ Manual,” and though he is now no more, and it is unnecessary to criticise the work as it deserves, it is important to point out a few of its inconsistencies in order to prevent others from being de- ceived and misled by it. It is made up principally of a series of fugitive newspaper articles brought together in an undigested form, and without re- gard to arrangement or chronological order. He never once mentions the race of worms he raised ; asserts without proof that one man can take care of as many worms in California as can eight in France; argues without sufii- cient ground on a constant demand for California eggs from Europe; and asserts prematurely that California silk by the superiority of the climate is bound to be a superior article, and consequently will command the market in all parts of the world. On page 162 he speaks of the bones [!!] of the scull of the worm. On page 59 he shows that a lot of worms which he attempted to raise in Sacramento in 1866, were, from one cause or another, very badly diseased; while on page 152, in a chapter which was evidently written subsequently, he roundly asserts that he had never been able to observe any disease in California worms. On page 60 he says that a change from Mulberry to Osage leaves started the disease above mentioned, and afterwards (p. 120) clearly shows that it was started before the Osage was fed. On page 105 is given a list of prices of cocoons at Lyons, France, the average of which ‘s $1.96 per Ib.; while Ure’s Dictionary gives the price of _ * According to his own showing, however, (Manual p. 136,) Mr. Henry Hentsch was the first ‘o import the eggs of the worm and the seed of the Mulberry. 80 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF cocoons in France in 1851 at about 30c., and M. Combier-Blanchon, of Livron (Drome), France, informed me last summer, that the best of cocoons only bring there about 5 frances the kilogram, which is about 50c. gold per lb. On page 77 he makes the statement that he had raised silk for two successive years at a net result of $104, and (valuing the raw silk at $4.50 per lb.) of $108 per acre. Yet on page 237 there is a calculation to show that the net return from an acre may be $2800; and by taking some of the figures given it might be made still greater. These few inconsistencies will serve to show how unreliable the work is. M. Provost was an enthusiast, and we may admire his enthusiasm, but when enthusiasm becomes fanaticism and carries one beyond the bounds of reason, it is often productive of more harm than good. Had M. Prevost shown more moderation and reason in his writings; had he been as prone to report failure as he was to magnify success, the silk interests of Califor- nia would not now be endangered by a reactive depression which is as unnat- ural as was the over-enthusiasm a few years since. His little work, by false showing, was better calculated to induce another multicaulis fever, than to healthily stimulate silk industry. Its exaggerated pictures and immoder- ate accounts annulled what little of value it did possess, and earned for its author the name of blagueur, which has been applied to him in France. Silkworms were first hatched in California in 1860. In 1868 the inter- est in silk culture there was at its height, and the legislature of the State, in order to encourage the enterprise, offered liberal bounties. In 1869, the premiums amounted to $115,000; but from this time on the reaction began to take place, and the evil effects of the visionary clamor of enthusiastic advocates began to tell. The season was exceptionably unfavorable, and many of their eggs were spoiled for want of experience how best to keep them. i For a while the diseased state of the Silkworm in Europe ereated a large demand for foreign eggs, and the trade in the East assumed large pro- portions. In 1869 two millions of cards, costing on an average three dollars each, were sent to Europe from Japan, and special steamers were chartered to carry home the valuable freight. The demand was such that some eggs raised in California were also sold to France, and large profits were the re- sult. Mr. I. N. Hoag made the following very favorable report of his busi- ness in 1868, in a letter to the Sacramento Union—a report well calculated to induce others to attempt to do likewise : In 1868 I fed the leaves from three and one-half acres of land covered with two year old Morus multicaulis trees. The trees had been grown from cuttings where they then stood. They had been cut back in the spring or winter close to the ground and the tops used for cuttings, so that they did not furnish much over half the early foliage they would have done had they only been pruned with an eye to that purpose. The result of that opera- tion concisely stated, is as follows: Receipts, 486 ounces and 133 penny- weights of eggs sold to Hentsch & Berton at $4 per ounce, $1,946.70; eggs retained for self and sold to other parties, $1,897.50; perforated cocoons sold, $75.80; total, $3,919.50. Contra; labor and other expenses, $472.00. Net profits, $3,449.50. The feeding was commenced on the first of June. On THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 81 the 25th of July it was fully completed and the eggs all made. On the 7th of August I had my money from Hentsch & Berton, and could have sold the entire product to them. But it subsequently turned out that Messrs. Hentsch and Berton lost $1,000 by the operation, and that no other such liberal men were to be found who would take such risks. Mr. Thos. A. Garey, of Los Angelos, gave similarly encouraging results of one of his year’s doings in silk-culture, having netted $2,700 from one acre, from eges and mulberry cuttings. Many other similar cases might be given. Indeed, whenever profits were made they were not legitimately from the cocoons, which seem to have found no sale at all; but from eggs and mulberry cuttings. This was owing to the fact that no reeling establish- ments had been erected and there was consequently no market for the raw cocoons, while none of the raisers seem to have attempted the reeling of their own silk. But the demand for California eggs never had become an established one, and ceased entirely when the Franco-Prussian war broke out. This war had the effect to depress and almost destroy the spirit of en- terprise which had prevailed a few years previous. It even left the Jap- anese ege trade in a bad condition, so that some lots were shipped to San Francisco at a time when the Californians had a surplus of their own. One lot of 130,000 cartoons left a record that will not encourage further consign- ments. In the center of the lot the heat hatched the worms, and they had to be reviewed and repacked when they arrived. After some use of the tel- egraph parties in New York were found who risked the shipment overland to be sent thence to Europe; but the eggs were all ruined, and every cent invested was sunk. For these various reasons there is great despondency in silk circles in California at present, and the business has very generally been pronounced a failure. The Santa Clara Agriculturist says it has given less practical sat- isfaction and poorer grand results than almost any other industry undertaken on the Pacific coast. At present there are lots of mulberry trees in nursery, with no demand ; and the premium offered has failed of its intended object to promote the in- terest, because a bounty was also offered for cocoons; and there has been no effort to produce reeled silk, not a single hank having thus far resulted- There has been more speculation than work. The whole question of the success of silk-culture in that State, and in- deed in any part of the country depends, therefore, on the ability to reel the silk and thus furnish a market for the cocoons; and State aid and encour- agement should be directed to this end. It always has been a serious ques- tion whether or not in producing reeled silk we can compete with the cheap labor of southern Europe and of China and Japan. If by superior intelli- gence and the advantage of climate the Californians can produce reeled silk —and I sincerely believe they can—so as to furnish it at home at the same rates that it can be imported from abroad, they will succeed, and sillx-cul- ture will become one of the prominent industries of the country. If they cannot, it will be a signal failure. 6 82 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF The manufacturing interest, encouraged as it is by import duties, will take care of itself, and silk factories are already springing up on the Pacifie coast and proving remunerative, as they areon the Atlantic. Let the pro- ductive industry be similarly encouraged, and let all premiums hereafter be offered for reeled silk! SILK CULTURE IN KANSAS—MONS. E. V. BOISSIERE’S ESTABLISHMENT. About three years ago, Mons. E. Y. Boissiére, a French philanthropist, of considerable means, came to this country from Bordeaux for the express purpose of purchasing a large tract of land for general agricultural pur- poses, but primarily for the cultivation of mulberry trees and the raising of silk. He finally settled in Franklin county, Kansas, about 18 miles south- west of Ottawa, 10 miles west of Princeton station, on the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston railroad, and three miles south of the little town of Williamsburg. Here, in 1869, he purchased 3,500 acres of undulating prairie land, and at once commenced operations by erecting a three-story frame building, 50x30 for his operatives. The land is rich and clayey, with a limestone subsoil and of good elevation. He has already fenced in 360 acres and broken about 150; and contracts are let for the fencing with stone walls of 160 acres intended for pasturage. The place has been christened “ Silkville.” He does not contemplate the cultivation of this entire tract; but intends to devote the greater portion of it to the raising of cattle, for which he whishes to have sufficient range on his own land. Only the more valuable portions will be devoted to the silk interest. Already there isa good stable, a few sheds for rearing the worms, and a stone factory 83x28 for working the silk. If the silk business succeeds, the reeling of the cocoons and the manufacture of velvet trimmings will furnish occupation through the win- ters; but the hope of success now entertained by M. Boissiére cannot be realized for at least two years, which will be required to establish the pos- sibility of profitably raising the worms, and to await the growth of the trees. Meanwhile, to avoid any chance of failure, he intends to embark in several industries which have received no attention in that part of the country, and which will give employment to the operatives, and may be carried on entirely from the products of the farm. Of such industries, he mentions more especially broom-making; the preservation of meat in tin cans; the manufacture and refining of sorghum syrup; of castor oil; potato starch; morocco leather, and dark-headed matches, which have nothing poisonous about them and cannot be ignited except on the box containing them. There are already planted 8000 mulberry trees which have made a wonderful growth, and there are 2,500 fine young trees in nursery to be set out. There is also a young orchard of 900 trees, and 2,000 peach trees ; 1,000 Concord vines; and belts of Black locust, Black walnut and Ailan- thus, will be planted the coming spring. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 83 The forepart of last November I paid M. Boissiére a visit, as I was interested in this novel enterprise just started in a neighboring State. I found him sitting at an immense table with all the operatives, partaking in common of a plain but substantial meal. He is a bachelor of some sixty years of age; a philanthropic, intelligent man—a man of plain habits, and with such broad democratic views that he originally came to this country in sheer disgust of Napoleon III. He is fully imbued with the fact that there should be no conflict between capital and labor, and intends to make the colony self-supporting; but to form eventually a co-operative society, with equitable distribution of profits, mutual guarantees, association of families, integral education and unity of interests—something after the plan proposed by Mr. E. T. Grant, in a work on Co-operation, issued from the office of the New York Tribune. So soon as the organization is effected he intends to donate to the association all the capital invested by himself up to that time, reserving only the right of as many votes as the capital will represent. I found the looms in the factory idle for reasons which need not affect the ultimate success of the enterprise, and the samples of velvet ribbon and silk trimmings which had been made from French and Japanese silks, and which may be seen at Carson Bros., 121 Locust street, St. Louis, sufficiently attested the capabilities of these looms. Other looms have already been ordered from France. I shall await with much interest future developments in this colony, for upon its success very much depends. That it will suc- ceed as a colony I have little doubt, but whether it will do soasasilk | settlement, time only will tell. If it becomes a success in this last sense, it will form the nucleus of a new and important industry in the Mississippi Valley ; for I cannot help thinking that there are localities innumerable, and plenty of them in our own State, where such colonies could be formed with better commercial facilities, less severe climate, and especially where there would be less annoyance from severe cold winds, which, as M. Boissiére informed me, prevail there to a remarkable degree -in the spring, and bid fair to form the most serious obstacle to the rearing of the worms. The State of Kansas, if it looks well to its own interests, will not let the under- taking fail for want of encouragement; for when an individual embarks in some new enterprise, the success of which is of so much importance to the State, he deserves encouragement from the Legislature, if it is necessary. SILK GROWING IN MISSOURI. IT cannot find that the Silkworm has ever been raised in any considerable numbers in this State. I have raised them under a variety of circum- stances during each of the last four years, having employed three white and yellow races from Eqin, China, received through the*Department of Agriculture ; and three rather inferior European varieties. = They have also been raised, at my request, by several different persons near St. Louis, by Judge J. F. Wielandy of Jefferson City; Wm. R. Howard of Forsyth, and J. L. Townsend of Columbia. These trials fully warrant the assertion that St FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF the worms can be reared here with perfect success, and that where the rules laid down under the head of “ Best Methods of Rearing” are properly carried out, we may be as sure of a good harvest as they are in most of the silk- rowing districts of Europe. The worms naturally commence to hatch with us from the middle to the end of April. They commence spinning usually within thirty days, and remain in the chrysalis state just about two weeks. The feature in our cli- mate which we have most to guard against is the excessive heat that some- times occurs in May, when the worms are in their last stage. A wet spring with a hot early summer, is most injurious, and these features of 1870 in- duced a greater mortality than occurred during any of the other four years of my experience. Excessive heat, and too great richness of the food, is very apt to produce jaundice in the worms, and it manifests itself more particularly just before spinning time. Our fall season cannot be surpassed tor this industry, as the weather is drier, more uniform in temperature, and the leaves are riper and sweeter than in the spring. For these reasons, future experience will doubtless prove that September and October will be propitious months for rearing the worms; and that consequently it will be best to retard the hatching of eggs by keeping them constantly ata temperature below 40° F.; or we might employ the Bivoltins—raising only enough of the first brood to give us a good supply of eggs for the second. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SILKWORM. The Silkworm is interesting to us, not only from the value of its silk, but from the fact that it is about the only insect that has been under man’s complete management for a long series of years, and that has been carried by him from one country to another in widely different parts of the world. It is, so to speak, the only domesticated insect to which we have been able to apply the principle of selection for any length of time; for though the Cochineal insect and the Honey-bee have been in a measure under our con- trol, these principles have never been applied to the former, and it is only within the last few years that we have been enabled, by hive-improvements and deeper knowledge of its habits, to apply them with any degree of satis- faction to the latter. The Silkworm has been subjected to a variety of dif- fering conditions, both of climate and management; and if species are, as many of the more advanced thinkers now contend, not immutable but muta- ble; we should expect to find great differences in the characteristics of this particular one. These differences we do, in fact, find; for it is notorious that there are about as many breeds of the Silkworm, as there are of the domestic Dog. In the form of the egg, the colors of the larva, and more especially in the size, color, form and quality of the cocoon; and in the varying length of time required for development; the races of Bombyx mor: show such differences that, if found in any of our wild species, they would be considered as specific by most naturalists. Yet no naturalist pretends to give these differing races specific scientific names, though they are often designated by popular distinguishing terms. ‘THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. §5 There is one race known as Annual which will not produce more than one brood each year, no matter how the eges are manipulated; another known as Bivoltin which produces two broods a year; and a third ( Trevoltin), which produces three annual generations. Yet by changed conditions each of these races can, in a few years, be rendered inconstant and variable in these particular characteristics. There are races (and they are more especi- ally adapted to warm countries) such as that of Milan, and most of the Trevoltins, which habitually moult but three times; and it is evident that even this important difference has been artificially produced, since ordinary worms occasionally moult but three times and the three-moulters or races « trois mues, as the French call them, sometimes moult four times.* The Mulberry silkworm is, when compared to other insects, an anomaly. It had already been so long under the influence of human man- agement ere it was introduced into Europe, that we find the larva, when full grown, possessing the white color so typical of domestication ; which is the more remarkable that white is extremely rare in Lepidopterous larvae, and unknown in any of the external feeders belonging to the Silkworm Family (Bombycide). That this lack of color is the direct result of domestication, as in so many other animals, may be very justly inferred, because when newly born the worm is almost black, and in the older worms there are con- stantly appearing individuals with dark or tiger-like marks which have been attributed to reversion by Captain Hutton, who, by separating and breed- ing from them, found that in the third generation they had become darker and that their moths were likewise darker, and resembled in coloring the wild Huttoni of Westwood.t We find furthermore, that it has lost all desire of escape, and the worm will seldom crawl out of the shallowest tray so long as it is supplied with food, while the moth is equally contented to remain in the same trays. So thoroughly has it lost all instinct of self’ preservation that, as we learn from good authority, when placed upon a tree out of doors, the worm is easily blown down by the agitation of the wind, and not unfrequently commits the blunder of severing the petiole of the leaf upon which it rests, and thus unconsciously brings itself to the ground from which it seldom has the tact or power to rise again. We find also, that the moth has lost almost all traces of color and very nearly all power of flight; its wings scarcely ever expand much beyond the length of the cocoon, from which it issues, while most of the wild silkworms, (take, for instance, the Polyphemus, figures 50 and 53,) expand from four to five times the length of their cocoons. The male flutters a little, but the female can- not rise off her feet, and never makes the attempt; yet there is every reason to believe that they both flew in the wild state, and it has been shown that afver three generations reared in the open air, the males recover in great part the lost power. * See Darwin’s Animals and Plants, etce., p. 302. + Trans. Lond. Ent. Soc. 3rd Series, Vol. 8, pp. 152, 308. 86 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF In short, the ordinary Silkworm bears unmistakable evidence of having been modified according to man’s wants. He has been interested mainly in producing the largest amount of silk from the smallest amount of leaves, and we consequently find to-day vast differences in the cocoons of the dif- ferent races, and great bulk of cocoon compared with the insect which makes it. The Mulberry silkworm is anomalous in one other respect, namely, in having a curved horn on the eleventh joint; for though in those silkworms which are tubercled, there is always a large middle tubercle on the back of this eleventh joint, yet none of them possess this Sphingidous character in the same degree.* From the foregoing, it will become obvious that what follows of the natural history of the Silkworm is of the most general character. Tur Eac.—The egg is nearly round, a little flattened, and in size rather less than a mustard seed. It is yellow when first deposited, and so remains if unimpregnated,t but when impregnated soon acquires a gray or slate color and becomes indented. It is fastened by a gummy substance. which the moth secretes in the act of ovipositing. Each female will lay upwards of 300 eggs. One ounce of good eggs will produce 40,000 worms. The color of the albuminous fluid in the egg corresponds, or is correlated with, that of the cocoon; so that when this fluid is white the worms produce white cocoons, and when yellow they will produce yellow ones. As the hatching point approaches, the egg becomes more pale in color which is due to the intervening space between the rolled-up worm and the shell which is semi-transparent. Just before the worm hatches there is often heard a slight clicking noise, which, however, is common to many other insect eggs; and when loosened it will sometimes bound a short dis- tance, evidently by the sudden jerk of the worm within, as in the case of some so-called jumping seeds and jumping galls. Tur Larva.—The newly hatched worm, as already stated, is black or dark gray. It is covered with long stiff hairs, and if closely examined these hairs will be found to spring from pale tubercles of the same number and placed precisely in the same position as those to be found at the same age [Fig. 29.] on all the other silk- = worms to be hereafter described. It becomes paler at each moult and after feeding for nearly a month, pre- * This feature is generally considered so entirely characteristic of the larve of a Family of Moths popularly called Hawk-moths (Sphingide), which, for the most part, undergo their transformations nakedly underground; and so uncharacteristic of those of the large Family of Silk-moths (Bombycid@) , that—reasoning from analogy and forgetting his earlier experience with the Silkworm—so good an -entomologist as my late friend Walsh, at first took me to task for putting a horn on the figure of this worm, which appeared on the cover of the American Entomologist. To me this horn exhibits merely a case of persistence of the middle tubercle on the eleventh joint, while those on the other joints have become obsolete; and we have an approach to the same condition in our Promethea (Fig. 43, d), which, as it grows, loses all its tubercles except four near the head and this one on the eleventh joint. + On very rare occasions the embryo in unimpregnated eggs continues to develop and the young -worm has even been known to hatch. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 87 sents the appearance of Figure 29, having lost its long hairs, and all its tubercles but that on the eleventh joint. It does not become entirely smooth, however, as there are short hairs along the sides, and very minute ones not noticeable with the unaided eye, all over the body. The prepar- ation for each moult requires from two to three days of fasting and rest, during which the worm attaches itself firmly by the abdominal prolegs and holds up the forepart of the body, and sometimes the tail. In front of the first joint a dark triangular spot is at this time noticeable, indicating the growth of the new head, and when the term of “sickness,” as it is often called, is over, the worm casts its old integument, rests a short time to recover strength, and then freshened, supple and hungry, goes to work feed- ing voraciously to compensate for lost time. It is usually estimated that it consumes its own weight of leaves every day it feeds; but this is not strictly correct. It does, however, consume more during the last few days of its worm-life than during all the rest put together. When about to spin up it shrinks somewhat in size, acquires a clear translucent pinkish ap- pearance, becomes restless, ceases to feed and throws out silken threads. According to Quatrefages* the color of the silk is correllated with the color of the abdominal prolegs. Tux Cocooy.—The cocoon (Fig. 30) consists of an outer lining of loose or floss silk, which is used for carding, and of a strong, tough pod. Its form (Fig. 30.) is usually oval and its color [Fig. 31-] yellowish; but in both these features it varies greatly, being either pure silvery-white, cream, or carneous, green, and’ even 4! roseate; and very often ///| constricted in the middle. The male cocoon is often more pointed than that of the female. ; THe Curysatis.—The worm completes its cocoon in about three days and in three days more becomes a chrysalis. In this state it remains from two to three weeks when it issues as a moth. Tue Moru—Is of a cream-color with more or less distinct brownish markings across the wings as in Figure 31: neither sex flies, but the male is more active than the female. Coitus takes place very soon after issuing, and the female begins depositing in a day or two, whether her eggs be fer- tilized or not. ENEMIES AND DISEASES. It has generally been supposed that no true parasites attack the mul- berry silkworm; and certain it is that none such are known in Europe. But in China and Japan great numbers of worms are killed by a disease called “ Uji,” which is undoubtedly produced by the larva of some parasite, * Quoted by Darwin. 88 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 3F though whether Hymenopterous or Dipterous I ht~e not been able to learn with assurance. a Several diseases of a fungoid or epizoétic nature and several maladies which have not been sufficiently characterized are, however, well known to afflict this worm. One of these diseases called muscardine, has been more or less destructive for many years in Europe. It is of precisely the same nature as the fungus (Hmpusa musce) which so frequently kills the common House- fly and sheds a halo of sporules, readily seen upon the window-pane, around its victim. A worm about to die of this disease, becomes languid and the dorsal pul- sations become insensible. It suddenly dies and ina few hours becomes stiff, rigid and discolored ; and finally, in about a day, a white powder or eftilor- escence manifests itself, and soon entirely covers the body, developing most rapidly in a warm humid atmosphere. No outward signs indicate the first stages of the disease, and though it attacks worms of all ages, it is by far the most fatal during the fifth or last age or stage. This disease was proved by Bassi to be due to the development of a fun- gus (Botrytis Bassiana) in the body of the worm. It is certainly infectious ; the spores when they come in contact with the worm, germinating and send- ing forth filaments which penetrate the skin and, upon reaching the inter- nal parts, give off minute floating corpuscles, which eventually spore in the efflorescent manner described. Yet most silkworm raisers, including such good authorities as E. F. Guérin-Méneville and Eug. Robert,* who first implic- itly believed in the fungus origin of this disease ; now consider that the Botry- tis is only the ultimate symptom—the termination ofit. At the same time they freely admit that the disease may be contracted by the spores of the botrytis coming in contact with worms predisposed, by unfavorable condi- tions, to their influence. Such a view implies the contradictory belief that the disease either may or may not be produced by the fungus; and those who consider that the fungus is the sole cause have certainly the advantage of consistency. Whichever view be held, it appears very clear that no remedies are known; but that care in procuring good eggs, care in rearing the worms, good leaves, pure, even-temperatured atmosphere, and cleanliness are checks to the disease. The drawers and other objects with which diseased worms have come in contact should also be purified by fumigations of sulphuric acid, which will destroy all fungus spores. This muscardine, or a disease which has not yet been distinguished from it, has also made its appearance in some of the Eastern States among silk- worms, both imported and wild; and in the fall of 1870 it was so common around St. Louis, that I found hundreds of caterpillars stiffly fastened to their food plants and covered with the white efflorescence. It was especially noticeable among the “ Wooly-bears,” or hairy caterpillars of our different Tiger-moths (Arctians); and as the efflorescenee is not very apparent at the base of the long dense hairs, such diseased caterpillars look quite life-like. * See their Guide 4 1’é'eveur de vers a soie. SHE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 89 They die in all sorts of ,yositions, and I heave many cabinet specimens of such, cleverly prepaic., stuffed and mounted by the hands of dame Nature. Another disease, known as pébrine, has proved extremely fatal in Southern Europe. This is the disease referred to on page 80, which for fif- teen years has almost paralyzed silk-culture in France. Itisa disease which in its na ure and action, except in being hereditary, bears a striking analogy to cholera among men; and its cause and origin have been the subject of almost as much speculation and study. It has been ascribed variously to the vengeance of God, to mildew or other parasitic plants upon the leaves eaten; and more especially to the artificial manner in which the worms have been raised, some authors roundly asserting that it disappears when the worms are reared in the open air, and that it is the result of a conspiracy among opticians who have purposely persuaded silk-raisers that a tempera- of 70° Fahr. (24° Cent.) is too cold for the health of the worms; when in reality they can stand with impunity a temperature of four or five degrees below freezing point.* Theories and remedies innumerable have been proposed, and as is so often the case, those who gave the least study t: the disease, were the most prolific of them. The worms affected by pébrine grow unequally, become languid, lose appetite, and often manifest discolored spots on the skin. They die at all ages, but, as in muscardine, the mortality is greatest in the last stage. The real nature of this malady was for a long time unknown. In 1849 M. Guérin-Méneville first noticed floating corpuscles in the bodies of the dis- eased worms. These corpuscles were supposed by him to be endowed with independent life; but their motion was afterwards shown by Filippi to de- pend on what is known as the Brownian motion; and they are now known either by the name of panhistophyton, first given them by Lebert; or by that of psorospermice. They fill the silk canal, invade the intestines and spread throughout the tissues of the animal in all its different states; and though it was for a long time a mooted question as to whether they were the true cause or the mere concomitant—the result—of the disease ; the praiseworthy and assiduous researches of Pasteur have demonstrated that pébrine is en- tirely dependent upon the presence and multiplication of these corpuscular organisms. He has so epigrammatically analyzed the malady that what was occult and uncurable before has now become clear and comprehensible ; and is within.man’s power to stay or even eradicate. The disease is both contagious and infectious because the corpuscles which have passed with the excreta or with other secretions of diseased worms are taken into the alimentary canal of healthy ones in devouring the soiled leaves; and because it may be inoculated by wounds inflicted by the claws. It is hereditary on the mother’s side because the moth may have * See results of rearing out of doors for four years, by M. le Dr. Jeannel, of Bordeaux—Bulletin Mens. de la Soc. Imp. Zool. d’ Acclimatation 2me Serie, Tome VI. Juiliet, 1869. A Monsieur Sintre has also reared the worms successfully and free from disease, in the open air, in France; and Jno. S. Gallaher, Jr., of Washington, D. C., wrote to the Rural New Yorker in August, 1870, that he had f» | the worms successfully in the open air there. 90 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF the germ of the disease and yet oviposit. Indeed, the eggs may be affected, and yet look fair and good, the microscopic psorospermie not being visible; so that the only true test of disease or health is an examination of the par- ent moth. Healthy moths produce healthy eggs, and here we have the key to the perfect subjugation of the disease. Both the diseases mentioned are, therefore, in the strict sense of the word silkworm plagues. The one is of a fungus and the other of an epizo- Stic nature. Each may become epidemic whenever the conditions are fa- vorable for the undue multiplication of the minute organisms which produce them; or when the checks to the increase of such organisms are removed by carelessness or ignorance.. The exceptional energy which they exhibit is preciscly analogous to the exceptional increase of the Army-worm, and ofa number of other insects which have been mentioned in these Reports, and which at times, under favorable conditions get the mastery over their nat- urally appointed checks. The disease may remain indefinitely latent, until the proper conditions offer, just as seeds may, and do so remain in our for- ests and prairies until change of circumstance enables them to germinate and grow. These seeds of disease which are now known to ever pervade our at- mosphere play a most important part in the economy of Nature. They are omnipresent guards wisely ordained to keep order and harmony in her Do- main—to insure the proper keeping of her laws, whose violation they are ever ready to punish with death—to right the wrong which man’s ignorance begets—sacrificing sometimes the just with the unjust; but fulfilling God’s will itself in prompting us to better and higher effort; to broader and deeper knowledge. ‘« All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good.’’ Such a view of the nature and origin of these diseases is not only far more plausible and tangible, than to believe that they are caused by some influence beyond our ken or that they originate de novo by some “ fortui- tous concourse of atoms,” or by what Huxley has termed abiogenesis ; but it is the most scientific, being based on the most elaborate experiments, and supported by experience. Pasteur has been able to prophecy with certainty, by examination of the moths, whether the progeny will be diseased or healthy, and through his efforts and the greater care that has resulted from the experience and trial of 15 years’ suffering, pebrine is rapidly diminishing in France, and the harvest was better last year than it has been for a long time. An excellent proof of this epizoétic nature of pébrine and of the sound- ness of Pasteur’s deductions is furnished by the experience of Mr. L. Trou- velot in cultivating our Polyphemus worm. AsI shall presently show he reared it in large quantities in 1865, and fully hoped and expected to con- tinue his experiments. But some silkworm eggs which he imported from THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 91 abroad proved to be infected with the disease; and though upon recogniz- ing it he immediately destroyed the larve, and at that time his Polyphe- mus eggs were not yet hatched—the precaution was of no avail, as the infection was about the house, and the native worms all eventually died of it. Speaking of this fearful disease among them, Mr. Trouvelot writes me: “ A few days after the third moultings the worms begun to manifest symptoms of the deadly disease, and two or three days after, of a million, I had but a single one left, and this one even died in the pupa state. The following year, I thought I could begin anew, but I found that the epidemic had spread among the wild ones and all those I found were attacked with it, even to a distance of seven miles from my place. But the disease did not spread further as I had feared, and the third year the wild individuals were as robust as usual, but the disease, or at least the seed of it was infesting my buildings, and as soon as the healthy wild Polyphemus would approach them they became sick and died.” Of late the disease has also been intro- duced by means of Italian eggs, into China and Japan; and while it is on the decrease in Europe, it bids fair to run a fearful course, unless prevented, in these the native countries of the silkworm: Pébrine, as we have already seen, differs from muscardine in being her- editary as well as infectious. It will not suffice, therefore, simply to take the precautionary measure of purification and cleanliness advocated for the latter; we must also take care that our eggs are sound, by microscopic ex- amination of the moths. This may be done after the eggs are laid; and if the corpuscles are found in the mother, her eggs should be discarded. Silkworms are subject to other diseases but none of them have ever ac- quired the importance of those described. What is called gattine by older authors is but a mild phase of pébrine. The worms are apt to be purged by unwholesome leaves; they get sickly by too great heat; they become yel- low, limp and die of a malady called grasserie or jaundice, which is almost sure to appear in large broods, or as the French more appropriately say, éducations, and which I have most frequently noticed in those reared in this country. When the worms die from being unable to moult they are called lusettes ; and such worms are most abundant in the third age. All these di% ferent ailments and others, not mentioned, have received names; some local, others more general; but they none of them warrant further notice here, as they are not likely to become very troublesome if the proper attention and care be given to the worms. BEST VARIETIES, OR RACES. Since the diseases just mentioned have been so prevalent in Europe, among the French and Italian races, the Japanese annuals have been the most esteemed. The eggs are bought at Yokahoma in September, and ship- ped during the winter. ‘There are two principal varicties in use; the one producing white, and the other greenish cocoons, and known respectively as the White Japanese and the Green Japanese annuals. These cocoons are by no means large, but the pods are solid and firm, and yield an abundance 92 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF of silk. They are of about a size, and both varieties are almost always constricted in the middle (Fig. 32 ¢ green; d white). Another valuable race is the White Chinese annual (Fig. 32 e) which much resembles the White [Fig. 32.] Japanese, but the cocoon is not so generally constricted. Previous to the prevalence of disease, a race know) as peat the White French annual was the most esteemed, and in reality the cocoon (Fig. 32 a) is very large, oval, and ofa pure white. The Yellow French annuals (Fig. 32 6) which are of a deep rich cream, or straw color outside but more yellow inside, were also esteemed, and the co- €\|aj coon is large and beautiful. There are local races or varieties in all the large silk-producing countries, and they generally bear the name of the locality where they are produced. The co- coons may be divided into the yellow, green and white, some races producing cocoons uniform in color; while others produce mixed cocoons. ‘The white silk is the most valuable in commerce, but the races producing the yellow, cream- colored or flesh-colored cocoons are generally considered the most vigorous, and have certainly proved so in my experience in this country. The An- nuals are more valuable than the Bivoltins or Trivoltins ; though the Bivol- tins are often reared, and Mr. Alfred Brewster, of San Gabriel, Cal., says that he found a green Japanese variety of these last more hardy than the Chinese Annuals. HOW BEST TO REAR. Volumes have been written on the rearing or éducation of the Silk- worm; and most persons who have had no experience with it, fancy that there must necessarily be something unusually difficult in the treatment of the worm whose marvelously lustrous product—the pride of kings and queens, and once weighed in the balance with gold—has always been asso- ciated with everything that is choice, delicate and beautiful. Yet if we travel through the different silk-producing countries at feeding or breeding time, we shall find the work very simple. From the reports on silk-culture that have lately been issued by Mr. F. O. Adams, Esq., Secretary to Her Brittanic Majesty’s Legation in Japan, we may learn that the culture is car- ried on there in the most simple and even careless manner, with the most primitive machinery ; and that the people are actually in ignorance of some of the very simplest truths, the knowledge of which would enable them to more than double their harvest. It is even worse in China; and in South- ern Europe most of the silk is reared by a peasantry which knows abso- lutely nothing beyond plucking the leaves and feeding them to the worms; and in the best éducutions they lose one-half the worms hatched. There are few farm operations more simple, or which require so little training; but proper knowledge is all important to insure success and pre- vent undue mortality in the brood. It will be well to bear in mind the character of the climate of that part of Japan where silk-culture has at- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 93 tained most importance—an area of about 240 square miles around Yoka- homa. As I am informed by a fellow-entomologist, who has resided there for many years, and, in an official capacity, has made minute and daily me- teorological observations, the winters are less severe than with us, the snow seldom remaining on the ground more than an hour: the summers are like- wise less hot ; but the climate during the rearing season is quite similar to that of our southern counties during the same period, though with fewer sudden changes. The mean annual temperature is 63.50 F. and the solar radiation 18.55. The wettest months are April and June, the average rain fall in April being 10.5 in May 5.1 and in Jiine 12.4 inches. The rains stop suddenly in June, when feeding eommences. The temperature of the four months of April, May, June and July averages as follows: April, maximum 70°, minimum 52°; May, maxm. 67°, minm. 56° ; June, maxm. 74°, minm. 66°; July, maxm. 80°, minm. 72°. Thus their feeding months—parts of June and July—do not compare unfavorably with ours—parts of April and May. We have already seen the importance of getting healthy eggs, free from hereditary disease, and of good and valuable races. Eggs keep best during the winter at a temperature of 40° F., and should be placed in zinc or tin boxes where no inice or other animals can reach them, and where the at- mosphere is not too moist. The temperature may be decreased and may even sink below freezing point, without injury; but should never be al- lowed to rise above the 40°. Great care should especially be taken to prevent a too early incubation in the spring. Mulberry leaves start to grow quite late, and unless the eggs are kept back by being placed in some room or cellar that is cooler than the atmosphere, our early warm April days will cause them to hatch before there are any leaves for the young worms to feed on. The hatching may be indefinitely delayed providing the eggs are kept at a temperature below 40° F.; for in France it is often deferred by carry- ing eggs up in the mountains until the second crop of mulberry leaves can be used. As soon as the mulberry leaves commence to put forth, the eggs may be brought out and they will then very soon hatch by the natural heat of the season; though if the weather be changeable, it is best to regulate the tem- perature by means of fires, commencing at about 75° F. and increasing it about 2° per day until it reaches 85°, when the worms will begin to hatcb. By no means must the eggs be exposed to the sun’s rays, which would scorch them in a very short time; and even in the shade, as the temperature is raised and the hatching period approaches, the atmosphere should be kept more and more moist, either by sprinkling the floor or by other means. The worms will thus eat through their egg shells more easily and be more fresh and vigorous. Any room with a northeastern exposure, and which can be well and thoroughly ventilated will answer for the rearing of the worms. An open fire-place is always desirable, as in cold, damp weather, the room may be rendered comfortable and at the same time purified by the draft which the 94 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF fire creates. Buildings erected solely for feeding purposes, should combine these requisites. The feeding may be done on shelves or tables or in trays; but the wood should always be well seasoned, as green wood is injurious to the health of the little spinners, which must from now forth be well supplied with food and guarded from too much moisture or too much light. Each day’s hatching should be kept separate, in order that the worms may be of a uniform size and go through their different sicknesses with regularity and uniformity; and all eggs not hatched after the fourth day from the appearance of the first; should be thrown away as they will be apt to contain inferior, weakly or sickly worms. It is calculated that one ounce of eggs of a good race, will produce 100 tbs. of cocoons; while for every addi- tional ounce the per centage is reduced, if the worms are all raised together, until for 20 ounces, the average does not exceed 25 ths. of cocoons per oz. Such is the general experience throughout France according to Guérin- Méneville, and it shows the importance of keeping the worms in smali broods. Indeed, nine-tenths of all the silk produced in Europe is raised in small quantities, i. e., in separate households. The young worms may be removed from one place to another by means of a small camel’s-hair brush, but should be handled as little as possible. The best mode of managing them is to spread over the hatching eggs a piece of netting or mosquito-bar, upon which are to be placed either plucked leaves evenly scattered or a few leaf-bearing sprigs. The worms will cluster upon the leaves, which, when loaded with them, may be removed from time to time, either by taking the twigs, upon which they do not collect, separately between the fingers, or by lifting altogether with the netting. This feeding net, which must have larger meshes as the worms increase in size, may be used every time fresh food is furnished, and will save a won- derful deal of time. It entirely obviates the necessity of handling the worms, and enables the person having charge of them to keep them thor- oughly clean; for while they pass up through the fillet to their fresh food, their excrement drops through it and is always taken away with the old litter beneath. It really acts as a detective of disease, also, for such worms as are injured, feeble or diseased, usually fail to mount through the meshes, and should be carried off and destroyed with the frass and other debris. So important is this feeding net or fillet as it may be termed, and so much does it facilitate the caring of the worms, that for many years in En- rope it has been made of paper, stamped by machinery with holes propor- tioned to the size of the worms. The paper has the advantage of cheapness and stiffness, the latter quality enabling its removal, when loaded, without lumping the worms all in the middle. But with a little practice this can be avoided even where other more flexile netting is used; and it is the princi- ple which I wish to lay before the reader—the details of material and method will suggest themselves according to the circumstances. It is important to get the same batch of worms to go into their sick- nesses simultaneously, and as soon as most of those constituting such a batch THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 95 begin to lose appetite, become more shiny, and especially when the trian- gular dark spot appears above the head, feeding should cease, and the shelves or trays be rendered as clean as possible. At each moult there will always be some few which remain sick after the great majority have cast their skins. These should either be set aside and kept separate, or de- stroyed; as they are usually the most feeble and inclined to disease; other- wise the batch will grow more and more irregular in their moultings, and the diseased worms will contaminate the healthy. Regularity may also be insured by causing those which first shed their skins to wait on their more tardy brethren for one or even two days without feeding; for they can at this time fast without any injury. Indeed, no food should be given till the majority of the batch have moulted. As the worms increase in size, and become crowded on their shelves or in their trays, they are readily divided by removing the net, when about half the worms have mounted, and replacing it by an additional one. The food must be renewed as often as the leaves are devoured or as they become in the least way dry, and of course they get dry much quicker when young and tender than when mature. Many rules are laid down for regularity of feeding, and much stress is put upon it by some writers; but I am convinced that rules are of no avail, as so much depends on circumstances and conditions. In parts of France, for instance, they chop the leaves; but in this country such chopping is worse than waste of time; for Nature has furnished the worm with far bet- ter chopping instruments than man can invent; and the chopped food dries much sooner than does the whole leaf. Where the nets are not used, there is an advantage in feeding the worms upon leaf-covered twigs and branches, because these last allow free passage of air, and the leaves upon them keep fresh for a longer time than when plucked. In thus feeding with branches, consists the whole secret of the California system so much landed and ad- vocated by M. L. Prevost. The meals most relished are those given early in the morning and late in the evening, and the best time to give them is between 5 and 6 A. M. and 10 and 11 p.m. One or two intervening meals during the day may be given according to circumstances. The leaves given in the morning are best plucked the evening before, as, if plucked and fed with the dew on, they are injurious. During the night the temperature may be lowered a few de- grees with impunity, as such lowering is natural and the worms will be more quiet during their night fast. A mean temperature of 75° or 80° F. will usually bring the worms to a spinning point in from 35 to 40 days after hatching, but the rapidity of development depends on a variety of other causes, such as quality of leaf, race of worm, ete. If it can be prevented, the temperature should not be permitted to rise above 80°; and it is for this reason that in our climate a room with a northern or northeastern exposure is preferable to any other. During the fifth or last age the worms require the greatest care and at- tention. Frass and litter must be removed often, and all sickly and diseased 96 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF worms culled from the rest. Good ventilation must be had, and the tem- perature be kept as even as possible. At this and at all times during the life of the worms, they must be guarded against the attacks of mice and pre- daceous insects. COCOONERY. When the worms show the signs of spinning, already described, the co- coonery must be prepared by forming arches of the smaller twigs, well dried, of different trees, intermixed with broom-corn, or of any other kind of brush. If tiers of shelves have been used these arches are readily formed by tying together small bunches of twigs exceeding a little in length the distance between the shelves. The feet of these bundles, which should be about a foot apart, are placed upon the lower, and the tips spread out against the upper shelf, insuch a manner that the worms can crawl between them. Where tables are used, arches may be made by intertwining the brush, roof-fashion. The worms will then mount upon this brush and com- mence forming their cocoons. ‘The thermometer should not be allowed to sink below 80° F. during the spinning, as the sill does not flow so freely in a coolatmosphere. Such worms as do not mount readily, should be separ- ated, and furnished with brush, laid carefully over them. If allowed to remain and spin at the bottom of the arches their cocoons will be soiled by the excreta from the worms above, the last feces ejected, after the cocoon is commenced, being soft and semi-fiuid. In about a week after the last worms have mounted, or when all sound of spinning has died away, the cocoons may be detached from the brush, care being talken not to taint them with the black fluids of such worms as may have died and become putrid—there being almost always a few such in every cocoonery. The loose sill is then torn from the pods which.should be separated according to color, weight, and firmness of texture; those which best resist pressure, indicating that the worm has properly accom- plished its work. CHOKING THE CHRYSALIS. In most silk-producing countries, the parties who raise the cocoons sell them to the reeling establishments before suffocation is necessary; as these establishments have better facilities for the work than are to be found in pri- vate families. The cocoons, which if left over a fortnight would be pierced by the moths, in their egress, are choked either by steam or dry heat. By steam they can be choked in 20 minutes; by dry heat from 2 to 24 hours are required, with a temperature of about 200° F. They are placed in shal- low baskets, and these slipped on iron drawers into an oven. A certain humming noise continues as long as there is any life, and its cessation is an indication that the chrysalides are all dead. Where the choking is well done, there is little loss, only about one per cent of the cocoons bursting at the ends. After choking, the cocoons are strewn on long wooden shelves in the shade, with plenty of air, and for the first few days are frequently stirred. After remaining on these shelves for about two months, with occa- sional stirrings, the chrysalides become quite dry and the cocoons will pre- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 97 serve indefinitely—being subject only to the attacks of Dermestes or museum pests which are attracted by the dead chrysalis within, and penetrate and injure the cocoon for reeling purposes. EGG-LAYING. Therg are establishments, especially in Japan, which are entirely de- voted to the production of eggs; and most silk-growers prefer to purchase their eggs at the proper season, rather than go to the trouble of caring for the moths and keeping the eggs over winter. When properly managed, so that hygienic rules are carefully carried out, there is an advantage in mak- ing the production of eggs a specialty; but their production in too large quantities also has its disadvantage, and it is well for all silk-raisers to pro- vide their own eggs. For this purpose none but those cocoons which are firm, fine and of the right color should be chosen, large size not being so much of an object. Double or treble cocoons, i. e., cocoons which have been spun by two or three worms in company and which, in consequence, are un- fit to reel, will often give good moths for breeding purposes. The cocoons, when chosen, may be strung in a chaplet and suspended in the same room where the feeding was done, or they may be pasted on to card-board—the object in both cases being to secure them so that the moths can the more readily make their escape. The male and female cocoons may be approxi- mately separated, by weighing; the whole, say a lot of 50 or 100, being weighed first so as to get at the average, and each being re-weighed sepa- rately afterwards; all those below the average to be set aside as males and those above the average as