| Pes. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.
| =
: BULLETIN No. 12.
ees .A35
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Copy 1
ON THE
WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY |
FOR THE
SEASON OF 1885,
PREPARED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1886.
tes, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.
BULLETIN No. 12.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
ON THE
WORK OF THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY
FOR THE
SEASON OF 1885,
PREPARED BY THE ENTOMOLOGIST.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1886.
17334—No. 12 AY
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY,
Washington, D. C., June 7, 1886.
Sir: I have the honor to submit for publication Bulletin No. 12 of
this Division, which contains certain notes on the work of the Division
made during the year 1885, and which were excluded for lack of space
from my report of that year. I have also added a paper on Cicada
septendecim, sent at my request by the author, and containing many
interesting original observations, if not always agreeing with those of
others.
Respectfully,
C. V. RILEY,
Entomologist.
Hon. Norman J. COLMAN,
Commissioner of Agriculture.
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CONTENTS.
Page.
Report on the production and manufacture of Buhach.-.-.--...---.------.----- 7
Additions to the third report on the causes of the destruction of the evergreen
and other forest trees in Northern New England.-....----...---.-------.---- V7
The Periodical Cicada in Southeastern Indiana. .-.-...-.--...---..----- ------ 24
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PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURE OF BUHACH.
By D. W. CoquiLuetr.
DEAR Stier: In accordance with your written request for me to pre-
pare a report upon the growth, manufacture, &e., of the insect powder
known as *‘ Buhach”, as practiced by the Buhach Producing and Manu-
facturing Company, of Stockton, Cal., I beg leave to submit the follow-
ing: For much of the information contained herein I am indebted to
Mr. G. N. Milco, one of the proprietors of the above firm, and also to
the pages of the Pacific Rural Press. IT obtained much information con-
cerning this new industry while staying at the company’s plantation last
summer when investigating the locust plague for the Department.
The Buhach Producing and Manufacturing Company’s plantation is
situated about one mile east of Atwater Station, in Merced County, and
contains 800 acres, 300 0f which are planted to Pyrethrum cinerariefolium,
from the dried flowers of which the above company manufacture the
insect powder to which they have given the proprietary name of Bu-
hach.* The soil of this plantation is a sandy loam, so sandy in fact
that when the growing upon it of the Pyrethrum plants was first at-
tempted many of the plants were buried beneath the loose, drifting
sand which was blown about by the winds. To overcome this evil,
lines of Lombardy and Carolina poplar trees were planted along the
banks of the irrigating ditches to serve as wind-breaks.
The great Merced Irrigating Canal passes through the middle of
the Buhach plantation, and the latter is supplied with water from it by
a system of irrigating ditches which, if extended in any one direction,
would reach to a distance of about thirty miles.
The seeds of the Pyrethrum are sown in the spring or fall of the year,
and are buried in the soil to the depth of about half an inch by lightly
disturbing the soil with a rake. The seed-beds, which are not unlike
those used for starting cabbage and tomato plants, are occasionally
sprinkled with water. During the rainy winter season the plants are
transplanted to the fields, where they are set out in rows four feet
apart, and two feet apart in the rows. During the dry summer season
the plants are irrigated about once every month.
*The word Buhach is derived from the Sclayonic word Buha, which signifies a flea;
but there is no such word as Buhach in the Sclavonic language.
7
8
In preparing the ground for irrigation a deep furrow is made between
each two rows of the plants by means of a plow drawn by one horse;
this plow is so constructed as to throw the dirt to each side of the fur-
row. After one of the fields has been thus furrowed out, a cross-furrow
is made at the ends of these furrows on the highest ground, and the
water is turned into this cross-furrow from one of the irrigating ditches.
From this furrow the water is in turn let into one of the other furrows,
one or two at atime, according to the amount of water supplied by the
cross-furrow.
Dams are placed in the irrigating furrows at a distance of about one
rod apart, and as soon as the furrow is filled with water to the first dam
the latter is removed, and the water flows on to the second dam, and
at the proper time this one is alsoremoved; and this process is repeated
until all the furrows have been supplied with water.