females. The moths come out most abundantly during the early morning hours, and, as they issue, they should be taken by the wings and the sexes kept apart for a short time. The males may then $e folace d with the females. Coitus, according to the best breeders, should not last wore than six or eight hours, and at the end of that time the couples should be separated by holding the female gently by the wings with one hand, and pressing the abdomen of the male with the other. The males may then be thrown away and the females placed for a few minutes on sheets of blotting paper, where they will free themselves of much yellowish or ful- vous fluid, which would otherwise soil the cloth upon which the eggs are to be laid. They may then be placed side by side in trays, lined with linen cloth, when they will immediately commence depositing. The trays may be tipped up at one end so that they incline a little, as the moths are then more apt to lay their eggs uniformly. They should also be kept in the dark, in accordance with the nocturnal habit of the moth. Most of the eggs will be deposited in about 24 hours, and the moths may then be thrown away, as eggs deposited after that time are not as well impregnated. No de- formed moths should be used. The eggs are best preserved on the cloth where originally deposited, as they are protected by a natural coating of varnish, and, being fastened, the worms when hatching, eat their way out better. For commercial purposes, however, they are usually detached dur- ing the winter by immersing the cloth containing them in cool soft water for i 98 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF a few moments; the moisture being then drained off by means of blotting paper and the eggs scraped off by means of a paper knife. They are then washed in soft water, thoroughly dried and put away for keeping. All eggs which swim on the surface are considered bad, and discarded. The Japan- ese ege-producers sell their eggs on cards or cartoons made of some kind of coarse silk. The cards are placed in wooden frames, the rims of which are varnished, so that the moths—disliking the varnish—are made to confine their eggs upon the cards, which are consequently covered in a very regular and uniform manner. REELING. If the mere rearing of the worm—the production of the cocoons—is simple; the reeling of the silk is by no means so, as the greatest skill is re- quired to accomplish the work properly, and the value of a hank of silk depends as much upon the skill of the reeler as upon the quality of the orig- inal thread. In the best cocoons the silk will measure upwards of a thou- sand feet in length, and though it appears single, it is in reality composed of two threads which are glued together and covered, as they issue from the spinneret of the mouth, with a glossy varnish which enables the worm to fasten the silk where it wills, and which is soluble in warm water. . It is not my purpose to give a detailed description of a reeling estab- lishment, though I made it a point to visit a number of the best around Ly- ons, when there last summer. Those who contemplate erecting such an establishment in this country will not rely on written description, but will go to headquarters to get their machinery, which is manufactured by Bur- det & Cie., Rue Desirée 17, Lyons, France. There is also a little work by M. Turgon, which gives a description of the establishment of M. Louis Blanchon, of Livron. My object is merely to state the facts and principles which should govern the unwinding and reeling, for the benefit of those who may wish to use single basins and mills worked by hand. In the great reeling districts of France everything is brought to such perfection in the jilatures or reeling establishments, by the aid of steam, that the hand mills have there almost gone out of use. But most of the silk is unwound by hand power in china; and excellent silk may be made by dextrous manage- ment with a good hand mill. Raw silk is classified into organzine, tram and floss. Organzine is con- siderably twisted and is the choicest. Tram is made from inferior cocoons and is but slightly twisted. Floss is made of the loose silk carded and spun like cotton or wool. The thread of silk as it unwinds from the cocoon is valueless for manu- facturing purposes, several of them combined going to make the staple of commerce. The persons employed in unwinding silk are mostly women, one stand. ing or sitting before each basin, of which she has entire charge. The basin is made of copper, and in the large establishments the water in each basin is heated by steam at the control of the operator. The cocoons are plunged into the water when it is near the boiling point and moved about so that the THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 99 gum which fastens the threads becomes uniformly and thoroughly softened. They are then beaten with a small birchen broom, having the tips split so that the loose threads readily fasten to them. After beating a short time the operator gets all the cocoons fastened, and, taking the bundle of threads, shakes the cocoons till each hangs but by a single one. She now takes up five or more threads, (brins) according to the quality of silk wanted, unites them and introduces the combined staple or strand (il) into a little glass eye on one side of the basin. She then forms a second similar strand and introduces it into a second eye on the other side. The strands are then brought together, twisted several times, separated above the twist, and intro- duced into two other glass eyes or ringlets through which they are led one to each end of the reel or tambour which is kept revolving in a steady rapid manner and to which is also given a certain back-and-forth side motion. The great object in reeling is to get the threads uniform, rounded, well joined, properly freed of moisture, and so crossed on the reel that they will not stick or glaze as it is termed. These objects are attained by the twist- ing and by the to-and-fro lateral movement of the reel, as also by properly regulating the distance between reel and basin. The uniformity ofthe thread depends on the skill of the operator, who must supply a new thread as soon as one begins to give out. This is called nourishing the silk and is done by dexteriously casting, with the thumb, the new thread onto the combined strand to which it immediately adheres. In this she must use much judgment, for the silk of a cocoon gradually gets lighter and finer as it approaches the end, and the uniformity of strand does not entirely depend on the uniformity in number of the individual threads forming it. Whenever the silk rises in locks the temperature of the water is known to be too hot; and when it unwinds with difficulty, the temperature, on the contrary, is too low. The operator is supplied with a skimmer with which to remove all chrysalides and refuse silk; also with a basin of cold water in which to cool her fingers which are being constantly dipped in the hot basin. ‘This constitutes the whole operation of unwinding; but before the skeins, as they come from the reel, are ready for the manufacturer, they must undergo still further man- ipulation. The staple is first passed through a cleansér, consisting of a clasp lined with cloth, which catches any loose silk or other matter that may be adhering to it. It is then further cleansed and purged by being passed through four similar cleansers (purgeurs) ; then twisted about 500 times to the yard; then doubled and again twisted about 400 times to the yard. Itis finally run on to reels about 1} feet in diameter and taken off and twisted in a peculiar knot or hank. Through all these operations the oscillating to- and-fro lateral motion is kept up so as to produce the diagonal crossing of the strands; and it will be readily understood that each staple is in the end composed of ten or more of the simple threads first spun by the worm. The loose or flock silk, together with all which, from one cause or another, cannot be reeled, is soaked in water for three days, boiled for one-half hour in clear lye, washed in rain water, and when dry, carded and spun: it makes an inferior floss silk. 100 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF BEST FOOD. There are several varieties of the Mulberry, some of which are by no means adapted to the wants of the worm. I have tried in vain to rear it on the leaves of our indigenous Red mulberry (AZorus rubra); but it either re- fuses them entirely, or dwindles and soon dies upon them. Morus multicaulis has been the most extensively planted in this country, but the wood is so tender and the leaf so thin and delicate, in this variety, that it often gets in- jured by our severe winters and strong winds. Morus aiba, with its numer- ous sub-varieties, and moretti furnish the best food. They delight ina light, loamy and deep soil, and grow with great vigor in the West. There is a dwarf variety, called the rose, which leafs out earlier than the others and this is an advantageous character in our climate. The Mulberry propagates easily by cuttings or layers and is also readily zrown from seed. When grown in plantations for silkworm purposes the trees are best planted 8 or 10 feet apart and kept dwarfed, so that a good supply of young succulent leaves and shoots will always be in easy reach. The tree needs a warm location and should be at least two years old before robbed of any leaves. Leaves grown in the sun, with but little moisture, are the sweetest and make the best silk, and all which are yellow or blighted should be discarded. Where irrigation has to be employed it should be abandoned three or four weeks before feeding time. Where the leaves only are plucked a few of the terminal ones should always be left. In the silk-growing parts of Europe, though often grown in plantation or orchard, the trees are more frequently grown along roadsides and in all sorts of out-of-the-way corners; and a second crop, not used for the silk- worms, is carefully gathered just before the natural fall of the leaf in au- tumn, and used as fodder for cattle, being very nutritious and highly es- teemed for this purpose. Silkworms have been fed on the leaves of a few other plants, and es- pecially on lettuce, which is very useful, in case of too early hatching, as the worms do very well on it during the first age; but seldom attain the spin- ning age upon it. Some varieties—more especially the inferior ones—take more kindly to it than others. The mulberry leaf is exceedingly free from the attacks of noxious in- sects. A species of woolly Aphis called Auwa jirami sometimes covers the leaves in Japan; but no insect of the sort is known to attack them here. OSAGE ORANGE AS SILKWORM FOOD. The Osage orange (Maclura aurantiaca) first discovered by Lewis & Clark in 1804 and named by Nuttal in honor of Wm. Maclure, the cele- brated geologist, and founder of the Philadelphia Academy of Science, is well known as a hedge plant in the West. At first sight it seems to have little affinity with the Mulberry, but it belongs to the same botanical Fam- ily (Urticacee), and next to the Mulberry furnishes the most palatable silk- worm food. This plant was first introduced into France in 1820, by M. Cels, of Paris, who received it through Michaux from M. LeRoi of Balti- THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 10? more, Md. In 1833 M. P. Farel published a paper on the value of the leaves as a substitute for mulberry leaves in feeding silkworms*, citing the exper- ience of M. Rudolphi, which was not favorable. In 1834, however, M. Farel published a second paper showing how M. Bonafous produced from osage- fed worms, cocoons which were very regular, firm and apparently perfect in every way—the worms being eight days longer in maturing than when fed with mulberry leaves. In 1835, in the Bulletin of the same Association, M. Delile, Prof. of Botany and vice president of said Association, gave a history of Maclura and showed that very good cocoons were produced from it. He says (“cette soie a été parfaite, facile a tirer, sans perte du premier jusqu’ au dernier bout, dans tous les cocons”’) that the silk was perfect, easy to unwind, and without loss from beginning to end in all the cocoons. Still later, M. Seringe, who wrote an interesting paper on the Osage orange} also made experiments with its leaves as food for silkworms, and found that the latter did well upon them. Yet no one in France to-day pre- tends to use this plant in lieu of the Mulberry. In 1866 M. Prevost fed some of his worms on Osage orange,t and Mr. Glover of the Department of Agriculture, likewise raised some successfully upon it about that time. For the last four years Mr. Samuel Cornaby of Spanish Fork City, Utah, has had very good success in feeding worms with these leaves. He writes to me: : Last summer [1871] our worms that were fed on Osage orange all did remarkably well; quite a number of persons in this place fed on Osage the past season, and all with good success. Several of my neighbors remarked to me that the worms preferred the Osage leaves to Mulberry, when the two kinds of leaves were within reach : that has also been my own experience. I have never tried any other variety on Osage, but intend this season to try some French Annuals. I have fed the same worms on Osage orange four successive seasons, and they continue perfectly healthy and vigorous; in fact, I think they have improved since I commenced feeding on Osage. I do not know the exact number of worms that have been fed here the past season on Osage, but believe the number is not less than 50,000. In 1870 I attempted to feed some worms of Japanese origin on Osage leaves ; but I obtained no cocoons, though some of the worms fed well to within a few days of the spinning point. The worms themselves were not of the hardiest, however, and while the fore part of May was unusually cold, wet and changeable, the last of the month was unprecedently hot ; so that similar poor results might have been obtained even with mulberry leaves. At all events, in 1871 I had perfect success in feeding Osage, and obtained great numbers of cocoons. At my request Mr. Cornaby sent me a number of eggs produced by his‘Osage-fed stock, and these were distrib- uted among several friends, and part of them retained. Some were fed on * Des feuilles de Maclura comme succédanées de celles du Murier. Bulletin de la Soc. @’ Agr. de VP Herault, 1833. tNotice sur le Maclure Orangé—Soc. Royale d’ Agr. etc. de Lyon, Decembre, 1835. tCal. Silk Growers’ Manual, p. 60. 102 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF Osage; some on Mulberry. From the first the young worms took to the Osage with avidity, and I never raised a brood with less mortality ; and the experience of all those to whom eggs were sent was equally felicitous. In two instances they were fed in the city of St. Louis, the atmosphere being anything but pure, and the leaves often laden with lime-dust and smoke. In one case, where there was some difficulty in procuring leaves, the worms were fed alternately on lettuce, Osage and Mulberry, and often made to fast for a whole day; yet they were proof against such hard usage, and eventually spun their cocoons with but trifling loss. As soon as mine began to mount and form their cocoons, I recognized them as a Syrian race which I had often seen feeding in Covent Garden Market, in London, England ; and upon inquiry I learned from Mr. Cornaby that his stock originally came from London, the eggs having been brought over by Mr. A. K. Thurber of Spanish Fork City. The cocoons are ovoid, rather more pointed at one end than the other, and of two distinct shades of yellow, viz., a bright golden inclining to orange, and a pale-greenish or sulphur. Now this race, like most other inferior stock, certainly has the merit of con- stitutional toughness and vigor; otherwise the worms could not have endured the hardships they were submitted to here last year. The worms also form a very pretty cocoon and are therefore well calculated to give pleasure and edification to the amateur. But the cocoons have little or no commer- cial value; the silk being inferior, and so loosely spun that the major part of it would beat away and rise in flocks in the basin before the end would be found. I took a number of them with me to France and had them fully tried. It was this same Syrian race that was fed with Osage orange by M. Mathieu Bonafous, in 1834; and though other races have been fed with it, it is doubtful if they thrive as well upon it. Two advantages which the Osage has over the Mulberry must be men- tioned in this connection. Ist. It is hardier, and the young leaves will resist a late frost which will kill those of the Mulberry. 2nd. The leaves do not wilt so soon. It leafs out about the same time, though some plants in a hedge-row are always in advance of others in this respect, and an early leafing variety might undoubtedly be produced in the course of a few years, by propagating from such. The effect of the osage compared with the mulberry leaves is quite marked. The osage-fed worms generally lose the fresh creamy-white color during the last age, and the skin becomes more or less shiny and slightly greenish. ‘The cocoons from these worms are also less firm than those from Mulberry, the difference being perceptible by trying alternately a handful of each. For these various reasons I cannot see any present advantage that is to accrue from feeding osage, where mulberry leaves can be obtained, though the former may be very useful on exceptional occasions. As, however, it is within our power to improve the Syrian race which does so well upon it, by choosing from year to year only the best and firmest cocoons for breeding purposes ; and as the plant is native and so extensively cultivated, I hope ay Be hy: ca oe bed nb pics mre < Ress, we Sipe Wie em ma ue yee von. ~ , ry eset ©- eyes: Wu oot Feet ee 44% ans ‘HIV ‘HLOW VIdOUNNO C47 Wis THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 103 Mr. Cornaby will continue his efforts. If we can contrive to furnish our ladies their silk dresses from our own hedgerows, we shall certainly be out- doing those nations which at present rival us; and such a result is not impossible! Indeed, by constantly choosing the darker and more vigorous worms and moths, there is no reason why a race may not in time be pro- duced, which in the climate of Utah, would feed freely out of doors; and in this manner any amount of silk, though perhaps not of the best quality, could be cheaply grown by simply covering the hedges with some kind of netting, so as to protect the worms from birds and other enemies. THE CECROPIA SILK WORM—Attacus* [Platysamia] Cecropia, Linn. (Lepidoptera, Bombycide.) : In the American Entomologist for February, 1870, I published an article on this insect from which is quoted much of what follows. Few insects are as frequently sent to me for identification as this magnificent moth (Fig. 33). Itis common and its great size and beauty attract general attention. Itisalso more easily obtained, for the cabinet, than most of our other large moths, because its cocoon is always fastened to a twig where it remains all winter a con- spicuous object; whereas those of Luna and Polyphemus, for instance, fall to the ground with the leaves, and are seldom seen. The ground- color of the wings is a grizzled dusky brown with the hinder mar- gins clay-yellow; near the middle of each of the wings there is an opaque kidney-shaped white spot, shaded more or less on the outside with dull red, and edged with black ; a wavy dull red band edged inside with white, crosses each of the wings, and the front wings next to the shoulders are dull red with a curved white and black band, and have near their tips an eye-like black spot with a bluish-white crescent ; the upper side of the body and legs are dull red; the forepart of the thorax, and the hinder edges of the rings of the abdomen are white, and the venter is checkered with red and white. There is considerable variation in the ground-color of individuals, some being quite dark and others quite light, but the female differs from the male in nothing but her larger abdomen and much smaller antenne or feelers. The genus Attacus—meaning elega&nt—was founded by Linneus, and our moth received its specific name from the same author. As Cecropia was the ancient name of the city of Athens, and as it has puzzled some nat- * We have here an excellent illustration of the effect of the custom of attaching to an insect the name of the author of the genus instead of that of the describer of the species. In 1767 Linnzus described this insest as Attacus Cecropia. In 1816 it becomes Samia Cecropia, Hiibn; in 1852, Hyalo- phora Cecropia, Duncan, and in 1865, Platysamia Cecropia, Grote. For reasons, repeatedly stated, I shall refer this and the six other large insects which follow, to the old and well known Linnzan genus Attacus, indicating in brackets the more recent genus to which each is at teh referred by modern systematists. To my own mind it is very clear that they constitute but three distinct genera instead of six; and I should myself refer Cecropia, cynthia and Promethea to one genus; Polyphemus, yama-mazy and Pernyito a second; and Luna to a third. in giving this opinion Lintend no disrespect either to Dr. Packard, who erected the genus Callosamia for Promethea (@. £. 8. P. Il. p. 379), or to Mr. Grote, who proposed another genus Platysamia tor Cecropia (P. E. 8S. P. V. p. 228); for our present genera are for the most part the creations of man and not of Nature, and men’s opinions will always differ. There must be a limit to genus-making somewhere as no two epee agree in all minute particulars; and in their adolescent and perfect states, as well as in their habits, few insects show a closer generic connection than the three first named. The iniquitous law above mentioned has no doubt been the cause of much of this generic hair-splitting; but Ido not believe that it will hold its own in entomology even in this country where it has already obtained a foothold. 104 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF uralists to divine why Linneeus applied this name to our moth, | give the following explanation by Dr. Fitch: “The great legislator of this depart- ment of human knowledge, as he is expressively styled by Latreille, it has been frequently remarked, was endowed with a genius that few of his dis- ciples have inherited, for selecting names for natural objects, which are most appropriate and happy. The idea which was present in the mind of Lin- neus, when he named this splendid moth, we think is sufficiently evident- The Athenians were the most polished and refined people of antiquity. The moths are the most delicate and elegant of insects; they are the Athe- nians of their race. Cecrops was the founder, the head of the Athenian people. When the names of men were bestowed upon cities, ships or other objects regarded as being of the feminine gender, classical usage changed these names to the feminine form. The moths (Phalena) being feminine, and the name of Cecrops being more euphonius in this form, probably in- duced Linnzeus to change it in the manner he did. The name thus implies this to be the leader, the head of this most elegant tribe of insects, or in other words, the first of all the insect kind. What name more appropriate can be invented for this sumptuous moth ?” ae op During the winter time, the large cocoons of this insect (Fig. 34) may be found attached to the twigs of a variety of trees. I have found them upon Apple, Cherry, Currant, Barberry, Hazel, Plum, Hickory, Blackberry, Elderberry, Elder, Elm, Lilac, Red-root, Maple, Willow and Honey- locust. It has also been found on the Pear. This cocoon tapers both ways, and is invariably fastened longitudinally to the twig ; it is formed of two dis- tinct layers, the-outer one, which is loose, wrinkled, and resembles strong brown paper, covering an inner oval cocoon composed of the same kind of silk, but closely woven like that of the Mulberry } silkworm. Inside this cocoon will be found the large brown chrysalis (Fig. 35). The cocoon of the Polyphemus moth, [Fie. 35] an insect which will be presently treated of, and which has been called by Mr. L. Trouvelot, of Med- ford, Massachusetts, the “ American Silkworm,” is rounded, and the silk is very closely and com- pactly woven; and though that of our Cecropia is not as valuable for utilitarian purposes, yet I incline to believe that it will some day be propa- gated for the silk which it produces ; and though it may not lay claim to the national title of THE | American Silkworm, it will nevertheless rank as second best, among those which are indigenous to _ THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. : 105 this country. The following are some of Mr. Trouvelot’s reasons, as com- municated to me, for preferring Polyphemus to Cecropia : Ist. The silk fibre spun by the latter is not so strong nor so glossy as that of the former. 2ndly. The cocoon of the latter being double, pointed, and open at one end, makes it unfit to reel, as the water of the bath in fill- ing the cocoon would sink it to the bottom, a very unfavorable circum- stance, since it would cause the fibres of the different cocoons to entangle and break every moment. 3rdly. The larva of Cecropia is a very delicate worm to raise, it does not suffer handling, and when once feeding on a given species of plant, it does not readily bear changing to another, or even to a variety of the same plant. 4thly. It has the misfortune to be more gener- ally attacked by birds and parasites, four-fifths of them being thus sacrificed in a state of nature. I entirely concur in the first two reasons given, but since, as I shall presently show, a method has been devised for unwinding cocoons naturally open, such as those of cynthia and Cecropia, the second objection loses much of its force. As to the last two objections, though they undoubtedly apply in Massachusetts, where Mr. Trouvelot made his experiments, they will not hold true in the West; for I have always been more suceessful with in-door broods of Cecropia than of Polyphemus, and with us the latter is fully as much subject to parasites as the former, as might have been inferred from its comparative scarcity. I have also learned from several correspondents in the Atlantic States that whereas it was formerly almost impossible to raise a single specimen of Cecropia to the perfect state, they now have no diffi- culty in rearing any number. In the month of May, in the latitude of St. Louis, and earlier or later the farther north or south we go, our Cecropia moth issues from its cocoon, and there can be no more beautiful sight imagined, than one of these gigantic fresh- born moths with all its parts soft and resplendent. The unintiated would marvel how such an immense creature had escaped from the small cocoon which remains at its side, retaining the same form which it always had, and showing no hole through which the moth could escape. The operation—so interesting and instructive—can be witnessed by any one who will take the trouble to collect a few of the cocoons and place them in some receptacle which has sufficiently rough sides to admit of the moth’s crawling up, to hang its heavy body and wings while they dry and expand. The caterpillar has the wonderful foresight to spin the upper or anterior end of its cocoon very loosely, and when the moth is about to issue it is still further aided in its efforts by a fluid secreted during the last few days of the chrysallis state, and which is a dissolvent of the gum which so firmly unites the fibres of the cocoon. This fluid is secreted from two glands, which open into the mouth, and as soon as the chrysalis skin is split open on the back, by the restless movements of the moth within, the fluid flows from the mouth and wets the end of the cocoon, dissolving the gum and softening the silk to such an extent, that by repeated contractions and extensions of the body, the moth is at last enabled to separate the fibres, and to thrust out its head and unbend 106 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF its front legs; after which it rapidly draws out the rest of its body, the mouth of the cocoon afterwards closing, by the natural elasticity of the silk. At this moment the body of the moth is much swollen and elongated, the wings are small, folded, and pad-like, and the whole insect is soft and moist ; but, attaching itself to the first object at hand where it can hang its heavy body and clumsy wings, the latter become expanded in about twenty min- utes, and the pipeaitentian fluids of the body panieay evaporate in a few hours to enable the insect to take wing. The eggs of the Cecropia moth are 0.09 inch long, sub-oval, flattened and of a pale cream-color, shaded with light brown ; and they are deposited in small patches on the plants which are to form the food of the future larve. They are deposited in June, and hatch in from six to ten days after being deposited. Some remarkable exceptions have been known, however, and my friend P. R. Uhler of Baltimore, Md., has had them remain over two years, and yet hatch at the end of that time. LArvyAL CHANGES.—The young wornis differ so much from the mature ones, and undergo such great changes in appearance in the course of their lives, that it is surprising that no account is to be found of these larval changes in any of our entomological works. When first hatched they are en- tirely black, with the tubercles placed in the same position, but being larger at the base and with a narrower stem thanin the more mature individuals, the upper and smaller end being crowned with a whorl of conspicuous stiff black bristles. After the first moult the body is of a deep orange color, with the tubercles and head black, and with longitudinal rows of black dots running between them. After the second moult, a still greater change takes place; the body acquires a beautiful yellowish- green tint, the tubercles on the back are blue on joints 1, 12 and 13; coral-red on 2 and 3, and yellow with black spines, and a black spot on the inside and outside of the stem, on 4—11; those at the sides are blue, and the head is of the same color as body. After the third moult, the black spots, except a row below the stigmatal row of tubercles, disappear; the tubercles themselves lose all black except the spines, and the head and body become delicate bluish- green rather than yellowish-green as formerly. After the fourth and last moult, the red tubercles near the head frequently become yellow, and when full-grown, the worm measures over four inches, and presents the appearance of Figure 36, the tubercles being respectively of the most delicate yellow and blue. Two weeks after the worm first began to spin, it changes to a chrysalis, and as already stated, passes the winter in this form, there being but one brood each year. [Fig. 36.] The cocoon of this insect is often found to contain a kernel of corn, a grain of wheat, or even an acorn, and the first time I found a corn-kernel in one of them, I was sorely puzzled to comprehend how it came there, and imagined that it must have been accidentally dropped by some THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 107 bird, into the meshes of the cocoon while the latter was being formed. But the kernels are found in the cocoons altogether too frequently to admit of any such chance coincidence which must necessarily be of very rare occur- rence. There is every reason to believe, therefore, that these foreign ma- terials are placed there, for safe-keeping, by some bird; the loose end of the cocoon admitting of their being forced in, even after it is completed. Dr. LeBaron, thinks that this bird is very likely the Blue Jay which is known to have the habit, in common with other Corvide, of pilfering and hiding in holes and crevices any small object that attracts its attention. One of my correspondents from Geneva, Ills., who has found no less than five of these cocoons containing kernels of corn, thinks that the Chickadee (Parus atricapillus, L.) uses them as a storehouse, as well as the Blue Jay, and, indeed, inclines to believe that the former is “the sole proprietor.” He has seen it, with corn in bill, searching about apple trees for such a storehouse, and has witnessed it deposit a kernel in the crack of a board fence. The Cecropia worm, as may be inferred from its size, is an immense feeder, and a small number will soon defoliate a young apple tree. It has, on a few occasions, been found numerous enough to do injury in this way; but as a rule, natural enemies keep it so thoroughly in check, that it can hardly be classed as an injurious insect. The same may be said of the other large and native worms which I include with the silkworms, and which on account of their silk-producing qualities may, with propriety, be treated of rather as beneficial insects, though their products have not yet been utilized. Their great size and conspicuity not only renders them a ready prey to their natural enemies, but enables us to easily destroy them by hand-picking whenever they happen to become unduly multiplied on any of our fruit trees. In the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History (Vol. IX pp. 8342—5) Mr. 8. I. Smith has described a moth by the name of Samia Columbia, and it is also mentioned, and the female figured, by Mr. G. J. Bowles of Quebec, in the Canadian Entomologist (Vol. III, p. 201.) It is of rare occurrence, and its larval history remains unknown, and I find noth- ing in Mr. Smith’s paper or in that of Mr. Bowles that ought to warrant us in considering it anything more than a variety of Cecropia ; while there is much that would lead me to consider it either an abnormal variety or a hybrid between Cecropia and Promethea. Hybrids occur more frequently among insects than most entomologists imagine, and we should be careful how we make new species out of abnormal variations of rare occurrence. Columbia does not differ more from the normal Cecropia than do several of the varieties of yama-mai from each other. PARASITES OF THE CECROPIA WORM. THe Lone-rairep Opnion—(Ophion macrurum, Linn.)—This large yellowish-brown Ichneumon-fly (Fig. 37) is often bred from the cocoons in place of the moth which one expects. Itis one of the most common parasites of this large insect, and the females appear to be altogether more common ' a 108 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF than the males, for I have bred no less than seven of the former and not asingle one of the latter sex. The female, according to Mr. Trouyelot. deposits from cight to ten eggs upon the skin of her victim, and the young larvee soon hatch from them and commence to prey upon the fatty parts of the worm. Butas only one of the parasitic larve can find food suffi- [Fig. 37. cient to mature, the rest all die from hun- ger, or else are devoured by the strong- est one which survives them. At first one would suppose that this deposition of several eggs by the parent Ichneumon, where only a single larva can develop, is a striking instance of misdirected instinct ; but we find a similar prodigality Bitoaph: out Nature, for every individual is so sub- ject to disasters of one kind or another in its struggle for existence that a pro- vision of several ova is often necessary to insure the future d evelopment of a sin- gle one, just as we often sow several seeds of some particular plant, in order to insure the growth of a single one. be ig. 38.1] = : : mean After the Cecropia worm has formed its cocoon, the parasitic larva, which had . hitherto fed on the fatty portions of its 4 victim, now attacks the vital parts, and, : ee “when nothing but the empty skin of the worm is left, spins its own cocoon, which is oblong-oval, dark brown inclin- ing to bronze, and spun so closely and compactly, that che inner layers when separated have the appearance of gold-beater’s skin. If we cut open one of these cocoons soon after it is completed, we shall find inside a large fat legless grub (Fig. 38), which sometimes undergoes its transformations and issues as a fly in the fall, but more generally waits till the following spring. THe CercropiA Tacutna-rry—(Exorista leucanie, Kirk. var. cecropie. Riley)—The Ichneumon-fly last mentioned usually causes a dwarfed appear- ance of the worm which it infests, and parasitized cocoons can generally be distinguished from healthy ones by their smaller size. The larve of this Tachina-fiy, which is also parasitic on the Cecropia worm, seem to produce an exactly opposite effect—namely, an undue and unnatural growth of their victim. In the beginning of September, 1866, I received from Rockford ls., an enormous Cecropia worm. It measured over four inches, was a full inch in diameter, and weighed nearly two ounces ; but like many other large specimens which I have seen since, it was covered with small oval opaque white egg-shells, clusters of four or five occurring on the back of each seg- ment, invariably deposited in a transverse direction. Theskin of the worm was black where the young parasites had hatched and penetrated. This large worm soon died and rotted, and in about twelve days a host of mag- gots gnawed their way through the putrid skin. These maggots averaged THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 109 about one-half inch in length, and in form were like those of the common Blow-fly. The head was attenuated and retractile and furnished with two minute curved hooks, and the last segment was squarely cut off, slightly concave and with the usual two spiracles or breathing-holes which this class of larvee have at their tails. Their color was of a translucent yellow, and they looked very much like little pieces of raw fat beef. They went into the ground and remained in the larva state all winter, contracted to pupe in the April following, and the flies commenced to issue the last of May. This fly differs only from the Army-worm Tachina-fly (Hzorista militaris, Walsh, Rep. II, Fig. 17) in lacking the red tail entirely or in having but the faintest trace of it, and I consider it but a variety of that species. I infer that this same Tachina-fly attacks the Cecropia worm in widely differ- ent parts of the country; for I have received from Mrs. Mary Treat, of New Jersey, two dipterous pup which probably belonged to this species, and which had also in the larva state infested a Cecropia worm. Tue Mary Cuatcis-rty—(Chalcis marie, Riley)—In May, 1869, I received from Mr. V. T. Chambers, of Covington, Ky., numerous specimens of the [Fig. 39.] beautiful large Chalcis-fly figured here- 6, 6 item with (Fig. 39), which he had taken from the cocoon of the Polyphemus / moth, which is quite common, and is- sues as early as the middle of Febru- ary in that locality. He says, “ I was satisfied that the cocoon did not con- tain a living Polyphemus and therefore opened it. It contained so little be- sides these insects and their exuvia, as to suggest strongly the old idea that the caterpillar had been metamor- phosed into them (as in a sense it had). There were 47 of them, of which 23 were females. As all the males and some of the females were dead when I opened the cocoon, I think it likely that the former never do emerge, and perhaps but few of the latter; otherwise Polyphemus would soon be ex- terminated.” I can very well imagine that most of these Chalcis-flies would die in their efforts to escape from the tough cocoon of the Polyphemus, but it so happens that these same parasites have been found by Mrs. Mary Treat, of Vineland, N. J., to prey upon the Cecropia worm, from the cocoon of +. hich they can nore easily escape. The same fly also attacks the Promethea worm, and Mrs. Treat has had a similar experience with Mr. Chambers, of finding them dead in its cocoon. She has upon two occasions found cocoons with a dead Chalcis-fly fast in the hole which it had eaten to make its escape ; and upon cutting open such cocoons they were found literally packed with dead Chalcis-flies. It would seem that they all make their escape through the hole made by some one of their number, and that if this particular one fails in the undertaking, they all perish rather than make holes for them- selves. 110 THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. I subjoin the original description of this fly which is of a yellow color, marked, as in the figure, with black: CHALSIS MARLE, Riley—@Q, yellow, beautifully marked with black. Head, yellow with an arcu- ate black mark behind base of the antennz, connected with a fine short longitudinal black line lead- ing to lower ocellus, and from thence to posterior margin of occiput which is margined with black; prothorax with amedium black dot. Antenne (scape plus 9 joints) 10-jointed; scape fulvous with su- perior edge black, flagellum dark brown or black. Thorav with large shallow close-set punctures; mesothorax somewhat striated transversely, trilinear with black, the three lines connected by a transverse line which separates the prothorax from mesothorax, the middle line straight, the outer ones deeply impressed, approaching behind and connected on the posterior margin by a short trans- verse line, and then suddenly diverging on lateral suture of scutellum; a longitudinal black dot on each side over tegulz; scutellum edged anteriorly with black and with a central longitudinal black line; basal margin of metothorax, with a spot on each extreme side and a large subtriangular mark on disk, black; pleure with two black lines on each side. Wings hyaline. Abdomen yellow with sometimes a faint tinge of green, black at base and tip, and each segment banded with black superi- orly; petiole yellow, black at tip above. Legs yellow, the tarsi inclining to fulyous; abroad line on posterior cox above, and interior edge of femora and tibe, and tip of femora, black; the femora about as large as abdomen with over 12 minute black spines on inferior edge. Average length 0.20 inch. ¢ differs in the less pointed abdomen, and somewhat longer petiole, in the scape of antennz not being black superiorly and being much more robust; in the fiagellum being of the same color as scape, and in the coxe having a black line both above andbeneath. Averagelength0.15. Deseribed from 10 qs4 Qsbred from Attacus Polyphemus and 2 G31 Qs bred from A. Promothea. Variable insize some gi gi being much larger than some Q Q. Say’s amena, bred froma Thecla, in which no sexual difference is mentioned, somewhat resem- bles the 9 of this species, but differs from it principally in having the thorax quadrilinear with black, the petiole black, the pleura black, with four yellow spots, and in the thighs having six or eight prom- inent spines, the superior one divided into three or four. Tue Crecropra Cryprus—(Cryptus extramatis, Cresson).—Another Ich- neumon-fly often infests the Cecropia worm, the larve filling its cocoon [Fig. 41.] so full of their own thin parchment-like cocoons, that a transverse section (Fig. 40) bears considerable resemblance to a honey- comb. The flies issue in June, the female presenting the appearance of Figure 41, a the hair-line showing natural size. The wings have a smoky appearance, caused, may be seen when viewed under a micro- scope, by innumerable little hooks regularly arranged over their sur- face as at d. The an- tenne have a pale annulus, the head and thorax are black, the abdomen reddish-brown except near the end where it is black tipped with white; and the legs are reddish ringed with black. The male has a more slender abdo- men which lacks the ovipositor and the white spot at its tip. This sex has not yet been described; for what Mr. Cresson took to be the male turns out to be the male of another species (C. nuncius, Say), which infests the Promothea worm, and the female of which hasa much shorter ovipositor (6). Cryptus samie, Pack., which, for reasons given below, may turn out to THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ELE be but a variety of extrematis ; and Cryptus Smithii, Pack., (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1X, pp. 345-6) infest the form that has been described as Samia Columbia. As the 3 of extrematis has not yet been described, and as upon comparing numerous specimens, in conjunction with Mr. Cresson, it appears that his ' extrematis is really Qi nuncius, Say, I shall append Mr. Cresson’s original description of the 9, witha few amplifications, and then describe the ¢% by comparison. It is proper to add that Say’s description of xuncius is so incomplete that the ¢ is not clearly made out, and from ought there is in the text he may have described from a single Q spec- imen; and¢he ¢' ¢' of the two species could only be separated by breeding, and by comparison of numerous specimens. CRYPTUS EXTREMATIS, Cress., Q—‘‘ Black, shining, somewhat robust; head short and broad; antennz as long as the body, slender, black, the 7th to 12th [more often Ith] joints white [or dirty yellow], the 3rd and 4th joints long, the 31d rather the longest, 5th alittle shorter than the 4th, and the 6th abont half as long asthe 3rd. [Palpi black or only white at joints]. Thorax finely punctured, the dorsal lines rather deep; scutellum subconvex, polished; metathorax finely scabrous, opaque, its base smoother and shining, the elevated lines tolerably well defined, forming a large more or less dis- tinct, subrhomboidal central area, lateral tubercles not well defined. Wings faintly tinged with fus- cous; nervures and stigma blackish, pale at base; areolet large, subquadrate. Legs palerutfous, [the front coxz black] the posterior femora and tibz at tips, and the base and apex of their tarsi blackish [basal joint always black], rest of their tarsi white. Abdomen rather stout, sub-ovate, polished, rufous or yellowish-rufous; basal segment strongly arcuated, broad at tip; the 4th and following joints black, the 6th or 7th [mostly 7th] or both, more or less white above; ovipositor about as long as the body [abdomen], rufous, valves black. Length 4—544 lines; expanse of wings 6—9}4 lines.’”’ 6 —Diflers from 9 by his more slender abdomen, by his front coxe being rufous sometimes tinged, especially above, with black; his posterior coxw black or blackish, especially above; his four anterior trochanters paler; his palpi white, the terminal joint a little dusky; his antennew with the two basal joints black, the rest brown on the upper surface interrupted by a paler yellowish line from joints 9—15 or 16, uniformly pale testaceous on the lower surface; the basal abdominal joint ru- fous, more or less tinged with black; the apex of abdomen, or from 5th to last joint, entirely black with no white spot. I have bred 7 Q's, 29 Qs all from one cocoon of Cecropia, and have received 10 Qs, 2 Qs, also bred from the cocoon of that species, from Mr. Otto Lugger now of St. Louis. Other specimens bred from Cecropia are in the collection of the Entomological Society at Philadelphia and they all agree closely. C. extrematis 9 may be distinguished from nuncius 9 by the palpi being always mostly black, by the posterior tarsi being always broadly black both at base and apex, by the greater length of the ab- domen and especially by the greater length of the ovipositor which is as long as the abdemen, or nearly so. Extrematis rol differs from nuncius rot by the four anterior coxe being rufous, the front ones in- clining to black, by the basal abdominal joint being rufous, by the apex of abdomen being black With no white spot, and by the posterior tarsi being broadly black at base and apex. C. nuncius, Q may be distinguished from extrematis 2 by the palpi being more or less white, by the posterior tarsi being generally entirely whitish, except terminal joint; by the broader and shorter ab- domen, and more especially by the ovipositor being much shorter, never exceeding one-half the length of abdomen. Nuncius 3 is distinguished from extrematis ¢ by the four anterior coxw being white, the posterior tarsi generally entirely whitish except terminal joint, by the basal sbdominal joint being generally black, and by having generally—not always—a white spot on joints 6 or 7, or both. Ihave bred 6 Qs from the cocoon of Promethea, and Mr. Cresson has examined numerous spec- imens of both sexes likewise bred from Promethea; and they all agree, though the species is more inclined to vary than extrematis, and especially in the size and conspicuousness of the white apical spot. Were it not that Say’s nuncius was also bred from the same species I should feel inclined to be- lieve it distinct from the species here characterized as such; but rather than describe a new species [ prefer to believe that Say inadvertently overlooked the white apical spot on abdomen of Q or that it may have been more or less obsolete; and that he either had no o> or overlooked sexual differences. If authors were more careful in describing species, and especially if they would tell us how many specimens they descrile from, these difficulties in separating them would rarely arise. The only other species, which I know of, at all likely to be confounded with evirematis, is one subsequently described as Cryptus samiaw by Dr. Packard (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. Vol. LX p. 345; 1865.) and bred from Samia Columbia, Smith, in whose cocoon it forms a collection of its own cocoons just as extrematis does in those of the genuine Cecropia. Indeed if we substitute the words “‘trochanters’’ for ‘‘coxe’’ and ‘‘coxe’’ for ‘‘trochanters,’’ in Dr. Packard’s description, itagrees in every minute particular with extrematis, except in lacking the apical white spot in the 9. From the similarity of habit, and from the exact similitude in every other respect, I strongly suspect, therelore, that Dr. Packard has inadvertently misapplied the terms ‘‘coxw’’ and ‘‘trochanters;’’ that the white apical spot, which is variable in size, may sometimes become as obsolete inthe Q asin the 3', ana that sami should at the most be considered a variety of extrematis. 2 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AILANTHUS SILK WORM—Attacus [Samia] cynthia, Hitba Quay (Lepidoptera, Bombycidz.) Of the different worms which have been introduced from Asia, either into Europe or America, the Ailanthus worm is the only species which has, so far, proved hardy; or which has become fully acclimated. Indeed it seems to possess the same vigor of constitution so characteristic of the tree upon which it feeds, and which enables that tree to flourish on all*kinds of soil and in widely different latitudes. This merit at once gives it a claim to our attention. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CASTOR BEAN AND AILANTHUS SILK WORMS. There are two insects which very closely resemble each other. One was brought from India, and feeds onthe Castor Bean (Ricinus communis). It is domesticated in Hindostan and was introduced into France by M. Milne Edwards in 1854, and was tested at Paris,and at many other points in France, Italy, Spain and Algeria. The silk is soft and glossy, and the worm goes through its changes with great rapidity, producing four or five generations annually. The rearing of this insect was soon abandoned in Europe, because in the first place it had no advantage over the Ailanthus worm, and in the second, there was no prospect of obtaining, in that coun- try, any great quantity of a raw material which depended on the Castor Oil plant for its production ; for there, as with us, the plantis only annual, and kills down each winter. It has been ascertained, however, that the worm will feed and flourish on Lettuce, Chickory, Willow and Teasel (Dip- SaCUS. ). This insect was first figured in 1804 by the English botanist Roxbury,* who confounded it with the genuine cynthia under consideration. It like- wise feeds upon the Ailanthus, and the resemblance to cynthia in all stages, is so great, that it might well be considered as but a Castor Bean feeding variety ; the more especially as both insects are known to vary greatly, and that in its domesticated state in Bengal, ricini acquires an orange color, and looks quite different to what it does in the feral state; The hybrids of the two are also quite vigorous and fertile inter se. But in 1857 M. Guérin-Méneville pointed out what he considered sufficient specific differ- ences, and the Aicinus-feeding from is now known to entomologists as Samia ricini, G-M. These differences may be briefly set forth as follows: While the egg of cynthia is covered with dark particles, that of ricini is im- maculate. The full grown larva of cynthia is of an emerald green, with black specks, and dark freckles; while that of ricini is of a pale azure and lacks the spots. The cocoon of the former is larger, more compact and of a paler gray than that of the latter, and while the former produces but two or at the most three broods, the latter produces five or six, annually. The moths when closely examined will be found to differ in some essential points: +See also some interesting observations by Dr. A. Wallace, in a paper ‘‘on some variations ob- served in Bombyx cynthia in 1866’’—(Lrans. London Ent. Soc, Feb. 4th, 1867.) where he gives reasons {rv believing that both ricini and Guerinii are enfeebled varieties of cynth:a. AILANTHUS SILKWORM. ~ 4 = THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 113 united in parallel bands, but these characters cannot be relied on as they connect by variations: in cynthia the rosy band across the wings is broader than in ricini: the crescent-shaped lunule on the front wings of cynthia is yellow beneath, the yellow being bordered with white above; in ricini the white surrounds the yellow, and the lunule is generally smaller. A third species by the name of Guerinii has been described, but with scarcely any evidence that it is anything more than a variety of either of the former. RETROSPECTIVE HISTORY OF THE AILANTHUS SILKWORM. The Ailanthus silkworm was first mentioned in the writings of mission- aries about the middle ofthe last century. In 1760 or 1765, according to Dr. Morris, a fair figure of the moth was published by D’Aubenton the younger, who called it the Crotssant.* In 1773 Drury gave the moth the name which it now bears, but its larva, and general habits were not known till the middle of the present century. The first eggs of the Ailanthus silkworm obtained in Europe were sent by the Abbé Fantoni, a Piedmontese missionary, from the province of Shang Tung, a little south of Pekin, in the north of China, to some friends at Turin. From these eggs two successive generations of worms were produced in 1857, and in 1858 Mons. Guérin-Méneville received from Turin, both eggs and fertile females, and experimented with them in the acclima- tization gardens in Paris. From the very outset this worm promised well. It adapted itself read- ily to the climate and its food-plant was everywhere abundant. Soon after its introduction into France it attracted the attention of scientific men in England and other parts of Europe; and the Emperor himself, charmed by the tune of the words chanted to him by M. Guérin-Méneyille, and the evi- dent prospect of the success of the new enterprise, lent his aid to the carrying out of experiments on a large scale, and in the summer of 1859 thousands of the caterpillars were reared on M. Aquillon’s property at Toulon, and also on that of Count Lamotte Barace, near Chinon, (Indre et Loire). In 1859 Mr. F. Moore of the East India Museum, reared a few in Eng- dand, and exhibited them before the London Entomological Society. Sub- sequently they were fully tested in England by Lady Dorothy Nevill of Dangstein, Dr. Alexander Wallace of London and others. Mr. Wallace, in 1865 published.an interesting memoir on the subject, entitled “ Ailanthicul- ture, or the Prospect of a new English Industry,” in which he showed that the worm did very well in that moist climate. Indeed it was supposed to do better in England than in France, and the following paragraph which I quote from the memoir will very well reflect the opinions and hopes enter- tained at the time. In 1862, at Lady D. Nevill’s town house, I first beheld these beautiful larvee feeding on the leaves of the Ailunthus glandulosa. In 1863 I became possessed, through the kindness of her ladyship, of some eggs and procured others from France, and I obtained that summer, as also in 1865, two gen- *Planches d’ Histoirenaf., enluminées, X, pl. 42. Ins. 114 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF erations. In confirmation of the statement that the cocoons in England were remarkable for their size, M. de Roo van Westmas, writing from the Netherlands, a moister and more temperate clime than France, in August, 1864, says “The acclimatization of B. Cynthia has perfectly succeeded, “and presents a remarkable fact, viz., that the race is, without doubt, ameliorated. The moths are larger and more vigorous than those of the preceding year. The females laid last year from 100 to 150 eggs, but now give from 300 to 350, and what is still more remarkable is, that the eggs are larger and heay- ier, for whereas before a gramme contained 540—560, now I find only 440—460 in that weight; this fact appeared to me of such importance that I counted the eggs in five grammes taken from a weight of thirty grammes. I found the number 2261 which gives an average of 452 eggs toa gramme.” eat “i tee 4 ASHE Seth bahay, ast PRD EEA a My She Pape Fe Petew a! ct nf aig 3 "4 . ¥? +h Tor ee err ; : Ce 2 Tew ae heed ’ bis grind vad ie 8 bss P Fell Laet ¥ #4 me hee sia yi’ Ue ony THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. p21 THE PROMETHEA SILKWORM—Attacus [Callosamia] Promethea, Drury. (Lepidoptera, Bombycide.) [Fiz. 43] This is one of our native worms possess- ing many charac ers which closely ally it to the Cynthia worm. Its cocoon is, like thet of the two preceding species, elongate and open at one end. It is also double, but the outer coat is not loose and rough, but smooth and solid like a piece of tough manilla paper; and there is very little space, and consequently very little fioss silk between it and the inner coat. The silk is finer, weaker, less in quan- tity, and much more closely compacted and agglutinated than in the others, and, when coupled with the fact that it is suspended hy a rope or cord, as long as, and often longer than, - the cocoon itself; these qualities render it less Zz, color with a_ pinkish tint. It appears brown from being more or less thickly coated with a brown tenacious gum, which may be washed ,off by any alkaline fluid. The eggs should be kept over winter in a temperature never higher than 40° F. When hatching they should be moistened or kept in a moist atmosphere. As in the case of our American Tent-caterpillar, the young larva is fully developed within a month after the deposition of the egg, and passes the winter in a curled-up, quiescent state within the egg-shell. The worm thrives best in an atmosphere that is cool, moist and shady, 132 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF and the heat, if it can be controlled, should not exceed 80° F. Itis a lazy slothful creature, and often rests for hours in the position given in Figure 56. As we learn from Mr. F. O. Adams, who has lately made an interest- ing report on the culture of this species,* the color of the more mature worms so thoroughly corresponds with that of the leaf on which they natu- rally feed that they can with difficulty be detected while clinging, motion- less, to the branches and leaf-stems. They are of a beautiful clear green with generally two silvery spots each side on the fifth and sixth joints, and a pale yellow line running along the sides. This line, with the position which the worm sometimes assumes, strengthens the resemblance to the leaf, and I reproduce a rough outline (Fig. 57) from Mr. Adams’ Report which will well convey this resemblance to the reader’s mind—the worm being outlined at a. The life of the worm lasts from 50 to 80 days, and it feeds on all kinds of Oak, but prefers those of the white oak group. Dr. Alexander Wal- lace, of Colchester, England, to whom I am indebted for specimens of the moth, and who has extensively experimented with it, found that the worm would feed also on Beech, Apple, Quince, White thorn, Neapolitan medlar (Photinia glabra) and Chesnut. Laryau CHuances.—The larva in the first stage is yellow with tubercles corresponding exactly in number and position with those of Polyphemus, and the others described at the same age. If has s narrow, but distinct, dorsal, subdorsal and stigmata! black line. The four upper rows of tubercles, (except the two dorsal ones on joint 3, and the central one onjt. 11, which are large ana dark) are yel- low and give rise to stout black outwardly-curying bristles; the stigmatal row is black with a white basal annulation, and gives rise to white bristles. The bristles are longest on thoracic joints, and are all white on the first. Head shiny gum-copal yellow; cervical shield paler, more orange and without polish; a black spot on anal shield and on each anal proleg. Thoracic legs black with yel- low extremities; prolegs with brown extremities. Approaching the first moult, the yellow color becomes more greenish. In the second stage the color of body is greener, the head is chesnut-brown, the longitudinal lines are almost obliterated, the medio-dorsal one being of a faint and delicate blue: there is a broad lateral band of the same faint blue, with a light yellowish line below it. The tuber- cles are longer, especially on joints 2, 3 and 4, the dorsal rows ofa delicate yellow, the lower one of a delicate blue with yellowish base. The bristles from all are black with a few scattering pale ones. The anal shield is edged with blue. In the third stage there is not much change; the tubercles are relatively still more prominent, the lateral ones tipped only with blue, the green of the body is more intense, and is speckled withstraw-color; and the lateral yellow line is suppressed on the thoracic joints. In the fourth stage the change is slight, but from one to three silvery spots appear on the lateral yellow line, usually on joints 5, 6and7. In the fifth or last stage, and when full grown, it presents a most beautiful and delicate appearance, but varies considerably, and the following de- scription is taken from those I fed, and more especially from that which produced themale moth. It is of the same form as Luna and Polyphemus, the joints being deeply insected, narrowing from stig- mata upwards, and flattened on dorsum by a crescent-shaped depression. Head opaque green with slight bluish tint, the five ocelli distinct-and brown; afew pale hairs especially around, and decuryed over, the trophi; antennz with bulbus yellow, the other two joints brown, the last terminating in a long seta; epistoma with sutures and margins pale lilaceous; labrum yery large, with pale margins. Cervical shield paler than body, only slightly polished, ridged behind, and edged in front with yel- low. Body clear yellowish-green; tergum of joints (5—10 especially) paler, and almost nacreous at insections; studded with minute (0.02 inch long) short, clavate, sulphur-yellow projections or scales ; the tubercles are blue and emit black hairs, and there are besides about half-a-dozen long yellow dorsal, anteriorly-curving sete on joints 4—11; joint 1 is small and retractile, 2 and 3 large and ren- dered square by the prominence of the dorsal tubercles; 5—9 subequal; 9—last diminishing; a lateral pale yellow line, faintly edged above with lilaceous, extends from middle of joint 4 to tip of anak legs; a silvery spot in this band on joint 5, and sometimes on joints 4 and 6. Stigmata immediately below the yellow line, slightly oblique, sub-elliptical, fulvous, with (except on joint 1) a brown fringe; a broad triangular brown patch on anal prolegs, and a broad margin on the caudal plate, extending and diminishing to anterior part of joint 11, also purple-brown. *3rd Rep. on Silk-culture in Japan, p. 8. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 133 [Fig. 58.] The cocoon (Fig. 58) is large, | es SSS heavy and handsome, and requires a full week for its completion. It is formed within a single leaf or within several drawn together and attached to a twig. It is oval and usually of a bright golden-yellow color on the outside though nearly white inside. Those raised out-of- doors are more green, while those raised in-doors are more yellow, and white specimens have already been produced. The silk is strong and valuable; it bleaches well and may then be dyed; fewer threads are required to make a / strand than in that of mori, and it unwinds with perfect facility, by the ordinary process. It shows its affinity to that of our Polyphemus by the gum which surrounds it containing a chalky or calcareous substance which may be noticed upon tearing or rubbing the cocoon. The Moth (Fig. 55, male) is magnificent in point of size and color. The front wings are broadly falcate and more so in the male than in the female. The collar and broad costal margin are always of an ash-gray- The eye-spots are surrounded with more or less pink and yellow, white and black, the black always being on the outside. The broad lines across the wings are either wavy and slate-colored, with an inner wavy coincident shade, or more straight with a whitish outer shade, relieved by a darker more reddish posterior shade. The posterior margins are either paler than the general surface, or ornamented with a dark wavy line. The median shade across front wings is either very distinct and scolloped, or obsolete ; and there is either one or two such shades on the hind wings. The species varies, in fact, very much in the detail of ornamentation, and in general color, being either yellow, brown, grayish or olivaceous, and some speci- mens much resembling certain forms of our Polyphemus. According to the testimony of those who have had most experience with this species in Europe, coition invariably takes place at night, and lasts but a comparatively brief time. As the moths issue very irregularly and the males are apt to appear many days before the females, and as it has been further ascertained that unless they emerge within a day or so of each other, the sexes show little affinity ; it is best to retard the male cocoons. This can be done by first separating them, by weighing as described on page 97, and keeping the male cocoons in a cooler place than those of the female From the foregoing it is evident that while yama-mai is the most valu- able silk producer next to mori, it is nevertheless very difficult to rear. It 134 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF cannot well endure a heat beyond 80° F., and will doubtless thrive best in the more northern States, for it will bear a moderate amount of cold, even below freezing point, for brief periods, with impunity. It is invariably single-brooded, and runs a longer course of life than any of the other species treated of. The hatching of the eggs must be retarded till the first oak leaves (the buds of the Post oak are among the earliest to swell, but some species of the black oak group, especially the Laurel-leaved oak, leaf out first) put forth, and moisture, which is prejudicial to the Mulberry silk- worm, is grateful to this one at all times. I have already said that the embryo larva is fully formed soon after the egg is deposited. Now all our eggs, so far, have been obtained indirectly from Japan via Europe, and in the transit they must necessarily be subjected to too much dampness and confinement, too great changes from heat to cold, and the reverse; and the vitality of the young worm thus impaired. Mr. Andrews * believes that to this fact must be attributed much of our failure in this country, and I fully concur with him. In this country which, compared with Europe, is so: rich in oaks, and in the large silk-producing insects so closely allied to yama-mai,and which is so varied in climate, we certainly ought to meet with better success than our European friends; and until we procure eggs more directly, or obtain them from insects reared in this country, so as to preserve them in uniform and favorable conditions, it cannot be said that we have taken the proper steps towards acclimatizing it. Let us hope that friend Glover will induce Minister Capron to send direct from Japan a good supply of eggs, next winter, to experiment with! Before concluding my notice of this insect I will transfer from the third Report of Mr. F. O. Adams, already alluded to, the following excellent account of rearing it in Japan, which will be found valuable and interest- ing in this connection : The eggs of the Yama-mai are deposited by the female on the bars of cages made of plaited bamboo strips, of the bell-like form delineated in the sketch (Fig. 59). This is probably towards the end of July, and the cages are hung up one under the other, in rows of ten, under the eaves of the roof where ventilation can be secured without exposure to sun, rain, or smoke. In the 10th month (November-December) it is generally the custom to take the eggs off the cages with the fingers, and place them in hempen trays of oblong form, with wooden rims about three inches high. Care must be observed that the eggs are not crowded one upon another. The trays are placed upon the verandah. ee ce ae eeaee eS 4 we ‘oo Jem TIVNGA ‘HLOW IANUAd We u [09 “S1a] THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ' Be THE PERNYI SILK WORM—Attacus[Antherea] Pernyi, Guér-Mén. (Lepidoptera, Bombycidz) ao This is also an oak-feeding species which has been introduced from Northern China, and it so closely resembles yama-mai that a few remarks by way of comparison with the latter, will serve my purpose. It was named after M. Perny, a missionary who, in 1850, sent it to France from Mandchouria, China. It has been cultivated in Europe with better success than has attended the culture of yama-mai, and in this country the success with it has also been greater. It develops more rapidly than the yama-mai and differs essentially from that species in being couble-brooded, and in pass- ing the winter in the chrysalis state, like cynthia and our native species. This trait gives it agreat advantage over yama-mai, as not only can more silk be produced, but we can more easily obtain sound eggs. It is also less affected by confinement indoors. Its cocoon is not so valuable, though : ranking third best of the eight species treated of. The egg (Fig. 61, enlarged and natural size) is of about the same size, form and color. The worm in the first stage is of a chocolate-brown with the tubercles reddish and emitting reddish bristles. In the second stage it is yellowish-green; in the third and fourth it becomes greener, while sil- very spots begin to show at the base of the anterior tubercles. In the last stage it is of a dark green with a faint reddish lateral line over the stigma- ta; the head and legs are light brown with black spots and the triangular anal mark is chocolate-brown. In form and general appearance it resembles yama-mai. The cocoon (Fig. 61) is suspended by a cord which does not, however, materially effect its reeling properties, as it is attached only to the loose outer silk. The silkis yellowish-gray, stout, brilliant and valuable. It is almost twice as thick as that of yama-mai and stuffs made of it are said to have the appearance and nature of mixed silk, cotton and wool. Some eggs which I received from Dr. Wallace, of England, in 1869, were so injured on the way hither that but few of them hatched, and none of the worms completed more than one moult. I have not, therefore, been able to present a figure of the worm, but through the courtesy of Dr. Wal- lace, who sent me specimens, I present good figures of the cocoon and moth. The moth (Fig. 60, female) bears a striking resemblance to yama- mai, and varies nearly as much in color. The tips of the front wings are generally a little more curved; there is less black about the eye-spots, the hind wings are less produced behind, so that their transverse band is more in a line with that of the front wings, and the ground color is usually darker and more uniform. 138 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF In China the species is reared in the open air in a wild state, and also in-doors on cut branches kept fresh by insertion in vessels containing water. In this country Mr. Andrews obtained cocoons from the first. brood of worms by the 4th of July: the moths began to issue about three weeks later; copulation immediately ensued, and by the middle of August, or about ten days from the time of laying, the second brood of worms began to hatch. He also found that the worms would feed on Beech and Sweet gum. The Tusseh Silkworm (Attacus Mylitta—Antherea Paphia),an insect found in India, and which is quite common in the wild state, especially in Bahar, Assam and Bengal, feeding on the Rhamnus jujuba, is very closely allied to Pernyi, and should, perhaps, only be considered a geographical race. It bears the same relation to Pernyi as does the India castor-bean- feeding ricini to the Chinese ailanthus-feeding cynthia ; and differs princi- pally in the cocoon which is more solid, and hangs by a more solid, harder cord. It has never been introduced into America, though its silk is much used in its native country, and, if not put into hot-water, the goods made from it have a wonderful durability. SUMMARY. There can be no good reason given why silk-culture may not become one of the industries of this country, or of our State—especially if fostered at the start. I would, however, advise no one to enter into it on a large scale, as a business. The raising of silk is seldom lucrative, even in the most favor- able countries ; for in this as in most other industries, the principal profits accrue to the middle men, reelers and manufacturers; but on a small scale, and prosecuted in connection with other branches of Agriculture and Hor- ticulture, it will give most desirable returns for the time employed. The erection of a few reeling establishments is absolutely necessary to establish this industry. For in-door culture, no worm surpasses the Mulberry species (mor/). { out-door culture none at present surpass the Ailanthus species (cynthia), hough if yama-mai and Pernyi can once be acclimated, their cocoons are more valuable. Of the native worms Polyphemus is the most valuable and important, its sill being easily reeled and of excellent quality : Cecropia comes next in order, its silk being reeled with difficulty, while that of Promethea and Luna is of less value, has never yet been, and probably cannot be, reeled. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 139 INNOXIOUS INSECTS. THE HORNED PASSALUS—Passalus cornutus, Fabr. (Coleoptera, Lucanide.) (Fig. 62.] Many an one will doubtless j recognize in the insect illustrated at Figure 62,c, the “bug” with which he, or she, as a child, was wont to play at “oxen” —the curved horn on the head forming such an inviting projection on which to hitch, by means of @ thread, small chips and other diminutive objects, to be dragged by the rather awkward beast of of burden. Every pioneer in this Western country, as he rolled over huge decayed logs, in the work of clear- ing his land to make it ready for the plow, must have become familiar with this highly polished coal-black beetle. Kvery woodsman who has split or grubbed an old stump, will be likely to recognize in this horned “ bug” an old acquaintance. Every entomologist who has dug into or pulled to pieces old rotting stumps, in search for other treasures, must time and again have seen this lazy, clumsy Passalus tumbling down with the loose and crumblihg dust and excreta of its own making, and expressing its disapproval of such summary disturbance in the plainest manner, by emitting a peculiar half hissing, half-creaking noise. And though met with at almost every step in his forest rambles, ‘* Where wild birds sing beneath the leafy bowers, ’’ the inquisitive student has no doubt found himself repeatedly examining specimens, not only to admire the elegance and beauty of form, but to as- certain the means by which the peculiar noise is produced. A sufficiently careful examination will end in the knowledge that it is caused by the rub- bing of the rather horny terminal joints of the abdomen, known as the pygidium, against the inside of the hard wing-covers. This insect cannot be considered injurious in any sense of the word, 140 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF and might with propriety be introduced in the section of “Beneficial In- sects.” It is never found in sound or green wood, but invariably in that which is decaying; and it very materially assists and hastens the reduction of stumps which might otherwise remain treble the length of time to occupy valuable ground, and serve as an eye-sore to the careful farmer in wooded countries. Unseen and unheard it carries on incessantly the good work of converting useless timber into mould which enriches the soil; and this has been its office in all the past ages of its existence. A decaying, moist con- dition of the wood is necessary to its development, and it will be found most common on low moist ground, and in Oak, Hickory and Sweet gum logs or stumps. Common as is this beetle, its larva and pupa are rarely seen, and seem to be unknown even to most entomologists, while no good figures of them have been published. The larva (Fig. 62, a) is of a very exceptional character being the only one in this country which possesses but four well developed legs, for though many butterflies in the imago state have the front pair functionally impo- tent, no other insect than our Passalus exhibits a similar feature in the larva state. Indeed the only other larve in the whole Class of Insects which are similarly characterized, are those belonging to the same genus in other parts of the world. The third pair of legs really exists, however, in a rudimentary state, as shown at Figure 62,d. This larva is of a bluish- white color with the anterior joints broader and flatter than the rest. It transforms in the fall of the year, within the wood it inhabits, to a whitish pupa (Fig. 62, b) in which the front pair of legs is thrown forward under the head, and the horns of the future beetle show plainly on its top. The pupa lasts but about a fortnight, when, throwing off the pupal garb, it becomes a perfect beetle. At first the parts are all beautifully white and delicate; then the head, thorax and limbs gradually become amber-brown, and lastly the wing-covers assume this color. The whole body then deepens very gradually so that many days elapse before the coal-black color is acquired ; and in the month of August the beetle is as often found brown as black. As larve only half grown are. found in company with those that are full grown, they require at least two years to mature. PASSALUS CORNUTUS Fabr.—Larva—Color bluish-white, with a dark medio-dorsal line; polished, with scarcely any hairs; 13 joints exclusive of head; slightly arched; the thoracic joints broader and flatter than the rest [though in alcoholic specimens they often appear the reverse]; joint 1 witha promi- nent neck-wrinkle underneath, and with a slight horny depression each side above, the prommences immediately outside of the depression being often marked with dark brown; abdominal joints, 4—11 inclusive, each with a broad, slightly elevated fold, occupying the hind % of the joint in the middle of the back, gradually increasing until at the sides it occupies the whole width of joint; 13th or ana] joint, bulbous, as long or longer than any of the others; anus transverse, surrounded by triangular folds. Head, except the parts mentioned below as dark brown, light rust-brown; rather small; flattened above; smooth, with a few stiff lateral yellowish hairs springing from ocelli-like dots; an- tennz 3-jointed, the basal joint broad, short; 2nd only half as wide and about the same length; 3rd brown, as long as 1 & 2 together and fusiform; epistoma large, transverse, divided in two by a brown fransverse line; labrum smaller, transverse-oval, and sparsely furnished with stiff, yellow hairs; mandibles moderately large, with two sharp-pointed teeth at extremity and a larger single tooth in- side; brown with the teeth black; maxilla composed ofa basal transverse piece, a stout cardinal piece; two inner lobes, well separated, pointed and curved inwardly in the same direction as the madibulary teeth and with their inner border fringed with stiff hairs; maxillary palpi 3-jointed, the . THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 141 basal broadest, 2nd rather longest, 3rd brown, fusiform, constricted a little near the tip, and directed inwards; labium narrow, elongated, divided into 3 transverse pieces, the basal as long as the other two combined, the 3rd or palpigerous piece short and trapezoidal with a square, horny, brown plate extending between the palpi; labial palpi 2-jointed, joints of about equal length, the 2nd fusiform and directed inwards. Legs, well developed only on joints 1 and 2, being long, with a stout thigh, a slightly curved shank, and a fine-pointed horny claw; rudimentary on joint 3, consisting of a sim- ! ple horny process, projecting obliquely outwards under the second pair of legs, and armed on the in- side with 5 small blunt teeth (Fig. 62, e). Stigmata 9 in number, the first in a line with the others, on posterior portion of joint 1, the others on anterior portion of joints 4—11 inclusive. Average length 1.60 inches. Described from one living, and two alcoholic specimens. Madame Merian, in her work on the insects of Surinam, Pl. 50, has figured what purports to be the larva of Passalus interruptus with six legs, but as she has incorrectly figured, on the same plate, what is apparently a Lamellicorn larva for that of Buprestis gigantea, the probability is that her Pes salus larva is equally spurious. Chapuis & Candéze (Catalogue des Larves des Coléopteres, 1853) des- cribe and figure that of P. distinctus which, as inours, has but 4 well developed legs. In their de- scription they allow but 2 joints to the antennz, and consider the joint which I have described as ba- sal but a part of the head; in cornutus it is certainly well divided by sutures from the head. They likewise consider the anal joints 9and 10 as but one, but, though bearing no stigmata, they are as thoroughly and distinctly segmented as are any other two joints of the body. Ihave not at hand the description of cornutus by Burmeister, to which they refer, but if he mentions more than nine pair of stigmata, as they indicate, he errs. Mr. Walsh (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., III, p. 559, note) speaks of the rudimentary legs being ‘‘ decussated on the sternum.’’ Ifthe larva has the power of moving them, they may possibly be found in such a position but I have never seen them thus crossed. Pupa—(Fig. 62, b) White, with all the parts of the beetle distinctly traceable, the head bent al- most at right angles from the thorax, the jaws, enclosing the labrum, projecting prominently nearly in the same direction, and the front legs brought obliquely forward under them. The third pair of legs fully developed. THE GREAT LEOPARD MOTH—Ecpantheria scribonia, Stoll. (Lepidoptera, Arctiade. ) There is a large Family of moths, known as Arctians or Tiger-moths, which is rendered conspicuous by the beauty of design and boldness of con- trast in color which its members generally present. There are two whose caterpillars are often seen, either rolled up cozily under some plant or crawling rapidly across a path, but which are not by any means generally known in their more beautiful and perfect states. They were both more than usually common the past year, and both have very similar habits. They neither of them can be considered injurious; but a brief account of their transformations, in this department of my Report, will doubtless please and gratify many an inquisitive reader, who has wondered what these “hedge-hog” caterpillars produce. The species above-named is the largest, and perhaps the most beautiful of the Family in North America. (Fig. 63.] Its larva (Fig. 63) may be called the Large Black Bear, as the hairy worms of our different Arctians are popularly called bears, and the Family name was derived from the Greek word - for “bear.” Itis often observed in the fall of the year, though few persons have ever seen the moth which it produces. This larva is black, and so thickly covered with jet black spines as almost to hide a series of roughened warts on each joint, from which the spines spring. When 142 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF disturbed, it curls itself up, and then the sutures of the joints are seen to be reddish brown, in strong contrast with the black of the rest of the body. If carefully observed, the spines will be seen to be barbed, as represented at b. This worm feeds, mostly during the night, upon the wild Sun-flower ( Helianthus decapetalus ), the different species of Plantain ( Plantago), and upon Willows. My friend J. A. Lintner, of Albany, N. Y., thinks it like- wise feeds on Black Locust, as he has often found it beneath that tree and has fed it on the leaves. It comes to its growth in the fall, and curls up and passes the winter in any shelter that it can find, being especially fond of getting under the bark of old trees. In the spring, it feeds for a few days on almost any green thing that presents itself, and then forms a loose cocoon, casts its prickly skin, and becomes a chrysalis. The chrysalis is black, and covered with a beautiful pruinescence, which rubs off almost as readily as that covering a Duane’s Early plum. It has a flattened blunt projection at the extremity, armed with a few barbs and bristles. In a few exceptional instances I have known both this and the follow- ing species to go through all the transformations and produce the moth in the fall. The chrysalis state lasts but about a fortnight when the moth es- capes. ee: ) The accompa- nying illustration = (Fig. 64) represents —J the female moth at a,and the male at b. The upper por- tion of the abdomen is steel-blue, or blue-black, marked longitudinally along the middle and sides with yel- low or _ orange. With this excep- tion, the whole in- sect is white mark- ed and patterned with dark brown, as in the figures. The male differs from the female principally in his smaller size and more acuminate wings, and by the narrower abdomen, which is also generally duller in color, with the pale markings less distinct. The markings on the wings, vary in a striking manner in different individuals, the oval or ellip- tical rings sometimes filling up, especially in the male, so as to look like black blots. This insect is considered rare in New England, but is much more common in the Mississippi Valley. It occurrs still more abundantly in the Southern swamps, where the larva is dubbed “ Fever Worm” by the negroes, under the absurd impression that it is the cause of fever and ague. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 143 As an illustration of the wonderful power of resisting extreme cold, which this caterpillar possesses, I will quote the following experience com- municated to me by Mr. Lintner. He says: “I had placed one for hybernation in a small keg among leaves, which I inserted in the ground. During my absence from home, either the thawing of the snow or the wind had overturned the keg, and driven away the leaves. On my return I found the larva remaining, but stiffly frozen, with its head encased in ice and fastened to the ground. Asan experiment I detached a piece of the ground with the larva, and placed it ina warm room. On the thawing of the larva and the release of its head, it was restored to activity.” ECPANTHERIA SCRIBONIA, Stoll.—Larva—(I know of but one good description of this larva, and that by Mr. Wm. Saunders, in Proc. Ent. Soc., Phil., II, p. 29; but as that is not as full as it might be, I give the following ): Average length 214 inches. Head black, polished, brownish at sides and below; epistoma, antenn2 and palpi more or less distinctly glassy white, the joints of antennz marked with light Frown, cervical shield brown-black. Body above black, inclining to brown laterally; bright reddish-brown at sutures, showing in strong contrast, especially between joints 3—10 when the larva is curled up, but scarcely visible when straightened and contracted. Verrucose warts arranged as follows: On joint 1, two each side of cervical shield; on jts. 2 and 3, a transverse row of 8; on jts. 4—llinclusivel2, the 4 on dorsum trapezoidal, the two anterior ones approaching nearest; on jt. 12 a transverse row of 6. Venter dull purplish-brown, the legs of the same color, the legless joints with 4 small verrucose warts. Hairs barved, stiff, spine-like and jet black. THE ISABELLA TIGER MOTH—Arctia Isabella, Smith. (Lepidoptera, Arctiade. ) The larva of this insect (Fig. 65, a) is very common with us and is familiarly known by the name of the Hedge-hog Caterpillar. It is thickly covered with stiff black hairs on each end and with reddish hairs on the middle of the body. These hairs are pretty evenly and closely shorn so as to give the animal a velvety look; and as they have a certain elasticity, and the caterpillar curls up at the slightest touch, it generally manages to slip away when taken into the hand. It feeds on Plantain, Clover, Dandelion, grasses, and a variety of other plants, and after passing the winter in some sheltered spot, rolled up like a hedge-hog, it comes out in the spring to feed upon the first herbaceous vegetation, and finally spins its cocoon ( Fig. 65, b represents one cut open, giving a view of the chrysalis ) and goes through its transformations. The cocoon is com- posed principally of the caterpillar’s hairs (which are likewise barbed) in- terwoven with coarse silk. The chrysalis is brown with tufts of very short golden bristles, indicating the positions of the larval warts,and with a_ tuft 144 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF of barbs at the extremity. The moth is of a dull orange color, with the front wings variegated with dusky, and spotted with black, and the hind wings somewhat lighter and also with black spots. Mr. Huron Burt, of Williamsburg, informs me that this caterpillar is also called Fever-worm” in his neighborhood. As the miasma of the Southern swamps induces ague, and as the large black species is found abun- dantly in such situations, the two circumstances have doubtless been asso- ciated through ignorance ; and some Ethiopean, right from Dixie, has per- haps perpetuated the name in Missouri, by applying it to our more nor- thern Hedge-hog Caterpillar. Neither of these insects are, so far as known, attacked by any parasite, though a peculiar fungus-disease, probably identical with Muscardine in the Silkworm, (see p. 88 ) often causes the larve to die. Worms attacked with this disease fasten themselves firmly to some stem, and, stretched out nat- urally, death would scarcely be suspected were it not for a certain rigidity, and a mildew-like powder covering the skin. THE ACORN MOTH—Aolcocera glandulella, Riley. (Lepidoptera, Tineide. ) (Fig. 65 ] The mast which is so valua- Se” ble to the swine breeder in the M0} oak-land sections of the State, is often very seriously affected and greatly diminished in quantity by the workings of the larva or “orub” of a species of long-snouted nut-weevil (Balaninus rectus, Say.) The female, with her long bill, pierces a hole in the young acorn, and deposits therein an egg which gives birth to a legless, arched grub with a brown head. This grub devours dur- ing the summer, the contents of tlfe acorn, and in the autumn drops, with the rifled fruit, to the ground, where it soon gnaws its way out through a circular hole and buries itself for the winter. It becomes a pupa in the spring, and eventually issues as a beetle. After the original depredator has vacated its tenement, a little guest- moth comes along and drops an egg into the already ruined acorn. The worm hatching from this egg grows fat upon the crumbs left by the former occupant, rioting amid the refuse (Fig. 66, a) and securing itself against in- truders by closing with a strong covering of silk, the hole which its prede- cessor had made in egress (Fig. 66,6). In the winter time, or in spring, or early summer, the farmer who notices three-fourths of the acorns under his trees infested, as they have been for the past two years, by this worm; is very apt to consider it the true culprit, whereas it is rarely, if ever, found in acorns that have not first been ruined by the weevil above mentioned or injured by some other insect, or in some other way. oe < J THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 145 This after-comer is of a yellowish or grayish-white color, often with dark marks on the back, a light brown head, and a horny piece of the same color on the first and last joints, and small hair-emitting dusky points over the body (see Fig. 66, c,d, e). It is, withal, easily distinguished from the weevil larva by its full complement of six true and ten false legs. It changes to the chrysalis within its borrowed domicile, and the chrysalis gives forth the moth by first pushing partly through the silken door. The moth (Fig. 66, f, 9) is ash-gray in color, and characterized chiefly by two distinct spots near the middle of the front wings and a transverse pale stripe, well relieved behind, across their basal third. The male differs from the female by the basal joint of his attenne being much flattened and articulating with the stalk by means of a nodule (Fig. 66, g). The moths issue all along from the end of April till September. They vary much in size and conspicuity of design. The following description of the species was first published in the Canadian Entomologist (Vol. IV, pp. 18—19). HoLcocerRA GLANDULELLA, Riley, (Fig. 66, f, $)—Imago.—Alar expanse 0-50—0.80inch. Front wings silvery-gray, more or less distinctly suffused and marked with fuscous : two distinct dark discal spots; a pale transverse stripe across the basal third of wing, slightly elbowed outwardly at its middle; this stripe is well relieved behind by a dark shade, and this shade generally extends from the elbow to the costa above discal spots, forming a more or less distinct triangular shade in the anterior middle portion of wing: three tolerably distinct dusky spots*surround the discal dots on the outside; and a series of minute vein-specks mark the posterior margin; fringes concolorous. Hind wings of a more glossy, warmer, brownish-gray, the reflection inclining to golden in certain lights; fringes concol- orous but not glossy. Under surface uniformly of same tint as hind wings. Head, thorax and legs concolorous with front wings; abdomen with hind wings, the joints often ringed with a paler shade; Apical joint tipped with yellowish or pale pulvous hairs, the ovipositor of 9, whieh may be exserted one-half the length of abdomen, of same color. The basal antennal joint of ¢, the nodule on ¢ attennz, base of palpi, and sometimes tarsi, also tinged with fulvous. : , Described from 8 Qs, 20 #s, all bred from acorns. The intensity of the dark shadings is quite variable, and in some specimens the basal space shows decidedly paler than the rest of wing. Larva—Length 0.35—0.50 inch. Largest in middle of body. Translucent grayish-white, or yel- lowish, with blue-black vesicular dorsal marks. A conspicuous light brown head and cervical shield, and dusky anal plate. Head with the mouth parfs darker, and the sutures and margins like- wise darker and well defined. Piliferous spots:small but quite noticeable from being brown, the hairs springing from them pale and soft. The dorsal ones on joints 2 and 3 are geminate and in a transverse row (i. e.there are 4 pair, Fig. 66, c), while at the sides of these joints there are three tri- angularly arranged, the front one sometimes double. Joints 4—12 with four, which are dorsal, nearly in a square, the hind pair farthest apart (Fig. 66, e), two which are lateral in a transverse line with stigmata (Fig. 66, d), the lower sometimes double, and one which is,subventral in middle of joint. Stigmata small and bright rufous. Legs same color as body, the thoracic tipped with brown, the prolegs with a ring of minute brown hooks. * Described from numerous specimens. 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Reeth le a aah ee a Bele dielee aivinwa alcat'njanaietislnn ema ty) a PE EERIE CONTE ASEEELY DIMI E o5Selele ra ic cies bs late iow bidie Sirs vtwia (PASE cages Cardalsn brass ates Soap seem an 14 ee nse ken Me tor Pout DUA... fife 158 neu ok seth sa clleles sects velelnee ds over tss va 4 Asilus Missouriensis......... Petes Sag Aas icvors: deters, Li Soap ts AY ee 2 dae aA es Valve cd cellpc eves enregen 21 Attacus Cecropia..... PRR Ae ech poir. csclchek Sateancls gicivis aR « Rahs Mata Pe oe DO ee aid oie a Vs Valuivip wives oe 103, 138 us TMS create och ed oso. Fini é id a; 0,atvlahai diaielddeela Sa Dadlailas sidleae'elaa stomawtes RecN 3 Nett ive ora ta ealee 1l2, 13s ee Nae te ane. a iadeve) sche aye je a obesity aja a ferasarnpaloln aes Ra ane Matte prota F s:a ei = Xyale a inininld 123, 138 Ad eNO MeN se tay s/s. Salet 310008 oid oraia Ualslore addy ding RAE AN AER aE brates os bane slaw even ny oace 121, 138 a MIE TR DERE yey Siocon) os ayn, 3) sven ore jaca, ¢ «jel shnya'eleie eo tat pale da okie cabal eM heats AIRS sl catpanctelea alee 121, 138 os RE Sr ME foc sina: a v acca chad, oa acon nidle sha I ERI MER a ah ae sks ei ease siok er Vanamees 125 Ex ere R RCT We NEON SoS dy fos) e dade wa avaise niece aN cinie MORTEM eae es bab oidna duh ipearedlan 130, 13s be PPV TOUR ete aie 8 Fee So an aisha) suche le aur ateia enboie ta Sie eT IS PIP Rltaele o Wiecrw'e 2's hiv d'shhMnnt 137, 138 al AISI Uh ay AN BON ho Stl ARR OLR CIEE FP ree Pp en nee a ee eStats pete one 133 > , B IH EUD APU SPUR ets oak ava Avaui's ea qos conly sae aaales RATE a ied sca Foss Kelsie Mea ous akan s ae PERE 41 MMAR THCUEB oes ore olkds oon de vv ne tuen ede Spadina eeemaar ek Ba sae aes Path neleus eed een aa 72 2 INDEX Best Bandage for Apple-worm............. bos bepiinaisic Pedee ate bia 6; aie a 0 smh e,« so Seis ping ee Birchromate of Potash for Potato bugs ....... whacsa seat cdedvas sdevbled sxOb cleo a PE) ae iBoissicre’p Sik Wstablishment. <5. oi, «01sec este oon ee hee LEE Eee CAPE Pr niscos: 82 BRUM MIEODS 1. a see ov vic opie cine soem einen en tee eie Sabo seraniciancosac iyo te ols 0 ce 0:0 ode oe gee 75, 138 EOSETICHUS DICAUAGIUS «7.56.00 a ale o's ole bah e's « oinm en's cer ale So/elsisinle ewig an eet ee ee sic t's a eran 51 PROENYLIS. BASStANG........- .-'e'bn vccvis seee mask ales sce ibieiet om ds tines a eftiaure cites tale bene eee 88 BAChinus Kansans... ds o-cvcsoeicesce clas veo vise uit se vinictelo® aisle vidsiele aici aac eR Gein ae ee pee tel BrochiMend ANNUAL... 6.06000 coee soe cin daincbe.e qiviad «celias jive aldlcncBe ove. delete} oeket eae nea 20 Bucculatria pomifolieula ...... oe cceccssferecnce qpacessches cabiauvcnb ese s ovsts es Shee eee ae 49 ae ERUIOLUA 6s once eis waist tne Use nn Sie one ee es ae sie caielBusiociele coetchle.. s/c Sa ere Veet OL BUpTrestis GIQQNLed. .. <<. o.c)00o0ie aisieacenin:s es 0/s:910.01eloea/ess)eialnisis'9 e[6 6's e/elpieyeibie e/ei= tle ee ieele ete Beer 141 Cabbage as. Food for-Colorado Potato Beetle.............50.00cse0+ses5+++s 05 dns eee eee 10 se bug—The. Harlequin. 2.0.2.0. ol ecee cele esewlece eset oe cninceses esas ty cu iie ea aa 35 Astor (Bean SH UWKWOTM 2. 7.5 Lis os Seas hee ve bebe a desk elas oa hehe eo aee ns soe ae ae 112 California—Silk-growing DI 6. eo vieie cine oo 0 aie'eidie 20 06 sida c's sists © 050. 6 ¢ o.ate as e/tlo ie lees ene rr 79 Callidium GMANUM 2 oo. e osc e wane wenn ec eceecvecencue sniecon sn ove dae dpe ce 5ele Tenet ieee 54 Callosamia Promethed. <... 2. cece ce ceive ove cuseep ere ca sciee+ ecw cnene cd cloeitlc ae Seiten 12] a ONG UWAS ERD ooo sce cose ec vince lines vince cc's scenes cs slob ele este eel cle eee ethene aan 122 Carbolate of Lime for Potato bugs ....2.)..+.00le+s ces o0tepe cess co cess sone ree: ae eer ow dbiks of, cede > Ceeropia SUCWOTM, «.o....cce/s:00.6cs eee cee see enn de nie eu 0084 as nine sibaeis lon 9 a pene er 103 £6 ee Larval Changes . ....:02 5 .cele seen sce ween es occnaeenn/e ue heey See eae 106 =f ne Parasites OF 22... ccc sec ce ceclsese.is.cisie’ soc vies see es ete talent eta 107 CEN 5 KOH Y PEM ie oi isiae says oe cb ain c sie qoreiere ajeie aveidio\e's ¢ prsjess a;eie #:01a « 2ie o\eisle 0)e/0 = SRS EE 110 ed WACHAMAKAY. 5. oie ieee oie oes oes sie sisie ne asniaie ¢.4/01¢ 40,000 410 mo, Bein 9\0;8 o/nie/e 6 ara eine eee ee eer 108 TTL CTS UOTE LE Si sia els a ocaie's crate’ icles dd os sols h'sloainls wR SOULE ea dene Lee eee 0065s de eee 109, 110 Chauliognathus Pennsylvanicus. .... 0... v000e000010.0/00 2101140 01070. «9 + 010 «ous 60 0in sie ereldie tte eee 28 GUY SOP «ow oa osc soe sisn Joni Hels ba cs eeue bee's odis daly oss ole vldislo'ere de sleek ulclels sche SES Sena 45 CUMETONIG TEQQUIS. ©. ooo ooo os veces celtics oo oe cnt ces oe seweeeeld od Gi ple dds clniee cle eee eee a eae 129 Classification of N: A. Grape-vinés. 2... ..5. 00. obi detidlesacleuieddeioties ss hn bene eee 60 Chistocampa sylvatica, ....... 0. oie a6 veces vac cole nes sisi cooviacieeedasiet va lsicidaneee een eee ean 41 COGlNG Moth, Bean. ooo os oe oes vise acc wae cocicieccies ning oo «ne steiee cele elt alae ete ieee atta 22 # ** —Time of Year that the first Moths appeat. ..27.. 0.2) Js. sane de debe eee ee 22 ie é —Best kind of Bandage FOF . .. cc oe. caea secre a cease pe lslelen tie eles Senne ate 23 ES —New Methods of trapping ......-....... .s50iJi). «tse - ce sls eine 23 me ee —Wier?s Trap): os 22.65.55 es ceb el ouc bs ek esse ee ae cee Eee aan Sita th BR 23, ne “s —It attacks Peaches «.....0.. 2... cccc'ececee sce decsc snc decease nye ea eet: ain 22 se -s —Jarring ....... Se nid dio nde ieie\s wie ie see salen sitet 16 Cryptus emtreMatis. . 200.02 sacs es oceeveceecen once wcbuve ss dee esvaseceescee te tone eee eee ea ve 10 oo TOULOUSE ow y's cao sie 0/010 aip'ae @ 5.0 8166 vje'e's n\en'nie/s.v cise ie e's cdisls « « clnie Seton tone ee ee ee ere Sere ates 110 oe BOM © Se cnraalalech ei Dia abcess Ons oainle's' soln aleeieale ditenice aero ae hte b bis a nie’h Niels se erro Li) i DIN... Gan yisas sp see haw kenlenxbuc ye betes eS e ne OREEe Se o's we 60's vale ofeialy aa n's/ole\n Sia enitale tata tana 129 D ROTACAR UP CRUIDIUS «ii. csie scsi cle cece sees Mae Hinge aso 5.95 5 ofasSied isthe eae ate Maia, om bled, saat te de dia yo DR SEE Ae eter 129 TITEL LUN TS 2 2, o cre) Fe Ak dees arte ae hans aren diem) de nye sw eran 2 Rhv@h Ad arate lsat a At aces Acta MERON Ber ee et 129 Diseases of Mulberry Silkworm .......... So ant ye IRE, SEC Ee PRR EON TE oe ree eh Aoki rerir 87 Baa ARR ETTAEE ERE EU ELUM PE chee Nate = tc onlay Mise oslo os lg eso ss aisiaidhetmtal songs ayalayd saverete eel d aPe ares MEMES ae rats 19 CS SERED ts eS ot BERS OR Ect being: one 0 Dew ct sen EME tt, SAeLHnD pene CIP Eae tee Caraustar ( 41 STMT TTA7 TE Pat ares cca! oth dt) of chsvake, AES) vhoy 91648 ens" 408, Slaisce,0udy0lainio. 6'caje pouch ay. simiesaumarsie vidio Shad eer CORT aN oe ene oes 41 K PIRES MIDE ee sod Ca dc a Add ia tlds Sass Sk sete ez tene cs eaieleaslc Dasealcee ed Macemmte MENG 141, 148 MPMETITIETREIBTIOTINLLOTU Ns 2 eo, 8. 3 ccs dele so ees ces cee nasal sodiejes he ote, Hiss ps PRA AS Otel ee ee ae on a Co seein Onis OO SeICOS GUI: CR aC AN, SURO eta ie SA Aeros Paria I weer ta OP Att sche ic 388 EMT EET ET Cette aN tofere ch ciaicha x aot ate 2 a at gi the « a side Wivio's lsc Sia Qe slotdes a We erate ces heat setae eian conten 69 MERE eee crate. «serie oie) s cio ¥'she\wialeia ae aie eloie.e sioie dia By sata ate unt aR a tai eee Se 41 IRCTISEUS PUNCTIPES 2... cece cee tn BOOSIE! SOCORRO SOC rai roy ci Cie ARETE eee, 19, 20 re ERECT E MPP ie o3o a ia. s SUSTR. saldrol vet. ae hele sisieid 9, Loic elas aisle sin lkea hain aisle leas eedetacfor A eis eae ae AO ae OEE Ce Ao OSDN Od COREE EES eee hay ae eee nares aahyeete wa uote othe tee dae vere 108 ac ithe OCUET C2: GORGES NICHEIOOE DIS BOGE IGS CAGE RIS aeRO CCB nnsincr retin Serta Pec 108 ae SE ou WSIS OBS CRO EAGT OR eREIC GEL ROIS BA ESIC OPMO TABLAS Th 1905715 FA Pir epee 109 F SP) ait on paQatt@@t TREX Bd 601110 Ava SP a Peel (espera oe eee 17 Saar MT ETON NEAT MUNI EWR VES GIN cretion Corer icteyers.ehsvere isa sce tag 2 21 1a oa, «= Su Ser we rale esonapcive eyeleposmyayolajatew MSR en Gb hnte eats 7 G eRe TOMER TN SOS a mcaiss dia v'aless\ei3 0\7/s aa srsisiens ges iamed sees els VATS COMO OOM UE fst 2) Cr eR A ACTER 21 ee EE REMIT SLGIELGES 5 oo. 005 oo chose > 5,0, als ofolei eves iss palaie/ ore, o Se AASIR RNR LS be Aon Nato ales Pe alone ayers. els iz A 17 FTG (CHUL SSS ed a ORE eon PEO orton PA On Ta Reenter io CAREY oy 6 hee eRe iti 34 2 Woh) Ta) Cla eee Oe eecise aaa eee ae AOE ateTrsone Fic id ek eur echunt tee 53 Ca eewine—Med-suOmldered SiIMOX VION icc lc cece sie cc eae ea clale ie avaleltie glelelelele/eleblelabe/elere alee siaNie ce leete Ba ee Disease ..... Re ete § tad alah ea dagahdas Magali SAS aig De Sen APOE aYG et Suh eS a eas ae ae 55 Ee leaf Gall-louse ...........:...- Raisiad see aR wine caches atabieeadieg ORE bs 2 OE Merce ede temas 5D A se ce —Further Proof of the Identity of the American and European | fal =t2(0) 1S a Wates BCORT OAC Srinath COA hk Meets aneyr stb > DE ce os ae —Gall-louse and Root-louse identical ....@............-......00.-00 0 eee 57 AS betwee 144, 145 MRSP RISE (LEASH ULE sacl s grevsictevigtate Gaya stele sath ccale ovals s/o hei s)alajsinvs eS a) vrais’ Siti b10'6, sa oly 9. Gin aja,c/ ata seld (ors) 4h'e hai oka saprnann es 139 a , 4 INDEX. MY, MUAY DIL ooo os o.s noo sc veiee eo ¥ia9.e « 0¥aioesecnin ies dine 6 satOe a(araroldn slaeRdN ae Sie nid Siete iste ke eee Improved Patent Insect Destroyer ...... 52... .soSe 00s Since 50 sis «0s sie 02 \0)s 4)n\e(esisleloihe alone aes ANSects INJUTIONS tO GLAPE$ViNE. 4.6 cinco sei injoieias.cirios bidibioieis/ nie so) eigie 12% 61A\o\ etal sie tio toin telnet os eB feavelia Tiger Moth: 0.0... eos: nccplnis coe cbse ue rere VIN ee ep er peer Or SE ees Senna platelet She elem ye J Parring for Apple-WOIM .. 2... 0050 cesecevicesstaeeceencasenseniosshieuhe suse = ens bani hie ti ai ~25 K Beansas Bombardier-peetle. 1c. doy Bebe cde os oes owjers wsipis aisfore eae view melee CCE a co siothe eee 522 L Larval Changes of Cecropia Worms... 25.0.5 65.6. cess tee cccre tet ereeus cna: beans at ia 106 ES nd 6 Cynthia 66 sie cde ie Cece ce ae eleenws vce tn nctle + aise e nei hr tie oe ee Luna OG syalale a wleioie's vinnie oia\e:cibveleie’ele o/),foteya | b/otatalale atatete tsi tater 124 as ge *6 Polyphemus “6 oot... sede seca ees ee en tenese be kee chek ee eet en 126 ae BS ce Promothes 6S oo. lesen teak ewes ow nes veiw oe > nie sible aa Gen a eee 121 a Se ¢ Vama-mai eo oo... ce cleee ct verse rere s ounce cobs oe essere ite ee a 132 = Js ‘< Pernyi OO unc oest gas shide sea bea bales dec wae anit ole +les/a/ ain. io 157 Messer Apple Geaf-folder. 2... 262.0... cece eee seleene es ere otis cess aera cease /a hele eel ta AT TAMUNEVIR FUGUIVO 20. oo Se ak oes oe ok cane ce epee esse ee egitne.e) oem eve ae 2/e)enie/ «eles le 41 [LUIS NOL PT Ne BAe te aS COREA TSAR IRPEIAS SO5S Sp -oicy Te Lev eeecsost oud va dl ge) alee 129 Mine =tALEd'OPHioN 2... Fa... oe cia es we ciels me ele wens ss oye wlvo's ables « slesiee aes peels ete a 107, 129 HECEUS OPACUINSS 5 i202 e ss coc wees eee cin de wtina ene are eigcls sim sie.c6 ee olen ceca ein ete oA PWS SUE WOE oo ea ee lave d codetea cede lta wile dee 4c be tuse ene 0eR 0b ete cate 123 a ua —Warval Changes 2.0. 00. Foe cate vie wee nie a0 crag doe we we oe en ae ne 124 M MaMa AKe 4Ol POLALOV DUES ate nce. dics ore.> 5is,4.0c)s)='oisiaselets alae ae aati alate Sos cice,s eos «9.0 0s aisha Ee 15 MGMT MAGLI CIR =SLY Scie cc te rtoye isn o's «sane 3,2 avin eeke iarOa as dane edeeseactd See e a ooh agit fay Se i 109, 129 TLOSCSC OTE 5 ooiase one 35a vc wie ob 0 cca v0 vine 01s pGlnve Ocis ees wie sd\sle o.6)t's\n a nin’) xine lolita aTaotOT- miele aa 120 May Apple tor FOLato DUES: . = (0.22 si cea ane oca chs ers Cotsen e ssiais olsincees ofc se ae | ee 15, NR OP OUI SLET MERC iis cue Oh cue Tease ea eR ee Pee cen reste wy WHISSOUTE Bee Kier oa. sucsciei cco 0 ile bie slave sia a chain pjzyd aleve diapa ce c= ple a) 8\n'e cholate) Shale ele eee 21 Bo = DLUK=STOWINE IM «o.oo cies liens ce olen ses widen gnie 22) ¢ tale we afaS mvmyalalale oa nla atelale bles a ig ae 3835 Mulberry Silkworm............ dh one. views slay oible + sine b15Lie(aieinya> loses + a(e)hle-alerel s pte ieee eer 75 ce se —Its past History... ..sijsie ss cei emiebevics! icce ole oes sobs te aiblets sleet eee 75 of Ee —Its History in. Ameries <3. 25050556 1)55- ene v5: ules Sle poe no eee oe Jr 77 Y 2 —Silk-growWing in Califormiaics. .o.. 0c... iu 2 eines lene wince ne «oleae ena 79 eS i — <‘ ae 6, ICANIBAB 32.45% sped 1 .o o:aoe)p je ase She ita agers mjocaiale olbtele iste) alee 52 te - aaj AY 66 MISSOURL .. ... fsje leis sods <2's.0 505ih a wi5islSarorn alee te soe ee 83 a oF —Natural History: OF... 5. 2.220 «00 e0+ «ches isis Gi, o's eulewls alae ee 5a ee wns St eee titan 92 Fed oa —Cocoonery ...... pisinbin © myn a dig app ely was v be oles 9 ojo! |@inie oye otate le a eis ate es lee 6 : ay —Choking the CBrysalis. 2... 0s. 0. sees ne we sous sates 0 = 0(pie'e oie alee ee 96 Ne i am MP LAVANE,, « oce ie 3 o oincd on c'e0'e aiee o nien weis 9 oom c)uie viel twin pie iutesince/at elias Veale nat atats a ss ae —SRGGUII GS oon. RS oa ci od edie oe ong rao ne win 0 wcll in ole 16 late 9 lo faloso/ = at atelier 1 98 af sverainess © is ajakora’ar a Gate Stale Dalatalehe.nrorat ta PRRs Freie aiaiece eee 107 RRB TERPeEI T= NULIEDEN IV SLLIVV OVEN >