The next day or so a one-horse cultivator is run once or twice through
each of these furrows, for the purpose of filling them up, and also to
loosen up the soil to prevent its drying out too rapidly. If the field is
weedy the men follow with hoes, and cut out the weeds.
In this manner the plants are treated until the time for gathering the
flowers arrives, with the exception that the irrigating is dispensed with
during the rainy winter season.
A few of the plants will produce flowers the first year after having
been transplanted to the fields, but they produce the most profusely
about the third year. The majority of the plants now growing upon
the Buhach plantation are six years old, and still bear well. A certain
proportion of the plants die every year, and their places are supplied
with young plants during the winter season.
The flowers are gathered during the months of May or June. The
operator seizes all of the flower-stems growing upon one plant in one of
his hands, and with the other cuts them off 3 or 4 inches above the
ground by means of a sharp, hooked knife resembling an old-fashioned
hand-sickle. They are then conveyed to a wooden stand to which is
affixed an iron comb, the teeth of which are wide enough apart to per-
mit the flower-stems to pass between them, but are sufficiently close to-
gether to catch the flower-heads. The operator takes a handful of the
flower-stems, catching them below all of the flowers, and passes the
stems between the teeth of the iron comb, the latter being between his
hand and the lowest flower; then giving his hand a jerk the flowers are
pulled off of the stems and fall into a wooden box, while the stems are
thrown to one side out of the way, to be burned as soon as dry enough.
The flowers are spread out to dry, and at night are covered up to pre-
vent the dew from falling upon them, which would naturally injure
their insecticidal qualities. As soon as they have been thoroughly dried
they are put into sacks and sent in car-load lots to the mill at Stockton,
Arriving at the mill the flowers are fed to a set of burr mill-stones,
just as wheat is handled in making flour by the old process. The grist
9
is carried by an elevator to a separator which, by proper sieves, sepa-
rates the coarser particles of the grist, allowing only the finest, dust-
like powder to pass through. This powder is carried by an elevator to
an adjoining building, where it is put up in tin cans for the market,
while the coarser particles thrown off by the separator are returned to
the millstones again.
The flowers become considerably heated while being reduced to a
powder, but the latter, in passing through a large series of elevators,
loses its heat to a great degree before it is put into the cans for the
market.
This powder is put up in tin cans of five different sizes, holding re-
spectively 2 ounces, 5 ounces, 10 ounces, 1 pound and 6 pounds. The
2 ounce and 5-ounce cans are packed into boxes containing a dozen
eans, and also into cans of 12 dozen cans each; the 10-ounee and 1-
pound cans are packed into boxes containing a dozen evans each, and
the 6 pound can into boxes holding 6 cans.
Each can of powder bears the company’s trade-mark, which is a guar-
antee of the purity of the powder contained therein. The design of
this trade-mark consists of an enlarged figure of a flea above, and a
figure of a grasshopper below, while between them are the words:
“ Buhach: G. N. Milco’s California Universal Insect Exterminator,” and
in the upper corners ave the words “Trade-mark.” The essential ele-
ment of this trade-mark is the word Buhach.
Mr. Milco informs me that two years ago a certain firm doing busi-
ness in this State undertook to put a fictitious article upon the market
under the name of Buhach; the Buhach Producing and Manufacturing
Company brought a suit against them, but as the said suit has not been
decided up to the present writing it is impossible to say what the out-
come will be.
Mr. Milco made the first experiment to introduce the growth of the
Pyrethrum cinerariefolium into this State in the year 1870. In 1873 he
sold a few pounds of the powder, at the rate of $16 per pound. In 1878
he raised about 900 pounds of the powder, which at first he sold at the
rate of $4.50 per pound, but finally reduced the price to $1.25 per pound.