: 01a) wong ssarersiniain's arafalefe giaje po'vin'e’s ohe alee a ae ale ae cte 100 P MN MME ETUDE RIL GY. 7-0. 0.F ac neo iecaj6ia wane alnieidigdcewids Sars deere aceeee erate esl ree EET PSUTG ARE, 28 ME TERETE TEURERSY CRU) CIKDIZEN. ay cos cle clekes dca epee cicls cic eased stopase ole distydiaiaie aleidataw att cries oe uecues ce temereaane 1B ée oe NOTE UGT Eg Seo ae ee ae BAT nice AE tk Fee, CORE BA eGR Mie aia paais ta’ Mince ba ee eee {2 aS PEALE UCM 8 Solatire cid O54 aa ae ela wa MEE alae sie nic SA has SMe be os cae ale ahs Bae eae 13 ae SS EP ETTORE MOT 1a RO ree ER iN AS APNE eae Air 7, eterna beeen oe 107 EO eT LD a dala aVRtAVaS Ae TAR anak hath ategd aes apale a Ga So RMN cle: See ts wl t-te, Re 107 ASLEEP a eB. Rs) losers: Siatel cetera deiarete ele ee verte a ad Pah e ala tatoae ony da eee eee eS 139 cs distinctus......: Pe PERT See has rages clases «6 4 Se RS SAT AG ¢ « Seah c.o SelaTe aroma ohn Gi CR rah ey ene eee 141 MMMEIIILER TUMOUR 505 5055 ccs - cca cccay see cccne EAL SOCCER RO ONCE CCE Poem S r Ake PAE semech< l4l eee Rar ETA HESIVEG) Tdi eRE AEC ERS orocd Sine tal ots 2°22 do cee oo Seen ales spore da 2 3s Wale Syaaaats Pomrarre a sale tre aera ee ee 22 RENEE rer aisigs (ig isis cto s v/ccoja vie oie | Adiga Ban MRO BE Ne PROGRES EARP ARO NOL AGP EOE POET AO: SPOS AGM + Fates pid] RELI ELITE Et Ey a0) Fe Ne TIN ich 3's alas, Scio dhs ole iets tba oP Setanta, hehe oho Sd snc Se ee we en ae Re ae 44 RMN Be ats Site ea) oy ap ob aM v,cieta cle achat soldi. 0.00 Cale we © ate. egaeeo aiele a. el 3) pin Aaemeee ae 20 PRRMRU EMMA SOLQIEr-DECUS . oe) ies cule cere nis eee ncviee unter eene oats Phe Tei ate ike ame a 28 Peritymbia vitisana........... Ate cio artic ten, TA eek RAE etek, OE nt Aas eee eee ee: Hi) aR ERMIEE TRIE LAS ame S10) PSV ea A 9) Sis 9) Shigak Ne 8a cic a hol ppes's yi itea MeN sSorare aialchanasrars-ghokirc tee Ae 43 Perillus circumceinctus............... Pca tee wks Sich ye lo syufe'es Lara cans 3p el ec atensar a8 BIOS sito, ok ck ae RS ot) er MearaTe EMER USTED TRL TES GEOL or rcs sini te, oie 28 rs fotos cia rw! Sid jatcbiars wiellav@le -s Pimp = S1Siahe ale, Sappseipaeae re Rye hnipiinany MENTS Te oc eR 30 PMR IRR EETNEI ATM te oe SI, Paid NAP. og ep edie cise aie Sue's, 'e' ote s b pips Ow atalelnap cae ste aes PRs ERT TE 2 Re ee 137 TURRET RST ERENT ee cee «oT aide IAAI nln 2 a 0 fs Somme ble #p ajo ale Diels s PenO ne ee DIRE ae re V7 SR MUUEEINTIRMNED TNE IEL OR St or (i ilosac, o/osefaitieg aici a nese sis A glen Aas a's wha Kini din sl suave eta'e gale et nidlevelw are alter ee Peete See 21 TT TP GET See inn oe RS EE PA ere AEA or COOMA TGL OF SisG5¢ yn nr Pee 28 ot SCE” ecg OBER BOC RS GBORAAE AnBEIBST OG STORET SAE pres Spree byob 5 Wirt )9.4cy-. 8s See 38 MEINE IOLLE Sec oats ns 9 4's <'d)ej s/o bialc sie aala nie sie/akkee ele ojos cad + cet els'elcalel nis ates Maas widis napeialttannreea ee, ers encore 55 oN OLN TH Ee AOR CIRO GEAR OL CIRCIIIE BRE IIIETIC ISIC EG IC IAISSICH Cir tc PP BEE ANIS RSet io'n. (COMA a By) ee hy Wil ic eestd gapped Be oe EBS EIIOe DE AONE Rene ae DC Te AEP Aone a GHOSE been aoe Ser 66. Pimpla conquisitor..... ST ORY BL AC DO EE bit COO CACAO ANG Bea; SAO RCAC OSSD OME abe Pray Bc Elie nee eee 3 MN TEIIEINILE RR et G2 Nota clo"is) 5 resi 8 Vieieledie)p e.c)ale ve cise vee capensis cy Molec aE este oe Lasagne ec aa cinele ee ne 3 ee NOTAESIA VALE See 9 oct lo ofa) 0! of Ws 8/'s1m a'age, 5 diale Gens WEY BBs > cholo ow ween Medes de Aa ain OMe Brym Sars ats wo eaerea 3 LSE E NDT cL OOS EE Sele ESI Cid OES el IGRISIE Or eB SL RRO OR eine rian ANRIO cine ARID} co Ber Sa heiacn? mee 103 MTL EME RMN TELEX VID TEILERS Pea ae 6 ce sis u's ale |o oie ale om vn ol Sesp isla, tie Sveiclksa le nrah’e ala Phatala Matera sloretantete cist eerie cit edie Sota g 129 PETIHTROTINPREEOSECUP OY os = 4'6 (Mi nlc aig c ceisie bicleie ae sls eva scieisiasiee ey PR CASES Ar. salnregatelstnisigtn MUR dale carta ste aire 21 IMME RNMRIN EERO IMRE MCI LEE LS 20152 !5 2123s ots\aia wthlssa/eco oisiaialelsie. hives cafe lene sale’ wit 6 ot eicle elon eRin thie wa aeeI se oo clas 121 e as NGS BUE AN MMLGINILOS) < 0in,siaysicrtrcinsieiero ana oe dae ieidis sine aiyaleye/oatabrs ere Sik w winvald vine ceetemt 123 aS © aR REGU EMD, COUPLINGS OBS ioe spa! as arefatatebaarn oi ate e’siehank eiainvarcisteveisiniele isla bia¥ovals atalino mpibete lactose .- 121 TOUT EIRTERATILERIMEL BEAYCOUTIE © Tr ch2' sso Stvls a alelsvatel leita. s'n) nee eben alanis ate wae eta oatarsn aoe Basle’ chars a Ss, a eya/orertetaielnie ed 125 of e LAV Ol CHANGER: Booch clsics ste obese Soperscicd oe aie ne aden aden ctal Gods ae ee alk 126 ce As —Natural Enemies..,.,,....... Pia venele (ieala bandit asi tet MARC asd emai eninak’ss 126 Q SaPEM RUIN UTI UOD oo 66)e cicibiells 40. Goins aole aif nivel sulewloin ouWs ener ert: poor cro bak Miestats NCEE tee yeaa «BR Raseal Leafecrumpler ...........00cescsneee Dede ae Reale naan Rie ceRahn a & in 'siahn eiacare anal ote MORe NaS Aeon 38 Red-shouldered Sinoxylon,...........esseseeeees Hae lstocans Rated hac etlelbin ies alters PCR PT eee 58 Raphigaster ..... mnee eal oin Gs ma) eeseie Sn RRO TE Neri srepeien cco rr res Bae lane i's celmm ne’ pe excise mite alee etna 20 Ring-banded Soldier-bug......... vanes ikileya's Waianae baa Sidaacholaxw ss yacte rice veka ere, er) SS) Peary COLUMUIA Ti aa aac .< 2 a'n:o ne] ob al tts w eialsnletciae = Be Sain goss oe WNL, des wn) sie coed Min « Reaselete eal aiiatigie oe ates et eaters ye OICOVIR MOTE «0. ae «Poe ce tae RR RCT EN ERE Ee Losi sducees sete ee gel Silk-growing in California....... pak Poaek ewes eqs LEDino acpauc kdheshdensres ea coats My C8 TRANSAS vic jee cuales scapes calor s~winsare oop nile, alecaieielenete(g pip seine 8 Vie sints wie eee tr Ap 65 (MUBSSOMDL. 55 a Gs-c ghee sees c.c.nee vies noo he CEM Goh be 4 og ohn S ren ieee ea a Salkworms.<-0e. se eee hi biakere apes pata on BBs ors teats ob ae ei oe oR BR EN sae ote, Sa SRMMANY, ..cs che see cee eles oooh y wae Os CREE MEETS Ce ee See Silkworm—The Mulberry ............. cole own enelelsa Hie Web sleele sete satel eile piv oho | «= i Mt — Phe: @ecCropia 5-23 «ne i vsseotake ots 2 pose Dlg ceine Sele eee eee ie —BPhe Adlamthus .. 0... .c0 cesae eves cane er acies clos vine ois Sle soi inet et yr 112) an —The PolyphemMs. «0.0.05. esac cncedevee soe cess cute sets sore, Oke pts -ee——e an 15a” fe Te LOUD oF eis c cao o's ole don be o'eie wd ape lSelatoie whew aie a) elsio alate asp le win moe se (oon) etter 123 ¥. ee DHE PrOMOtHe as was «5.6. s wieisiern oe 20 He alee Boies epste iad wie» be tele an rr 121 4 tis —The Yami=mal:.. 2.5.0). 0062 oo pce dec beales da snt s cs.ovsls oe ole elas pe eee ee 130 fy mG CMILYE erat, aeatstawe ners arate sine Wass abo nl oy mets wistale EE ee EE vee doe case eh ae een esc al SUNOLYLON DOSULGTE. .... 06. siecne ees cce sce stviete cece clele wees ee vee sins ces e ot 4s Sle eine 53 iy SPOINEM SOLUTRAD UG... Lek os Nos Geiac cd cisote 4 opimelae Sas ee oe Eee ee eee foieg tt so 19 ip? SPRINT COTOTUING «5. .os oes soos eee 5 oo sete p olt'e « a/einle sip ole) eiaictele a Seely ele bis ip. adele ee ple =e ear 129 4 . NUFOCHIO URIS UMONLCMn «enn: WRG eines so caD oe cee Vea eleda ee. b Nee otcled thapfatesteltloeete tient on. Ss 1:1) nh a ee a OE MRA ROME Pet 3B 4 Stiretrus fiMmbrigtus’... oo. cece concen ecg ces secsccebecscueusscoeess lobeoy tee Sete === a 25 Siweefened-watentor Codling Moth. 2)... eee eer sees eee , SS Shs 9 eee hae iy e Q, ‘ eae ee DOCHANG PRY CU ooo ioe vis bn a ca a ee be ele is Sinn sin ak) cb elegs po 6 4.0% lig ona le a hy Siena rr 40) 4 LILO WY UL Ser six cicrtaraa cy tty 5 ire cece eee ot agate ote US ees eee ee was Cah ey} eee Pe" Melephorus bevineatus........20-.+. «0202: Tyee ly sdiey +b i¥eie neell se ociomet Ueto oer he tagego } Meled: POWPREMuss.. soo cvccoccecccuevcvecscu esses ti usa ss sede Oenual «ose e0 dah 125 TOT EV TDL GU CCT CLL 0. su wis ovals evera\erole die caine viru sleiviaye s/s'g i's uibies js oa g/ave inte es ee SR Siar fe malivorana ...........- Gas Riia wh We dale SESE Bb Live we ee oie ees wae en Peso dette bate eee ve AT ; Mwo-lined Soldier Beetle... 0... cee Sek ees vote tes ove vu seultuue alle een bs 04 ten EEE an ae | WV: bring Vinegarfor Codling, Moths): i. ioc ee he cde do ec cee cic a. oe cise nie aieale ene ayes a One Ree ener 27 ° W Walnut Case-bearen: ooh 0itb 0.82 psc cegace a+ ogee naislewasdeecise 5 4 e'ebrss oielece pe olen er 42 + Wiaier’ suA pple-wornd Wrap i i.s.i5.2 5 sie stalls oMiaie'sc eis oisse\s ols o's wisla sivibs 2\s/0' ol afeigt st poe rr Pm tei Vie e Wama-mai SUKWOrM «20.0... eee ee BR dies coc ce es cece onaginddbleleb > dcbelle ile Seles al sletelgt aan taint Est pis Ds Larval CHANZES. . os..5 cai cease c'naee sdeledtied salons einen mslataale aaa Boar ascnac wl 23"4 bUk-grows in Califormig. 0555.2 si) 75 50 des sied heaeounics ke fe sce oer eho Kansas Missouri Silkworms —Sum Silkworm—The —The —The —The —I he —The —The —The Sinoxylon basilla Spined Soldier-1 Sphinz Carolina Strachia histrion ig ornata Stiretrus fimbria Sweetened-wate Tachina phycitaé anonym Telephorus beiin Telea Polyphemu Tortriz Cindereli malivor Two-lined Soldi Vinegar for Cod) Walnut Case-be: Wier’s Apple-w Yama-mai Silkw “se ‘é \ te Fifth Annual Report on the Noxious, Bene- ficial, and other Insects of the State of Missouri, made to the State Board of Agriculture, pursuant to an Appropriation for this purpose from the Legislature of the State. By Charles V. Riley, State Entomologist. Jefferson City, 1873. 8vo, pp. 160, and index, pp. viii. ; figs. We lay special stress on the fact that the present is the fifth of a series of reports concerning applied ento- logy, due to the annual vote of funds granted for the purpose by the enlightened members of the Mis- souri State Board of Agriculture. We congratulate these gentlemen on their good luck in being able to retain the meritorious services of Mr. Riley, than whom a more efficient and more devoted scientist could not be easily met with, Not many Common- wealths are as yet far-seeing enough to spend in five - years 10,000 dols. for the sole purpose of furthering the practical acquaintance with the habits of insects in- jurious to human economy in all its various bearings, Missouri has done it. This honourable mention is praise enough. The present report contains an easy and yet solid introduction to the study of entomo- logy, its relations to agriculture, and its advance ment, combined with brief instructions for collecting, preserving, and studying insects. This chapter is fol- lowed by notes of the year on noxious insects, which form the piece de résistance of the treatise, comprising natural history facts, means of prevention, &c., of such well known pests as the Codling Moth, the Colorado Potato Beetle, the Grape Vine Phylloxera, the Bark Louse of the Apple, and a host of other creatures less known to fame, but not less destructive, and many of which may possibly at some time or other, under favourable conditions, literally eat themselves into public notice, when we doubt not that the paragraphs here devoted to particulars of their private life will find eager readers. Succeeding pages are devoted to papers On insects injurious to the Grape Vine, namely, to four distinct minute gall midges, causing galls on different parts of the Vine ; to the description of various insect eggs found in or on canes and twigs of sundry plants, to the life-histories of several moths, &c. Then follow two papers on innoxious, but interesting, insects, such as the curious neuropterous Hellgrammite fly, and the Goat Weed Butterfly ; and last, but not least, we are gratified by Mr. Riley’s most interesting discovery of the very close quasi-clerical relations which exist between a newly described small moth and the well- known genus Yucca, the female of the former acting as ‘* marriage priest’ to the latter by carrying its pollen into the stigmatic tube. It appears from Dr. Engel- mann’s observations, quoted by Mr. Riley, that the plants of the genus Yucca must rely on some insect or other for fertilisation. The sagittate anthers open a little earlier than does the perianth, and expel the pollen grains, which, being glutinous, remain attached in different sized lumps to the inside of the flower. The stigmatic tube contains nectar, and is connected with the ovarian cells, and the pollen must be introduced into the tube, but cannot be so intros duced without artificial aid. (Resort, p. 153.) Mr. Riley fully enters into the curious circumstances which oblige the moth to fertilise the Yucca while providing a proper supply of food for her larve, which live on its seeds. Space forbids us here to enter into details, but we cordially recommend this part of the report to such gardeners on both sides of the Atlantic as have the care of Yucca plants. In Europe especially we should be glad to learn which moth replaces the American species in its beneficial functions to the plant. In conclusion, we wish the author of this Report all possible success in his useful career. He bids fair to be a worthy member of the same stock which has given to the world a Curtis and a Westwood. Alb. M. a ae 4 @ k of Tee) eee en i 4 ad . Sty ents sees t F a Pir: aP iia Jer q muah WOTLIRE tt Vy 0 8 th a tL “aie os 4% 4 ‘ sh ost 22 ar Pine 4 Toit ah vig of a wa hy Atheothes a “ vv + @ e - “* a * % . oa oo *d ‘ ‘ ' : ' ‘ mo te ye Su cp vate i i} ‘ bE wt : Ss 4) wy ¥. - ' ; ' , - jl iS ee “ERE se ‘4 , . . ; i sak Peer ih asd p! ee ui i aed ba ; asi f), OA apene ie Pel 8) Boks iocsbacapetiatnesennes ee FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT ~ NOXIOUS, BENEFICIAL, AND OTHER INSECTS, STATE OF MISSOURI, », | MADE TO THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, PURSUANT TO AN APPROPRIATION FOR THIS PURPOSE FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE. BY CHARLES V. _RILEY, State Entomologist. JEFFERSON CITY: REGAN & CARTER, STATE PRINTERS. FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT ON THE NOXIOUS, BENEFICIAL, AND OTHER INSECTS, OF THE PLA TH Or’ MISSOURI, MADE TO THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, PURSUANT TO AN APPROPRIATION FOR THIS PURPOSE FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE. BY CHARLES V,)-RILEY, State Entomologist. JEFFERSON CITY: REGAN & CARTER, STATE PRINTERS. 1873. > ‘Lib PRE ACH, To the Members of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture: GENTLEMEN: Herewith I submit, for publication, my Fifth Annual Report on the Noxious, Beneficial and other Insects of the State of Missouri. The year has been one of abundance, and no one insect has attracted unusual attention or caused very serious alarm. Some, which were unknown and unobserved before, have figured rather prominently, but the great enemies of our staple products have been comparatively harmless, as the sequel will show. I have given more time than in previous years to lecturing, having responded to the calls of many of our own Agricultural and Horticul- tural societies, of the Kirksville Normal School, and—outside the State—of Cornell University, N. Y., and of the Kansas State Agricul- tural College at Manhattan. It has been a source of true gratification to find my work more and more appreciated, as evidenced in the increasing demand for these Reports, and the ‘more enlightened warfare against noxious insects, which is so noticeable in many sections; and I can not, here, help expressing the wish that our Legislature may be induced to provide for the printing of an extra thousand separate and paper-bound copies of this part of your Report, to meet the increasing demand. Your Secretary is often petitioned for the Entomological Report, which he must needs send with the whole bound Report of the Board, and thus incur unnecessary expense; or else not send at all. All the figures are made by myself from the natural objects, and mostly engraved by Emil Lampe, and Wm. Mackwitz, of St. Louis. As in former reports, the older and more familiar generic names are generally employed, and the names in brackets indicate the genera to which the insects are referred in more modern systems. 4 PREFACE. The name of the author of the species, and not of the genus, is given as authority; and in order to indicate whether or not the insect was originally described under the generic name which it bears, I have adopted, for the first time, the following plan: When the specific name is coupled with the generic name under which it was first pub- lished, the describer’s name is attached without a comma—thus indi- cating the authorship of the dual name: e. g. Phycita nebulo Walsh. But when a different generic name is employed than that under which the insect was first described, the authorship is inclosed in parenthesis, thus—Acrobasis nebulo (Walsh); except where the whole name is already in parenthesis, when a comma will be used for the same pur- pose: e. g. (Acrobasis nebulo, Walsh). My office is still at Room 29, Insurance Building, south-east corner of Fifth and Olive streets, St. Louis; where all communications should be sent. My thanks are due to many friends, but more especially to Mr. Otto Lugger and Miss Mary E. Murtfeldt, who have aided me in ex- periments, and assisted in other ways during my absence from home. I also thankfully acknowledge the receipt of free passes over the following railroads: St. Louis and Iron Mountain, Missouri Pacific, Atlantic and Pacific, Hannibal and St. Joseph, North Missouri, Chicago and St. Louis, and Illinois Central. Respectfully yours, CHARLES VY. RILEY, State Entomologist. St. Louis, Mo., December 2, 1872. aN ENTOMOLOGY. ITS RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURE AND ITS ADVANCEMENT. With brief Instructions for Collecting, Preserving and Studying Inseets. [The following is an amplification of an article published by me in Campbell’s New Atlas.of Missouri. I incorporate it with this my Fifth Report at the suggestion of members of the Board and others, who think that something of the kind will form a desirable prelude to the Report proper. Judging from the letters of inquiry which reach me day by day, especially with reference to the collecting, preserving and study- ing of insects, interest in the subject of Entomology is fast increasing in Missouri and the other Western States, and the demand for elementary knowledge-increases pari passu With the interest manifested. Already in our sister State of Illinois, teachers in the public schools are required to be qualified to instruct in the natural sciences, and natural knowledge is receiving more nearly its due in the schools of our own and of other States, and in the agricultural colleges. It is my desire that Entomology receive its share of attention, and, so soon as leisure permits, I hope to prepare a manual for the special use of these schools, and of which the following prodrome is a mere outline. ] DEFINITION OF ENTOMOLOGY. It would seem almost superfluous to define the meaning of this word; but from the many letters that come to me addressed “ State Ktymologist,” it is evident that there are those who yet imagine that my office is somehow or other connected with philological science. For the benefit of such, then, Entomology is derived from the Greek, (evropoy, insect ; Aoyoc, discourse,) and constitutes that branch of Natu- ral Science which treats of Insects. WHAT, THEN, IS AN INSECT? The term “ Insect” is derived from the Latin insectum, which sig- nifies “ cut into,” and expresses one of the chief characteristics of this class of animals; but we can only obtain an intelligent idea of what constitutes an insect by comparison with other animals. > 6 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. Animals are variously classified by zodélogists, but the best known and most comprehensive system of classification is that called the Cuvierian, which separates them into four great Branches or Subking- doms. These are again divided into Classes, Orders, Families, Genera, Species and Varieties, each division being frequently subdivided into minor groups. The four Subkingdoms are: 1—VerteBrata or Backbone Animals, comprising the four respect- ive classes of J/ammalia (mammals), Aves (birds), Reptilia (rep- tiles), and P7sces (fishes). Normally these all have four limbs, and an internal skeleton to which the muscles are attached. 2—ARTICULATA or Jointed or Segmented Animals, comprising the five classes of Jnsecta (insects), Arachnida (spiders, mites, etc.), Crustacea (crabs, lobsters, etc.), J/yriapoda (thousand-legged worms), and Annelida* (true worms, as leech, earthworm, etc.). These animals are readily distinguished by their jointed or seg- mented nature. It is plainly seen in a caterpillar as it crawls along; each joint moves one after the other, with its own peculiar motion; each has its separate set of organs, so that a caterpillar may be said to have a head and 12 distinet bodies attached, for which reason it has 4,000 muscles to move its body, while man has only 529. The jointed character is seen even in the Earthworm and in the Leech, but notin the slug, which is a Molluscous—not an Articulate animal. Articu- lates are further characterized by having no internal skeleton; they wear their skeleton on the outside, and every one must have noticed the close resemblance which the exterior of the limbs of a grasshop- per or of a lobster bears to the bones of our own limbs or to those of other Vertebrates. Sidney Smith wished that, in hot weather, he could put off his flesh and sit in his bones. He ought to have been an Articulate! It is true that some Articulates, and almost all insects in their young and larval days, have this outer skeleton quite soft and delicate; but the same may be said of the internal skeleton of Ver- tebrates. We may crush and crunch with ease the bones of a newly hatched chick; but he who would undertake to do likewise by those of an old rooster, would, I fancy, have a rather tough job of it! 3—Mo.tusca or Soft-bodied Animals. These are without distinct joints, and have neither internal nor external skeleton, the surface being soft, flexible and retractile, and often covered with calcareoas deposits which assume a variety of different forms. *Rolleston (Forms of Animal Life—a work propounding a more modern system of classification, which, though less simple than the Cuvierian, every zodélogist should study), makes of the Articulata two subkingdoms: Ist, ArTHROPODA (Appoy, joint; z00dc, foot), including the tracheate Insecta, ‘ Myriapoda and Arachnida and the branchiate Crustacea; 2nd, VERMEs, including five Classes—thus separating the articulates without legs from those which have legs. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 4—Raprata or Star Animals. These have the body arranged on the plan of an asterisk (*), radiating from a common center. They are often called Zoéphytes, and comprise the very lowest animals— some of which, as the sponges, corals, etc., were for a long time con- sidered plants, and do, indeed, connect the Animal and the Vegetal Kingdoms. With the exception of a few Molluscous snails and slugs, the ani- mals of the last two Branches live almost entirely in water, and we see that an Insect belongs to the second great Branch, and that it shares the jointed or articulate structure in common with the other animals of that Branch. Wherein, then, does it differ from them? Briefly, in having only 13 joints to the body,* including the head as a joint, and in the adult stage 6 true, jointed legs, and usually (not always) wings. The five classes of Articulates differ from each other in the number of legs they possess in the adult form, as follows: Insecta, 6 legs; Arachnida, 8; Crustacea, 10-14; Myriapoda, more than 14; Annelida, none. I say TRUE legs and in the aputt form, because there are some mites (Class Arachnida) which, when young, have six legs only, while many insects have additional legs in their preparatory or adolescent stages, which are not jointed, but membranous, and are lost in the perfect stage: these are called false, sham, or prolegs. Insects are further characterized by having the body divided into three distinct parts: the Aead, which bears the sense organs; the thorax, which bears the organs of locomotion; and the abdomen, which bears the reproductive organs. They also undergo a series of molts, and exist in four distinct stages: Ist, the egg stage; 2nd, the larva (meaning masked—the future and ultimate form being usually masked or hidden, so far as external appearance goes) or active stage; 3rd, the pupa (sometimes called chrysalis or nymph) or usually quies- cent stage; 4th, the zmago or perfect stage, in which alone the wings appear. To be brief, then, I would give the following definition of an Insect: A 13 jointed, 6-legged animal, with an external skeleton ; undergoing transformations or metamorphoses, and breathing through spiracles (breathing holes) which lead to trachee (air tubes): the body in the adult divided into three distinct parts (head, thorax and ab- domen); with or without wings.t *An additional subjoint is often apparent, and sometimes very fully developed, as, for instance, in the larva of Passalus cornutus (4th Rep., Fig. 62, a). +I fancy the exclamation from some curious reader—‘‘ Well, why, if the possession of 13 joints and 6 articulate legs be so true a test of an insect, do some authors include the spiders and thousand- legged worms in the same Class and call them insects ? Does not Packard in his ‘Guide to the Study of Insects’ give us in his first figure a 21-jointed larva as typical of the Class, and does he not give us three Orders in the Class, elevating the Arachnida and Myriapoda to the same rank as Insecta; and has not this arrangement the sanction of such eminent men as Agassiz and Dana?’’ It is true, there is some dis- pute as to how many ¢ypical joints the head of insects is composed of, Packard himself arriving at different conclusions in the first and third editions of his work ; while the figure referred to might con- . vey the impression above expressed. But all the discussion on the first head is more or less hypothe- tical, and the larva represented by the figure referred to is only apparently 2l-jointed, being that of 8 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT CLASSIFICATION. This subject may be disposed of in few words, though we can not * speak intelligently of insects, without some idea—however general— of their relations. In treating a subject about which so much has been written, the study should be what noz to say, rather than what to say. All insects, as just defined, are referable to one or the other of seven well-defined Orders, founded on the structure of the mouth in the imago, the number and nature of the wings and the transforma- tions. Some of these Orders are, however, connected by aberrant and osculant families, or groups, which have, by certain authors, been ranked as independent Orders; but which it will be more convenient —if not more natural—to consider Suborders. In my lectures I have found it very convenient to make use of the following pyramid, (Fig. 1), which gives at a glance the distinguishing characters and the rela- tive rank of these seven Orders and of the osculant groups: [Fig. 1.] HYMENOPTERA, Linn. COLEOPTERA, Aristotle./ Sees —s-. ORTHOPTERA, Oliv. Euplexoptera, West.| * Trichoptera, Kirby. NEUROPTERA, Linn./, Dictyotoptera, Burm. |, _ Thysanoptera, Haliday- @ = order. © = Sub-order. Pyramid showing the nature of the mouth, and relative rank of the Orders, and the affinities of the Sub-orders of Insects. Scenopinus, and, as explained by Packard himself, (Guide, p.401), remarkable for the double-segmented appearance of all the abdominal joints, except the last one, so that the body appears to have 21 instead of 13 joints. As to the different classifications, authors have differed in the past and will differ in the future, as to what constitutes a natural system; and to attempt to harmonize or even consider the various plans would be to discuss words and not things. Remembering that classifications are but means to an end—appliances to facilitate our thought and study ; and that, to use Spencer’s words, ‘“we can not by any logical dichotomies, accurately express relations which in nature graduate into each other insensibly,’’ the difference of opinion becomes intelligible; and for my part I adopt that system which appears most natural, and which best promotes the object in view. It is essentially that of Westwood, given in his ‘Introduction,’ which has justly been called the entomologist’s bible. Those who include the Arachnida and Myriapoda in the same Class with Insects, must particularize the latter ‘ OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 9 (Fig. 2.] 1—HyYMENOPTERA (v7, a membrane ; zt specimens look very pretty with all the legs “~neatly spread out; but for practical purposes, it is usually as well to let them dry in the naturally folded positions: it is a saving of time, a saving of space, and the limbs are not so apt to break. There should always be about half an inch of the pin above the insect, to facilitate handling, and uniformity in this regard will have much to do with the neat appearance of a collection. Most insects which are too small to be pierced by a No. 2 pin may be fastened to card-board, by means of gum tragacanth. A drop of corrosive sublimate, added to the water with which the gum is diluted, will indefinitely prevent its souring, but should not be used where the gum is to come in con- tact with the pin, as it inclines the latter too much to verdigris. In such cases a little spirits of camphor mixed with the tragacanth is best. Ihave tried gum arabic with white sugar, as used by my late friend Walsh, French varnish, shellac dissolved in alcohol, and other gums; but much prefer the tragacanth. The card-board or Bristol- board may be cut into points er tags, of shape to suit the fancy. I use, myself, rows of wedge-shaped points (Fig. 18) of three different [Fig. 18.] sizes, according to the insects to be fast- ened; and to facilitate the cutting of these !yows, and to obtain uniformity, I have had three different sized stamps made, which prick the paper and indicate Te OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 35 each angle or corner. Delicate flies and moths which it will not do to fasten with mucilage, may first be mounted on very fine pins, (Nos. 19 and 20, made by Eddleston & Williams, Crown Court, Cheapside, London, are very fine and excellent,) or on silver wires, and these in- serted into one end of little strips of cork or pith, through the other end of which a No. 3 or 4 Klzger pin passes to secure the specimen in the cabinet. Pith for this use should be dense, and that of Worm- wood (Artemisia) or Mullein ( Verbasceuwm) will be found best. By this means the proper height is preserved, and the inconvenience and vexation of handling such very fine pins obviated. Some, who have plenty of time and patience to spare, throw their beetles into warm water, and, while all the parts are limp, fasten them by the legs on to card-board coated with tragacanth, which, in drying, secures the beetle without discoloring the paper. ‘The paper is afterward cut up into squares and pinned. Many Coleopterists prefer to use separate slips of card-board, cut into isosceles triangles, crosswise on to the narrow tips of which the specimens are gummed with a cement of inspissated ox-gall, gum arabic and water, as recommended by Dr. LeConte; but, though more of the underside of the beetle isin this manner left exposed, I find my own method much the most convenient. Many English entomologists use short pins, very much like those of ordinary make, and my late friend Walsh never gave up the custom, and most vehemently opposed the use of what he ridiculed as “long German skewers.” But the only advantage that can possibly be claimed for the short pins is that they are less apt to bend, are conse- quently more easily stuck into the bottoms of boxes, and require less room; while, compared with the long pins, they have numerous disad- vantages. Long pins admit of the very important advantage of at- taching notes and labels to the specimen; render it more secure from injury when handled, and from museum pests in the cabinet; and on them several rows of carded duplicates may be fastened, one under the other, so as to economize room. I have seen few old collections in better condition than that of M. E, Mulsant, of Lyons, France; and he uses iron wire, cut slant- ingly of the requisite length—a common custom in France. These wires bend so easily and have such dull points that they require much more careful manipulation than the pins, and the claim made for them that they do not verdigris, would, perhaps, not hold good near the sea. Silver wire, or silver-plated wire, is used for the same purpose. For the proper setting of insects with broad and flattened wings, such as butterflies and moths, a spreading board or stretcher is neces- sary. One that is simple and answers every purpose is shown at figure 19. It may be made of two pieces of thin white-wood or pine board, fastened together by braces, especially at the ends, and left wide enough apart to admit the bodies of the insects to be spread: strips 36 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT (Fig. 19.] of cork or pith, in which to fasten the y ; pins, may then be tacked or glued below / so astocovertheintervening space. The braces must be deep enough to prevent /_ the pins from touching anything the = stretcher may be laidon;: and by attach- : i ‘= ing a ring or loop to one of them, the ) i | stretcher may be hung against a wall, out | : = = -of the way. For ordinary-sized specimens ie use boards 2 feet ‘feet long,” 3 inches wide and 4 inch thick, with three braces (one in the middle and one at each end) 14 inches deep at the ends, but narrowing from each end to 1 1-6 inches at the middle. This slight rising from the middle is to counteract the tendency of the wings, however well dried, to drop a little after the insect is placed in the cabinet. The wings are held in position by means of strips of paper (Fig. 19) until dry. For stretching the wings, and for many other purposes, a handled needle will be found useful. Split off, with the grain, a piece of.pine wood three or four inches long; hold it in the right hand; take a medium-sized needle in the left hand; hold it [Fig. 20.) upright with the point touching a walnut table, or other hard- i) grained wood, and bring a steady pressure to bear on the pine. The head of the needle will sink to any required distance into the pine, which may then be whittled off, and you have just the thing you want (Fig. 20). To obtain uniformity in the position of the wings, a good rule is to have the inner margins of the front wings as nearly as possible on a straight line (Fig. 19). When the specimens are thoroughly stiff and dry, they should be taken from the stretcher and kept for several weeks in the drying box before being permanently placed in the cabinet. | The drying box is simply a box of any required dimensions, con- ij. taining a series of shelves on which to pin the specimens, and without a solid back or front. The back is covered on the in- side with fine gauze, and on the outside with coarser wire, and the door in front consists of a close-fitting frame of the same material—the object being to allow free passage of air, but. at the same time to keep out dust and prevent the gnawings of mice and other animals. The shelves should be not less than two inches deep, and if made in the form of a quadrangular frame, braced with (wo cross-pieces on which to tack sheet cork, they will serve for the double purpose of drying spread specimens, and for the spreading of others; as there are many insects with long legs, which are more conveniently spread on such a board, by means of triangular pieces of stiff card- board braces or “saddles,” than on the stretcher already described. Two of these braces are fixed on the setting board, by means of stout pins, at sufficient distances apart to receive the body between them. The wings are then spread upon them and kept in place, until dry, by means of additional braces, —e, (ee OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 37 CABINET AND Boxes.—The boxes or cases, which are used to keep insects in permanently, may be made of any dimensions to suit the fancy—12x16 inches, inside, being a convenient size, and allowing economic use of cork. They must, however, be perfectly tight, and should not be more than 24 inches deep on the inside. The bottoms should be lined with something which will hold the pins, and the whole inside covered with white paper, which, if delicately cross- ruled, will facilitate the regular pinning of specimens. While the size and style of the box and cabinet may be left to individual taste, some choice must be had of material. Led cedar should never be used. I have learned, to my sorrow, the baneful effects of this wood, notwithstanding it is recommended—evidently by those who are guiltless of having used it—as having the advantage over other wood, of keeping off museum pests. It seems impossible to get this wood so seasoned but that a certain amount of resin will continually exude from it; and insects in boxes of this material are very apt to soften and become greasy. Paper boxes are also bad, as they attract mois- ture and cause the specimens to mold. The French used to make very neat boxes of this material, and Dr. Fitch, of New York, imported a number for his insects. He has been paid for his trouble by having almost all of his specimens ruined by mold. I, use, myself, well sea- soned pine and white-wood; and in such boxes as have glass covers, and are intended to form part of a neat cabinet for parlor ornament, the fronts may be of walnut or cherry. My best cabinet consists of 60 boxes of the above dimensions, in three tiers of twenty each. The boxes are made of well-seasoned pine, the lower part haying a depth of 14 inches, with a rabbet extending £inch above it. The glass cover, with a frame 1 inch deep, fits over this. The sides and back, exclusive of rabbet, are made of 4 inch stuff, but the front, which is made of cherry, is twice as thick, the better to hold a ring, sunk flush inthe middle. The bottoms are made of two thin pieces, cross-grained, to prevent warping or cracking, and the whole varnished with shellac and alcohol. The cabinet is made of black walnut, with the exception of the back, which is pine, and is simply a case with folding doors in front, and a series of skeleton shelves 2inch thick. Boxes, such as these, when the lid is secured by hooks, will also be found convenient to hang upon a wall. A very convenient and secure box, 12x8x24 inches inside, and made to look like a book, is manufactured (price $3.00) by Mr. J. 8. Ridings, of Philadelphia. The back is made in one piece, 12x32 inches, 4 inch thick in the middle and rounding off on the outside todinch at the ends. The front and ends are 3 inches wide and ¢ inch thick, the front piece having a length of 12 and the ends, which overlap it, of 84 inches. The sides are 123x84 inches, with a thickness’ of 4inch. When glued and bradded together, and sand-papered, this box is care- fully sawed in two down the middle. Thin strips 2 inches wide and 388 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT £thick are then cut in around one of the halves, so that the edges project and form a rabbet, which is beveled off and fits tightly against the inside of the other half when closed. The inside is lined with cork and paper, the back covered with stout linen or leather, which forms a hinge, and the whole either painted or papered to suit the fancy. It is neat,may be stood edgwise on a book-shelf, is easily han- dled, and is, withal, valuable to the working student, because new boxes may be added, in their proper places, as the collection increases; and the insects always kept in proper systematic order. Such boxes are also readily packed and moved from one place to another, and for this reason will commend themselves to the itinerant ento- mologist. Those who are ingenious, and have the proper tools, can © make them at a less cost, but hardly with the same finish as does Mr. Ridings. For beauty and security, and the perfect display of the larger Lepidoptera, | have seen nothing superior to a box used by Mr. Lint- ner, of Albany, N. Y. It is a frame made in the form of a folio vol- ume, with glass set in for sides, and bound in an ordinary book cover. The insects are pinned onto pieces of cork, fastened to the inside of one of the glass plates; and the boxes may be stood on ends, in library shape, like ordinary books. For the benefit of those who wish to make small collections of showy insects, I give Mr. Lintner’s method; of which he has been kind enough to furnish me the following de- scription: [Fig. 21.] Figures a, 6 and ¢ repre- sent, in section, the frame- work of the volume —a showing the ends, 6 the front, and c¢the back. The material can be prepared in long strips of some soft wood, by a cabinet-maker, (if the collector has the necessary skill and leisure for framing it,) at a cost of sixty cents a frame, if a number sufficient for a dozen boxes be ordered. Or, if it be preferred to order them made, the cost should not exceed eighty cents each. Before being placed in the hands of the binder, the mitering should be carefully examined, and any defect in fitting remedied, so that the glass, when placed in posi- tion, may have accurate bearings on all the sides. The interior of the frame is covered with tin-foil, made as smooth as possible before application, to be applied with thor- oughly-boiled flour paste, (in which a small proportion of arsenic may be mixed), and rubbed smoothly down till the removal of the blisters, which are apt to appear. The tin-foil can be purchased, by weight, at druggists’, and the sheets marked off and cut WE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 39 by arulein strips of proper width, allowing for a trifle of overlapping on the sides. Its cost per volume is merely nominal. First quality single-thick glass for sides must be selected, wholly free from rust, veins, air-bubbles or any blemish. Such glass can be purchased at fifteen cents a pane. The lower glass, after thorough cleaning, especially of its inner surface, with an alka- line wash, and a final polishing with slightly wetted white printing paper, is to be firmly secured in its place by a proper number of tin points; the upper glass is but temporarily fastened. The binder must be directed to cover the exposed sides of the frame with ‘* combed ”’ paper, bringing it over the border of the permanent lower glass, and beneath the removable upper glass. The covers of the volume are of heavy binder’s-board (No. 18), neatly lined within with glazed white paper. On one of the insides of the lids may be attached, by its corners, a sheet with the numbers and names of the species contained in the volume, or these may be placed on the pin bearing the insect. If bound in best quality of imi- tation morocco, with cloth covers, lettered and gilded on the back, the cost (for a dozen volumes) need not exceed $1.00 each. If in turkey-morocco, it will be $1.50. The lettering and ornamentation of the back will vary with the taste of the indi- vidual. The family designations may be permanently lettered, or they may be pasted on the back, on a slip of paper or gum-label, as are the generic names, thus permitting the change of the contents of a volume at any time, if desired. The bits of cork to which the insects are to be pinned are cut in quarter-inch squares from sheet-cork of one-fourth of an inch in thickness. If the trouble be taken to trim off the corners, giving them an octagonal form, their appearance will be mate- rially improved, and much less care will be required in adjusting them on the glass. The cement usually recommended for attaching the cork to the glass is composed of equal parts of white wax and resin. My experience with this has not been favor- able, for after the lapse of a few years, I have invariably been subjected to the serious annoyance of being compelled to renew the entire contents of the volume, clean the glass and replace the corks with new cement. From some cause, inexplicable to me; a gradual separation takes place of the cork with its cement from the glass, first ap- pearing at the angles of the cork, and its progress indicated by an increasing number of iridescent rings which form within, until the centre is reached, when, if not pre- viously detached, the insect falls with the cork, usually to its injury and that of others beneath it. A number of years ago, I happened to employ, in attaching a single piece of cork in one of my cases, a cement originally made for other purposes, consisting of six parts of resin, one of wax and one of Venetian red. Several years thereafter, my attention was drawn to this piece, by finding it as firmly united as whem at first applied, and at the present time (after the lapse of twelve years) it is without the slightest indication of separation. Acting upon this hint, I have, of late, used this cement in the restora- tion of a number of my cases, and with the most satisfactory results. It is important that the cement, when used, should be heated (by a spirit lamp or gas flame) to as high a degree as it will bear without burning. An amount sufficient to cover the bottom of the small, flat metal vessel containing it to the depth of an eighth of an inch will suf- fice, and prevent the cork from taking up more than its requisite quantity. It should be occasionally stirred to prevent the precipitation of its heavier portions. The cork may be conveniently dipped by the aid of a needle inserted in a handle, when, as quickly as possible, it should be transferred to the glass, for the degree of adhesion seems to depend upon the degree of fluidity of the cement. From some experiments made by me, after the corks had been attached as above, in heating the entire glass to such a degree as thoroughly to melt the cement until it spreads outward from beneath the weight of the cork, and then permitted to cool—the glass meanwhile held horizon- tally, that the corks might not be displaced—the results appear to indicate that the above cement, applied in this manner on glass properly cleaned, will prove a permanent one. It is scarcely necessary to state that this method is not available where the glass has been bound as above. 40 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT Preparatory to corking the glass for the specimens assigned to it, the spaces re- quired for them are to be ascertained by arranging them in order on a cork surface, or otherwise. On a sheet of paper of the size of the glass, perpendicular lines, of the number of the rows and at their proper distances, are to be drawn, and cross lines equal in number to the insects contained in the rows. The distances of these lines will be uniform, unless smaller specimens are to occupy some portion of the case, when they may be graduated to the required proportion. With the sheet ruled in this manner and placed beneath the glass, the points where the corks are to be applied are indicated by the intersections of the lines. The sheet, marked with the family of the insects for which it was used, and with the numbers designating its divisions, may be laid aside for future use in the preparation of other cases for which it may be suitable. In a series of unbound eases in my colle3tion, in which the glasses measure 11x14} inches, I have used for my Lepidoptera and lain aside the following scales, the citation of which will also serve to show the capacity of the cases: 3x8, Catocalas; 2x7 and 3x9, Sphingide; 4x11 to 4x14, Bombycide; 5x13 to 6x16, Noctuide; 8x16 and 8x20, Lycenidxw and Tortricide. The unbound cases above referred to are inexpensive frames, mude by myself, of quarter-inch white wood or pine, the corners mitred, glued and nailed with 3} inch brads, lined within with white paper, (better with tin-foil), and covered without with stout manilla paper. The glasses are cut of the size of the frame, and when placed in position thereon, are appressed closely to it by laying upon them, near each corner, a heavy weight, and strips of an enameled green paper, cut to the width of one inch, are pasted over their edges, extending a little beyond the thickness of the frame, and brought downward over the outside of the frame. On its back, two gum labels, indi- cating the insects inclosed, are placed at uniform heights (seven and twelve inches), when, if all has been neatly done, they present a tasteful appearance upon a shelf. When there is reason to believe that the case will need to be opened for the change or addition of specimens, it will be found convenient to employ, for the fastening of the left-hand side of the upper glass, paper lined with a thin muslin, to serve as a hinge when the other sides have been cut. Should it become desirable to bind these cases, outside frames may be constructed after the plans above given, with the omission of the inside quarter-inch, (the equiva- lent of these frames), in which these may be placed and held in position by two or three screws inserted in their sides. A similar case, used by Mr. Titian Peale of Washington, is de- scribed by Dr. Brackenridge Clemens (Smithsonian Rep., 1858, p. 196). To hold the pins, various substances may be used, but nothing surpasses cork. It may be obtained in sheets, 12x3}x4 inches, made expressly. It is for sale by several parties in the East, and is adver- tised by the Naturalists’ Agency, Salem, Mass., and by Mr. Akhurst. The pith of Elder, Broom corn or Indian corn may be used by those who have time to properly cut it into uniform and square pieces; but it should first be boiled to extract the saccharine matter it contains, and afterward very thoroughly dried; otherwise it will corrode the pins. Boiler felt, properly split, has the advantage of cheapness, and is valuable. Where none of these materials can be obtained, two sheets of stiff paper, stretched on each side of a frame 4 of an inch deep, and supported on a ledge of the same depth, may be fastened into the bottom of the box; and even bog peat, or a couple of thick- nesses of blanket, will serve a good purpose. All these linings may be dispensed with in an emergency, and the pins stuck into the soft wood, especially if cut across the grain: i. e., horizontally from the tree. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 41 A collection well mounted and cared for will last indefinitely. It must be kept from the light, which fades the specimens, and by all means from dampness. The preserved insects, if not constantly cared for and watched, will soon be injured or devoured by mites, Psoc2, Dermestes, and other museum pests, against which there is nothing so effectual as vigilance. A little camphor kept in the boxes will assist in progerving the collection from these enemies; but it should not be [Fig. 22.] used too freely, as I r j incline to think it has i aan something to do in caus- : ) ing the specimens to " grease. The best pre- ventive of greasing is thorough drying in the drying box; but it is almost impossible to prevent it in the males of some fami- lies of moths (e. g., the Zyeride). When the speci- men is very choice, the grease may be extracted by soaking in ether or by covering with pulverized GZ pipe-clay. For inserting the more delicate pins, and for numerous other necessary operations, different forceps, and especially those shown in figures 22, 23 and 24, will be found invaluable. [Fig. 23.] If the paper in the bottoms == of the boxes becomes yellow with age, or soiled in any way, it may be cleansed and whit- ened by a painting of very finely ground white zinc dissolved in isin- glass or milk, and put on with a broad brush. A little corrosive sub- limate worked in with the paint will serve to protect the insects. iM Hi cA (Pig. 24.) ReLAXiIne.—Specimens which have become stiff before being ' spread, or which need resetting, may be relaxed by placing them ina tight tin vessel, half filled with moist sand; and a little carbolic acid in the moistening will prevent molding. Breepine.—Far too little attention has been given by ento- mologists in this country to the breeding 6r rearing of insects, notwithstanding it offers a greater field for usefulness, and for original observation, than any other special branch of the science, Insects are by no means Gifficult to rear, and there is a genu- ine pleasure in watching their transformations, and in the an- ticipation and expectancy with which one looks forward to the ultimate form of some new or unfamiliar larva. If it is grati- fying to be able to properly determine and classify a species, it is still more so to be acquainted with it in all its forms, and to understand its curious habits and ways of life. 49 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT In the hands of the careful breeder, an insect may be secured against its numerous natural enemies, and against vicissitudes of climate; and will consequently be more apt to mature than in a state of nature. Yet the great secret of successful breeding lies in other- wise supplying, as far as possible, the natural conditions. The breed- ing of aquatic insects requires properly arranged aquaria, and is always attended with the difficulty of furnishing a proper supply of food. The transformations of many others, both aquatic and terres- trial, can only be studied by close and careful out-door observation. But the great majority of insect larve may be reared to the perfect state indoors, where their manceuverings may be constantly and con- veniently watched. For the feeding of small species, glass jars and wide-mouthed bottles will be found useful. The mouths should be covered with gauze or old linen, fastened either by thread or rubber; and a few inches of moist earth at the bottom will furnish a retreat for those which enter it to transform, and keep the atmosphere in a moist and fit condition. For larger insects I use a breed- ing cage or vivarium of my own devising, and which answers the purpose admirably. It is repre- sented in figure 25, and com- prises three distinct parts: Ist, the bottom board (a), consisting of a square piece of inch-thick walnut with a rectangular zinc pan (#), 4 inches deep, fastened to it, above, and with two cross pieces (gg) below, to prevent cracking or warping, facilitate lifting, and allow the air to pass underneath the cage. 2d, a box (b), with three glass sides and a aie _ glass door in front, to fit over the | TN, Pui zine pan. 8d, a cap (¢), which HH ig i ? Wil = fits closely on to the box, and has Mh 3 | iss WW z= a top of fine wire gauze. To the Vs=- center of the zinc panis soldered = = a zine tube (d) just large enough to Cohen an ay ies quinine bottle. The zinc pan is filled with clean sifted earth or sand (¢), and the quinine boitle is for the recep- tion of the food-plant. The cage admits of abundant light and air, and also of the easy removal of excrement and frass which falls to the ground; while the insects in transforming enter the ground or attach themselves to the sides or the cap, according to their habits. The most convenient dimensions | find to be 12 inches square and 18 inches IF Ny as i = it if HI iy i - i HI Pail i i OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 43 high: the cap and the door fit closely by means of rabbets, and the former has a depth of about 4 inches to admit of the largest cocoon being spun in it without touching the box on which it rests. The zine pan might be made 6 or 8 inches deep, and the lower half filled with sand, so as to keep the whole moist for a greater length of time. A dozen such cages will furnish room for the annual breeding of a great number of species, as several having different habits and ap- pearance, and which there is no danger of confounding, may be simul- taneously fed in the same cage. I number each of the three parts of each cage to prevent misplacement and to facilitate reference, and aside from the notes made in the note-book, it will aid the memory, and expedite matters, to keep a short open record of the species con- tained in each cage, by means of slips of paper pasted on to the glass door. As fast as the different specimens complete their transforma- tions and are taken from the cage, the notes may be altered or erased, or the slips wetted and removed entirely. To prevent possible con- founding of the different species which enter the ground, it is well, from time to time, to sift the earth, separate the pup and place them in what I call “imago cages,” used for this purpose alone and not for feeding. Here they may be arranged, with references to their exact whereabouts. A continued supply of fresh food must be given to those insects which are feeding, and a bit of moist sponge thrust into the mouth of the bottle will prevent drowning, and furnish moisture to such as need it. By means of a broad paste-brush and spoon the frass may be daily removed from the earth, which should, by sprinkling, be kept in a fit and moist condition—neither too wet nor too dry. In the win- ter, when insect life is dormant, the earth may be covered with a layer of clean moss, and the cages put away in the cellar, where they will need only occasional inspection, but where the moss must neverthe- less be kept damp. Cages made after the same plan, but with the sides of wire gauze instead of glass, may be used for insects which do not well bear confinement indoors, the cages to be placed on a plat- form on the north side of a house, where they will receive only the early morning and late evening sun. Such are a few directions, of a most general nature, for those wishing to commence to collect and study insects. Experience will teach a hundred others here unmentioned, and the best closing advice which I can give to the novice is to get acquainted, if possible, with some one who already hasthat experience. You will find him pleasant and instructive company—whether in the field or the closet. Nortrs.— The collector should never be without his note-book, for more profitless work can scarcely be imagined than the collecting of natural history specimens without some aim— some object. Every observation, carefully made, should be recorded, and the date of cap- ture, locality, food-plant, and such minor notes should be attached to 44 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT the specimen. More extended notes should be made in a permanent memorandum-book, under numbers corresponding to those attached to the specimens mounted or being reared. How To TRANSMIT INSECTS. — Insects about whose habits informa- tion is desired, should, whenever possible, be sent alive. Larvee should be packed in some light tin box, along with a supply of their appro- priate food-plant. The tighter the box, the fresher will the food, as well as the specimens, keep. Insects do not suffocate so quickly as human beings, and it is worse than useless, in the majority of cases, to punch air-holes in such boxes. Dead specimens may be sent in a variety of ways. Small ones may be dropped into a quill, and in- closed in a letter, or in a small phial, fitted into a piece of bored wood. Those which do not spoil by wetting may be sent in alcohol, or in saw-dust moistened with alcohol. Mounted specimens should always be pinned securely in a cork-lined box, and this packed in a some- what larger one, with cotton-wadding, or some other yielding sub- stance, in the intervening space, to obviate jarring, and insure safe carriage. When more than one specimen is sent, they should always be numbered. Packages, not exceeding twelve ounces, tied with string, so that they may be examined, and marked “samples,” may be sent by mail, at the rate of one cent for two ounces, under the present postal rules. Text-Booxs.— The only text-book worthy of the name in this country, is Packard’s “Guide to the Study of Insects,” already referred to—a work which every entomologist should possess. For the novice, Harris’s “ Insects Injurious to Vegetation,” will prove more pleasant and instructive, and he should read Kirby and Spence’s “ Introduc- tion.” Westwood’s “Introduction,” although published thirty years ago, is indispensable. The reports of the different States should be _ consulted, and especially those of New York. These are a few of the more important works, but the number might be greatly multi- plied. There is no better text-book, however, than that which lies open before us on every hand—the great text-book prepared for our reading by the Creator. There it is, ready to unfold the great truths it contains, to all who earnestly seek them. I would not decry or depreciate text-books, although —in this country more especially — there are so many inferior and so few good ones; but the student who confines himself too much to them, is apt to get his originality dwarfed, and to become the mere mouth-piece for others’ thoughts. By origi- nal study and investigation, one escapes from the thraldom of mere words, and we should remember that, as Huxley appropriately re- marks, “the study of things and not of words is the source of true knowledge ;” and that “ there is a world of facts outside and beyond the world of words.” In libraries and museums, the entomologist may find the dry bones of knowledge; but only in Nature’s own OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 45 museum can he clothe those dry bones with beauty and life. Let him, then, go forth into field and wood, where alone he can receive that rapturous inspiration, and experience that unutterable admiration and awe, caused by the mysterious animating force around and about him, and which sends zeal and strength thrilling through every fibre of the earnest naturalist — where, Meeting him at every gaze, New truths give pleasure and amaze! NOXIOUS INSECTS. NOTES OF THE YEAF: Of the more prominent and important of our insect enemies pro- longed experience is continually teaching us something new, and of some of those already treated of in former Reports, I shall, each year, under the head of “ Notes of the Year,” bring together such additional facts and discoveries as are worthy of being recorded. These notes are therefore intended to supplement the original articles, and I shall endeavor to avoid anything like repetition of what has already ap- peared. By thus adding the observations of the year, the original reports will be rendered more complete and circumspect. THE CODLING MOTH. The first moth was bred this year, from larvz which had wintered out-doors, on May 7th, and the first one captured, at large, May 14th. The experience of the year is of importance, more ospeenay as giv- ing a confirmed estimate of the value of WIER’S APPLE-WORM TRAP. Fully resolved to test this trap thoroughly, in comparison with other methods of allurement, I commenced (having, of course, pur- chased the right to use!) as early as the first of May to prepare a number of trees as follows: 1st. With Wier’s trap screwed on in different positions—some trees having single traps, either on the north, south, east or west sides, and placed at different heights from the ground, and’ some having as many as three traps; 2d. Strips of old sacks, four inches wide, and lined on one side with pieces of lath tacked on transversely, and at such distance from each other that, when brought around the tree, they formed an almost complete wooden REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 47 ring; 3d. Bandages of various kinds of rag; 4th. Hay ropes; 5th. Pa- per bandages, made of the cheapest kind of straw paper, folded sev- eral times, and in widths varying from three to six inches. In order to insure the utmost accuracy, these several traps were regularly ex- amined every twelve days throughout the season, and a careful ac- count kept of the worms or chrysalides found under each; and where it was a question as to the comparative merits of the different traps, they were placed on trees of the same variety. The results of these experiments—not to waste space with the detailed array of figures—— may be thus summed up: No apple-worms were found until the 14th of June, and, though many other insects had previously taken advantage of the shelter, no¢ a single Plum Curculio was found. While, therefore, there is no harm in having the bandages on as early as recommended last year, in ordinary seasons, little, if anything, will be lost by waiting till the first of June. Where three of the Wier traps were on the same tree, I obtained more worms than where there was but one; and where there was but one, there was no difference in favor of position, as regards direction or altitude—taking the season through. The lathed canvas encircling the tree secured, on an average, five times as many worms as any single Wier trap. The rag, paper and hay bandages allured almost as many, and either kind more than the single Wier trap. I hope, therefore, that the patentees have already realized the anticipated fortune from their invention; for while I should be sorry to injure their chances in the least, truth compels me to state that, after a year’s trial,I am not quite as favorably impressed with the usefulness of this shingle-trap as I was before trial, and am more thor- oughly confirmed in the opinion expressed last year that, “ notwith- standing all the theories of my friend Wier, it must always be inferior to any trap that encircles the tree.” Ido not wish to detract from its merits one jot, and where old shingles are abundant and other mate- rial scarce, the former will still prove valuable for the reasons given a year ago; and Mr. Wier would deserve our thanks for showing us how to use them, did he not persist in claiming too much for them, and in making us pay for their use. Time, expense and efficiency considered, and so far as one year’s comparison will warrant conclusions, I place the different materials enumerated in the following order of merit: 1—-Paper bandages. Common straw wrapping paper, 18x30, can be bought for sixty cents per bundle. Each bundle contains 240 sheets, and each sheet folded lengthwise thrice upon itself, will give us eight layers, between two and three inches wide, and be of suffi- cient length to encircle most ordinary trees. It is easily drawn around the tree and fastened with a tack, and so cheap that when the time comes to destroy the worms, the bandages containing them may be 48 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT detached, piled in a heap and burned, and new ones attached in their places. If eight bandages are used to each tree during the season, the cost will be just two cents per tree; and the owner could well afford to treble the number of sheets, and keep three on each tree, either together or in different places. 2—Rags. These have very much the same effect as paper, but are more costly and difficult to get of the requisite length. Where they can be had cheaply, they may be detached from the tree and scalded with their contents. 3.—lhe Wier-trap, used as recommended last year, is, perhaps, the next most useful; but both cost and time required to destroy the worms, are éventen than in the first two methods. 4.—The lath belt is the very best of all traps, so far as efficiency goes; but it is placed 4th on the list, because of the greater cost and trouble of making. On the same kinds of tree, (Karly Harvest), and in the same orchard, I have taken, with this belt, between June 15th and July 1st, as many as 68, and 99 larve and pupe, against 14 and 20 in the single Wier-trap. 5.—Hay-bands, on account of their greater inconvenience, I place last. The experiments were mostly made in a large and rather neg- lected orchard, belonging to Mrs. Spencer Smith. All these methods are good, and the orchardist will be guided in his choice by individual circumstances. JARRING. Regarding this plan, I reproduce the following item, which I sent to the Country Gentleman last summer: “Being much pleased with Mr. Chapin’s method of freeing his orchard of apple-worms, as described in your issue for January 25th, linserted a description of his process in my fourth Report, with a few comments as to the time when the jarring should be commenced. Mr. Chapin commences when the little brown masses of excrements are first observed on the outside of the apples, generally near the blossom end. As these masses of excrement—these “exudations,” as Mr. Chapin terms them—are usually sure signs that the worm has already left the fruit, it struck me that jarring should commence somewhat earlier, and i suggested the first rather than the middle of July. But I find this spring that this excrement is only an indication of the worm’s exif, with some varieties, while with others the worm may be often found after these exudations are visible. In justice to Mr. Chapin, I take the first opportunity to make the correction. Our blos- soming season, in this latitude, was nearly two weeks later than usual, and I caught the first worms, under bandages, oa the 13th of June.” To prevent bruising of the branches, it will be well, as suggested by Mr. J. Fitz, of Albemarle county, Virginia, (Country Gentleman, August 2), to use a light pole, with a short fork, padded with some soft material at one end. This can be jarred by means of a mallet. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. . 49 As confirmatory of the fact that the Apple-worm ATTACKS PEACHES, I last fall received specimens of this fruit, infested with it, from Geo. T, Anthony, of the Kansas Farmer. ‘ALREADY FOUND IN CALIFORNIA. There were several reports, during the last year, that this in- sect has been noticed in California; though how truthful they are, I have no means of ascertaining. NATURAL ENEMIES—DISCOVERY OF TWO PARASITES. In addition to the two cannibal larvee which I have described as feeding on the Apple-worm, I can now add two genuine parasites to the list of its enemies. If we except a species of hair-snake, belong- ing probably to the genus Mermis, and which Mr. P. H. Foster, of Babylon, New York, has found on two occasions infesting it,* no true parasite of the Apple-worm has ever been discovered in this country. I have the past year discovered two. Both of them are Ichneumon- flies, and the first may be called THe RinG-LEGGED Pimeia (Pimpla annu- lipes Br.)—This is a black fly, varying con- siderably in size, the female sometimes measuring but 4, at others fully 4 inch, ex- clusive of ovipositor; the male somewhat smaller. The genus Pimpla was briefly characterized in my last Report, (p. 43), where it was shown that this same species we attacks the Walnut Case-bearer (Acroba- sis guglandis LeB.) Jannex a lateral out- \ “% line of a female Pimpla (Fig. 26). The x male has a more slender abdomen, which ~~ _.is unarmed. [Fig. 26.] * PIMPLA ANNULIPESis black; the abdomen rough-punctured above, with the borders of the joints polished and inclined to brown. The tegule are white, and the legs are reddish, with the exception of the middle and hind tibize, which are dusky—especially the hind pair—and have a broad white annulus, sometimes indistinct on the middle pair. The posterior tarsi are dusky, especially at tip. ‘The palpi are pale-yellow. Cres- son says it may be distinguished from the other species of the genus, by the scutellum heing black, the tegulz white, and the anterior cox yellowish-red. This fly eats its way through the chrysalis and cocoon of the Cod- ling-moth, without having previously made any cocoon of its own. It *Gardeners’ Monthly, May, 1872. E.R—4 50 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT was quite abundant last summer, as from one lot of 162 Carpocapsa cocoons I obtained 21 parasites—all of them females but one. Itisa widely distributed, and common species. The second parasite may be called the Deicate Lona-stine (Dacrocentrus delicatus Cress.).—It has recently been described by Mr. E. T. Cresson, (Transactions Am. Ent. Soc., Iv, p. 178), and is a somewhat variable species,. occurring throughout the Eastern, Middle and Western States, and in Mexico I subjoin a description, drawn up from my bred specimens: &—Length 0.25 ; expanse 0.45 inch. Pes 207) Slender. Color pale, polished, honey- yellow; uniformly and sparsely pube- scent; tinged with brown superiorly, the basal joint of abdomen and a me- dio-dorsal line on the other joints being quite brown. Head, with the eyes, (except at disc), and a spot between ocelli, brown-black ; palpi long and al- most white; antennz } longer than the ‘whole body, about 48-joints, exclusive of bulbus, curled at tip, the ends of basal joints and the whole of apical joints dusky. Thorax, with the sutures well defined, and two small triangular black spots behind front tegule, the metathorax strongly trilobed; legs very long, pale honey-yellow, with tips of tibiz and tarsi faintly dusky ; wings vellowish, hyaline and iridescent, with the veins luteous, and the stigma pale honey-yellow. ¢—Rather larger, and with the ab- domen somewhat paler, otherw’se sim- ilarly marked. Ovipositor yellow, 1-5 longer than body, the sheaths quite pilose, and inclining to fuscous. Described from 2 2’s,1 ¢- It is a graceful fly, with very long antennz and legs, and the female with a long ovipositor (Fig. 27). The color is pale honey-yel- low, inclining to brown above. The unfortunate Apple-worm is pro- bably pierced while yet in the fruit, as it always succumbs soon after forming its cocoon, and before changing to chrysalis ; while in the case of Pimpla, it is probably attacked either while leaving the fruit or after having spun its cocoon. The larva of the Delicate Long-sting forms, for itself, within the cocoon of its victim, a sufficiently tough, thin, oblong-oval, shiny, brown cocoon, from which the perfect fly issues by cutting open a lid at one end. As both of these parasites transform within the Carpocapse cocoon, it is next to impossible, and quite impracticable, to separate friend from foe in removing and destroying the contents of the band- OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 51 ages. But where it is desired to disseminate the parasites, they may be bred by inclosing large numbers of Carpocapsa cocoons in some tight vessel. ‘he apple crop was abundant, and the Codling-moth comparatively harmless in most parts of the country the past year, though whether or not this abundance was in any way connected with the work of these parasites, it is useless to speculate. The Pimplas were, most of them, bred from cocoons taken from the lathed bandages, and the spaces between the pieces of lath may have more easily permitted the access of the Ichneumon-fly than was the case with some of the other bandages. Besides these parasites, and enemies previously alluded to, I found that ants, cockroaches, and the larvee of certain predaceous beetles,* played by no means an unimportant part in destroying the apple worms.t FALSE DOCTRINES. An apparently plausible method of eradication has been proposed by Dr. J. S. Parker, of Ithaca, N. Y. In an article in the Maine Far- *The larva of some species of Trogosita, and closely resembling that from which I have bred Trogosita nana Melsh., was frequently found at this work. + While this is going throngh the printer’s hands, I notice that Dr. LeBaron has made similar and corroborative observations regarding a Trogosita larva (Prairie Farmer, April 12, 1873). He also pub- lishes the following communication from Mr. G. W. Shaw, of Decatur county, lowa: In the spring of 1870, I planted among my currants the Early Goodrich potatoes. Currants were six by six feet apart. When the potatoes were fairly up, the Colorado potato beetle commenced upon them. I tried hand-picking, and for the first time became acquainted with the soldier-bug, seeing him spear the young potato beetles. The next spring, 1871, the currant bushes were alive with the currant worm. Itseemed almost useless to try and pick them off. I commenced, however, and the second day was rewarded by seeing the soldier-bug spearing them, and in a few days not a currant worm was to be seen. Thisseason the codling moth, or apple worm as it is called, was very bad in my orchard; nearly every apple had a worm in it. 1 noticed very many of the soldier-bugs on the trees. They would pass up and down the branches, and when they came to an apple would go down to the blos- som end and stick their bill intothe calyx of the apple, and remain as long as five minutes, as I then thought, sucking the juice oat of the apple. In June, 1872, I saw a soldier-bug sucking an Early Har- vest apple, and watched him for some minutes. When he was through, he iolded his bill under his body and moved to another apple, and what was my surprise to see the skin of an apple worm on the blossom end of the apple that he had just left. It seemed very strange to me that I had spent ten or twelve years in the orchards and had never known before what the soldier-bug was after. Frequently after that I saw the beetle take the worms out. At other times, after cutting the apple open, the worm would be found dead. ‘The part of the orchard near the currant plantation was much less affected by the codling moth than that farther off. This is certainly a very interesting observation, but will need corroboration before being accepted. Mr. Shaw is evidently-not much of an entomologist, else he would not use the term beetle in referring to a Heteropteron; and though this is nothing to be ashamed of, it renders us less ready to receive his conclusions as valid when we reflect on the following facts: 1. The beak of the Spined Soldier-bug (4th Rep., Fig. 9) is, at the most, not more than 1-5 inch long (I speak from memory) and I have never seen it inserted above the terminal joint. 2. It would, therefore, be of little service, ex- cept when the fruit is very small. 3. Until the apple-worm is nearly grown and the fruit has acquired some size, there is seldom any outward sign of the work of the worm, which enters by a very minute hole, and, for the most part, bores in the heart, around the core. 4. If could not be pulled out of such fruit by a haustellate bug, which can only penetrate and pierce, and not cut. 5. There are many other Half-wing bugs which few but the entomologist could distinguish from the Spined species in question, and which are vegetarian in habit, but occasionally suck the juices of soft-bodied larve. 6. There is another and smaller worm, namely, the larva of what Mr. Walsh called the Plum Moth (Semasia pruni- vora Walsh), which is quite common on haws and apples. It does not penetrate deeply into the apple, but remains around the calyx, and generally spins up there; and it so closely resembles the young apple-worm that the two might easily be confounded. While, therefore, I do not doubt but that Arma spinosa would stab an apple worm if it got a chance, it will require better proof than we yet have to make me believe that it pulls this worm out of its hidden abode. 52 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT mer for June 1st, 1872, in which nine-tenths of all .the apples set in 1871 are said to have been either totally lost or greatly damaged, he suggests that the insect might be well-nigh exterminated, if, by united effort, we could forego one year’s crop, by knocking off all the young fruit. He fails to attach sufficient importance to the fact that the insect breeds in wild crabs, pears, peaches, and even plums. THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. One of the characteristic features of the past year was the com- parative harmlessness of this insect. What with the increase of its enemies, and the thinning out in its ranks which took place the pre- vious year, it did comparatively little damage with us, though some- what conspicuous early in the season in Phelps, Perry and other counties. The decrease in its numbers seems, also, to have been very general over our own country, as the newspapers were unusually free from reports of its injuries. In Ontario, it has increased and spread, though not to the extent anticipated. NEW FOOD PLANTS. Mr. J. D. Putnam, of Davenport, Iowa, who was out collecting in Colorado during the summer, reports having found the larve on Stickseed (Zchinospermum strictum), common Pigweed (Ama- ranthus retrofexus), and a wild Sunflower (Helianthus peteolaris). These plants belong to three distinct families, and Mr. Putnam be- lieves that the larvze were feeding on them. ITS PROGRESS EASTWARD. In 1871, this insect had reached the western borders of Pennsyl- vania and New York. Last year it extended into Cattaraugus county, N. Y.,* and obtained a foot-hold as far east as Lancaster county, Pa. In July, my valued correspondent, Mr. S.S. Rathvon, informed me that it had reached that county, and in the Lancaster. Weekly Hupress for July 6th, he gave along account of it, urging vigilance in its destruction upon those who were being visited by it. From later accounts, there were no insects to be seen after the middle of Sep- ” * Rural New Yorker for Aug. 3rd and Aug. 17th, 1872. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 53 tember, and it is barely possible that, by being forewarned and fore- armed, the farmers succeeded in eradicating the evil; especially if, as I believe, the arrival of the pest at a point so far east was premature and artificial. Had its appearance in Lancaster county been the result of its gradual spread, we should first have heard of it in the intervening western counties of the State, and it would have been beyond human power to stay its irresistible march. But all the evi- dence points to its transportation with some cargo, on the railroad. The southern columns have extended somewhat east of Louisville in Kentucky, for they were abundant around Harrodsburgh, in Mercer county, as I learn’ from Jas. B. Clark, editor of the People of that place. These are the only trustworthy records of its eastward progress which have come to my knowledge; for though other reports have been made, there is no more proof that some other insect was not mistaken for it than there isin the statement in the monthly report of the Department of Agriculture for July, that it was found in one county in each of the States of Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee—a statement evidently loose. With regard to the safety of the USE OF PARIS GREEN, Prof. W. K. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agricultural College, has made some interesting experiments. In a paper read before the natutal history society of the college, he showed how the green was insoluble in pure water, and that where water was charged with carbonic acid or ammonia, the very small portion that is dissolved is quickly con- verted into an insoluble precipitate with the oxide of iron which exists in our western soils. He shows just as conclusively that there would be great danger in using pure arsenic—even were it as effectual as the green—for the reason that it is soluble to such an extent thatit could not be neutralized by the oxide of iron in the soil. Prompted by the report from the Department of Agriculture, to the effect that peas planted in soil mixed with the green rotted im- mediately, I made the following experiment with peas and the mix- ture of one part green, twenty flour: I planted five rows of peas, using no green on the first, a little on the second, and increasing the amount on the others, so that on the fifth the peas had,in addition to that mixed with the soil, a covering of about one-eighth of aninch. The peas all grew and bloomed without noticeable difference, and were finally eaten by a cow. NEW ENEMIES. So little troublesome was this Doryphora in my own neighbor- hood, that, with other more pressing duties, I paid little attention 54 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT eee to it, and made few personal observations. But from facts communicated by Mrs. H.C. | Freeman, of South Pass, Illi- Anois, itis safe to add to its “’ natural enemies the Rust-red | Social Wasp (Polistes rubi- | ginosus St. Farg.), which car- ries the larva to its nest. Figure 28, @ shows this wasp, and 6 the manner in which her spring nest is built. ‘ In July, Prof. C. E. Bessey, of Iowa Agricultural College, wrote me word that he found the Rose-breasted Grosbeck, ( Guzraca ludo- viciana), devouring the potato beetles, and soon afterward, the same bird was sent to me by E. H. King, of Steamboat Rock, Iowa, with a similar statement. Other persons, especially in lowa, observed the same trait in this bird, which, though formerly quite rare, seems to have suddenly multiplied and acquired this habit. Mr. Joel Barber, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, informed me that this bird, though seldom seen there before, was quite common in that vicinity about the first of June, breeding there, and clearing potatoes of the nasty “ bugs,” which it seemed to prefer to all other food. The Rose-breasted Grosbeck is a beautiful and conspicuous bird, the male having a heavy bill, with black head, black back varied with brown, and black wings, the latter with three white bands. Some of the outer tail-feathers and parts of the abdomen are white, and the breast is rose-red. THE APPLE-TWIG BORER— Amphicerus bieaudatus (Say). This insect (Rep. 4, p. 51) has at last been found on the Atlantic sea-board, as I have received it from Mrs. Mary Treat, of Vineland, N.J., who found it boring into pear twigs. It has also been found in pear trees, received from Patapsco, Md.,* but without any evidence that it came from that place. Regarding its larval habit, Dr. Henry Shimer has just informed me (March 24th) that he recently found a brief note of the breeding of this insect from grape-canes, the note being attached to the insect bred. This substantiates the statement in Packard’s Gude, giving at least one known food-plant for the larva, and proving the great similarity between it and that of the Red- shouldered Sinoxylon, (Sinozylon basillare, Say). The perfect vdee- tles, received in the spring of 1872, have been kept alive for over five months, feeding on grape-vine, in a small phial.t+ * Country Gentleman, June 13th, 1872. + Rural New Yorker, Oct. 12th, 1872. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 55 EGG OF THE HORNED PASSALUS — Passalus cornutus Fabr. In my last year’s account of this fine beetle occurs the sentence, “ As larvee only half-grown are found in company with those that are full-grown, they require at least two years to mature.” This conclu- sion, though a very natural one, is entirely opposed to the facts. I have been surprised at the rapid development of the species which I have been able to breed from the egg. The eggs, which are deposited under the loose bark of decaying logs, are ovoid, with an average length of 0.12 inch, and diameter of 0.10 inch. The shell is smooth, flexile, but tough, and of various shades of olive-green, yellow, or brown. The newly hatched larva differs only from its full-grown self in having the legs relatively a little ionger, the rudimentary pair mere fleshy tubercles, and in having four superior equi-distant, longitud- inal rows of stiff rufous hairs as long as the diameter of the body, and each row one to a joint, except on the thoracic joints, where the late- ral row is composed of several. The sides of the head and the ventral surface of the penultimate and terminal joints are also armed with such hairs. These hairs are very conspicuous, but in the mature larva they are either wanting entirely — being indicated only by the minute tubercle from which they sprang —or else are greatly reduced. The eggs hatch all along through the month of July, and the lar- ve acquire their growth and become pup in the amazingly short period of six weeks. Itis for this reason that we find them of different sizes at one and the same time. The rudimentary legs are capable of a sudden and rapid side motion, which I have occasionally witnessed. My stricture on Mr. Walsh’s use of the term “decussated on the sternum,” in describing the position of these rudimentary legs, was induced by a too restricted definition of the word, and is hardly war- ranted, according to Worcester. EGG OF THE COMMON MAY BEETLE— Lachnosterna quercina (Knoch). The eggs of this beetle, (Rep. 1, Fig. 88), which, so far as I am aware, have not been described, are white, translucent, spherical, with an average diameter of 0.09 inch. They are deposited between the roots of grass, and are inclosed ina ball of earth, evidently formed by the ovipositor of the female before deposition, as the cavity is suf- ficiently large for the egg to roll about in. | 56 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT EGG OF THE BROAD-NECKED PRIONUS=4 ripe laticollis Drury. we rasa uf ozs The eggs of this species (Rep. 2, Fig.61) are elongate-oval, 0.15inch long, and three times aslong as wide. They are bright yellow, opaque, faintly granulated, (or rather impressed with abbreviated striz), and fastened by a glutinous substance to stumps and old trees, about half an inch below the surface of the ground. ‘the process of ovi- position has been well described, (ural New Yorker, July 20th, 1871), and I have obtained upward of 140. eggs from a single female in one night. The eggs of the other species of the genus are doubt- less similar. EGGS OF AMERICAN TENT-CATERPILLAR — Clisiocampa Ame- ricana Harr. The figure of the egg-belt of this moth, which I have already [Fis.29-] given, (3d Rep. Fig. 50, c), is incorrect, in that it indicates the 4 eggs to be bare, whereas, as described in the text, they are thickly covered with a glue-like varnish, which almost con- ceals them. That figure was not made from nature, and I was misled, at the time, by an incorrect figure given by Emmons in his “Insects of New York.” The annexed figure (29) will give a far more correct view of the unhatched mass. There is some variation in the amount of glutinous matter covering the eggs, which are, at times, quite visible, at others not; and this difference may be conpemen ied the difference of climate. COUNTERWORKING THE TOBACCO WORM. Mr. E. M. White, of West Fork, Reynolds county, sends me the following account of his method of counterworking the Tobacco or Potato worms, (1st Rep. p. 95): “Tn every tenth hill on the outside rows of my field, I sow the seed of Jamestown Weed, (Datura stramonium), instead of setting tobacco plants. As the Daturas grow up,I pull out all but two to each hill, and when these are in bloom, I go around every evening, and, after destroying all but two flowers, pour into these a few drops OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. ; 57 of common fly poison, mixed with sweetened water and whisky. [the fly stone of druggists is intended, it being an ore containing cobalt and arsenic]. The moths sip the poison, and die from it, and I find them scattered over the farm for a space of several hundred yards.” Mr. White’s testimony corroborates that of many others who have killed these large Sphinx moths in the same manner. THE GRAPE PHYLLOXERA.* I have little in the natural history of this insect to add to the ac- count given in last year’s Report; nor have I found any occasion to alter the views then and there given. A fewremarks, however, em- bodying the observations and discoveries of the year, on such an im- portant insect, will naturally be expected. The reader can get some idea of the interest attaching to this insect when I state thatin a bibliographical review+ lately published by my friends Planchon and Lichtenstein, notices and summaries are given of 484 articles or trea- tises published during the four years of 1868-71. MORTALITY OF VINES LAST SPRING. There was very general complaint last spring of vine mortality, and this not from one but from many sections of our vine-growing country. This unusual mortality has been attributed to a variety of causes; and, after citing the views of a few grape-growers and horti- culturists whose eminence and reputation entitle them to respect, and whose experience adds weight to their opinions, I shall endeavor to show how the Phylloxera, though generally left entirely out of the calculation, had much to do with the singular death of vines in the spring of 1872. In quoting these opinions, and to save time and aid precision, I shall italicize and number such passages as I wish more particularly to call attention to afterward. First, we have the editorial opinion of the Rural World, as given in the following quotations from the number of that journal for June Ist, 1872: *This word, though it really means “ withered-leaf,’? has already become so well known and popular that it is as significant to the vine-grower as are the words ‘‘ root-louse”’ and: ‘‘ gall-louse;~’ and has the advantageof tersely expressing and comprehending both these compound terms. It is also being used to designate the disease caused by Phyllowera vastatriv Planchon, (the scientific name vastatric is universally being employed, and Fitch’s vitifoli@ will have to give way,) just as the generic term Oidium is popularly used to designate the mildew caused by Oidium Tuckeri. The term Phyllovera will, therefore, in future not only apply to the insect, but to its effect on the Vine. - + Le Phyllowera; Faits acquis et Revue Bibliographique, par J. EB. Planchon et J. Lichtenstein. Montpellier, 1872. 58 : FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT Morraniry AMONG Vines.—We have had our attention called, to the great mor- tality among grapevines in some places, especially in St. Louis and Franklin counties. There are two distinct stages of disease, or degrees of injury, visible among the vines. (1) First, whole streaks or stretches in the vineyard are killed dead, and now dried out. The form of the portion is often quite irregular ; but we have, in every Case, seen that there are certain analogies existing between the forms and two special facts that are subsequently stated. Second, there are very large and irregular pieces of vine- yards in which the shoots are pushing very slowly, and in many eases are not more than three to six inches long, while the other portions of the vineyard have shoots over fifteen inches in length. . Among those who have lost heavily are our old, intelligent friends and neighbors, F. Braches, C. Paffrath and A. Stricker, while there are scores of others whose vines are in the second stage named. Insects in general are claimed by some; others specify the root-louse as the cause. (2) There is no special or direct evidence of the root-louse being at work at all. Neither the naked eye nor the magnifying glass ca. detect their existence on roots of the vines. In the position of the vines they are liable to be affected by the drouth; the energies of the vines have been too severely taxed in the attempt to perfect the crop of fruit. As one or both of these influences were at work, the effect bas been a reduction of vital energy, or the entire death of the vines. In every instance of which we are advised, heavy cropping has been very clearly indicated. Some of the vineyards were exhibited last fall with a distinct reference to their abundant crop and liberal display of new growth; but, as the case now stands, we invite the attention of grape-growers, and solicit the full facts and opinions bearing on the subject. That well-known and experienced grape-grower, Hon. F. Muench, sums up his views as follows, in the same journal for August 3d, 1872: Grare Morrariry.—During the first months of the sammer, the vintner has to attend to his cherished vines with so much solicitude and care that he can hardly afford to engage in anything else. July will bring some relaxation, and thus I will once more take up the pen, instead of the knife and hoe, and make some remarks on the state of our vinicultural efforts. I find the appearances of ‘‘ mortality among the vines” correctly stated in No. 22, present volume of this paper; the evil, however, extends far beyond the counties of St. Lonis and Franklin, in our State; it may, indeed, be traced through all of the West- ern States, more or iess. The effect is before our eyes, but about the cause the vine sages differ. Let me briefly say what observation and experience have suggested to me. What in the vine is called the inner bark, or liber, is, 1 think, in all plants with stems enduring through the winter—such as forest and fruit trees, vines, bushes, ete.— denominated cambium. It consists of a green, marrow-like matter, between the outer bark and the woody part of the stem or branch; is chiefly formed in the latter part of the season, and designed as the material from which, in the following spring, the first leaves sprout and also the blossoms come forth. ‘The more completely tormed and the more richly stored up the cambium is, the more vigorous will be the first growth of the whole plant, or of its several branches in the next season, and also the greater the productiveness. Different reasons may operate singly or in combination to prevent the proper formation of the cambium, such as— . 1. A very poor soil. \ A superabundance of branches and limbs. A decrepid or otherwise sickly state of the plant. Injury to the roots or leaves. Very early frosts, or a fall time too wet and cold. Overbearing. . Such adry autumn that the scorched ground affords no nutriment to the ten- der capillary rootlets. From all that can see, and asa general thing, the two last mentioned causes combined have effected the mischief. Last year most of our vintners had allowed their vines to bear about one-third more than is proper to allow. Such greediness is generally punished by the inferior quality of the truit, by incomplete maturity, and also by a stunted growth of the vines in the following season — that is, by the want of the necessary new bearing wood. It Was not so last year; already early in the season, sutlicient new bearing wood, appa- rently sound and vigorous, had been formed, and the warm weather, uninterruptedly continued through September and the first halt of October, not only, matured our grapes, but developed in them such an amount of grape sugar as I have never witnessed MI OU G2 9 OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 59 before. But therewith the whole natural power of the vines was fully exhausted ; nothing, or too little, could be done for the shoots, the arid and impenetrable soil refusing to contribute any portion of alimentary substance. What are the young shoots in the primary part of the season? A watery sub- stance which afterward must be consolidated and furnished with the necessary ingre- dients; and just that was not done. I have examined such last year’s shoots early in ‘the spring. and found that their cambium amounted to nearly nothing. No wonder that such vines made either a scanty and sickly growth, or none at all. (3) The remarkable circumstance, that on the same piece of ground some of the vines are just as we could wish, and others either sickly or dead, may thus be accounted for > The one vine may have suffered by too heavy cropping, the other not; the one may have been naturally more vigorous, the other more feeble; here the subsoil may be more porous, there it may have been fully dried out and hardened, like a threshing floor; surely, neither the root-louse nor the winter frost had anything to do with this unerampled mortality. The best thing that could be done, anyhow, was to:cut back the vines to a few buds, near the ground, as soon as this morbid condition could be ascertained. * * * * * * * * * * * * * From an interesting article in the Cleveland Herald, by ¥. Rt. Ellicott, in which the author gives an account of the exceptional death of many other deciduous and evergreen plants, and his belief that it was owing mainly to want of moisture, I abstract those passages which particularly refer to the Grape-vine: It is this same want of moisture food to the roots that has caused more or less of Walter, Diana, lona, as well as other late growing varieties of grapes—(4) and _espe- cially of those having a large per centage of foreign blood in them, such as Diana, Ham- burg, Weehawken, Rebecca, Croton, etc.—to die out since the incoming of spring; for many of them now dead were, onthe first of March, apparently perfect ; as cuttings we now have, made at that time, show, and are growing, while the vines from which they were cut are dead. . is * ei 3 z a -* Many vineyards of Catawba and Delaware are more than half destroyed, and even many vines of Concords. Young vines, and those of strong growth and on sandy soils, have come out best. Dr. 8. J. Parker, of Ithaca, N. Y., after showing (Country Gentle- man, June 29, 1872) that nearly two-thirds of all kinds of grape-vines were partially or entirely killed, (5), and that the Isabellas and Ca- tawbas suffered most, concludes with the following paragraphs: Yet this much should be said. In vineyards trimmed early in the fall, and whose canes lay on the ground, the loss is hardly perceptible in a few instances. And it is not easy to explain why a vineyard like Mr. Baker’s has his fine Rogers in beautiful estate, and his Isabellas, etc., also largely escaped, while others, with similar care and earlier attention, have suffered. This is no trifling evil, and its causes and consequences need to be commented on. Let us first have the extent of this unusual damage and its peculiarities, and then, and not until then, theory, and the lessons to be learned by it. That the remarkable dryness. is connected with it Iam certain ; yet this can not be all. These extracts are from among many that might be given, but as they come from well-known writers, and include all the rational the- ories propounded, it is needless to quote further. We see from the above that two principal causes are given to ac- count for the result stated: 1st, Drouth; 2d, Overbearing. A third, namely, winter-killing, has been often urged; but meteorological data show that there was nothing unusually severe in the winter of 1871-2, at least in our section of the country, and the experience of Mr. HK. A. Riehl, as given at the August (1872) meeting of the Alton (Ills.) Hor- ticultural Society, proves pretty conclusively that winter-killing 60 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT should not be taken into account. In the fall, before cold weather set in, he cut 150,000 grape cuttings, which he put in a frost-proof cellar and preserved carefully ; after putting them in sand they cal- loused and rooted well, but many had not enough vitality to push the eye, so that he did not make more than one-third of them live, though . there was no chance of winter-killing, as the cellar was kept at an even temperature of about 55 deg. F. That the excessive drouth had much to do with our grape-vine mortality, as it had with the mortality of evergreens and other plants, is quite evident. But that it was not the direct cause there would be serious reasons for believing, even were there no evidence of the fact in the above-quoted experience of others. The Grape-vine rather delights in dryness, and has been known to do well and yield abund- antly under conditions of drouthiness which have killed evergreens and other trees. Moreover, this influence alone will not fully explain the irregular manner in which vines, under precisely similar condi- tions of soil and elevation, were affected; nor the greater mortality of some varieties than of others under such similar conditions. Nor can the result be attributed to overbearing alone, for though cases of overbearing may have occurred, there is abundant evidence of vines dying where the yield, the year preceding, had not been larger than it is wont to be. Remembering also that in the spring of 1871 there was a late frost on the 17th of April, which cut off almost universally the first fruit in the more central portions of our own State, and that the crop consisted of the latent orsecondary bunches, it is difficult to conceive how our grape-vines, speaking generally, can be said to have overborne, except where—already sick and injured from other causes—they were making that final effort at fruitfulness which so often precedes death; and where, consequently, such undue fruitfulness was the effect rather than the cause of disease. Mr. Horace Holton’s vineyard at Webster Groves was so severely injured by the late frost of 1871 that it bore no fruit whatever that yeat; yet his vines suffered with the rest in 1872. If then the undue mortality of grape-vines can not be solely attri- buted to either of these causes, what other influence would most nearly account for the facts in the case? I unhesitatingly, answer Phyllozera! There is much that would go to prove this in the writings which I have quoted, as indicated by the italicized passages. We find that (1) the death has been noticed in streaks and stretches in the vineyard; that (3) in thesame piece of ground some vines were sound and healthy, while others were either sickly or dead, and that (4) those varieties which most succumbed were those having a large per centage of foreign blood in them, or (5) else Labruscas, or, in short, just the very varieties which I have shown to be most injured by this insect. The fact (2) that there was no special or direct evi- dence of the root-louse “ being at work,” or that neither the naked eye OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 61 nor the magnifying glass could detect its existence on the roots, is pre- cisely the state of things to expect whenever the lice have been in- juriously or fatally abundant the previous year; and I can not too strongly or earnestly enforce the fact upon our grape-growers that by the time a vine dies, or is brought to death’s door, by these root-lice, we can only discover the evidence of their work, as the lice them- selves are no longer to be found. But there is better proof than this circumstantial evidence, of the sorry part played by Phylloxera in the unwonted death of grape- vines last spring. That the lice were injuriously abundant on many kinds of vines, and in many parts of the State, in the fail of 1871,I know from personal experience, and have suffieiently shown; and in the spring following the more or less complete destruction of the roots, we might naturally have expected to find either lack of vitality or death of such vines. I also made a careful study of the mortality in the spring, digging up many dying or dead vines in the vicinity of St. Louis, and in every instance I found that the finer roots had wasted away, and that the larger ones were hypertrophized just as they are when injured by the root-lice; while upon those not yet dead there was no difficulty in finding the more living evidence of disease in the shape of the lice themselves, and the knots which they caused. Ina vineyard belonging to Charles Paffrath, of Melrose, referred to in the extracts, found a forcible illustration of the influence of Phylloxera. This vineyard is on a gentle slope, and is composed mostly of Cataw- bas, with which the owner has been quite successful, owing, as I be- lieve, to the great pains which he takes to keep the roots healthy and vigorous, by first mellowing his soil to a great depth, and then plant- ing with the utmost care. In this vineyard were both young and old vines, and the former had not suffered at all, while the latter showed greatest mortality, not in the higher or drier portion, but along cer- tain middletrows, and mostly in the center. I examined the roots of many of these dead vines, as well as of some in the immediate vicin- ity of them, and was able to show the rotten and exhausted roots of the former, and the lice at work on the latter; and thus convince the owner, as well as Mr. Wm. Coleman, who was present at the time, that the lice, though unseen and unheeded, had not been unoccupied. No man could have been more skeptical as to the working of these lice than Mr. J. J. Kelly, of Webster; yet in a half day spent in his vine- yard I was able to convince him that they had played an important part in the death of his Catawba vines. And so of others. To summarize from the known facts in the case, I am of the de- cided opinion that, while the unprecedented drouth may be justly looked upon as the indirect cause of the trouble, the more immediate and direct cause must be attributed to Phylloxera. ‘The meteoro- logical conditions served to promote the undue increase of the lice at the same time that they rendered the vines less capable of resisting 62 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT depletion of sap. The conditions of a soldier in an army—where many are camped and barracked together, and where it is difficult to obtain hot water wherein to wash one’s under-clothes—are favorable to the increase of certain body parasites, and other more invisible organisms, which prodace disease. Yet, while in such a case the conditions have assisted, it is very palpable that the organisms are the direct cause of disease; and that if they can be warded off or re- moved, the disease may be prevented, though the conditions remain. Precisely in the same sense, I do not believe there would have been the mortality among our vines had the lice been kept off or removed from the roots. ; It is a noteworthy fact that, notwithstanding the loss of vines, the general grape crop was large in 1872, and prices were so low as scarcely to be remunerative. It is very evident that the time is fast approaching, if it has not already come, when the simple growing of the Concord because it is hardy and bears neglect, will not pay; and — in the future, only those viticulturists—basing their operations on more knowledge, more science—who can grow the finer-qualitied varie- ties, will find the business remunerative. One of the first requisites of success with these latter is, to my mind, a full understanding and management of the Phylloxera; and I am not without hope that those who do obtain this knowledge, and who put it into practice, will yet be masters of the situation, and succeed with the Wilder, the Goethe, the Catawba, the Walter, the Iona and other varieties of ac- knowledged excellence, but which are at present precarious. I am aware that it is dificult to bring home to the average vint- ner any just sense of the importance of a microscopic atom, which is naturally hidden from his eyes, and which it requires some effort and training to see, and still greater effort to understand. There are few so simple as to deny the injury caused by the Chinch-bug, the Colo- rado Potato-beetle, and such other insects as, from their conspicuous size, render their presence and their ravages too patent; but where the enemy is so much more insidious, there will always be those who will deny its existence, or who, when made to see it by the aid of others, will prefer to look upon it as the effect rather than the cause of disease, and to attribute the disease itself to other causes. It is so much easier to deductively jump to hypothetical conclusions than to patiently and laboriously work out the truth by induction, and the proneness ‘to attribute insect injuries to meteorological influences, and especially to drouth, is exemplified in the past history of many insect pests, and in that of the Hickory Bark-borer, given further on. RANGE OF THE INSECT IN NORTH AMERICA. I have found the galls abundant on wild vines of the species Riparia as far west as Manhattan, Kansas, and that it extends as far ‘south as Florida, we learn from a communication from L. H. Taliman, OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 63 of Duval county, to the New York Tribune of September 4th, 1872, in which he speaks of the galls being abundant on what is known there as the Madeira or St. Augustine Grape, and upon the wild vines. ITS SPREAD IN EUROPE. In France, the Phylloxera has continued its ravages, and is spread- ing in Provence and Vaucluse, but not to the same extent in |’Herault. So threatening, indeed, has it become that the French Academy of Science has a standing Phylloxera committee, and M. d’Armand, at one of its sittings, demanded that the premium of 20,000 franes, oftered by the government for a remedy, be increased to 500,000, or, if necessary, to 1,000,000 francs. The plague is also spreading in Portu- gal and Switzerland, and in some parts of Germany; while in Eng- land it is doing serious damage to hot-house grapes. MORE FACTS ABOUT THE GALLS; THEIR TRANSIENT NATURE. In the year 1870, and previously, the Clinton vine was always the most seriously affected by the leaf-galls; but an interesting change has since been manifested in the taste of the gall-making form (gallewcola) of our Phylloxera. In 1871, it became less numerous in this part of the country, and very generally abandoned the leaves of the Clinton and fell upon those of the Taylor; and what is still more singular, this same change was noticed in France in one case where these vines were cultivated in proximity. I have made many obser- vations which prove this change to have been quite general, and shall cite a few instances in the foot-note* in corroboration. In 1872, I had such difficulty to find galls on either the Clinton, the Taylor or any other variety, in the early part of the season, that certain intended experiments and observations upon the Gall-louse were effectually frustrated. In some vineyards, later in the season, I found galls on Delaware, and a few, more or less perfectly formed, on Concord, and more especially on Herbemont. There seems to have been a persist- ent attempt on the part of the young lice to form their dwellings on the leaves of this last variety; but in almost every instance the at- tempt was fruitless, and the louse died soon after the gall commenced forming. On these vines, where the galls were suddenly arrested in *Mr. T. W. Guy, of Sulphur Springs, had Clintons covered with galls in 1870, which, in 1871, were entirely free from them. Mr. Chas. Peabody, of Glenwood, also had Clintons covered in 1870, while in 1871 there were no galls in his vineyard, except sparsely on the Delaware vines. Dr. H. Clagett, of Gray’s Summit, had Clintons covered in 1870, fewer in 1871, and in 1872 could find none in his vineyard. Mr. J. Squires, of DeSoto, and Mr. N. DeWyl, of Jefferson City, report a similar expe- rience. Mr.0O.S. Westcott, of Chicago, Ils., informs me that a striking instance came under his © observation of an abundance of galls on Clintons in Kendall county, in 1870, succeeded by an entire Jack of them in 1871. Dr. LeBaron reports a similar experience. M. Laliman writes that at Bor- deaux the Gall-louse, which had bee, abundant on Clinton in 1870, left that variety and went on to the ‘Taylor in 1871. 64 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT various stages and degrees of completion, the method of formation was easy to observe. The first effect of the puncture is a slight de- [Fig. 30] pression of the upper surface, bordered by a circular < fringe of down (Fig. 30, c); the under or convex por- tion being covered with fulvous down (Fig. 30, @). As the depression increases, the circular fringe closes up and forms the mouth of the gall, as already de- scribed (3d Rep., p. 87). I saw Herbemont vines whose leaves were covered with these abortive galls, and saw them, not only in Missouri, but in Kansas. On some of the wild vines in the last-named State, I have also collected galls which were so lengthened that they appeared quite abnormal, and almost pedunculated (Fig. 30, a, b). This inconstaney in the habits of the gall-lice furnishes another interesting instance of the changeableness of Nature, and of the difficulty the naturalist encounters in making generalizations. It is impossible, at the present time, to give the rationale of this change of habit, though future discoveries may explain the facts and render them significant. SUSCEPTIBILITY OF VARIETIES. The relative immunity of most of our American varieties, com- pared with the European, is exemplified in Kurope as well as in this country. Several interesting instances are cited in La Province of Bordeaux (Nov. 26, 1872) of our vines being cultivated, for a number of years, in the midst of aifected French varieties without injury ; while M. Laliman has been more explicit, and, mentioning varieties, has shown that as with us the Zadbruscas, as a species, suffer most, (Ann. de la Soc. d’ Agr. du Dép. de la Gironde, Vol. xxvi, p. 19).* M. J. Leenhardt-Pomier, of Montpellier, reports that the vines which he received from this country are doing well, and gives, in substance, the following details, under date of November 6, 1872: “Cunningham showed most vigor, the leaves being as green asin summer. Next, the Herbemont gave most satisfaction. ,Third, the Clinton. The Concord and Goethe ranked next. The Rentz, and especially N. Carolina, made but a feeble growth, while the Cynthiana and Ives’ Seedling did not succeed at all.” ’ From examination of some California vines, in Mr. G. Gill’s vine- yard at Kirkwood, I discovered that they were badly attacked by the *M. Laliman has published (Journ. de Viticulture Pratique, Apvil25, 1872) a colored plate of what is known there as the York Madeira, or Bland Madeira, a vine which he considers is the very best as resisting the Phylloxera. The plate is beautiful, but it is difficult to establish from it what variety is meant. It is evidently a Riparia, having a smooth leaf, and black berry, and, according to Mr. Bush, it resembles the Aughwick in leaf and the Israella in bunch. Husmann finds that it resembles the Franklin. According to Downing, the Bland Madeira has ared berry, and the York and the Bland can not be synonymous. The plate represents a variety evidently not cultivated in our State. Another variety, which is unnamed, and which is No. 1 of his-plate, published in his work en- titled ‘‘Etude sur les divers Phyllowera,” successfully resists the Phyllowera. The leaf might belong to Norton’s or Cynthiana ; but it is impossible to give accurate judgment from a single leaf-figure. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 65 root-lice. It is thus rendered quite certainffhat, if it once finds its way to the Pacific slope, our Phylloxera may¥ prove a most serious scourge, and it behooves the Californians to endeavor to prevent its introduction. Let them take warning of France! AMERICAN GRAPE-VINES IN FRANCE. The fact that some of our American varieties resist the louse has caused an increasing demand for them abroad. The principal varieties sent by Messrs. Bush & Son are the Cunningham, Herbemont, Taylor and Clinton, which have been found to resist with M. Laliman, as well as here; and the Norton’s Cynthiana and Concord, which succeed well with us, but have suffered with M. Laliman. As some of my foreign correspondents have thought it would be cheapest to order long cuttings, with several eyes, it will be well to state, for their benefit, that few of our American vines root as easily as the European varieties, and it is almost impossible to propagate some of them, except by layering. With the exception of Clinton and Taylor, those which propagate easiest by cuttings are, as a rule, the most sensitive to the Phylloxera, while those which are with difficulty so propagated are among the best resistants. This is very much what we should naturally expect: the tougher the wood the tougher the root, causing, in the one instance, difficult rooting, and in the other better resistance to the suction of the louse. The accompanying list, showing the comparative difficulty with which some of the better- known varieties root from cuttings, and which is based on the experi- ence of Messrs. Bush & Son, will prove of value in this connection : 1. HERMANN (Zstivalis)—Most difficult of all to propagate; refusing to root even with bottom heat. 2. Norron’s and Cynrurana (st.)—In avery favorable season, on well-prepared, virgin soil, and with the best care, only a small per centage will root. 3. HERBEMONT, CUNNINGHAM, DEVERHUX (_#st.)—From cuttings made early in fall, soon after the leaves drop, and under very favorable circumstances and con- ditions of soil, a better per centage than from the former will root; yet they often entirely fail. 4, RuLanper, Lourstana, ALVEy (4st.), and DELawarE (Rip.)—Are less uncertain than the former, and with skillful treatment, first causing callus, with best of care afterward, good results have been obtained at times. Without such treatment and care, these also will not root well from cuttings. 5. EuMmean (24@st.?), CREVELING, MAxaTawney (Zab.)—Root more freely, and with proper care may safely be propagated from cuttings. 6. Harrrorp Proriric, TELEGRAPH, Ives, Concorp, Carawsa, Iona, Drana (Labd.) —Root easily from cuttings. Being mostly long-jointed, they make better roots and plants from short cuttings (2 to 3 eyes long) than from long canes. 7. RoGers’ Hyprips, as Gorrur, Massasorr, Witprer, Linpitey, AGAWAM, Merri- MAC, SALEM, ETC.—ALII varieties produced by crosses between Labrusca and Vinifera grow from cuttings as easily, at least, as the varieties of either of these two species. ARNOLD’s Hyprips, crosses between Clinton and foreign (Vinifera) varieties, grow from cuttings even more freely than any others, except— 8. CLINTON and Taytor (Rip.), which grow from cuttings, like willows, almost with- out care. E.R—5d 66 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT So far as I can eed the varieties of Vulpina root with difficulty from cuttings. As an evidence that our grapes are beginning to be appreciated in Europe, I may be pardoned for quoting the following from one of M. Laliman’s letters: “The wines which I obtain from certain Ameri- can varieties age very rapidly, and I may tell you that the Jacquez, [I do not know this variety, unless it be a synonym of the Ohio], the Lenoir, the Clinton and the Long, [known to us as the Cunningham], mixed together, give me a wine much superior to those I get from our French varieties. The Delaware, also, mixed with the Taylor, makes a very agreeable wine.” In an article written by him last April,* he further says: “ Cer- tain vines of the Cordifolio | Riparia| species make a very good wine; and certain hybrids, as well as some varieties of “stivalis, pro- duce wines so like our own that we shall find it to our advantage to cultivate them, not only from an alcoholic stand-point, but for an abundance, color and taste, which will astonish those who are ac- quainted with the Labrusca only. % i o! The Americans have made such rapid strides in horticulture of late that, we repeat, they have entirely changed the character of their vineyards. Certain grape-growers have succeeded, by hybridization, in so improving their wild vines that their grapes to-day equal our best products of the kind.” This speaks well for American vines, which our fastidious trans- atlantic friends deemed, not long since, unfit for cultivated tastes. But whether these vines be there appreciated for their fruit or not, they will prove valuable as graft-stocks. Mr. DeWyl has the Goethe, Salem and Rogers No. 12 grafted (under ground) on to Taylor roots, and, although a few galls are found upon the leaves, the grafts are doing well. By growing such Hungarian vines as Tokay, Foment and Scegety on Concord roots, and protecting them in winter, he has also succeeded in making them thrive and bear. Indeed, the benefits of grafting the more susceptible varieties on to the roots of those which best resist the Phylloxera, must be patent to all ; and in thus grafting we have one of the few practical methods, so far known, of thwarting the enemy. E It is to be regretted that more caution is not taken by those who write upon the subject of the Phylloxera. In the monthly report from the Department of Agriculture for February, 1872, it is stated that varieties of Zabrusca are freest from attacks of the louse ; where- as Labrusca, as a species, suffers most. Such careless statements mislead, and may account for the fact that the varieties imported by the French minister have been mostly of this species. Some few of the Labruscas effectually resist the louse here, and there is every * Reponse-d la Soc. Linnéenne. THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. Gee «i reason to suppose they would do so there; but, until further experi- ence shall give more decided results, we must be guided by that of M. Laliman, across the ocean, and our own here, as given last year (Rep. 4, p. 64). With regard to the best method of grafting the grape-vine, it may be well to state that such grafting requires the greatest care, and that experienced authors agree that it is best done under ground, and soon after the frost is out in spring. Details will be found in the standard works on grape-culture; and I would refer to articles in the last volumes of the Western Planter and of the Rural World, and more particularly to the number of the last-named for February 1, 1875. NEW THEORIES. Quite naturally, there have been numerous persons abroad ready to assert that the Phylloxera was the effect rather than the cause of disease. Such opinions, from some quarters, would not cause sur- prise; but when intelligent naturalists like Messrs. Signoret and Guérin-Méneville persist in such belief, it is difficult to give any other explanation than that they are too much absorbed in closet studies to make the proper field observations ; or are biased in favor of theories hastily announced before any field studies were made. In the face of the gradual spread of the disease from infested to uninfested regions, and of the exemption which vineyards enjoy where theinsect has not yet appeared — in face of the demonstrable and hurtful results which follow its puncture, and the isolated spots or centers of attack from which it often originates — men still have the hardihood to compare the disease with scrofula in man, to attribute it to * meteorological perturbations,” and other equally illusive explanations. They invoke some remote, mysterious cause, and prefer the vague to the definite. Most of them would, of course, scout the idea of these mysterious causes producing the lice, forthey would scarcely go so far, even if abiogenetically inclined; but I can not help likening their views to those of the average Cockney, who soimplicitly believes that the east wind and certain atmospheric conditions peculiar to London, beget and engender the myriad lice which blight his plants at certain sea- sons. For my part,I want no better explanation than the greater tenderness and susceptibility of the Kuropean vines compared with those on which the lice have bred from time immemorial in this country. In spite of the abundantrains that have, from all accounts, soaked the vineyards in the infested districts of France without decreasing the disease—in spite of the fact that other plants have not suffered for want of rain—the sophism is still reiterated that the disease is owing to meteorological abnormities, and especially to drouth. The poor wine-grower is told te wait for more rain, and that if he pursues 68 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT that treatment which will cause the vine to regain its normal vigor, he will see no more of Phylloxera —a most undoubted truism! Iam the last to deny that meteorological conditions accelerate or retard the multiplication of plant-lice, as they do of so many other insects; but I see no reason for presupposing a diseased condition of the plant first attacked by them, when, as every entomologist knows, they can flour- ish only on living vegetation, which they forsake when its life has been sapped. Conditions may be favorable to the increase of the plant- lice on our hops, of Cotton-worms, of the Army-worm, and of a thou- sand well-known insect pests; yet no one doubts that if by increased effort we, in some way or other, prevent or destroy these insects, we effectually overcome the (to us) unfavorable conditions, and our plants thrive. Whenever abundant enough to attract attention, these plant-lice have already brought the infested plants into a state of disease, and it is this fact which blinds so many persons, and makes them so ready to believe that it was the diseased condition which attracted, or, as some more ignorantly put it, “ produced,” the lice. Aphida, Irepeat, (Rep. 3, p. 87), must always be the cause rather than the effect of disease. I shall simply add in this connection, as strengthening the position of those who consider Phylloxera the true causeof the mischief, that I never yet found root-lice so abundant as on some California vines belonging to Mr. G. Gill, and which were unusually well cared for and manured. Other persons,-again, have, as might have been expected, insisted that the European insect is not an importation from America, and argued that it may either be a distinct species, either indigenous to both continents, or else may even have been imported from Europe to America. To waive unnecessary detail, I may state that such views are based on fallacious grounds, and that, setting aside theory, and weighing the undeniable facts, the evidence gives overwhelming force to the opposite view —that the insect is a native American, and was originally unknown in EKurope;* and indeed the views expressed in my last report were adopted by M. Plumeau and others, at the recent organization of the French Society for the Advancement of Science, when the Phylloxera occupied much attention. *M. L.Laliman, of Bordeaux, is, perhaps, the most voluminous and influential writer who has espoused the last-mentioned doctrines, in opposition to Lichtenstein, Planchon, myself and others (Annales de la Soc. d’ Agr. du Dep. dela Gironde; Jour. de Viticulture Pratique; La Gironde; La Pro- vence, etc.). Assuming that the insect has always existed in both hemispheres, he quotes M. E. Nourrigat, the President of the Comice of Lunel, as proving that it played hayoe in Germany from 1730 to 1776. There is no proof whatever that the disease which attacked vines in Germany during that epoch, and which likewise affected the Mulberry and other fruit trees, bears any relation to the Phyl- loxera disease in question. The article of M. Nourrigat, referred to, first appeared in the Journal de Lunel, of March 28th, 1871, and describes a disease which, first noticed in Austria, along the Dan- ube, desolated Moravia, Hungary and Germany, and finally penetrated into Alsace; but from the symptoms given, it has plainly no connection whatever with Phylloxera. M. Laliman, to support his views, ventures a theory so visionary and untenable as to presuppose the existence, from time imme- morial, of the Phylloxera on trees and plants, whose disappearance and eradication have caused it, as he believes, to attack the Vine. I presumehe was led to such theories by the fact that a certain root- OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 69 MEANS OF CONTAGION FROM ONE VINE TO ANOTHER. The modes of spreading indicated last year have been fully proved correct. There can be no doubt about the young lice traveling un- der-ground along the roots of the vines, or in any cracks or minute passages in the soil; while 1 had no difficulty last August in finding them crawling over the surface of the ground. Moreover, M. Faucon and M. Gaston Bazille discovered not only the larve, but the winged individuals, passing abundantly over the surface of the earth last Sep- tember, in France, and we thus have evidence that the winged insects make good use of their legs. They have likewise been caught in spiders’ webs, and seen in other situations to which they must have louse was found on wheat in several parts of France the past year, and that other root-lice, sup posed to be Phylloxera, were found by himself and others on the roots of several fruit trees. So there is a well-known root-louse, producing knots on Apple, and others, either little known or unde- seribed, on Purslane, Turnip, Persimmon, and many other plants in this country ; but they are dis- tinct species, and the entomologist will want other proof than is yet forthcoming ere he can believe that Phyllovera vastatriz attacks anything else but the Vine. ButM. Laliman goes still further, and weakens all faith in his deductions, by promulgating the abstract ideas that the soil is impregnated with plant- lice, and that the increase of Phylloxera is in some way due to the destruction of birds. In support of the yiew that the European insect is a distinct species, and was not introduced on American vines, he makes three statements: Ist. He publishes the annexed letter from Mr. Berkman, of Georgia, of whom he obtained his American varieties, to prove that Phylloxera is unknown there: ‘*Tn our region, the Phylloxera is unknown. Riley observed it in 1864 in Missouri; at that time it was injurious to the Clinton; but in fact the plague which ravages our vines is known only to ento- mologists through scientific investigations; vintners do not dream of its presence, and the damage it does is not worth speaking of.’’ 2a. That American vines are not affected exactly alike here and in France, so far as his and my experience go. 8d. That he has distributed American varieties through divers countries where the malady is unknown, without introducing it. None of these statements prove his position. Ist. If the insect is unknown in Mr. Berkman’s section, (the State of Georgia is pretty large, but no postoffice address is given), it only indicates that it was not sent over on his vines, but does not prove that it was not sent from other sections, either to France direct, or via England; while Mr. B.’s mere dixit that Phylloxera is unknown in his region, without attending proof, will have little weight when we refléct that three years ago no one dreamt of the existence of the root-louse in any part of this country. We have, moreover, seen that it does occur as far south as Florida. 2d. The sort of argument that proves the insects of the two continents distinct, because the vines in the two hemispheres are not affected alike, would equally prove that the Oidiwm which so troubles grape-vines in Europe is not the same as ours; for there is good evidence that some of our vines are sorely troubled with it here; whereas, he himself shows that his American varieties are not affected by it there. Yet I know of no mycologist who has studied the subject who doubts the identity of the Oidium Tuckeri Berk. of Europe and America. I have seen what was evidently the same, prevalent in the vineyards of Michigan; but not to rest on my own authority, I may say that Mr. Husmann believes the two identical, andI shall append to this note the testimony of Mr. William Saunders, of Washington. In considering the relative susceptibility of the same varieties in the two countries, defective, imperfect experience and climatic and terrene influences are important factors which have been over- looked by M. Laliman. 3d. The statement that he has sent American varieties to different countries where the malady is unknown without introducing it, would have more force if he had stipulated the varieties sent, and whether, when sent, he observed that their roots were lousy or not. Finally, the same author refers to my writings in a controversial spirit, and makes the same par- donable mistake as have other writers, (see Dr. Le Baron, Prairie Farmen, September 21, 1872; A.H. Trimoulet, Mem. sur la Maladie Nouv. de la Vigne, Bordeaux, 1873, and others) , of considering the ear- lier conclusions, drawn from imperfect knowledge of the insect in America, without taking into account the subsequent and more mature convictions of greater experience. He wonders how I could recommend the destruction of the Clinton one year, and reverse the recommendation the year follow- ing; when acloser reading of my last year’s article would very plainly give him the reason. As to his criticisms of the classification adopted, I attach more importance to recognized American botanical authority than to the opinions of one who even confounds the terms species and genus. M. Laliman also publishes the contents of a letter of inquiry addressed to me, under date of December 14, 1871 70 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT flown; and there is no longer any doubt—as there had_ never existed any in the minds of entomologists—about their flying capacity. On a calm, clear day, the latter part of last June, it was my fortune to witness a closely allied species (Phylloxera caryefolie) of the same size and proportions, swarming on the wing to such an extent that to look against the sun revealed them as a myriad silver specula. They settled on my clothing by dozens, and any substance in the vicinity but either because my answer did not reach him in time, or because it explained away his antecedent objections, and would necessitate their expunging, my answer to said letter does not appear. It is an unprofitable business to have to meet theories and objections which have in themselves little force; but, lest silence should be construed into acquiescence in M. Laliman’s views, I have deemed these few remarks proper, though somewhat irrelevant and of import to but few. While thus reprehending M. Laliman, I heartily covcur in his advice to import from America vines which haye best resisted the Phylloxera, and in the caution urged upon those who would import all the Labruscas. PROOF OF THE OCCURRENCE IN AMERICA OF OIDIUM TUCKERI, OF EUROPE. Communicated by Mr. Wm. Saunders, of the Department of Agriculture. It is now twenty years since I became convinced of the presence of Oidium Tuckeri in this country. Previous to that time Ihad been giving what attention 1 could to the study of mildew —its origin, causes, etc. I early beciume convinced that there were two very distinct forms appearing on the grape-vine, and moreover, that one of these forms was most prevalent in dry weather, and the other in damp weather. It had been ascertained that the foreign grape, even when grown under glass in this climate, was very liable to attacks of mildew; and in all book directions, at that time, as to its culture, sulphur applications were constantly recommended. From its close resemblance to the pea Erysiphe of Europe, that I had often seen in England, attacking peas in dry summers, (and only dur- ing periods of great drouth,) I concluded this mildew, appearing like a white down, or flowry mass, on the upper surface of the leaves of grapes in the glass grapery, and occasionally spreading itself over the young green shoots and berries, was an Erysiphe; I named this in my first published notices (see Phil. Florist, 1852, and Horticulturist, 1855,) as an Erysiphe. I reached this conclusion from other points—notably, the English gooseberry, Persian Lilacs, English hawthorns, oaks, etc. These, when grown in this warm and arid climate, become covered with this same, or a very closely allied form of Erysiphe. Before promulgating this opinion, I had, as has always been and still is my practice, to first verify to my own satisfaction the truth of my statements. Acting upon the theory that this form of mildew was produced on the foreign grape in graperies, as well as oftentimes in the open air, by dryness, I commenced and have since recommended a mode of treatment, which is now generally followed, and which entirely obviates any necessity for sulphur applications, because it prevents the occurrence of the conditions necessary for the growth of this fungus. The treatment is, briefly, to ventilate graperies only from the top of the house, never opening any side sashes that will allow a cur- rent of dry air to come trom the exterior and circulate out at top, carrying with it the moisture of the house; also to maintain a moist atmosphere by keeping the floor of the house constantly damp, and sprinkling water freely on very bright days, so that as the temperature increases the atmospheric mois- ture will also be proportionately increased. When this practice is fairly carried out, no mildew of an Erysiphe kind will make its appearance. I did not then, so far as I now can recollect, connect this mildew with the Oidium of Europe, until later, when it was discovered that the so-called Oidium Tuckeri was simply a form of Erysiphe, or rather a transformation occurring during its growth. (I think that this O:dium or Erysiphe has not yet truited in England.) This led me to further investiga- tions, and proved to me that our Erysiphe was really and truly the Oidium Tuckeri of England, and moreover, that the plant perfected itself fully in this climate. ‘his was my conviction fifteen years ago; recent microscopical investigations prove beyond doubt the correctness of my suppositions. But we very rarely observe this Erysiphe on our native grapes in ordinary vineyard culture, although it is frequently to be found on vines growing in warm, very sunny, sheltered, dry positions, such as may always be found in city yards. Itis not by any means confined to these, however. Last summer we had plenty of it on the leaves of many varieties growing on our trellis here. As already remarked, this mildew shows a powdery appearance on the upper surface of leaves, and frequently forms a somewhat leathery coating on shoots and berries. Its effects are to corrode and prevent the further swelling of the parts attacked. Grapes, for instance, that,are touched by it, will show an in- durated spot, hard and brown, the portions of the berry not attacked will swell out freely, and all that this hurt portion can do is to crack open, which it usually does, and the seeds may frequently be seen to protrude from this crack. But the mildew most injurious to our native grapes is altogether different. This is a Peronospora, and shows itself on the under surface of the leaves, usually looking like a small patch of whitish- brown downy matter. It adheres closely to the leaf, and is a perfect parasite; it destroys the part where it adheres, the sun burns a hole, and it is called blister, leaf-blight, ete. Butif you say that it is mildew—oh, no! Inever had any mildew. Ihave lots of amusing incidents of this kind in my mind. Some whose vines were all but denuded of foliage would still insist that they never had a case of mil- dew, until I convinced them of the facts, and pointed out the mildew to their wondering eyes. Being confined to the under surface of the leaves, it escapes observation. This mildew is encouraged by dampness on the foliage, by continued dump, rainy weather, or even constant heavy dews, followed by still, balmy days; anything in fact that will prevent moisture from quickly leaving the foliage. About 1857, I tried a board covering over a trellis of Catawbas that yearly failed to mature their fruit, owing to the destruction of the foliage during summer by this mildew, and the effect was all that could be desired. In the Agricultural Report for Ts61 you will find this affair figured. This covering prevents the radiation of heat from the plants, consequently they are not rendered so cold as to con- dense upon them the moisture of the air and form dew. mealy matter is secreted from the general Gs 4 vores of the body, but more especially from the sides and around the anus, and then ima- gine this secretion to be more attenuated and more glutinous, and to harden and thicken at the periphery, so as to confine the louse, and cause it to add more and more behind, as it requires more room, we shall get a very good conception of the man- ner in which our Bark louse scale is formed. The newly hatched louse (Rep. 1, Fig. 2, 2) is oblong- Han 0.01 inch long, rather more than half as wile, and one-fourth as thick. It has antenne in which may ordinarily be traced 7 joints ;* legs having a short, one-jointed tarsus, a more or less distinct, but soft claw, and, among other hairs, four at tip, which are knobbed, the upper pair somewhat longer than the lower. The end of the body is bilobed, and furnished with two long hairs or sete. Except a deep yellow spot near each end, the color is yellowish-white. As soon as fixed, there exudes, from the surface of its body, a white waxy powder, which at first is seen in the form of threads, (Rep. 1, Fig. 3, 2), but soon becomes homogeneous. In the formation of this scale I have seen,in this species, quite coarse filaments ex- tending on to the twigs, and in other species I have seen a waxy pre- cipitation, covering the twig for some distance from the insect. This secretion is easily rubbed off or dissolved in alcohol or ether, but if undisturbed, forms a thin fibre on the thickening skin-covering. In a few days the first molt takes place, not as in the ordinary manner with insects, by a series of contractions and extensions which work the old skin to the end of the body from which it is finally freed, but [Fig. 32.] * The 8-jointed figure in my first Report is evidently a mistake, caused by the use of too feeble resolving power, as I have not been able to detect 8 joints in specimens examined more carefully since. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 81 by a sort of loosening and shrinking of the body underneath—all the members, except the proboscis, being shed and abandoned with the skin. Strengthened by thé secretions from the body, this skin forms the larval or first scale, (Fig. 32, A), and the cast-off antennze are more or less easily discerned, as are also the intersections of the body. The legs and anal sete are more thoroughly obliterated, though, by proper manipulation, traces of the former may be found. For the sake of precision, let us now first trace the growth of the female, and afterward that of the maie. As the now memberless and underlying body increases so as to crowd against the inner wall of its carapace, the latter is lifted up at its hind end,and the second or medial scale is soon secreted, as already illustrated (Rep. 1, Fig. 3, 4. Presently, the skin is shed a second time, and mingles with the sec- ond secretion, which thus takes on the form of the body, and shows the insections almost as plainly as in the first scale (Fig. 32,7). Ina short time this second scale becomes too small, and as the inclosed body needs more and more room, this scale, in its turn, is lifted up behind, and the third portion, or shield proper, (anal sack of Mr. Walsh), rapidly forms, by a series of increments, and soon acquires its final shape, which varies considerably, according as the lice are crowded or not, but has more often that of an elongate oyster-shell, and, upon close examination, is seen to consist of about ‘a dozen more or less distinct eccentric layers or strata (Fig.32,7). It is not known whether the female sheds her skin more than twice, but there is no evidence that she does. As pregnancy advances, she loses the jug- shape of her earlier days, (Rep. 1, Fig.3, 5), and becomes more rounded and swollen (Fig. 32, 7). If carefully examined, the proboscis, which is easily overlooked on account of its fineness, will be found to con- sist of a long, thread-like organ, originating from a tubercle on the anterior, inferior surface, (Fig. 32, d). I have often succeeded in ex- tricating it entire, and the end may be seen to be tripartite, though in reality the whole is composed of four pieces.* It is undoubtedly tractile, and, when once inserted, extends, perhaps as much from pure growth as from effort on the part of the animal, for it certainly has no such length in the active larva as it possesses in the adult female. It seems to be the seat of a good deal of nervous force, and quite strong, as it is capable of a serpentine and jerking motion, and when the scale is raised, frequently retains the louse, and prevents her fall- ing to the ground. It is, perhaps, not thrust straight into the bark, but runs just under the more delicate epidermis, in a line with the body of the louse; for such is the case with the White Pine-leaf scale *In former years this sucker was overlooked by myself, as well as by others, though we knew from analogy that itmust exist. After the eye is once trained in special search for it, this sucker may be seen even with a good lens, and appedrs corneous and darker than the body. If not broken off, it is longer than the body, and though usually but three ends can beseen, I have been fortunate enough to separate and discern four pieces close to the base, the two upper corresponding to the upper jaws, (mandibule) , and the two lower to the lower jaws (maville). E.R—6 82 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT presently to be treated of, as Dr. LeBaron has already recorded, (Ills. Rep. 1, p. 30), and as I have myself observed. We shall also notice that the abdominal joints are each furnished at the sides with two or three spines or stiff hairs, and, upon still more careful examination, we shall find the principal pores through which the substance of the scaie is secreted. These have very naturally been overlooked, in the past, by myself and other authors, for they are only visible with great care in the preparation of the specimen, and under the highest microscopic power. I feel quite convinced, from my studies of this and allied species, that a secretion, so subtle and atten- uated as to be invisible, emanates from the general surface; but as is the case so generally with the insects of this and allied families, the bulk of the matter which forms the scale, and particularly the anal portion or shield, is secreted by visible pores upon the posterior por- tion of the body, and which may be noticed.at the intersections of the abdominal joints, but more conspicuously in sets just under and around the anus. These anal sets of pores, or secretors as they may be called, are found to vary in position and number according to the species, and have been made use of by Targioni and Signoret to sepa- rate supposed species which are otherwise not easily distinguishable. The number of pores in the different sets is not, however, constant, as will be seen from the description at the close; and should not, there- fore, be too much relied on when unaccompanied by other differ- ences. After careful examination of several specimens of our apple- tree species, I find the median set to consist most commonly of 10, the upper laterals of 20 each, and the lower laterals of 14 each (Fig. 32, a). ' We thus see that the larval and medial scales differ materially from the anal shield, in that the two former are composed in part of the shed skins, while the latter is apure secretion. From the extreme fineness of the threads from which it is formed, they are invisible to the naked eye, and'so easily ruptured that the louse always appears separate from its shield when the latter is lifted. Yet, with a good lens, the anal threads may sometimes be seen, especially in the pine- leaf scale to be treated of; and, strictly speaking, the louse is truly separated from its shell only when the latter is completed and ovipo- sition begins. We will now trace the growth of the male scale. Up to the for- mation of the larval scale, there is no perceptible difference between ~ the sexes, bit henceforth they are readily distinguished. In the male there is but one other scale formed, and this corresponds not to the second scale of the female, but to the anal shield. It is about twice the length of the larval scale, and though there is a distinct conch- — oidal fracture toward the end, which would indicate a short period of © rest during its formation, no insections or traces of shed skin can be © found. Under this shield the louse gradually becomes a pupa, the OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 83 members budding out, and the delicate larval skin being gradually loosened and detached; when, very soon after, the third molt takes place, and the winged insect retreats from the hind end of his little tenement and seeks his dissimilar mate, who is by nature forever de- barred from enjoying the same aérial liberty. The male covering differs essentially, therefore, from that of the female, not only in being of much smaller size, but in lacking the medial scale. The anal shield seldom exceeds twice the length of the larval scale, while in the female it sometimes extends six or seven times the length of the larval and medial scales together. It is, perhaps, a little more truncated behind and straighter than in the female, of finer texture, and of lighter and brighter color; otherwise, it has the same form (Fig. 31,¢). I have found it quite abundantly both on the uppez and under sides of the leaves, especially along the midrib ; and though it is also found associated with the scales of the other sex, alike on the more succulent and the harder twigs, espe- cially when thickly covered, yet the leaves seem to be its natural dwelling-place. The female, on the contrary—in that part of the country, at least, where there is but one annual brood—seldom settles on these deciduous organs; were she to do so, there would be no security for her eggs, which would drop with the leaf to the ground and perish. How wonderful must be that power which guides the new-born atoms, and allows the short-lived male to wander on to the succulent leaf, while it wisely prompts the female to remain on the more permanent twig! Nor is the wonder diminished in the least, whether we believe the power to be direct from the Supreme and Infinite, or—after finding that it is fallible, and that the female some- times commits the faux pas of settling on the deciduous leaf and fruit, while the male often settles on the twigs—indirect through inheritance and congenital habit! The respective actions being by no means constant, the instinct prompting them can not claim infalli- bility, and may be accounted for on the principles of heredity, as there is a constant weeding out of all such females who chance to depart from those actions required to perpetuate their kind. THE MALE LOUSE. Though, from analogy, all authors have felt that the male of this bark-louse must.have an existence, yet he has never heretofore been discovered or described. During the latter part of June and fore part of July I succeeded in rearing quite a number from scales from Mr. Palmer’s orchard, and the ventral and dorsal figures which I have made (Fig. 31, a d) will convey a correct idea of this interesting little being. The wings appear whitish, and under a high magnifying power are seen to be covered with infinitesimally small hooks or bristles (c). The general color of the body is pale purplish-brown— not unlike the color of the shield which protected him—and, like the $4 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT other gentry of his family, he has no proboscis, (having lost it when shedding the larval skin), but near the place where it naturally would be are a couple of ocular tubercles, which give him the appearance of having four eyes—two above and two below. As Signoret has proved, and as may easily be seen by crushing the head, these tu- bercles are directly connected, by a pigmental substance, with the eyes, and they doubtless convey the power of sight; for the superior eyes can be of little service to the possessor as he crawls over the arched coverings of the other sex. The penis is about as long as the abdomen, and is protected and covered by two valves; and the hind wings are replaced by two fusiform balancers, which terminate in a long, delicate hook, and which hold and give strength to the front wings, which are spatulate in form and traversed with but two veins. Frail and delicate as these little beings appear, they are yet pos- sessed of wonderful nerve-force and wing-power; for the few days of life allotted to them are days of great activity, and in the breeding jar they keep up an almost constant wing-vibration, and are never at rest, except when the temperature is unusually low. In his excellent account of the closely-allied Pine-leaf scale, Dr. LeBaron (Ills. Rep. 1, p. 88) gives expression to the following sen- timent: “ Fixed immovably to the surface on which she reposes, and hid- den from view beneath the shadow of her vaulted carapace, but dimly conscious, we may presume, of some unfilled requirement of her being, the helpless female Coccus awaits the addresses of her unknown and invisible paramour. Nor does she waitin vain. Of all the countless myriads of these lowly creatures which congregate upon the bark of the apple-tree, or whiten with their spotless phylacteries the foliage of the pine, not one, so far as we know, fails to be called to enact the offices of maternity. Nature,in the universality of her providence, takes them in her charge and ministers to their necessi- ties, and no unloved or unfruitful virgin is permitted to languish in the halls of the Coccida.” However beautiful and even rational this view may be in the ab- stract, I have serious doubts of its correctness in point of fact, espe- cially with regard to the Oyster-shell species. Nothing in the past history of this insect has been more noteworthy than the failure on the part of entomologists to discover the male. It is barely possible that this failure may be attributable to negligence and oversight, or that other circumstances may have contributed to it, such as the pro- bable facts that the males hatch out earlier than the females, and that they are naturally less numerous —each being able to serve several females, as Reaumur found to be the case with another species. But with such careful observers as Walsh and Shimer, and with Dr. Le Baron himself, surrounded by infested trees at his home, in Geneva, it would hardly seem probable. When, also, I recall my own observa- tions in past years, in Northern Illinois, and my attempts to solve the OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 riddle of his existence — when I recall the fact that he has likewise remained undiscovered by eastern observers, and that the males of closely allied European species are unknown — the impression becomes irrisistible that these insects are metagenetic, and that, just as in the closely allied plant-lice, (Aphid), they may and do go on multiplying - agamically for a series of generations, and that the male only occa- sionally appears. To strengthen the impression, M. Signoret informs me that M. Balbiani absolutely denies that the presence of the male is necessary in the Lecanides,a subfamily of larger bark-lice. It would aiso seem that in accordance with what appears to be a very general law both among plants and animals,* the male is in some way connected with weakened vitality; for with the very batch of leaves and twigs from which I bred the 3, came the statement that the insects seemed to be dying out, and were less injurious; and, cer- tain it is, that wherever I have found the male scales on the twigs, it was always on such as were so thickly covered with the other scales, that these were two or three thick and many of themaborted. More- over, it is well-known that this bark-louse has, during the past few years, become less and less troublesome in portions of the North-west- ern States, which suffered so much from its injuries ten and fifteen years ago. It seems to have lost vitality, and in carefully examining some trees in the vicinity of Dubuque, lowa, I had no difficulty, last August, in discovering a certain percentage of male scales. However, the question as to whether our Oyster-shell Bark-louse can multiply agamically, or not, is easily settled by a few simple experiments, _ which will doubtless be made by those who have the proper opportu- nities. Even believing, as I do, in agamic multiplication in this case, we may, nevertheless, naturally conclude, from analogy, that there is a limit to it, and that without occasional fecundation, eggs would eventually either become addled,or the female die without giving birth to them; and on this hypothesis we can account for the abortive scales which are often found without any trace of the contents having been destroyed by other agencies. MODE OF SPREADING. Having already (Rep. 1, p. 15) referred to this subject, I allude to it again only because a good deal of wonder has been expressed at the wide extent of this insect’s range, considering that itis active but three or four days in the course of the year. Dr. LeBaron records some interesting observations, which show that the active larve are seldom blown by the wind more than three rods from the outermost branches of a tree, and he thinks that the theories so far propounded * See Rep. 4, p. 65; also an article ‘‘ On the Relation between Organic Vigor and Sex,’’ by ‘Dr. Henry Hartshorne, read before the Am. Ass. for Ady. of Science, at Dubuque, and partly copied in the American Naturalist for December, 1872; also Gardeners’ Monthly, November, 1872,"and {Old and New, February, 1872. 86 ' FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT are inadequate to account for the wide dissemination of the species. It is very clear to me, however, that by aid of winds and their natural powers of locomotion, the lice can soon overrun a large orchard from a given point; and their wide distribution is easily accounted for by the transport of the female scales on scions and nursery stock, to say nothing of the aid they get from birds, flying insects and even running water; for Dr. Shimer has shown that this last may, under favorable circumstances, serve asa means of transportation. Moreover, severe storms, passing over infested districts at theright season, may help to carry them still greater distances.* FOOD PLANTS. Besides the Currant, Plum, Pear, Crab and Persian Lilac,; there is evidence, as we see from Mr. Hanan’s letter, that it will also live on the Cherry and Apricot, while the same, or a closely allied species, occurs on the Elm and Sweet Gum in Mississippi, according to Mr. Merchant; on the Mountain Ash, according to Dr.Shimer (Trans. Ills. State Hort. Soc., 1868, p. 228) and others; on the Dogwood (Am. Ent. II, p. 8334), and on the Ash-leaved Spirea, according to Judge J. G. Knapp, in a paper read before the Madison (Wisc.) Horticultural Society, at its meeting in 1870. In Europe, what has been taken for the same species, is also found on the Dogwood, as well as on the Elm, White Thorn, Medlar and Currant. The rule among the bark-lice seems to be that each species is re- stricted to plants of a given family, and future investigations may show that those existing on trees, which do not belong to the family Rosacee, have structural differences, and are distinct, notwithstanding their superficial resemblance. Such differences may be expected, as will be shown in the closing bibliological remarks. However this may turn out, it is very certain that the species in question, though partial above all things to the Apple, yet shows a preference for some of its many varieties, or at least thrives better on some than on others. Dr. LeBaron mentions the Red Romanite, Red Astrachan, Rambo, Early Harvest, Summer Rose, as being most largely infested, and the * After a thunder storm in the middle of March, Isaw the ground in places in St. Louis sufficiently covered with pollen toappear as though sprinkled with sulphur; and this pollen, upon examination, proyed by its trilobed and oily character, to belong to some pine, and probably to the Long-leayed pine, which was at that time in bloom in the Southern States, and from which it must have been car- ried a distance of at least four hundred miles. This pollen grain is, though aided in floating by the lobes, heavier than the young bark-louse; and numerous other instances of the carrying power of severe storms are on record. + The negative evidence is very strong that the species found on the Persian Lilac is distinct, for some of these shrubs, belonging to Mr. F. Starr, of Alton, Ills., are crowded with the scales, in the im- mediate vicinity of apple trees that have none. Yet from specimens of these scale-covered lilacs, re- ceived from Mr. Starr, and from others examined in other quarters, I can find no superficial differences which would enable me to distinguish the bark-lice thereon from the apple-tree species. t Boisduyal’s Entomologie Horticole, 318; Taschenberg’s Entomologie fuer Gariner and Garten- freunde, 430. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 87 Northern Spy, Maiden’s Blush, Benona, Soulard, Willow Twig, Lowell, and Limber Twig as most free—his observations being made prin- cipally in the orchard of J. W. Robson, of Galena, Ills., where the trees alternated and were similarly situated with respect to outside agencies. I once witnessed a very beautiful and striking illustration of this truth in an orchard belonging to Mr. A. M. Herrington, of Geneva, Il. Though, as already stated, the scales are found upon the wild Crab, they are always so found in sparse numbers, which indicates that the wild apple is not so congenial to the species as many of the culti- vated kinds. Mr. Herrington has an orchard of about a hundred Ohio apple trees, grafted on to crab stock, together with a few of the un- grafted crabs. Scales are found on the grafted parts of almost all the trees, but scarcely one can be found on the crab stock; and in a few instances the grafts are covered right down to the junction with the stock, but do not go beyond. / ENEMIES AND PARASITES. | Besides mites* and lady-birds, the latter of which make ragged holes through the scales, it has long been known that a little Hymen- opterous parasite preyed upon this bark-louse, and in 1854 Dr. Fitch was familiar with its larva, and figured ascale that had been perforated by the mature fly.+ It was not till the year 1870, however, that this fly was really known and described by Dr. LeBaron, who has given such excellent accounts of it,t that I prefer to quote his experience *These mites may generally be distinguished from the young bark-louse by having eight legs in- stead of six, though some of them have but six legs in the larva state, and this criterion will not always hold. Moreover, in the 8-legged species the front pair are easily mistaken for antenne. We must therefore look for other distinguishing traits, and we find them in the relative position of the legs, the third pair in the mites always being widely separated from the two front pair, while in the bark- lice they are all equidistant. The mites are also more transparent and polished than the lice. There are doubtless several mites which destroy the lice, and while one of the 8-legged forms has been de- [Fig. 33.] scribed as Acarus ? malus by Dr. Shimer, he has proposed the name ; \ of A. Walshii (Trans. Ills. Hort. Soc. 1869, p. 281) for the 6-legged ; form, but without description ; and indeed descriptions, unless accompanied with habits, development and variation, amount, in these cases, to very little. I present, herewith, (Fig. 33), a side and ventral view of the species which so effectually destroyed the contents of the Georgian scales, in order that the reader may get a correct notion of the ap- pearance of these mites. It may be a form of the Acarus? malus of Shimer, but differs from his description in being almost four times, instead of twice, as long as broad, as well as in other details. The head and the limbs are yellowish, and more horny than the rest of the body, which is white. Four prominent hairs are seen from be- hind; and when the animal is crawling, 2 dorsal yiew discerns but six legs, the posterior pair being smallest and apparently of little use, as they are generally curled up, as in the figure (a). The ends of the legs are flexile, and are spread out in the form of dises in the act of walking. If apparently belongs to the genus Derme leichus. TIN. ep. 0s poh. t Am. Ent. I, pp. 360-2: Ist Ills. Ent. Rep. pp. 34-9. &8 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT in his own words; especially as I have had no opportunity of making personal observations upon it. It belongs to the extensive family ve Emer a Chalcidida, which com- prises insects of small size, characterized chiefly by their jumping power and parasitic \S ™ \" habit. The species in ques- Ww \ A tion was described ( Amer. Ent. WU, p. 360) under the name of Aphelinus mytilasprdis from the female sex only, the male being yet undiscovered. Her habits are thus recorded by Dr. LeBaron: VAs In the course of a series of observations upon the Apple-tree Bark-louse, during the past season, it has been my good fortune to trace the history of this interesting little insect, which, if it has ever been seen before, has not been identified, and whose very existence has been only a matter of inference from the visible marks of its beneficent operations. In the early part of the season, while examining the lice upon an apple tree, I noticed two or three little yellow Chalcides running along the infested twigs, which I conjectured might be the parasites of the Bark-louse, but had no proof that this was the case. But about the first of August, upon raising one of the scales, I happened to uncover one of these insects in the last stage of its transformation. Its wings were not yet unfolded, but it ran so rapidly that I had some difficulty in keeping it within the field of the lens. As soon as it paused long enough to be examined, it was easily recognized as a Chalcis by its general aspect, and especially by the peculiar vibratile motion of its short geniculate antenne. Having once become familiar with its appearance, I have had no - difficulty in capturing, in the latter part of August and September, all the specimens I desired on the infested trees. I have repeatedly watched the female Chalcis in the act of inserting her ovipositor through the scale of the Bark-louse, for the purpose of depositing her egg in the cell beneath. She always places herself transversely with respect to the scale. Sometimes she mounts upon it, and then her tiny body is seen to be considerably less in length than the width of the scale. Usually she backs up upon it only so far as to bring the tip of her abdomen about opposite the middle of the scale. Then. bringing her ovipositor down perpendicular to her body, she forces it through the scale by a series of boring or short plunging motions. Having accomplished this, she remains stationary for many minutes, while by some invisible intestine motion the egg is carried down the ovipositor and deposited beneath the scales. So absorbed is she in this delicate operation, upon the successful accomplishment of which not only her own hopes, but those of the horticulturist, so largely depend, that nothing can deter her from it. In one instance, having drawn down a branch of an apple tree, I discovered a Chalcis in the act of depositing. While holding the branch in one hand, and view- ing the insect through a lens held in the other, the branch slipped through my fingers and flew back with violence to its place. Drawing it down again, the twig I had hold of broke, and it flew back a second time. I supposed that that observation had, ef course, been brought to an abrupt termination. But, upon drawing down the limb the third — OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 89 time, there stood my little Chaleis as immovable as a statue at her post. She may be touched with the finger while thus engaged, or even crushed, as I have often inadvertently done in my attempts to capture her, but nothing short of this actual violence can move her from her position. With such wonderful perseverance and devotion do these living atoms of creation perform their allotted part in the complicated economy of nature. The egg thus deposited hatches into the little footless larva pre- viously mentioned. This larva isso admirably described by Dr. Fitch, in a single sentence, that I can not do better than copy his descrip- tion: “Under these scales I have repeatedly met with a small mag- got, three-hundredths of an inch long, or frequently much smaller, of a broad oval form, rounded at one end and tapering to an acute point at the other. soft, of a honey-yellow color; slightly translucent and shining, with an opaque brownish cloud in the middle, produced by alimentary matter in the viscera, and divided into segments by faintly impressed transverse lines.” (Fig. 34, c.) The only motion of which this small grub is capable is a slight extension and contraction of its body, particularly at the two extrem- ities, by which its form is correspondingly modified. There is usually but one larva under each scale, and I have never seen more than two. In the earlier part of the season it is seen ad- hering to the body of the Bark-louse, but later it is found in the midst of the eggs or their remains. The Chalcis-fly itself is a beautiful object under the microscope. Its length is a little less than half a line, or about one-twenty-fifth of an inch, thoughI have captured afew specimens considerably smaller, being but little more than one-third of a line. I at first supposed that these smaller individuals were males, but all the specimens that I have examined have proved to be females. Their color is a uniform pale lemon yellow. Tbe only variation from this coloris in the minute mandibles, which are reddish brown. There are three coral red occelli on the summit of the head, and the ovipositor, which lies in a groove on the underside of the abdomen, exhibits a slight reddish tint. The wings are thickly beset, over nearly their whole surface, with bristly points, and their margin is ornamented with a long fringe. But a better idea of the appearance of this little insect will be obtained from the magnified figures which accompany this article (Fig. 34 @ showing perfect fly, & the greatly magnified antenna, and ¢ the larva) than from any verbal description. By observations, made as late as the first week in November, the opinion is confirmed that the Chalcis of the Bark-louse has two broods in ayear. By the middle of September we find many of this year’s scales pierced with the round holes through which the first brood of Chalcides has escaped; and late in the fall we find, under about an equal number of scales, the fully-grown larve of the second brood, sometimes with the eggs of the Bark-louse.upon which they have sub- sisted all consumed, and sometimes with afew remaining; and in this state they undoubtedly pass the winter. This second brood must ap- pear in the winged form early enough next summer to deposit the eggs from which the first brood of next year will proceed. Dr. LeBaron found that in 1870, in different orchards in DuPage county, Lllinois, only one in fifteen of the scales examined contained healthy eggs—so effectually has this little Aphelinus, assisted by | other enemies, such as mites and lady-birds, done its work 90 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT This little parasite, which works for the most part unseen but none the less effectually, and which so materially aids man in pro- tecting his apple-trees, is, fortunately, easily introduced into sections of the country not yet favored with it, and may, no doubt, be colo- nized wherever its natural prey flourishes. The second brood sleeps away the winter in the larva state, sheltered by the scale intended to protect the bark-louse eggs; and twigs thus freighted with our little sheltered friends may easily be carried from one part of the country to another, or even to a foreign land. The torpid condition of the larva will insure its safe transportation in winter, and its presence may not only be surmised by the smooth holes in the deserted scales which are found in orchards where this Aphelinus abounds, but may be positively ascertained by careful lifting of a few parasitized scales. To colonize the parasite, all that is necessary is to tie such parasitized twigs on to trees which it is required to protect, and the microscopic flies will issue at the proper season and carry on their good work, unconscious of the carrying process which man had submitted them to during their larval dormancy. Dr. LeBaron has already made some efforts to introduce this parasite around Galena, Ills., where, as he ascertained, it did not previously occur; and I shall take steps the coming season to introduce it into Clark and Wright counties in our own State. REMEDIES. I have little to add to the advice given in 1868. ‘The importance of critical examination, before planting, of all young trees and scions, or of applying some simple remedy when the young lice are hatching, can not be too strongly urged; and, as a rule which will hold very generally true, it may be stated that the young begin to hatch just about the time the blossom falls and the fruit begins to set. Let those who prefer to work toward eradicating the pest in winter time (as many no doubt will, on account of the leafless state of the trees and the greater leisure which most fruit-growers have at that season) vig- orously prune and scrape the infested trees; and afterward apply some of the oily applications previously reeommended. As aremedy not previously named, I would mention linseed oil, which has been used with marked and beneficial results in Grundy county, Ills. Many persons have been deterred from using greasy or oily sub- stances on their trees from'a fear of evil consequences resulting to the trees; but there is nothing more certain than that, judiciously applied in early spring after the sap begins to flow, these applications do not injure trees; while they are effectual, more especially when applied at such season or during thawing weather, in killing the eggs under the scales—the oily particles being absorbed through and under . the scales, and destroying the eggs as soon as touched. The follow- ing experiment, performed by Dr. LeBaron, and which I quote from his second Report, will give confidence to the hesitant: OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 9T “On the 30th of March, the buds not having yet expanded, I selected six thrifty five-year-old apple-trees, of three different varie- ties, and applied to two of them simple lard, greasing over every part of the trees, trunk, branches and twigs. To two others kerosene oil was applied in the same manner. ‘To the other two linseed oil was. applied; but in this case, to vary the experiment, the terminal twigs were omitted. None of these trees were eventually damaged by the applications. Upon those to which the lard and linseed oil were ap- plied, no effect was perceived. They leafed out as early and looked as well as other trees standing beside them. The kerosene, as might have been anticipated, acted more severely. It killed or seriously damaged all the first buds, and the trees were several weeks later in leafing out than the others; but at-an examination of them on the 5th of July, no difference could be seen in the quantity or healthiness. of the foliage from that on the other trees. One effect of the kero- sene is deserving of notice. The check thus given to one of these trees had an effect similar to girdling or root-pruning, namely, that of throwing it into premature bearing—this tree producing an apple though still standing in the nursery row. Mr. Palmer has used hot lye, applied with a brush, soon after the- lice hatch, to the trunk and limbs as far as he could reach, with good results. The injury to the foliage is only temporary. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE. Generic NamMe.—This insect, ever since the publication of Dr. Asa Fitch’s first N. Y. Report, has been known, in American entomo- logy, by the technical name of Aspidiotus conchiformis (Gmélin). The genus Aspidiotus was erected, in 1833, for those species living under a scale, by Bouché, a German entomologist; and our insect has been referred to it; but this author paid little regard to the work of those who preceded him, and the genus Diaspis, which covers the characters of conchiformis, had already been erected by Costa in 1827. Costa’s name, therefore, has priority, though his observations were superficial and unreliable. In 1868 (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc., Vol. I, pp. 361-374) Dr. Henry Shimer, of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, proposed still a new genus, ( Lepidosaphes), and even a new family, founded on cer- tain characters of this insect. Dr. Shimer appears to have been un- acquainted with the work:that had been and was being done in the same field by other authors. His generic name might have been adopted, had not another genus already been erected for it, and em- ployed by Targioni and Signoret. As for the other characters men- tioned by Dr. Shimer, and supposed to be of family value—viz: (1) the scale constructed by, and separated from, the insect; (2) no tarsal claw; and (3) the possession of digituli—they are easily disposed of. (1) The separation of the scale had already suggested to Bouché his genus Aspidiotus ; (2) the tarsal claw I have plainly seen, and though blunt and soft in the larva, it is quite conspicuous and more per- fect in the male;* (3) the digituli, or knobbed hairs, are common. *See Fig. 31, d. 92 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT attributes of the Coccida, and precisely similarly knobbed hairs are found at the antennal extremities of some species—e. g. Lecanium aceris (Schrank), auwctore Signoret. Mons. V. Signoret, of Paris, has lately been engaged on an elabo- rate monographic revisiont of the insects of this family. This distin- guished author has, perhaps, devoted more time to the Coccide than any one living; and in his admirably illustrated essay, with copies of which he has favored me, the Cocczdw are divided into four distinct subfamilies, distinguished by the more obvious characters, as follows: 1.—DIASPIDES :—Species covered with a scale composed of successive moltings, and of a secretion forming a shield or sack more or less independent of the body of the animal. ‘ Nine genera are included in this subfamily, but the scales may all be re- duced to two principal types, viz: Those with rounded shields, like an oyster- shell, with the larval scale in the center; and those with more lengthened shields, in the form of a large comma, or of a muscle-shell, and having the larval scale at one end. Among the latter is the genus Mytilaspis, to which our apple-tree species, under consideration, belongs, and which is characterized by the male and female shields having much the same form. 2.—BRACHYSCELIDES :—Species living in gall-like or tube-like ererescences. These insects are, so far as known, confined to Australia. 3.—LECANIDES :—Species either naked or inelosed, or simply covered with waxy, calcareous or filamentous secretions ; and in which the female, after fecundation, generally acquires an entirely different form to that which she previously possessed, and becomes fixed. Before pregnancy, they have the power to move, if necessary. A number of genera are included in this subfamily, some of which, ap- proaching in some characters to the Diaspides, have been separated by ‘Tar- gioni, under the name of Lecanio-diaspides. / 4.—CocciwEs :—Species retaining to the end the body-form, with all its joints distinct. They never become necessarily fixed, and are either naked or more or less covered with waxy or spumous matter, arranged generally in filaments. Speciric Name.—In considering the specific name of this insect, we meet with the same difficulty which constantly presents itself to the conscientious student of animal life, especially in its lower forms ; and there can be no stronger argument in favor of the mutability of species than this difficulty experienced in properly defining them. All nature is a whole, and our classificatory divisions, though very essential to enable us to study and understand her, have hardly a more real existence than the divisions by which we measure time. With partial knowledge, only, of her facts, it is easy to separate and draw distinctionsin the cabinet; but deeper knowledge of these facts often begets doubt and difficulty, as to these distinctions, and shows the unnaturalness of strict and fast definitions. With our bark-lice, as already stated, it has been customary to consider the forms found on different plants as distinct species. No + Essai sur les Cocheniiles, in Annales dela Soc. Ent. de France, commencing in 1868. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 93 other course could well have been taken, considering our imperfect knowledge of them in the past; but itis evidently a very artificial one. We now know that some of the larger species thrive on plants of widely different families, and a correct knowledge of the present rela- tions of these bark-lice will first be had, when, by prolonged experi- ence and deeper search, we understand all the more minute structural differences; the variation resulting from phytophagism or cause what- soever, and the male as well as female characters. It has generally been supposed that our Oyster-shell Bark-louse is the same species originally mentioned by Reaumur, in 1738, (Mem. Tom., rv, p. 60), and found in Europe on the Elm. Doubts have existed as to the identity of the two, because of the difference of food-plant; but his account and description of the insect itself agree otherwise with ours. In 1762 Geoffroy described a species supposed to be the same, by the name of arborum-linearis, and twenty-six years after- ward Gmélin'gave the name conchiformis to what has also been con- sidered the same insect. Geoffroy’s name has been very generally ignored, because of its non-conformity to existing rules of scientific nomenclature, and of the inappropriateness of the term, if intended for our apple-tree species. In 1851 Bouché (Stett. Ent. Zeitung xu, No. 1) gave to a similar species, occurring on the Apple in Europe, the name of pomorum, which has either been considered synonymous with the others, or entirely ignored by most subsequent authors. Signoret, in the second part of the essay already referred to, consid- ered all these names synonymous; but he subsequently changed his mind, and in the sixth part of his essay he has employed each of the three names for what he considers distinct species, and has charac- terized them as follows: M. linearis (Geoff.) is found on the Linden, and is supposed to differ from conchi- formis by the shield being long, more or less straight, of a yellowish-brown color, and generally covered with a soot-like substance ; by the female being nearly as broad be- fore as behind, and by the secretors on the anal plate being nearly continuous, the middle set with 6 or 7, the upper laterals with 10 or 12, and the lower laterals with 9 or 10. The @ is unknown. M. conchiformis (Gmélin) is the species found on Elm, and which differs in no respect from the apple species, except in the number of anal secretors possessed by the female, the median set composed of 6 or 7, the upper laterals of 8 or 9, and the lower laterals of 5 or 6. Signoret says that the male scale is of a pale yellow, and with straight and parallel sides, while the male is described, from a mutilated specimen, as pale gray, with the antennz appearing short. M. pomorum (Bouché) is the species found on Apple, and it differs from the pre- ceding, principally in the median set of secretors in the female being composed of 17, the upper laterals of 17, and the lower laterals of 14. The eggs are described by Signoret as being of a deep red, and the antennze of the active larva as 6-jointed. The scale has the same form, but is described as brownish-black, with a portion of the ‘apical border white and more oblong.’”? Bouché, in characteristic German, describes it as ham-muscle-shaped (schinkenmuschelférmig), slightly bent, and with the pointed end, and edge of broad end, yellowish. He also describes the eggs as red brown, and mentions the food-plants as “Apple, Pear, Plum, Dogwood, etc.” 94 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT It will be seen that in thus distinguishing these three species, M. Signoret attaches a great deal of importance to the number of anal secretors. Judged by this criterion, our own insect, under considera- tion, can not be referred to either species, and is consequently unde- scribed. The name being appropriate, it would have pleased me to refer it to Bouché’s yomorum, and in the secretors it comes nearer to that than to the other species; but aside from the difference in the secretors, the difference in the color of the eggs is an insuperable objection, as I find this character the most constant. Noticing that in his generic diagnosis M. Signoret says that the eggs of Mytilaspis are always either white, yellowish or grayish, and knowing that those of our species, though normally pure white, become discolored and ferruginous when eddled or otherwise injured, and are always yellow- ish just before hatching, it struck me that this author might have made a mistake in describing those of pomorum as “ deep red.” And, in fact, after examination of specimens of our insect received from me in 1870, he was inclined to think the two identical, and that he had made amistake. But there is Bouché’s original description, in which the eggs are distinctly described as red brown, and which effectually separates the two forms; and as conchiformis is properly relegated by Signoret to the species on the Elm, and may be considered distinct, not only on account of the differences indicated above, but of the negative evidence that our apple-tree species does not affect the Elm, there seems no other course left but to give our insect a new name. I have little doubt that the species occurring on the Apple in England, and treated of by “ Ruricola” (Jno. Curtis) in the Gardeners’ Chron- icle, 1843, p. 736, under the common name of “Apple-tree Mussel-scale or Dry scale,” and the scientific name of Aspidiotus conchiformis, is the same as our pomicorticis; for though the mother louse is de- scribed as “fleshy-green” and “ yellow-green,” the eggs are said to be white, and the size, form and habit otherwise coincide. The same may be said of the European apple tree species mentioned by Bois- duval and by Taschenberg, who describe the eggs as white. Now, these four bark-lice certainly bear sufficient resemblances ~ to be mistaken for one species; and whether they really constitute but one species, merely varieties of one species, or four genuine species, according to the usual acceptation of the term, can only be definitely ascertained when the males of all are known, and when, by experiment, it is found that the one can not live upon the food-plants of the other. The female scale averages 0.10 No MN in length, andis completed in about 1 three weeks; the median part is Sf a little darker than the larval, and N° the anal shield has an even, white surface. It differs materially in form, according to the kind of pine itinhabits, being broader and more curved on the broader-leaved spe- cies, (Fig. 35, d), but usually narrow, and with a very slight curve on one side, on the White Pine (Fig. 35, c). The female herself presents very much the same appearance as figure 32, d, except in being red. The form is more lengthened, and there are not the strong bristles on the lobes of the abdominal joints. The margin of the anal plate is, also, less deeply notched, and the tubular secretors near it form a more regular row. The minute circular secretors are compact, the median set composed of 7-10, the upper laterals of 12-20, and the lower laterals of 14-18—the upper and lower laterals sometimes blend- ing. The newly-hatched female lice are instinctively prompted to mi- grate to the terminal and more permanent foliage, so as not to be borne to the ground themselves, or permit their eggs to be so carried to destruction, on the more basal leaves; while, as we have seen, the shorter-lived males, which are soon destined to become active again, fix themselves indifferently on the older foliage. The same end is attained on the part of the female as in the case of the Oyster-shell species, though a converse action is required in its attainment. TWO-BROODED. The Pine-leaf Scale-insect produces atleast two broods each year, even in the more northern regions, where the Oyster-shell Bark-louse is single-brooded. Furthermore, the hatching is much more irregular than in the last-named species, so that it is difficult, if not impossible, to establish any definite period which shall separate the two broods. Neither am I sure that there are not more than two annual broods in the latitude of St. Louis; at all events, during the fore part of July the insect may be found in every stage of development, from the newly fixed larva to the full-formed and egg-covering female scale; 100 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT while as late as the first of October, females may be found which have not yet deposited ; and even in the winter time many dried bodies are discovered, more or less completely filled with eggs, and indicating that they were overtaken by frost and killed before having accom- plished the great end of their life. CONFINED TO THE PINES PROPER. From observations extending over several years, I conclude that this scale flourishes on trees belonging to the genus P2nus only, as I have never found it on the allied spruces or firs, or on any trees belong- ing to the other genera of the Pine family. The Red Pine (P. resin- osa), the Bhotan Pine (P. excelsa), and the Yellow Pine (P. mtzs), are affected almost as badly as the White Pine; while the Cembra Pine (P. cembra) I have found, in two instances, still more susceptible to it. It occurs only sparsely on the Pyrenaian Pine (P. pyrenaica) and the Corsican Pine (P. laricio); while on the Scotch Pine (P. sy/- vestris), the Austrian Pine (P. austriaca), and the P. pumilio, it likewise occurs sparsely, and the scales are broader. NATURAL ENEMIES. There is no evidence that mites attack this species as they do the preceding, but the smooth holes made by a little Chalcid which has not yet been bred, but which is either the Aphelinus mytilaspidis LeB., or a closely allied species, may frequently be noticed in the scales. The larvze of certain small ladybirds belonging to the genus Scymnus, with their dense and even clothing of white cottony tufts,* feed alike on the Bark-lice and upon a woolly Aphid ( Chermes pini- corticis, Fitch) which ofttimes covers the bark, and is frequently found in conjunction with the leaf-scale. . Certain unbred Lace-wing flies (Chrysopa) are also quite com- mon, and their white, spherical, silken cocoons (see Rep, 1, Fig. 20, c), which are fastened to the twigs, should never be destroyed. The Twice-stabbed Ladybird ( Chilocorus bivulnerus Muls., Rep. 1, Fig. 4) may frequently be found crawling over the scale-infested trees, and is most efficient in checking the increase of the Coccids. Both the beetle and its gray and prickly larve feast upon the lice, and require great numbers of such minute animals to appease their appetites. I have often colonized a dozen or more larve on to a badly affected young tree, and the rapidity with which they clear such a tree is both interesting and satisfactory. I have previously shown how these prickly larve gather together and attach themselves in clusters when about to assume the pupa state, and how the pupa remains pro- * [have bred Scymnus consobrinus Lec., and S. cervicalis Muls., from larve thus found, and Dr. Shimer has found 8. terminatus Say, under similar conditions (Trans. Am. Ent. Soe. I, p. 385). A somewhat larger but similar larva found upon infested trees produces, as I have some reason to be- lieve, the Hyperaspis normata, Say. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 101 tected by the larval skin, which merely splits on the back and is loosened from the inclosed body, instead of being entirely worked off behind, as is the normal fashion with insects. On apple-trees, they usually crowd together on the rougher portions of the trunk, where the general similarity in color to the surroundings renders them sufficiently inconspicuous; but on the pines, they more frequently congregate around the ends of the twigs, which then appear as if covered with prickly burs, reminding one strongly, as Dr. Fitch well observes, of the ripened spikes of the Hounds-tongue ( Cynoglossum oficinale), and presenting a decided nole-me-tangere aspect. The manner in which this memberless pupa shrinks and separates from the armed and membered larval skin furnishes a good illustra- tion of that in which the larval scale of the Bark-louse itself is formed; and, were the skin ruptured below and behind instead of above and before, and strengthened by a secretion from the retreat- ing body, the analogy would be perfect. As I have found the full- grown larva as early as the first of April, there is every reason to believe that the Twice-stabbed Ladybird hibernates both as larva and beetle. Still another insect of this family, namely, the Painted Ladybird (Coccinella picta Randall), I have discovered preying on our Pine- [Fig. 37] leaf scale, as well as on the afore-named Chermes. The beetle (Fig. 37 c, enlarged; 6, natural size) is of a pale clay-yellow or straw color, marked with black as in the figure; and its dusky-brown and pale-yellow larva (Fig. 37, a) has never before ® been connected with it or described. Hence I sub- join the following description: CoccINnELLA picts Randall.—Larva—Form normal, rather stout, 0.36 inch long when full grown; 12 joints, exclusive of head. Color dark sooty-brown, with a medio- dorsal pale yellow stripe, narrowing at each extremity, broadening posteriorly on thoracie joints, and brightest on joint 3; a similarly pale lateral stripe. The ordinary tubereles—4 dorsal rows on abdominal joints, the two each side coalescing on the tho- racic joints—polished black, with short bristle-stubs. Described from 3 specimens. Pupa—naked and suspended. No description taken. It is not so numerous as the Twice-stabbed Ladybird, which is, perhaps, to be accounted for by the fact that its helpless pupa is not protected by any such mimic chevauz-de-frise. REMEDIES. Few trees suffer more from the loss of their leaves during sum- mer than do the pines. Mr. Thos. Meehan, though not supported by many other botanists, considers that, physiologically, they are not true leaves, but half leaf, half branchlet; and, however much truth there may be in such a view, it is certain that they can not be replaced by new ones, as true leaves often can. But I have experimentally 102 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT proved that, if done in the spring, just at the time or a little after the new year’s growth commences, all the old leaves of strobus may be stripped withimpunity. Itstands to reason that with small trees which are affected with the Leaf-scale, and which admit of being thus stripped, this is one of the most efficient means of exterminating the lice. Asan experiment, I thus stripped two young trees belonging to Mr. Wm. T. Essex, of Kirkwood, and prevented the lice from extending to the newer growth. In this manner the trees recuperated, though so near unto death at the time that Mr. E. was quite willing to risk the operation. By the second year they presented a healthy and clean ap- pearance. This remedy, where it can be employed, has the advantage of being thorough, and of enabling us to save the natural enemies,. just enumerated, from the destruction which awaits the lice. The White Pine holds its leaves a little over two years on older trees—somewhat longer on younger ones; but as on badly infested trees the old leaves are already well-nigh exhausted, their loss is not. so much felt. Moreover, the lowermost branches are always most thickly covered with the lice, and it will often happen that the top of the tree will not need stripping. I have already stated that large trees on which this remedy would be impracticable do not suffer from the scale to the same extent as do smaller ones; so that where the remedy is most needed it canbe applied. Care must be had to collect and burn all the detached leaves, and the operation should only be performed after the new growth of leaves has commenced, but before any of the female lice have settled thereon. Powdered or liquid applications, intended to kill the young lice, are of little use, because, as we have seen, the latter do not all hatch out within a few days, as with the Oyster-shell species; but so irregu- larly as to necessitate continued applications throughout the greater part of the growing season, if intended to reach them all while young: and unprotected by scales. For this reason, applications, to be of any value, must be of such a nature as to allow of being dusted or syringed over the trees; and must also have some caustic or penetrating pro- perties, so as to destroy life under the scales, and reach these last in the protective groove in which they more generally dwell. I have tried carbolic soap with not very satisfactory results, except where it was used strong enough to kill all the leaves; and one tree thus. treated, when the new growth was starting, recoyered, and was freed of lice, but was evidently injured more than those which had been stripped, as I was for some time in doubt whetherit would live or not.. Dr. LeBaron has made applications of common fish brine, diluted at the rate of one pint to two gallons of water, or made twice as strong;. also strong soap-suds, and unleached ashes dusted onto the trees when moist; but while none of them materially injured the trees, they none of them entirely exterminated the lice. Oily solutions, as with the Oyster-shell species, would doubtless prove most effectual here,. — OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 103 and those who have trees badly troubled with this “ white malady,” and can aiford to risk destruction of them, should experiment in this direction. My friend, M. L.‘Dunlap, of Champaign, Ills., who had cer- tain trees in front of his house which were once badly attacked, as- sured me that he had saved and cleared them by repeated syringing with cold water; but I am much inclined to think that natural agen- cies played a more important part than the cold water in producing the result. THE HICKORY BARK-BORER— Scolytus Carye@ Riley. (Ord. Cotznorrersa, Fam. ScoryTip#.) [Fig. 38.] 34 Last summer I received the - Nh _ following descriptive letter : ! Dear Str: LI inclose you to- ew | oes in a newspaper, a section \4'\! of bark of shell-bark hickory. 4: Tree stood ina cornfield on this ‘| iy ‘*Chouteau Claim;” was dead- ie) | ' ened, and large portions of the bark’ came off, revealing the | whole body of the tree covered | with marks engraved in the | hard wood—fac- similes of the Ais Vi making the tree look as if flow- '\|\'a\ ers were photographed all over 74 it, but flowers all of one kind. p \ 1 found in some of the channels i suppose, did this regular work. There was invariably, as far as I could observe, a hole through the bark, at the base of each of the longitudinal channels leading to the cross-channel. We removed large sections of bark already quite loose, and the entire inside was covered like the piece I send. I propose to have the tree cut down, and to preserve sections of it. Yours, truly, N. W. BLISS. Kineston Furnace, WAsHINGTON Co., July 2, 1872. The insect referred to by Mr. Bliss is the Hickory Bark- borer, first described from the female only, under the name of Scolytus carye, 104 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT in the Prairie Farmer of February 2d, 1867. I first became acquainted with the injurious nature of this beetle, through Mr. Arthur Bryant, of Princeton, Illinois, and the case of Mr. Bliss is the first on record of its doing damage in Missouri. The following passages from a letter received in 1867, from Mr. Bryant, convey an idea of the loss the insect has occasioned him, and contain some facts regarding its mode of working: I send you, by express, some pieces of wood and bark containing a worm which has for some years been destroying the hickory-trees on my farm. The trees grow on a strip of rich soil, striking the prairie on the east side of the forest, bordering the Bureau River. When I settled here, thirty-three years since, this tract was covered with bushes, with a few scattered trees, and was annually ravaged by fire. Since then a tall, dense growth of thrifty young timber, mostly bitter- nut hickory, (Carya amara), has grown up. The insect commenced its ravages about ten years since, and has killed many hundreds of fine young trees. It has sadly thinned my beautiful grove, and bids fair to destroy all the hickory trees init. It is found in other locali- ties in this vicinity. I first detected the insect in its winged form in September, 1855. Noticing some small holes, newly bored, in the smooth bark of a hickory-tree, I found, on examination, in each hole a small black beetle, which subsequent investigation satisfied me was the parent of the mischief. The mode of operation appears to be as follows: Boring through the bark, the insect forms a vertical chamber next to the wood, from half an inch to an inch in length, on each side of which it deposits its eggs, varying in number from twenty to forty or fifty in all. The larvae, when hatched, feed on the inner bark, each one follow- ing a separate track, which is marked distinctly on the’wood. Some trees contain them in such numbers that the bark is almost entirely separated from the wood. In many cases the upper part of the tree is killed a year or two before the lower part is attacked. The insect has continued its ravages, and doubtless will do so until Mr. Bryant’s entire grove is destroyed. Through the kindness of Mr. Bryant I have, since 1867, been able to fully study the habits of the species. There is, in Europe, a very closely allied beetle (Scolytus destruc- tor) known to attack the Elm. It was for a long time a contested question as to whether this insect ever attacked healthy trees, and there were not wanting men of repute who considered it the effect rather than the cause of disease.* But Mr. Spence long ago discov- ered that though the female is probably seldom guilty of depositing her eggs in healthy, vigorous trees, both she and the male bore into such trees for food, thereby causing an unhealthy state of the tree, by which it is rendered an agreeable nidus for the insect. The habits of our Hickory Scolytus are similar to those of the Elm; but while, according to the best authority, the vertical channels formed by the *See Westwood, in Gardeners’ Magazine, (Eng.), Vol. XIV, p. 363. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 105 female of S. destructor are generally about two inches long, those of S. carye are seldom more than one inch. The natural history of the Hickory Bark-borer may be thus summed up: It seems not to be very particular about the kind of hickory it attacks, as, besides the Bitter-nut and Shell-bark, (alba), there is good evidence that it affects the Pecan,* (oliveformis); and Dr. A. H. Barber, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, has favored me with specimens, and an account of its injuries to the Pig-nut Hickory (porcina). The beetles issue the latter part of June and fore part of July. Both sexes bore into the tree—the male for food, and the female mostly for the purpose of laying her eggs. In thus entering the tree, they bore slantingly and upward, and do not confine themselves to the trunk, but penetrate the small branches and even the twigs. The entrance to the twig is usually made at the axil of a bud or leaf, and the chan- nel often causes the leaf to wither and drop, or the twig to die or break off. The female, in depositing, confines herself to the trunk or larger limbs, placing her eggs each side of a vertical chamber, as described by Mr. Bryant. Here she frequently dies, and her remains may be found long after her progeny have commenced working. The larve bore their cylindrical channels, at first, transversely and diverging, (Fig. 38,1), but afterward lengthwise along the bark (*)—always crowding the widening burrows with their powdery excrement, which is of the same color as the bark. The full-grown larva (Fig. 38, 4 natural size and enlarged) is soft, yollowish and without trace of legs. The head is slightly darker, with brown jaws, and the stigmata so pale that they are with difficulty discerned. It remains torpid in the winter, and transforms to the pupa state about the end of the follow- ing May. The pupa (Fig. 38, 5) is smooth and unarmed, and shows no sexual differences. The perfect beetle issues through a hole made direct from the sap-wood, and a badly infested tree looks as though it had been peppered with No. 8 shot. The sexes differ widely from each other, the male having spines on the truncated portion of the ab- domen, not possessed by the female. The eggs are deposited during the months of August and September, and the transformations are effected within one year, as no larve will be found remaining in the tree the latter part of July. +See Prairie Farmer, August 10th, 1872, where Mr. Smiley Shepherd, of Hennepin, Ills. , writes: ‘‘T have inclosed for your inspection a few specimens of asmall beetle, found boring into the pres. ent year’s growth of the Pecan-hickory. Ialsosend youa package of the spray, that you may see the evidence of depredations in former seasons. This is the fourth year since they were noticed on my trees. The injury done is greater each year than the preceding. The trees can not survive such treat- ment more than one or two years more. They have been planted about thirty years, and were about fruiting.*’ These beetles are referred, by Dr. LeBaron, to Scolytus muticus, Say, and S. 4-spinosus, Say; but, as I have since learned, they were & ¢ of carye. 106 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT I have always found associated with this bark-borer another larger borer, (Saperda discoidea Fabr.),an insect in which the two sexes differ so remarkably, both in size and coloration, that the male was subsequently described as fuscipes by Say, and whose larva, before maturing, penetrates the solid wood. NATURAL ENEMIES. I have bred two interesting parasites from this Scolytus. They both belong to the same subfamily (Braconides) of the Ichneumon- flies as the two parasites of the Plum Curculio, (3d Rep., pp. 24-28), and according to the eminent Hymenopterist, Mr. EK. T. Cresson, to whom I am under obligations for so many favors, they are both unde- scribed. Their larvee, after killing the bark-borers, form little pale cocoons in which to undergo their transformations. The first may be called the Three-banded Spathius. The genus was characterized by Esenbeck, who believed that the insects composing it deposited their eggs in the larve of leaf-eating beetles. Sparuius TRIFASCIATUS, N.Sp.—Q. Average length, 0.18 inch. Color, light-brown. Head pubescent, palpi long and pale; eyes black; ocelli black, contiguous; antennze smooth, pale, and reaching to second abdominal joint. Thorar with sutures dark- brown; legs more or less dusky, the tarsi (except at tip) an annulus at base of tibize, and the trochanters, pale; wings fuliginous, with a white fascia at base, at tip and across outer middle of front wing, including the inner half of stigma, the outer half of which is dark-brown ; middle fascia most clearly defined. Abdomen slightly pubescent at sides and tip; first joint pale, petiolate, and with short and longitudinal aciculations above ; second joint pale above, the others more or less brown; ovipositor pale, dusky at tip, and as long as abdomen. - One bred specimen. ¢—Differs in being much darker colored, the head, thorax and femora being brown and the metathorax and base of first abdominal joint black. One bred specimen. The second is a fly of about the same size, and belongs to the ge- nus Bracon. Mr. Cresson has described it in MS., and I append his description : BRACON SCOLYTIVORUS, Cress.—?—Black, shining, metathorax and base of ab- domen pubescent; face, anterior orbits, lower half of cheeks, clypeus, mandibles, except tips, palpi, tegule, legs, including coxe, and abdomen, honey-yellow, the latter darker; posterior coxze sometimes dusky; antennz at base beneath, dull testaceous ; wings fuliginous, apical half paler, iridescent ; abdomen shining, first segment whitish laterally, the base and disc sometimes dusky ; base of second segment with a large sub- triangular flattened space inclosed by a deep groove, the posterior side of which is gen- erally blackish; ovipositor longer than abdomen; sheaths black; length, .14—.17 inch. 3—More pubescent; posterior cox blackish, also the femora above, especially the posterior pair; posterior tibiz dusky ; abdomen black, polished ; apex of first, basal half of second and sides of apical segments more or less honey-yellow; sides of basal segment whitish; wings paler; abdomen narrower and rather more convex; length, -16 inch. Three ¢, three 2 specimens. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 107 REMEDIES. As to any remedy, though practical men, especially those owning fine hickory groves, will naturally look for one, they can, in this re- spect, not be satisfied; for if, after so many years’ experience, Mr. Bryant can not think of any practical cure, it would be folly in others to speculate. The habits of the insect defy our efforts in this regard; and though in Europe coal tar brushed on the trees has been found effectual in keeping the Elm Scolytus away, the idea is of little value, since the tops of the trees are first attacked, and, in a large grove, the roughness of the lower bark often renders a close inspection neces- sary to detect the first holes made. The only hope I entertain is from the little parasites above referred to; for when nature comes to man’s aid, in the shape of parasitic in- sects, the vegetable feeders often have tosuccumb. If, therefore, upon careful examination, the white cocoons of this parasite are found abundantly in the bark of the infested tree, I should advise Mr. Bliss to let other trees in the neighborhood remain. Butif no such para- sites are found, the only way to prevent the spread of the Scolytus is to cut down and burn or scorch all infested trees. ScoLtytus cary#® Riley—Larva—showing no charaeters of specific value. Pupa—perfectly glabrous, the pygidium truncate. Imago—length, 0.15-0.20 inch. Color, either entirely black, or black with brown elytra. o'—Head above flat, concave toward tip and coarsely aciculate, coronated with long incurved dull-yellowish hairs around the margin; labium also quite hairy ; an- tenn palerufous. Thorax very little longer than wide, and very little narrowing in front; sub-obsoletely punctate above, but more distinctly so at sides. Elytra with about 10 striz, confused at sides but regular above, and composed of small, deep, approximate punctures, bearing (not always) a few short hairs ; interstitial spaces with a single row of minute and sub-obsolete punctures ; tip more rugosely punctured and pubescent; venter opaque, densely punctate at tip, less so at base ; the first joint emar- ginate and produced in the middle into a blunt spine; the second as long as the others together, strongly excavated, with the hind margin carinate and slightly spined at sides, and witha longitudinal carina dividing it into two concavities; third with the hind margin also carinate, and bearing three more or less prominent conic-acute spines ; fourth also carinate with a smaller spine in the middle; fifth, pubescent. 9—Differs in having the head rather shorter, more rounded, less aciculate and less hairy; the thorax perhaps a little more narrow in front; the elytra with the intersti- tial spaces rather more distinctly punctured, and the venter unarmed. Described from 50 bred specimens of each sex. The ¢ closely resembles S. 4-spinosus, Say, (Am. Ent. I, p. 182,) but differs from the description of that species in not having the tips of the elytra denticulate, in hav- ing the venter punctate, and in the projection on the first and longitudinal carina on the second ventral joints. It is just barely possible that the d' of carye Q is the inseet intended by Say in his description of 4-spinosws, in which event carye sinks. But if such prove to be the case, he either described from an aberrant individual, or neglected to mention important characters, as none of the differences mentioned are obsolete in the many specimens of carye which I have examined. The question can only be settled by comparison with his types, if such exist. I leave it with the specialist, and shall 4 108 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT abide by his decision. Under the circumstances, without typical specimens, we should have most right to conclude that the two are distinct, and should be slow to charge faults of omission, where such prominent and constant characters are concerned. S. 4-spinosus Say may prove to be db of muticus Say. This uncertainty as to the species intended by some of the old and honored authors, who did not understand, as we do, the variation to which species are subject, is constantly confronting the entomologist, and should teach him the importance of mentioning the number of specimens from which a description is drawn up. The @ might be referred to muticus Say, as described in the same work, but is easily distinguished by LeConte’s subsidiary diagnosis. (Trans. Am. Ent. Soe. I, p. 167.) THE ROSE CHAFER—JMacrodactylus subspinosus (Fabr.). (Ord. CoLEorTERA, Fam. MELOLONTHID2.) fs 20] In the summer of 1872, this beetle was unprecedentedly abundant in some parts of Missouri, and more especially to the west of us, in Kansas. I reproduce, therefore, in the } main, an article written for the Transactions of the Kansas 1* State Board of Agriculture. Dear Str—Having been appointed by our State Horticultural Society (at the meeting held at Humboldt this week) to conduct cor- respondence with you relative to an insect that troubles us greatly, which we are unable to name correctly, I send you samples and de- scription of the work done by it. The extent of country over which it does damage enough to make it noticeable is, as far as I can learn, confined to only two or three counties—Allen, Woodson, Linn and Bourbon. It hasonly been some three years since it appeared to be so troublesome as to call the atten- tion of persons of common observation. Last year (1871), my first year in Kansas, I noticed it in the grape bloom, but not in destructive numbers. It reappeared May 25th this year, and began eating the grape bloom, and, where very numerous, even the foliage. I have seen vines entirely stripped of leaves, except the net-work. They do not trouble the fruit after it is as large as shot (No.1). Whole trees, and I am told, whole orchards of peaches are eaten up—only the fruit. Several beetles stay on one peach until it is gone before going to another. I have seen small three-year-old cherry trees stripped of leaves and the fruit eaten entirely up too. They are about gone now; three weeks will suffice them, I guess. We know of no remedy except hand-picking, but some who have only a few grapes to watch catch them in a basin of water into which they easily drop when disturbed, and so save their crop. The beetle devours the bloom of the black- berry and sometimes the young fruit. I can’t find a correct descrip- tion of it in your reports published by the State of Missouri. Colas- pis Havida comes the nearest. But the description of the ‘Grape Fidia,” in Bush’s catalogue, comes nearer, according to my observa- OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 109 tion. One man reported at the meeting of having seen it fourteen years ago in Linn county, first on wild persimmon blossoms and then on his grapes. But he caught them, and has been troubled but little. Please return a description, etc., etc., for our benefit and instruction. Yours respectfully, H. E. VAN DEMAN. GENEVA, ALLEN County, KANSAS. This insect is named in the heading, and illustrated at figure 39. It is one of those species whose larva develops under ground, and can not be very well dealt within this stage of its life. We must contend with itin the beetle form, and there is no other effectual means than by hand-picking, or by shaking into vessels and on to sheets. This work can be greatly facilitated by taking advantage of the insect’s tastes and preferences. There is conclusive testimony that it shows a great predilection for the Clinton, and its close allies, of all other varieties of the Grape-vine, and that it will gather upon that variety and leave — others unmolested, where it has a chance. Those who are troubled with this beetle will, no doubt take the hint. No better account of its natural history has ever been written than that by Harris in his work on “Injurious Insects,” and I quote some of the more important paragraphs: “The natural history of the Rose Chafer, one of the greatest scourges with which our gardens and nurseries have been afilicted, was for a long time involved in mystery, but is at last fully cleared up. The prevalence of this insect on the rose, and its annual appearance coinciding with the blossoming of that flower, have gained for it the popular name by which it is here known. For some time after it was first noticed, rose-bugs appeared to be confined to their favorite, the blossoms of the rose; but within forty years they have prodigiously increased in number, have attacked at random various kinds of plants in swarms, and have become notorious for their extensive and de- plorable ravages. The grape vine in particular, the cherry, plum and apple trees have annually suffered by their depredations ; many other fruit trees and shrubs, garden vegetables and corn, and even the trees of the forest and grass of the fields, have been laid under contribu- tion by these indiscriminate feeders, by whom leaves, flowers and fruits are alike consumed. The unexpected arrival of these insects in swarms at the first coming, and their sudden disappearance at the close of their career, are remarkable facts in their history. They come forth from the ground during the second week in June, or about the time of the blossoming of the damask rose, and remain from thirty to forty days. At the end of this period, the males become exhausted, fall to the ground and perish, while the females enter the earth, lay their eggs, return to the surface, and, after lingering a few days, die also. 110 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT “The eggs laid by each female are about thirty in number, and are deposited from one to four inches beneath the surface of the soil; they are nearly globular, whitish, and are about one-thirtieth of an inch in diameter, and are hatched twenty days after they are laid. The young larve begin to feed on such tender roots as are within their reach. Like other grubs of the Scarabzeians, they lie upon the side, with the body curved so that the head and tail are nearly in con- tact; they move with difficulty on a level surface, and are continually falling over on one side or the other. They attain their full size in autumn, being then nearly three-quarters of an inch long and about an eighth of an inch in diameter. They are of a yellowish-white color, with a tinge cf blue toward the hinder extremity, which is thick and. obtuse or rounded; a few short hairs are scattered on the surface of the body; there are six short legs, namely, a pair to each of the first three rings behind the head; and the latter is covered’with a -horny shell of a pale rust color. In October, they descend below the reach of frost, and pass the winter in a torpid state. In the spring, they approach toward the surface, and each one forms for itself a little cell of an oval shape, by turning around a great many times, so as to compress the earth and render the inside of the cavity hard and smooth. Within this cell the grub is transformed to a pupa during the month of May, by casting off its skin, which is pushed downward in folds from the head to the tail. The pupa has somewhat the form of the perfect beetle, but it is of a yellowish-white color, and its short, stump-like wings, its antennz and its legs are folded upon the breast, and its whole body is inclosed in a thin film that wraps each part separately. During the month of June, this thin, filmy skin is rent, the included beetle withdraws from its body and its limbs, bursts open its earthen cell, and digs its way to the surface of the ground. Thus the various changes from the egg to the full development of the perfected beetle are completed within the space of one year. “Such being the metamorphoses and habits of these insects, it is evident that we can not attack them in the egg, the grub or the pupa state; the enemy in these stages is beyond our reach, and is subject to the control only of the natural but unknown means appointed by the Author of Nature to keep the insect tribesin check. When they have issued from their subterranean retreats, and have congregated upon our vines, trees and other vegetable productions, in the com- plete enjoyment of their propensities, we must wnite our efforts to seize and crush the invaders. They must indeed be crushed, scalded or burned to deprive them of life; for they are not affected by any of the applications usually found destructive to other insects. Hxpe- rience has proved the utility of gathering them by hand, or of shak- ing them or brushing them from the plants into tin vessels containing alittle water. They should be collected daily during the period of their visitation, and should be committed to the flames or killed by scalding water.” THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 111 THE FALSE CHINCH-BUG — Wysius destructor, N. Sp. (Subord. Hererorrera, Fam. LyGx1p2z). A NEW ENEMY TO THE GRAPE-VINE, POTATO, CABBAGE, AND MANY CRUCIFEROUS PLANTS. By calling this a new enemy,I do not wish to be understood to intimate that it never existed before. It has,in all probability, [Fig 40.] been in existence as long as its more injurious, gen- f uine name-sake; but I call it new because it has heretofore been unknown as an injurious insect, and because, further, it has nat even been described by entomologists, though I have had it in my cabinet for some years.* The first time I heard of the injuries of this in- sect was in the fore part of last May, when I learned that young Delaware vines, belonging to Dr. James : D. Davis, of Clarksville, Missouri, were being much Hy injured by them, and that they were so numerous that the ground was literally covered with them. From many speci- mens received, they all at that season proved to be in the immature stages. Subsequently I received the following letters, which refer to the same species : Dear Sir — Dr. Bell, living four miles from this city, sends in the inclosed insects, which he says are destroying his potatoes. He wishes to know what they are, and if you can suggest any way of driving them off or protecting his crops against them. Will youbeso kindas to write me? I send specimen of leaf showing injuries. Yours, truly, W. B. STONE. Kansas City, Missouri, June 15, 1872. Dear Sir — Many of our market gardeners are complaining of the ravages of a certain insect of the order Hemiptera, of which I send specimens in box by mail with this note. The pest in localities oc- curs in great numbers, injuring the foliage of turnips, beets, radishes _andcabbages. Can you tell me the name, and refer me to some ac- count of this bug ? Thanks for your prompt reply to my inquiry concerning the White Grub Sprout. Hoping soon to hear from you, [remain most sincerely yours, F. H. SNOW. Strate University, Lawrence, Kansas, June 24, 1872. * Last summer I announced my intention to describe it in the Western Planter for June 29th, 1872; but Mr. Wm. R. Howard, of Forsyth, not having noticed the announcement, subsequently published in Phillips’ Southern Planter, under the name of Nysius raphanus, a description which, consider- ing the close resemblances the bug bears to other described species of Nysius, and the variation if is subject to, was somewhat insuwilicient, but which was afterward copied into the Country Gentleman (Sept. 15th, 1872), and the Canadian Entomologist (Noy. 1872). Upon communicating the facts to Mr. Howard, and for other good reasons, he expressed the desire to sink his own name in favor of that here employed, a he ee FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT Later in the season the mature bugs were forwarded to me from Taney county, Missouri, under the supposition that they were Chinch- bugs, and other accounts reached me from Kansas, of the ravages of a bug, generally called the Chinch-bug, but which was evidently the species in question. Several insects have, at different times, been mistaken for the Chinch-bug, and under the head of * Bogus Chinch- bugs,” I haveindicated some of them in my second Missouri Report, (p. 51). They are thus confounded with that arch-destroyer, more on account of the nauseous, bed-buggy odor which they have in common, than because of their close relationship or resemblance. The bug under consideration, however, not only has the same odor, but in size and general appearance bears a good deal of resemblance to its more notorious associate, and for that reason may be known by the vernac- ular name of False Chinch-bug. From the figure (Fig. 40) of the genuine Chinch-Bug, that insect will be seen to have a decidedly black Pes Ad oat head and thorax, with two con f spicuous black spots on the front wings ¢hemelytra) ; while Nysius destructor (Fig. 41, c) is of a mcre uniform, paler, tarnished brown color. In habit the two insects differ materi- ' ally; for while the former is the grain-grower’s particular dread and terror, and confines its inju- ries almost entirely to cereals and grasses, the latter has not yet been found on cereals, and shows a predilection for plants of the Mustard family, though it attacks alike the Potato and even the Grape-vine. In common with all other true Bugs, this insect feeds by suction ; and the way in which it injures a plant is by depriving the same of its juices, and causing it to wilt. The potato leaves sent me by Mr. Stone presented the appearanee of figure 41, a, showing little, rusty, circu- lar specks where the beak had been inserted, and little, irregular holes, which looked more as if made by some Flea-beetle, one of | which, the Cucumber Flea-beetle (Haltica eucumeris Harr.), is known to thus injure Potato leaves. I can not now give you its complete natural history, as to do so will require further study of its habits, which I hope to be able to make before the close of the year. From analogy we may infer that there are two or three broods in the course of the year, and that, asin the case of the Chinch-Bug, it passes the winter in the perfect state, and is difficult to combat when once infesting the field or garden. Clean culture, and especially the burning of weeds and rubbish in the winter time, will doubtless prove to be the best guarantees against its injuries. The young bugs are without wings, and are of a paler color, with more or less distinct longitudinal dark lines on the head and thorax. The pupa (Fig. 41, }) has the front part of the body marked OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 143 with more distinct red and brown lines, with the abdomen paler, and with longitudinal pinkish mottlings. It is a variable species in all stages, and I submit below a full description for those interested : Nysius pesrrucror, N. Sp. (Fig. 41, c). General color grayish-brown ; of shape of NV. thymi Wolff. Head either minutely or more coarsely punctate, and more or less distinctly pubescent; the surface usually brown, with a distinct black, longitudinal line each side, broadening on the crown, but generally leaving the orbit of the eyes pale; these lines sometimes more diffuse and occupying the whole surface, except a median brown spot at base of crown, and a narrow, paler spot on the clypeus; ocelli piceous; eyes opaque, either black or slate-color; face sometimes uniformly pubescent and ap- pearing dark grayish-brown; but more generally black each side of rostrum, with a distinct yellowish-brown spot on the cheeks below the eyes ; rostrum piceous, paler at base and reaching to hind coxe ; antenne either pale yellowish-brown or darker brown, the torulus and first joint darkest. Thorax, pronotum narrowing anteriorly, the sides slightly sinuate, irregularly and more coarsely punctate than the head, more or less pubescent, dingy yellow or brown, with a transverse black band near the anterior edge, obscuring the incision and leaving the edge pale, especially in the middle, where there is often a conspicuous pale spot; also five more or less distinct longitudinal dark lines, the central one most persistent and leading on the posterior margin toa pale, shiny, impunctate spot; the callus at hind angles, and sometimes an intermediate spot between it and the median one, and the entire posterior margin, also pale and impunctate; scu- tellum dark, coarsely punctate, sometimes with a smooth median longitudinal ridge ending in a pale spot, and with the lateral margins pale; prosternum dark, more or less pubescent, the anterior and posterior margins, and a band outside of cox, more or less broadly pale; mesosternum and metasternum also dark, with the pale spots out- side of cox. Legs pale yellow, inclining more or less to brown; coxz dark at base, pale at tip ; trochanters pale; front and middle femora spotted more or less confluently on the outside with brown; hind femora, 3! dark brown, except at tips and base; 2 spotted only; tibize ringed with brown at base; tarsi marked more or less with brown, especially at tip. Hemelytra either colorless, transparent and prismatic, or distinctly tinged with dingy yellow; shallowly punctate and very finely pubescent, the veins of corium and clavus dingy yellow, with brown streaks, the more constant of these streaks being two on posterior margin of corium, and one at the tip of clavus. Abdomen, 3 tergum piceous, with the sutures and the sides of some of the joints rarely paler; venter piceous, minutely and regularly covered with gray pubescence; Q sutures and spots on tergum more often pale; venter dingy yellow, except at base; @ paler than 6, and generally larger. Average length 0.13 inch. Larva—Dingy yellow, with more or less distinct lonsitadinal dark lines, especially on head. Pupa (Fig. 19,6). Same color, with more distinct red and browz longitudinal lines, and two little tooth-like, pale yellow processes at inner base of hemelytra pads, indicating the wings; the abdomen paler than the rest of the body. Described from numerous specimens. I have some, especially males, in which the black so predominates that the paler parts of the head and thorax are scarcely traceable, while in others again the pale parts predominate almost to the exclusion of the black. Indeed, so variable is the species that it is difficult to see wherein some of the specimens differ from the European thymi, or from WN. angustatus Uhler, and it is barely possible that future comparison will show specific identity between some or all of the three. But as long as authors fail to give the variation a species is liable to, or the number of specimens a description is drawn up from, it will remain impossible to decide such questions satisfactorily, and I name destructor at the suggestion of our Hemipterist, Mr. P. R. Uhler, of Baltimore, who has examined: specimens which I sent him. E.R—8 144 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT [The above account of this new and injurious bug was sent, with other matter, on the first of July last, to Mr. Alfred Gray, Secretary of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, for publication in the Transactions of said Board, where it appears. Since that time I have met with it everywhere in my travels in our own State and in Kansas. Besides the plants above enumerated, it proved in some instances troublesome to strawberry plants, to young apple grafts just as they were sprouting, and especially to turnips and beets. On all the more tender plants enumerated the bugs cluster just as does the genuine Chinch-bug, and cause the leaves to wilt by their suction. Late in the fall I found them very abundant, in all stages, collecting under purslane, and they doubtless make use of this spreading and close- fitting weed for winter quarters. At some of the fall meetings of the Meramec Horticultural Society, complaints were made of a new habit which the Chinch-bug had of injuring potato vines, and of crowding on the tubers and injuring them after they were dug. The False Chinch-bug was undoubtedly the insect observed. | INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE-VINE. THE GRAPE-VINE APPLE-GALL— Vitis pomum Walsh & Riley. (Ord. Drerera, Fam. CecipoMyipZ.) (rig. 42.) Besides the leaf-gall caused by the Grape Phylloxera, the Grape- vine is subject to various other gall-growths or excrescences, the ‘\. nature of which often puzzles the \! &) vine-grower. I shall give an ac- ~~ count of four of the most con- spicuous which are found in Mis- souri. They are all caused by Gall-gnats (Cectdomyide), the larve of which are distinguished by being very generally of an orange color; but more especially by hav- ing on the upper surface, near the head, a horny process known as a breast-bone.* This process is variable in shape, but more often clove- *This process is said, by all authors with whom I am acquainted, including Baron Osten Sacken, to be ventral, for which reason, I suppose, it has been called the ‘‘ breast-bone.’’ I believe myself that it is dorsal. As, however, it sometimes has a good deal the form of the breast-bone, or ‘‘ wish- bone,’’ of a fowl, the term may be retained, though conveying a wrong idea. ‘These lary are also said to differ from all other insect larvye in having fourteen joints. I have examined a great number of Cecidomyidous larve without being able to make out any such-abnormal number, while in many species it is difficult to detect more than twelve and a subjoint. Usually, Ihave been able to clearly make out thirteen joints and a subjoint, which is the normal number in insects. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 115 shaped, Y-shaped, or oar-shaped. It always has a stem, which is mostly hidden, and terminates in two projections or prongs (sometimes three in those which are oar-shaped), which are armed with sharp points. It is retractile, and the prongs may be exerted at will, and are doubt- less intended to assist in abrading the tissue of plants, so as to cause an abnormal flow of sap, which serves as food for the larva. That they have little, if anything, to do in causing the gall-growth, we may “ 43-] infer from analogy, and from the fact that SS many Cecidomyidous galls are formed be- fore the larva hatches, and depend on something deposited with the egg. The perfect flies are mostly of a dull black ™ color, like that represented at figure 43, (a female; 6 antennz of male,) and many species so closely resemble each other that it is next to impossible to distinguish them whendry. Those which produce the galls here mentioned are difficult to rear, and, with one exception, are not yet known. The Grape-vine Apple-gall has been a fruitful source of specula- tion, and has given rise to some curious botanical theories, as the fol- lowing extract will attest: AN APPLE GROWING ON A GRAPE-VINE. A VEGETABLE PHENoMENON.—In the garden of Capt. David H. Moore, Lexington, Va., there is growing on a grape-vine, a fully de- veloped apple. On one side of the apple is an appearance of what might have been a grape-bloom. This interesting /usus nature is, as far as we know. without precedent, and of course has attracted marked attention, and caused no little speculation in the circle learned in such matters about Lexington. The prevailing opinion, we learn, is that an apple-bloom falling accidentally upon a grape-bloom, became incorporated with it and produced the result; but, if so, is it not sin- gular that such an accident had never occurred before? And, if so, again, does it not teach that the grape and apple may be grafted on each other? We hope the pomologists of Lexington will note very carefully all the phenomena of this freak of nature, and that they will have the apple photographed, with a portion of the vine, before its removal, ag engraving and publication in Horticultural journals. —[Richmond Whig. When growing on vines in the vicinity of hickory trees, it has ridiculously been considered a hybrid fruit between these two very widely separated plants. The form of the gall is variable—sometimes being quite flattened or depressed, but more often spherical, or flattened at base and more pointed at tip. When young it is downy on the outside, and succulent, with a pleasant, acidulous flavor. When mature, it usu- ally has eight or nine longitudinal lobes, as in a musk-melon, and is smoother (Fig. 42, a). A transverse section (b) shows it to consist 116 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT of a fleshy outside covering, like the hull of a walnut, and of a much harder, woody interior, with numerous longitudinal two-tiered cells or cavities, the upper tier twice as long and more regularly separated by harder fibre than the lower. The yellow larvz are foundin these cavities, and they have a brown, clove-shaped breast-bone. This gall, which bears so great asemblance to a fruit, doubtless carries the sem- blance still further by falling to the ground. And as the seed is released upon the death of the fruit which surrounded it, and con- signed to the bosom of the great Mother Earth for development, so the larvee escape from the decomposing and softening gall to consign themselves likewise to the same great Nursery, which seems to be absolutely necessary for their well-being and growth, as I have kept the galls for over a year out of Earth and away from her fecund influ- ences without getting the perfect gnats. This gall was first described in the American Entomologist, (Vol. 1, p. 106.) THE GRAPE-VINE FILBERT-GALL— Vitis coryloides W. & R. (Ord. Dirrera, Fam. CECIDOMYIDz.) Lede iis This gall, (Fig. 44, 3,) as its i name implies, bears some re- semblance to a large bunch of filberts or hazel-nuts. It is found more frequently than the preceding, and especially on the wild River Bank grape, (Riparia), in the month of July. Itis an assemblage of separate galls, more or less ij coalescent, varying in number PMWM from 10 to 40 or more, and of j different shapes, being either ~ round, irregularly oval, fusi- form or pyriform, but gener- ally narrowing at tip. When young, these galls are densely pubescent or woolly on the outside, but less so when ma- ture. The interior is fleshy, juicy, sub-acid; and a trans- verse section shows a single longitudinal cell in each (Fig. 44, ¢.) The jgallis evidently a defor- a. Th »% a OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. Tt? mation of a bud, as it springs from a single point where a bud would. be, and often has quite astem toit. A stunted, deformed leaf is also sometimes found upon it, as given in the figure. The larva is orange-yellow, partly transparent, partly opaque, and has the breast-bone clove-shaped as in the preceding (Tig. 44, a), and doubtless leaves the gall and enters the ground to transform. First described in Am. Entomologist (I, p. 107.) THE GRAPE-VINE TOMATO-GALL— Vitis tomatos. MADE BY Lasioptera vitis oO. §. (Ord. Dirrera, Fam. CrecipoMyip2.) The following clipping will show that this gall, whichis quite com- [Fig. 45.] mon in the summer months on the River Bank grape and its cultivated varieties, has notremained unnoticed by the curious, and that it has, like the others, its fruit resem- blances: FREAK IN A VINEYARD.—In gathering grapes to-day we \\ found one of the clusters, in / shape, a perfect tomato. Itis of quite large size, and on the outside is divided into eight segments or lobes, having a seed to correspond with each segment or lobe. It was found on a cluster of one of Rogers’ Hybrids, and a pecu- liarity is, that the grape is blue, while this is red. In flesh and seeds and all else it is a perfect grape. President Wilder’s Trophy tomato stands about three rods from the vine. Icall upon President Wilder to explain with what sort of propagating qualities he has invested his Trophy tomato, to know, if we continue the cul- tivation of that fruit, whether our apples, plums, cherries, Bs het etc., will or will not turn into Trophy tomatoes. I have saved the eight seeds for a further solution of the problem. 118 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT If President Wilder declines an explanation for fear of the conse- quences, I call upon all the horticulturists of America to commence at once an investigation, and I will furnish them with the Aide, which I have carefully preserved as conclusive testimony azains him. RR. DansviLLE, Livingston county, N. Y., Oct. 6, 1872. [Rural New Yorker. It is the most variable gall with which I am acquainted, as it may be found of all sorts of fantastic shapes, from the single, round, cran- berry-like swelling on a tendril to the large collection of irregular bulbous swellings on the stem or leaf-stalk; sometimes looking not unlike a bunch of currants or a bunch of grapes, but more often like a collection of diminutive tomatoes, such as the Cluster Tomato, grown by Mr. J.C. Ingham, of St. Joseph, Michigan.* It was first briefly described, together with the fly which produces it, by Baron Osten Sacken (Diptera of N. A., part 1, pp. 201-2). The substance of the gall is soft, juicy and translucent; the flavor pleasantly acid, and the color yellowish-green, with rosy cheeks, or else entirely red. Each swelling has several cells, (Fig. 45, a), in each of which is nursed an orange-yellow larva, which, upon the dissolution of the gall, enters the ground to transform, and emerges as a pale reddish gnat, with black head and antennz and gray wings. This gall-maker is subject to the attacks of at least two different enemies—one a species of 7hirips, whichinvades the cell and destroys its inmate, and one a true Hymenopterous parasite, belonging appar- ently to the family Proctotrupide, and which, after killing the gall- maker, spins a cocoon within the cell. THE GRAPE-LEAF TRUMPET-GALL— Vitis viticola O.8. (Ord. Dierrra, Fam. CEctmpoMyYID2). This is another, more regular, gall, made by a gall-gnat which has not yet been described. It is elongate, conical, and grows more or less numerously from the surface of the leaf, looking something like a smalltrumpet. Ihave found it on both wild Cordifolia and Ripa- via, and it doubtless occurs on their cultivated varieties. It is also found on Labrusca and Vulpina (see A. E.u, p. 28). The usual color is a bright crimson, but it sometimes inclines to green, especially when young, or on the under side of the leaf; for though itis more often *Figured in Prairie Farmer, September 21, 1867. a ee OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. — 119 found on the upper side, I have met with it antiposed. Upon cutting into these galls we shall find them to be hol- low, and each to contain a x pale orange larva, which pro- A bably resembles those already (=) mentioned in transforming un- “a> derground. The gall was first briefly described by Baron Osten Sacken (Diptera of N. A., part 1, p. 202). Similar but distinct galls grow on the leaves of Hickory and Hack- berry, but are always green. EGGS IN AND ON CANES AND TWIGS. Of the innumerable forms of insect-eggs which are met with on plants, the few herewith described are continually sent to me from correspondents who desire information as to their nature. Some of them were described by mein the American Agriculturist for last August, from which I shall draw largely in describ- ing themagain. The first (in all probability those of the } Jumping Tree Cricket, Orocharis saltator Uhler) are repre- Hi sented at figure 47, and are so abundant this winter that they ill) were received from six different quarters just as this report is going to press. The punctures are one-third to half an inch apart, and 16 appear as if made by a rather large-sized pin. The illustra- } tion is from a piece of grape cane. On Damson twigs sent by J. A. Franklin, of Bluffton, the parent insect has very generally gnawed off a portion of the tender bark before /{2 making a puncture—a proceeding not always followed when harder wood is used. Each of these punctures leads to from one to twelve slender, elongated eggs, (c),rather more than the tenth of an inch long, more or less opaque and whitish, Hl_z but generally of the color and transparency of amber, ex- | cept at the extreme head end, which lies toward the orifice, and which is always opaque and very finely granulated. The puncture is direct to the pith, in which the eggs are in- serted lengthwise ; and the number varies, according to the amount of pith in the twigs selected. About the first of May these eggs hatch out into little, dingy crickets; and though I have not [Fig. 47.] —————— — ——— 120 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT [Fig. 48.] yet succeeded in bringing them aN 7 ee all their molts, and no LEE = Se one has bred the perfect insect, I oe have little doubt, from the larval characteristics, that they will prove to be the Jumping Tree Cricket mentioned. This insect (Fig. 48, a, £; 6, 3) is of apale yellowish-brown color, the female differing from the male in possessing a long ovipositor, and in her wings being more rounded and less ribbed and veined, so that she can not sing as he does. The twigs or canes of various cultivated plants, and notably those of the Grape-vine, Apple, Peach, Raspberry, Blackberry, White willow and Soft maple, are often more or less split or disfigured by a series of closely set but irregular punctures, as illustrated at figure 49, a. Upon cutting into such twigs we find that, unlike the eggs we have already mentioned, these all lie diagonally across the pith, close together, in a single, irregular, longitudinal row, as at /—the irregularity some- times making the row look as if double. More carefully examined with a lens, each egg appears pale yellowish, sub-elliptical, a little curved, more pointed at lower end (c), and capped at the head or more rounded end, with regulary arranged, white, opaque granula- tions, which, under a low-power microscope, appear as shown at d. [Fig. 49.] These are the eggs of the Snowy Tree-cricket 4 hm (Ecanthus niveus Harr.), an insect briefly noticed 4; | in my first Report (p. 138). The young also hatch je@| about the first of May. After eating through its egg-cap, the new-born cricket is still enveloped in an exceedingly fine membrane, from which it soon ni =<. extricates itself, and which it leaves at the orifice of | the puncture. These young crickets are whitish i \e i and very active, and generally conceal themselves ENS VEN, | in the thick June foliage of our woods or our or- chards. At this time of their life they subsist prin- cipally on plant lice, eggs of insects, and other deli- cate animal food, and, if they can get nothing better, 4) will exhibit their cannibalistic propensities by de- Wi) vouring the weaker individuals of their own kind. i! Itis astonishing how rapidly, at this age, they will clear an Aphis-covered twig. Subsequently, as they grow larger, they are often content with a =Aijj vegetable diet, and thus they perfectly combine VA" in one species herbivorous and carnivorous habits. After the first molt, they begin to vary a good deal OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 121 in color, the females generally being quite dark. The mature in- sects were illustrated in my first Report (Figs. 77, 78). I had, last summer, an extensive brood of these little crickets in one of my breeding cages, and succeeded in rearing them to the winged state, which they assume during the fore part of July. The male produces a very shrill noise by the friction of his front wings, but the female is silent. This Snowy Cricket shares with his more robust Jumping com- panion in the nefarious midnight-work of gnawing, girdling or sever- ing different parts of the grape thyrse, causing the berries either to [Fig. 50. shrivel or fall, and produc- : IZ 2) “ing what is often known as eas =— “ shanking.” Itis while the 4 S grapes are yet green that they are mostly severed, and the ground beneath vines is often scat- tered with this green fruit, where the cause of the trouble is little suspected. Such wseless waste and destruction is doubly provoking, and as the virtues of their youth do not atone for the bad habits of their after-life, these jumping crickets must be classed with the bad bugs. The infested twigs often die beyond the punctures of both these species; and the best remedy is to cut and burn the twigs in winter. . In his twelfth annual Report, (Trans. N. Y. State Agr. Soc., 1867, p. 889), Dr. Fitch elaborately describes these eggs, which he, for some unaccountable reason, and without question, refers to the insect next to be treated of—viz., the Buffalo Tree-hopper. He certainly never bred this last insect from such eggs, and how he could for a moment imag- ine that any but a much larger insect, possessed of a much longer ovipositor, could insert so many long eggs into the very pith of twigs, is difficult to conceive. The fact that he mistook the real slits made by this Tree-hopper, or an allied species, for the crescent cuts of the Plum Curculio (see 3rd Report, p. 38), and was thoroughly imbued with that error, may afford some explanation. My good friend has not, I regret to say, been in the habit of correcting his own errors; but nevertheless I draw his attention to this one—not as a fault-finder, but for the sake of truth. We are all liable to mistakes! The egg-punctures of this Buffalo Tree-hopper (Ceresa bubalus, Fabr.) are represented above (Fig. 50). The punctures consist of a row, more or less straight, of little raised slits in the bark (6), in each of which, upon careful examination, may be found an oval, dark-col- ored egg (a, enlarged). These eggs hatch about the middle of May, [Fig. 51.] and the young are at first brownish, with a formidable , row of ten pairs of compound spines, and looking totally unlike the mature insect. After the first and second molts, they are still furnished with these sprangling spines on the back, but are of a paler color, with some transverse lilac-colored lines (Fig. 122 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 52, a). With the third molt, they assume the pupa state (Fig. 52, 6), in which the wing-pads become conspicuous, the [Fig. 52.] spines are reduced in size, and the prothorax is produced into a point behind. With the fourth and last molt, which takes place toward the end of July, the mature characteristics are suddenly acquired. This Tree-hopper is a yellowish-green, hunchbacked object, with two little horns on the prothorax, which | render its name not inappropriate (Fig. 51, a, side LG view; 4, back view). It subsists, during its whole ! life, on the sap of apple, pear and other trees; but never does serious injury. The female is furnished with a sheathed ovipositor (Fig. 52, c) well adapted for making the incisions described. In common with all the other insects of its Family, (Order Homoptera, Fam. Mem- (Fig. 53.1 bracidide), it has remarkable jumping power. A fourth kind of egg-puncture, very similar to those just “| described, but with the eggs inserted more regularly, and || more closely together, (Fig. 53, a, natural size; 6, enlarged), is || also frequently found on apple twigs. It is doubtless produced |) by some closely allied tree-hopper, but the species is not yet « known. A fifth kind of puncture is found not unfrequently in the tender growth of sassafras. It consists of a continu-, _ ous raised slit (ig. 54, ¢) of the epidermis, into which are}}'\ regularly crowded a series of elongate-oval, dirty yellow i Hy eggs, each 0.04 inch long, and the end of one pressed on |g) to the top of the next, as represented enlarged in the WA) })\\ figure (a, eggs HDS Me 6, within twig.) About theft) HY middle of May, these eggs produce little hoppers, which" ae leave a thin and delicate pellicle attached to each egg- shell, at the point of egress, as is so generally, if not uni- versally, the custom with Homoptera and Orthoptera. As soon as they begin to pump the sap of the tree on r az which they hatch, these insects copiously secrete a fari- nose or cottony substance, which completely covers them. They grow slowly, shed their skins but three times, so far as I have been able to observe, and by the first of Sep- tember, or earlier, produce the Frosted Lightning-hopper (Paedlop- tera pruinosa, Say). This insect belongs to the same suborder as the preceding, but to (ric. 55.1 the family Fulgoride, the insects of which are remark- fe able for their marvelously quick jumping power, and for = = S3@the large size of the soft wings—some species looking ~~ =F much like moths. The species under consideration is quite common on a variety of trees, and varies from lead-color to pale green, and is dusted over with a fine white powder. Up to the time OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 123 it acquires wings, the cottony secretion is always copious enough to cover all but the head. A sixth kind of puncture is illustrated herewith, (Fig. 56), and is found in a variety of soft, fibrous plants, such as the more cylindrical parts of Indian corn, the stems of roses, and par- ticularly those of the Raspberry. There are usually ten or twelve rounded punctures, at a distance of from half an inch to an inch, or more, from each other—the fibre of the plant being torn in shreds longitudinally. Upon cutting into these punctures, the wood is found to be discolored and dead, as far as they extend, and in the center of the pith, placed longitudi- nally, is an elongate, dull yellow, opaque, soft, more or less flattened egg, 0.22 inch long, and 0.04 wide, the anterior end tapering to a tolerably fine point, the posterior end more blunt. I have not yet succeeded in hatching the insect from these eggs, and it is impossible to say positively to what species they belong. But I strongly incline to believe that they produce our largest meadow- grasshopper, (Orchelimum glaberimum: Burm.), because I have had just such eggs deposited in cork by the female of this species, kept for that purpose in confine- ment, and have found it quite common where these punctures were abundant. Itisa glassy green species, with some brown each side of the thorax, the female having a strong, smooth, cimeter-like ovipo- sitor, and the male a transparent violin at the base of his front wings, which is principally instrumental in causing that incessant and con- tinued singing or ringing so characteristic of our autumns. [Fig. 57] The hard, more or less flattened, slate- _. @q colored eggs, deposited in a double row, and Hagp “Yi overlapping each other as in the accompany- 4/7 /#@\ V@ ing ficures, repeatedly excite the curiosity of ¥% i] yr the inquisitive. Harris describes these eggs } \ Mi as belonging to the common Broad-winged Wt Katydid (Platyphyllum [ Cyrtophyllus] con- Wi cavum Harr). He received them from Miss ah Morris, and whether it is on her authority or (¢4 on his own that they have been given sucha (\ig parentage, is not stated; but certain it is & that the statement is a gross error, and has Yi misled entomologists generally. Several sh 4 years ago I hatched the insects from the eggs, / \(# Wii illustrated at figure 57, and proved them to Ga i) Delong tothe Oblong-winged Katydid(Piyl- loptera oblongifolia, DeGeer). AsI found @ ‘ others which were somewhat flatter and broader, (Fig. 58), and as Harris’s statement was unqualified, and he moreover expressly states that “in form, size and color, and in their arrangement on the twig,” [Fig. 56.] [Fig. 58. ] eA s > STS SH a =~ ie F f, Ie 4 tp f : : ft f 124 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT those of oblongifolia strikingly resemble those of concavum,I was led to suppose that the broader ones belonged to the latter. After hatch- ing nothing but oblongifolia year after year from such eggs, and noticing structural differences in the ovipositors of the two insects, which seem to have escaped previous observation, I began to sus- pect that the eggs of concavum were deposited in a different way, and experience has sanctioned the suspicion; for, upon confining anumber of pregnant females of concavum, I found that the eggs of this species are always thrust into some substance, or into crevices. When fur- nished with any soft material, such as cork, the females crowd it full of eggs. To be brief—as I intend to giye a more extended account of our Katydids in my next Report—we have in this latitude three species, which are quite common, viz: The two already named, and the Nar- row-winged Katydid, ( Phaneroptera curvicauda, DeGeer), easily distinguished by its narrower wings, and two conspicuous recurved appendages at the end of the male abdomen. If we examine the ovipositor of oblongifolia, we shall find that the terminal part is armed with strong thorns, or teeth, both above and below. By means of these and its jaws the female is able to rasp and roughen the stems on the outside of which her overlapping eggsare laid. The difference in size, and especially in thickness, which is so noticable in these eggs, depends on the variable size of the parent, and on the degree of maturity of the eggs. In the other two species, on the contrary, the ovipositor is perfectly smooth, and we find that the eggs are in- serted. Those of concavum are 0.25-0.30 inch long, very » flat, over thrice as long as wide, pointed at each end, with i the edges beveled off or emarginate (Fig. 59, a side view, i" b front view, enlarged, c, d natural size). They are of a dark \\) slate-color, and are thrust into crevices and into the softer / : Wy parts of hase or of stems. The lower or first inserted end is y fs protected by a dark, adhesive substance, which hardens and i AY [Fig. 59.] |) sometimes extends the whole length of one of the borders; za and several eggs are usually pressed close to each other. Those of curvicauda are deftly inserted between the upper and lower epidermis, and along the edges of different leaves—those of oak being seemingly preferred. They are inserted contiguously, but not overlapping, and, though of about the same form as those of oblongifolia, are at first so much thinner as scarcely to cause any swelling of the leaf. All these eggs swell or increase in thickness as they approach the hatching period. We may explain this fact on the principle of endosmosis with those which are imbedded in living plant tissue; but it is my experience that the wood or pith around such eggs is very generally deadened, and even if such an explanation were sufficient with the softer, imbedded eggs, it would not answer with the harder = — EE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 125 ones of our Katydids. The increase in bulk is most apparent a few weeks before hatching, and in none is it so obvious asin those of cur- vicauda, which swell very materially, whether the dead leaves con- taining them have buffeted the winter’s frosts and blasts, or been kept inadry room. It is about as difficult to conceive the source of the matter causing this increase, as it is to understand the force which causes the continued revolution of the globular frog’s egg while sus- pended in its gelatinous surroundings! STINGING§S LARV Zi. In the popular mind, nearly every creeping thing has the power to bite or sting. Through sensational items, which at certain seasons are the order of the day in many of our periodicals, the large Potato- worm ( Sphinx 5-maculata), and some of its congeners which, like it, are ornamented with a horn near the tail, are looked upon with fear and trembling, under the delusive idea that said horn possesses poi- sonous and deadly stinging power. By the same false teaching most worms have become a scare to children, and even haunt and trouble “children of larger growth.” So deeply have I known this supersti- tion (for it can not be called anything else) to be rooted, that the good people of a certain household allowed their tomatoes to be ut- terly ruined rather than run the supposed risk of being mortally stung by handling the horned destroyers. No class of animals, and few, if any, creeping things, are less de- serving of this wide-spread fear and horror than are the larvz of in- sects. Of the many thousand varied and distinct species which inhabit the United States, hardly more than two dozen have any power to cause inconvenience, and not one to do serious harm to man. In a few rare instances, the larvz of some Diptera have been found in the human stomach, in the nostrils, or in flesh wounds; and Kirby and Spence mention, on other authority, that even Lepidopterous larvze have been found in like situations; but it may be stated as a broad and very general rule, that insects in their larval state have no power to do direct injury to man, however annoying they may be in the per- fect state. The few exceptions to the rule will be found among the Heteroptera and the Lepidoptera. It is of some of the latter which I propose at present to speak. Many caterpillars will pinch a little with their jaws if they get a chance, and a few (such, for instance, as that of Xylina cinerea, 3d Rep., Fig. 57, and that of Perophora Melsheimerii) quite sharply, so as to draw a little blood from a tender part; but here there is nothing ~ poisonous in the bite, and the great majority will not bite at all. A 126 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT few, again, have the power of causing a stinging sensation, which pro- duces greater or less inflammation of the parts affected. Yetin every instance, this is a sort of urtication hke that from a nettle, and not a voluntary sting like that of a bee or wasp. In no case is it dan- gerous, and the application of a little saleratus water (Reaumur found the rubbing of parsley beneficial) will soon allay the inflammation. Some of the larve possessing the power might be freely handled by the uninitiated without its being discovered. Every one familiar with insects in Europe, will remember the ir- ritating property of the hairs of the gregarious Processionary caterpil- lar (Cnethocampa processionea), or the so-called Yellow-tail Moth (Liparis aurifua). In these instances it is the irritating power caused by the fine barbed hairs, the tips of which get broken off after piercing the skin, and the dried hairs from a dead caterpillar or from an old web are more to be dreaded than those from the living larva, for they are more brittle. J am acquainted in all with fifteen larve, inhabiting our State, whose spines have this urticating power,* but in every instance it is caused by the sharp prick and not by the points of the spines getting broken in the flesh. For lack of time to make the requisite illustra- trations, I shall at present give the history of only two, which, on ac- count of their large size and acute sting, very naturally head the list. The first may be called the Black Stinger of the Oak, and I will now give its natural history. * These belong mostly to the slug-worms or Conchiliform larve, all of which, when furnished with spines or prickles, will doubtless prove to possess this urticating power. The following, I have, from personal experience, proved to possess it: Lagoa crispata (Smith), L. opercularis (Smith), Euclea penulata (Clem), Euc. querciti (H-S), and two. cther undetermined larve of precisely the same structure, Parasa chloris (H-S), Phobetron pithicitum (Smith), P. hyalinum (Walsh), Adoneta spinuloides (H-S), Monoleuca semifascia G@ & R, and Empretia stimulea Clem. Limacodes scapha (Harr), and Lithacodes fasciola (H-S8), have not this stinging power. The fifteenth stinging larva with which I am acquainted, belongs, strangely enough, to Acronycta. This species, as I learn from Mr. Lintner, is zylinoides Guen. It has the size and form of occidentalis Grote, or of the smaller specimens of leutiocoma G& R. In general appearance, some of the specimens bear a strong superficial resem- blance to oblinita, but are easily distinguished by the smaller average size, the squarer wings, and the deeper, colder color, and heavier marks of the front wings. Guenée’s description of the front wings, as ‘‘narrow and prolonged at the apex’’ would, I think, mislead, and he does not mention one charac- ter which is common to all my specimens (7), Which is that the t. p. line is strongly relieved posteri- orly, and blends with the ground-color basally. I append below a description of the larva and pupa. While spending a day with Dr. Fitch, at Salem, N. Y., on the 24th of August, 1870, I found him feeding a larva of Anisota stigma (Smith), which he said had stung his little daughter badly; but though the spines of this larva produce a slight tingling sensation, it can not be likened to that of the true stinging larvye, and is no more irritating than the prick from the spines of Grapta, or many other spinous larve. The other species of the tribe to which Maia and Jo belong, will doubtless prove to have the same properties in the larva state; and Mr. G. M. Leyette, of Indianapolis, Ind., informs me that Pseudohazis eglanterina (Boisd), which, like Maia, deposits its eggs in a belt, also possesses urticating power; as he was cautioned against the too free handling of some larve received from California, and which fed on wild rose. ACRONYCTA XYLINOIDES — Larva — Before last molt 1.10 inches long; diameter of middle joints, which are largest, 0.27 meh. Color of body lalaceous, mottled, and transversely dotted with dark brown, and with dark, interrupted, medio-dorsal, subdorsal and stigmatal lines, Obsolete on thoracic joints, the medio-dorsal forming a series of Y-marks on the abdominal joints. Each joint with a trans- verse row of conspicuous warts, concolorous, except the superior abdominal ones, which are ferrugi- nous, becoming paler on anal joints: 8 onjts. 1—3, I0 on the rest, the 4 superior on 11 quadrangularly arranged. Those in subdorsal space largest, more or less confluent, especially on the thoracic and anal Joints, and with the space in front of them on abdominal joints, pale. Springing from these warts, a A OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 127 THE BUCK MOTH OR MAIA MOTH — Saturnia [ Hemileuca]. Maia (Drury).* (Ord. Lepiporrers, Fam. BoMBYCID#). This modest-looking but truly elegant moth was one of the first acquisitions to my cabinet many years ago. During a farmer’s life of [Fig. 60.] four years in Kanka- kee county, Ills., it was my fortune to spend many a day in the so-called “ oak- ridges” lying along the Indiana line. Here, late in the months ‘of October and November— when the still and hazy atmosphere, and the sombre brown of the craggy oaks, boded so eloquently the coming of cold to “rule the varied year”—when the rustling leaf under the horse’s tread, or the modulated echoes of the woodman’s ax were the only sounds of life, and animated nature seemed to have been wooed to Lethean slumber—this crape-winged moth would often flut- ter by as though loth to follow in the general sleep. It is one of the few moths which fly in mid-day, though in the breeding cage it shows a crepuscular habit, and is most active in the evening till dark, after which it remains quiet. It is because it is seen fiying in the fall when the deer run that it has been commonly dubbed Buck Moth or Deer Fly. The wings are so lightly covered with scales that they are semi-transparent, and look like delicate black crape. The bands across them are cream-white, and broadest on the hind wings. These bands vary very much in width, and in nearly a hundred specimens number of stiff, acute, rufous spines, (strongest dorsally) about 44 as long as the diameter of body, in- terspersed anteriorly, posteriorly and laterally with much longer bristles. Stigmata oval and bright yellow, (black in alcoholic specimen). Heacl small, dark copal-colored, with a yellow triangle in front. Venter concolorous, the legless joints with four small verrucose warts. ‘Thoracic legs same eolor as head; prolegs same as body, both furnished with stiff, yellow hairs. The tips of spines are more or less black, as are the points on the warts from which they spring. After last molt the warts are paler, except on joint 4, where they remain dark red, the subdorsal gee spaces in front of the confluent warts become more conspicuous, and are strongly relieved by the roadening of the dorsal and subdorsal dark lines, the Y-shape of the former being nearly obliterated. Four specimens. Feeds on Oak, Willow and Rose, and I have also found it on Rhus tovicoden- dron, Persimmon and Peach. Spins a dirty white, elongate, thin and compact cocoon within a leaf. Chrysalis —\ike that of oblinita, dark brown, shagreened, coarsely and acutely on four first ab- dominal joints above, which joints have the hind borders raised and smooth. Anal joint unarmed. Like all other Acronyctas which I have bred, it wears away the head of its cocoon on emerging by persistent whirling — the moth secreting no liquid whatever. The spines of the larva sting quite sharply, with slight inflammation of short duration. * This insect and the succeeding one (Jo) were both referred to the older genus Saturnia by Harris and other popular authors; but have since been very properly separated. Together with Anisota rubi- cunda, which follows, they belong to the very distinct subfamily Ceratocampine of the Bombycide. They rest with the wings closed, the hind ones extending a little in front of the anterior ones, 128 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT which I have bred at different times, those on the front wings more especially are sometimes narrowed so as almost to be obsolete, at others broadened so as to separate the discal spot from the black basal portion; and Mr. Lintner, who has recently given the most complete and minute account of the insect ever published,* figures and describes a bred male in which, on the front wings, they are en- tirely obsolete, and which, if it had been captured at large, would doubtless have furnished some describer the material for a new species. The female antennz below, the hair on the thighs, and two small tufts behind the thorax, are brick-red, and the male differs from the female (Fig. 60) in having broader, black antennz and a smaller abdomen, tipped with a large tuft of brick-red hair. The collar is cream-white, and the black hairs of the body more or less sprinkled with hairs of the same pale color.+ It ranges from Maine to Georgia, and west to the western part of Kansas. Two closely allied species which may prove to be but geographical varieties are also described from California. THE EGGS Are deposited in naked belts (Fig. 61) of from 100 to 200, but not fas- tened together so tightly, nor in the same regular order, as those of Fis. 61.1 the Tent-caterpillar of the Forest (3d Rep., Fig.52,@). Holding firmly by all of her feet, the female stations herself upon a twig, with her head usually toward its end. She then stretches - her abdomen to its fullest and fastens the first egg; another is then attached by its side, and so on, the body reaching round > the twig without letting gothe feet. Inthis manner, governed by the thickness of the twig, an irregular, somewhat spiral 5 ring is formed and others added, until toward the last the abdo- men is raised and the ovipositor brought up between the legs. The lower or first deposited rows, incline so as to almost lie on their sides. The color of these eggs is at first a pale greenish- Y cream, becoming more yellowish with age, and they contain a sticky, deep, blood-red fluid. Each egg is obovate, about 0.05 inch long, and compressed at the sides and at apex. The glutinous fluid, which covers them when deposited, gravitates toward the attached ends and sides, where, in consequence, it becomes thicker and dark. From experiment, Mr. Lintner proved that this gum was insoluble either in cold water, alcohol, ether or chloroform; and, boiled for an hour, it only softened a little to harden again upon drying. * Entomological Contributions in 23d Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Cab. Nat. Hist., 1869, p. 153. +In three of my specimens these light hairs are very prominent, especially on the patagia, and these specimens approach so nearly H. Nevadensis Stretch (lus. Zygenide and Bombycide of N. A., p- 107, Pl. 4, Fig. 10) that I should be much more inclined to consider the latter a geographical ee than a true species. Perhaps the same may be said of Californica, which appears to agree with Mr. Lintner’s bred variety. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 129 In confinement I have known them to be piled up on each other in a very irregular way, and I have found them on apple and received them on peach twigs from A. M. Shultz, of Troy, Mo., and R. H. Fitts, of Lawrence, Kansas. Yet the larve hatching from such eggs refused to eat the leaves of those trees, and commenced to die, untill gave them oak leaves—a fact which does not speak well for the supposed infallibility of instinct. Most of the moths, belonging to the same large family, deposit eggs readily whether impregnated or not; but in no instance where coition had not taken place have I known our Buck Moth to lay. THE LARVA. [Fig- 62.) _The ordinary appearance of the | fall-grown larva is given at figure 62. The color of the body is brown- black, covered with more or less conspicuous small oval yellow ele- vations or papillae, and with a lat- eral yellow stripe, formed by the confluence of some of the papilla, and by broken irregular yellow marks. The spines, during growth, exhibit all the forms in the figure, and I append, for those interested, amore minute account of the JTLARVAL CHANGES.—The newly hatched larva is about 0.15 inch long. In the first stage it is black and granulated above, red- dish-brown and smooth below, with arow of )} spots along the middle joints. The prolegs are brown. Head with a few scattering hairs. Spines placed in the normal position, namely, 6 (in longitudinal rows) on all joints except 11, where two dorsal ones are replaced by a single medio-dorsal one, an additional subventral one each side on jts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10, and an additional medio- dorsal one on jt. 12. They consist of a thickened, sub-cylindrical, polished black stem, nearly as long as the diameter of the body, truncated at tip, which is coronated with three or four short points, and emits a long black bristle, which, under high mag- nifying power, appears barbed (Fig. 62, c.) On the thoracic joints the stem of the six superior rows is forked near its tip (Fig. 62, d.) In the second stage, the body remains the same, but the spines, which are now longest on thoracic joints, are more branched, with more hairs from the main stem, and the bristles from blunt ends comparatively short (Fig. 62, ¢.) Inthe third stage, the dorsal spines are still more branched, and often less truncated, so that the bristle is less distinctly separated and forms more nearly part of the tapering spine. ‘Ihe bristles also, especially on lateral spines, are longer and paler. During the latter part of this stage the characteristics of the mature larva are indicated. In the fourth stage, the two dorsal rows of spines on jts. 3—10, and the mesial one on jt. 11, are reduced to sub-conical tubercles or warts, fascicled with short stout, simple spines of a pale, fulvous color, tipped with black; those on jts. 1 and 2 remain much as before, but there is generally a fascicle of similarly fulvous spines a E.R—9 130 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT z the base of the latter. The other spines are somewhat stouter, with the blunt tips from which the bristles spring, more or less white. Characters of mature larva more patent. In the fifth stage, the granulations assume the form of whitish transverse-oval papille, each emitting from the center a minute dark bristle. These papille are mostly conflu- — ent around the stigmata, and, together with some irregular, paleyellow markings, pro-— duce a broad and pale stigmatal stripe. They are most sparse along the subdorsal region, just above stigmata, where, in consequence, the body appears darkest. In the sirth stage, at maturity, it may be thus described: Average length, nearly 2 inches. Color, brown-black. Head, cervical shield, anal plate and legs polished chestnut-brown, the prolegs lighter, and inclining to venetian- — red, with hooks more dusky and the true legs darker, inclining to black at tips. The dorsal fascicled spines, with the exception of a few short, black ones in the center of — each bunch, are pale, rust-yellow, translucent, the tips mucronate and black; the other compound spines are black, with the blunt ends more or less distinctly white and trans- lucent (but frequently crowned with minute black points, as in the first stage), and the sharp-pointed spinules arising from them dusky. They are generally enlarged and reddish at base, and an approach to the dorsal fascicles is made in the increased number : | { —_—- and yellow color of the basal branches, especially in the subdorsal rows. Stigmata sunken, pale, elongate-oval; venter yellowish along the middle, the legs connected with red, and a reddish spot on the legless joints. The above is the normal appearance of the larva in Illinois and Missouri; but it is quite variable. In some specimens the black pre- © dominates to such an extent, even in the sixth stage, that the papillz : are not very noticeable, and the lateral yellow band is obsolete;* — while in others the yellow papillz predominate over the black, and : the lateral band is broad and continuous. The amount of light color — in the spines is also very variable. It should also be stated that when : just hatched, and after each subsequent molt, the color is at first uni- formly brown; and that the spines for each coming stage are formed under the skin, and not within the old ones. The young hatch with us about the middle of April, and are out — sometimes before the leaves are ready for them; in which event, they survive many days without food. At this season they spin a mode- : rate amount of web, by which they hold tenaciously to the twigs. : They are gregarious, and in traveling have a fashion of following one ~ another closely, and mostly in single file. As soon as the leader finds a suitable leaf, he crawls up the midrib to the tip, and the others follow and crowd each side along the edge. Should the leaf be too small to : hold them all, the last remain on the twig; and—after the more fortu- © nate ones have eaten and crowded back upon them—in their turn take the lead. The gregarious habit remains until after the last molt, though — the original batch may divide into two or more. In the last stage hey separate and scatter. This is one of the few larvz which pass through five molts, and it usually comes to its growth about the end of June, or in about two months from the time of hatching. * All which Mr. Lintner reared seem to have been dark and without the lateral pale stripe; a fact which led him to question the accuracy of a brief description in the American Entomologist, (Vol. 1, p. 186), written by myself. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 131 THE STING, As already stated, is caused by the prick of the spines, and not by their getting broken in the flesh. From the fact that the spines appear hollow, one would naturally attribute their irritating power to some poisonous fluid which they eject into the puncture. But I have been unable to resolve any apical aperture, nor was Mr. Lintner more successful. Hence I infer that the irritating property belongs to the substance of which the spines are formed, and this opinion is strength- ened by the fact that those of a dead larva, or of a cast-off skin which has been in my cabinet for several years, still retain the irritating power, though so brittle that it is not easy to insert them. All the spines have the same power, though the rust-colored, fasciculate ones along the back, being more acute and stouter, sting most readily; the aculei from the others being more fragile. The power is probably possessed from the time of birth, though the bristles in the first stage are too flexile to penetrate anything but the most delicate substance. In the second stage the sting is readily produced on the more tender portions of the body;* but until the rust-colored bunches of short porcupine-like spines appear on the back, in the fifth and sixth stages, the larva may be handled with impunity, and will hardly sting, unless the spines are pressed upon the more tender skin. Even when full grown, it may, with a little care, be handled without injury. The effect of the sting isa reddening of the punctured parts, and the early appearance of raised whitish blotches. These are replaced by purplish spots, which do not disappear for several days. THE PUPA. The larva, to transform, almost always enters the ground, and there, in a simple, ovoid cell, the prickly skin is shed, and the pupa state, outlined at figure 62, b, assumed. It is now of a deep brown- black color, heavy and rounded anteriorly, minutely shagreened or roughened, except at the sutures of legs and wing-sheaths, where it is smooth and polished. The margins of the three abdominal sutures next the thorax, and of that between the last two stigmata-bearing joints, are more or less crimped or plaited, while the three which in- tervene, and which are the only ones movable, are deep and trans- versely aciculate (as if scratched with the point of a needle) on the hind, and longitudinally and minutely striated on the front side. The body ends in a triangular, flattened, ventrally concave tubercle, tipped with a few curled, blunt, rufous bristles. *Mr. Lintner, in the paper already cited, only noticed the stinging properties after the third molt or in the fourth stage, and asserts that ‘‘the ability to inflict a sting does not belong to all the spines of the larva, but only to those of the two subdorsal rows on segments three to ten, and the dorsal spine on segment eleyen.’’ This is, however, quite incorrect, so far as my experience goes. \ 132 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT ISSUING OF THE MOTH. The moths commence to issue the fore part of October, the males almost always appearing first. Though the great bulk issue at this season, a few do not appear till the following spring, and occasionally © remain in the ground till the second fall—a period of over fifteen months. It is difficult to conceive what influences should so retard a — few individuals, and enable them to pass the heat of asecond summer unaffected, when the species normally develops in aso much shorter time ; and, though the exceptional fact is recorded by two independ- ent observers, Mr. Lintner very naturally fgund it difficult to believe — it without additional evidence. I can add my own testimony; for, from a batch of larvz, which had all entered the ground before July 1st, 1871, one moth did not issue till October 8th, 1872. Such abnor- mal occurrences in insect life are by no means uncommon, and, though we may not be able to account for them, we can understand how they. — prove of advantage to the species. The eggs of our Buck Moth are among the few which remain unprotected and exposed to the severe winter weather, and, indeed, I know of none which are so completely at the mercy of the elements. Now, I have always noticed that some eggs, in a batch, failed to hatch—their vitality having, perhaps, been destroyed during the winter; and Mr. Lintner has recorded a similar observation. An unusually intense cold might destroy all the eggs over large extents of country ; and, in such an event, the few belated pupz would alone survive to perpetuate the species. That species are occasionally reduced in this wholesale manner, we have abund- ant proof; and,in this light, what at first appears to us an abnormity, becomes an important and necessary feature of the insect’s economy. Thus, even occasional irregularity plays its part in adapting a species to its surrounding conditions, and becomes a necessary concomitant of the universal order and harmony in Nature! # FOOD PLANTS. The leaves of our different oaks are the most natural food of this insect, and the black masses of prickly larvee are sometimes quite abundant on the young Post, Black and Red oaks along the Iron Moun- tain region. My first worms were found abundantly on the Scrub wil- low (S. humilis), in Northern Illinois, in 1862; and I have also found them on a rose-bush. Maj. J. R. Muhleman, of Woodburn, Ills., also tells me that he has found them abundantly on the common Hazel, and Mr. Glover gives, as food-plant, the wild Black cherry. NATURAL ENEMIES. The poisonous qualities of the larval spines, however objectiona- ble they may be to man, do not shield the wearer from the attacks of itera «| ae OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 1838 other animals. We do not know positively that any bird attacks them, even while young; but Mr. Lintner caught the Modest Soldier- bug (Arma modesta Dallas) in the act. This bug is congeneric with and of much the same size and appearance as the Spined Soldier-bug, illustrated in former reports. Of true parasites, Limneria fugitiva (Say), a small Ichneumon-fly, which preys on several other insects, (Rep. 4, p. 41), and an undetermined species of Microgaster, have been bred from it—the latter by myself, and both by Mr. Lintner. I have also noticed, in one instance, a number of Tachina eggs behind the head of a larva in the third stage; but, singularly enough, they were shed with the third skin before hatching—the only case of the kind that has ever come under my observation. From another larva, however, I bred 7 specimens of the same Tachina-fly, which I have designated anonyma, and bred from so many other larvz (Rep. 4, p. 129). THE 10 MOTH—Saturnia [| Hyperchiria] Lo* (Fabr.). (Ord. Leriporrera, Fam. BomBycip.) ie. fe) rr This is one of our most a beautiful moths, receiving its name from two conspicu- ous eye-spots on the hind wings, in allusion to the an- cient Greek heroine, Io, who, as the fable went, was jeal- ously guarded by the hun- dred-eyed Argus. The sexes differ remarkably in colora- tion. The male, (Fig. 63), which is smaller, is also ‘much brighter colored, be- ing of a deep yellow, marked, as in the figure, with purise brown, the body ssiat hind wings being of a deeper ochre-yellow. In the female, (Fig. 64), the purple-brown color predominates, and she is somewhat differently marked. The species shows considerable varia- *= varia Walker—see Lintner Ent. Contributions II, p. 45. 134 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT Aa { [Big. 64.] tion, both in color and pattern, and certain males in my possession range from pale cream-color to buff in the front wings. The eggs are de- posited in clusters on the under side of the leaf. The first description given of them is in the Canadian Entomologist (Vol. II, p. 29), by Chas. S. Minot, who describes them as “top-shaped.” They are very much of the same form as those of Maza, being com- pressed on both sides and flattened at the apex—the attached end smallest. The color is cream-white, with a small black spot on the apical end, anda larger orange one on the compressed sides. ) ful impression, will serve to better display the ap- \j) pendages, The color is yellow, with traces of the ; brown mottling of the larva, rudiments of the lateral appendages, but not of the spongy masses, and a few hairs scattered over the exposed parts. The spiracles are more con- spicuous, and the upper jaws stronger and olive-green. The pupa state lasts but a few days, and the perfect insect issues during the month of July. It is nocturnal in habit, and hides, for the most part, in obscure places during the day. It is sluggish at this time, and, if approached, will drop sooner than fly, or raise its head and abdomen, and open its jaws menacingly. There is no perceptible sexual difference in larva or pupa, unless it is, as stated by Haldeman,} in the rather larger size of the jaws of the male. This similarity of the sexes, especially in the pupa, is the more remarkable that in the imago state they differ so greatly. The * Proc. Phil. Ent. Soc., Vol. II, p. 265. : : + History and Transformations of Corydalus cornutus, by S. S. Haldeman, A.M., communicated — to the ‘‘American Academy of Arts and Sciences,’’ Nov. 18th, 1848. In this paper the transformations : of the species are for the first time given, and the anatomical structure well illustrated. OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 145 male (Fig. 69, c) is remarkable for having his upper jaws — which in the female (Fig. 69, 7)are normal and fitted for biting — prolonged into incurved, prehensile appendages of the form of a grain-cradle finger, and smooth and cylindrical, except at tips, which are pointed and mi- nutely notched. As Mr. Walsh first pointed out,t this modificationis evidently to enable him to embrace the soft body of the female, as it can not well have any otheruse. The body of the Hellgrammite fly is soft, and were the jaws of the male horny, and armed with teeth, in securing the female they would injure her, and thus defeat rather than aid procreation. In the large Stag-beetle or “ Buck-bug” (Lucanus elaphus Linn.), on the contrary, where both sexes have very hard, horny bodies, the upper jaws in the male are greatly prolonged, but very stout, and armed with sharp prongs, the better to enable him to seize the female. ; In these two cases we see how wonderfully the homologous or- gans have been modified in opposite directions to accomplish the sameend. We find in Nature innumerable such curious contrivances and modifications, which at once excite our wonder and admiration. To quote Mr. Walsh’s own eloquent words: ‘In so elaborate and diversified a manner does Nature adapt her plans and patterns to the ever-varying conditions of animated existence; and with such con- summate care has she provided that the great fundamental law shall everywhere be effectually carried out —‘ Increase and multiply and replenish the earth.’ ” It is worthy of remark that in both these large insects in which the male upper jaws are so modified, this sex is far more common than the other. It is probably owing to the fact that the female seldom wanders away from her breeding place, and is, therefore, less often seen than her more restless and adventurous mate. THE GOAT-WEED BUTTERFLY—Paphia glycerium Doubleday. ADDITIONAL FACTS IN ITS HISTORY. [Fig. 72.] ne In my second Report (pp. 125-8) I gave an \ illustrated account of this insect, which was, how- —