In the year 1879 Mr. J. D. Peters united with Mr. Milco in the eulti-
vation of the Pyrethrum cinerariefolium and the manufacture of Buhach,
under the firm name of the “Buhach Producing and Manufacturing
Company,” and for several years they sold the Buhach at the rate of
75 cents per pound, wholesale.
The present price of the Buhach is as follows:
The 6-pound cans are sold to the largest wholesale dealers at from
45 to 50 cents per pound; the wholesale dealers seil them to retail deal-
ers at the rate of 564 cents per pound, when a case of six cans is pur-
chased at one time, but when less than a case is taken the price is 60
cents per pound. The retail dealers sell these cans to consumers at the
rate of 75 cents per pound when the whole can is purchased at one time,
10
but when only a fractional part of the can is wanted the price is $1 per
pound.
The 1-pound cans are sold to wholesale dealers at the rate of $115.20
per gross, less 15 per cent. discount; these are sold to the retail dealers
at the rate of $9.60 per dozen, and these dealers sell them to consumers
at the rate of $1.25 per can.
The 10-ounce cans are sold to wholesale dealers at the rate of $63
per gross, less 15 per cent. discount; the wholesale dealers sell them to
retail dealers at $5.25 per dozen, and the latter charge the consumers
75 cents per can.
The 2-ounce cans are sold to wholesale dealers at the rate of $18 per
gross, less 15 per cent discount.; the retail dealers pay $1.50 per dozen
for these cans and sell them to consumers at the rate of 25 cents per can.
The company also puts up a small sample box of the Buhach, which
is mailed to all applicants free of charge.
The company has two different kinds of instruments for distributing
the dry Buhach powder. One of these is called an ‘“ insufflator,” and
somewhat resembles a tin oil-can, such as is commonly used for oiling
sewing-machines, but the distributing tube is placed low down on one
side, while on the upper side is a tube, open at both ends and projecting
into the can; this tube contains a piston which, when pushed down-
ward, throws the Buhach out of the distributing tube in a fine shower,
while a spring again pushes the piston upward in its proper place as
soon as the pressure from above has been removed. This instrument is
held in one hand and the piston is operated by the thumb of the same
hand, It is intended for distributing the Buhach in places where only
a small quantity of it is required.
It was formerly constructed with an opening in the piston leading
into the interior of the insufflator, through which the latter was filled
with the Buhach, the opening being afterwards closed with a tight-fit-
ting cork ; but an improvement has lately been made by having nearly
the whole bottom in the form of a screw-cap, like that on glass fruit-
jars, which can be removed by being unscrewed; by this arrangemeut
the insufflator can be filled much easier and quicker than by the old
way.
The present price of this insvfflator is 25 cents each.
The second instrument, referred to above, is intended for distributing
the dry Buhach in large quantities. It consists of a tin can somewhat
resembling a common lard-can holding 5 pounds of lard. In the lower
part of the can, upon one side, is an opening, into which the nozzle of a
small hand-bellows is inserted, while on the opposite side, also near the
bottom of the can, is a smaller opening, leading into a spoon-shaped
nozzle on the outside. This nozzle is furnished with a slide, so arranged
as to regulate the quantity of the buhach that is forced through it by
the bellows. The top of the can has an opening 4 inches in diameter,
11
and is closed by a tightly-fitting screw-cap, similar to that of a glass
fruit-jar.
The price of this instrument is $2.50.
For applying the Buhach and water the company has a small pump,
which is attached to a galvanized iron vessel holding about 8 gallons.
To this pump is attached 10 feet of rubber hose, to the end of which is
affixed a small iron tube 5 feet in length, and so constructed that sev-
eral of them can be fastened together, end to end. To the tip of this
is attached a cyclone nozzle, which is screwed on to the end of the iron
tube. This nozzle was introduced by the Department of Agriculture a
few years ago, and is far superior to any other nozzle that [I have ever
seen.
The pump consists of a strong brass tube about 2 feet in length, into
which is fitted a piston or plunger, which is operated by one hand, while
with the other the tube containing the nozzle is moved about at the will
of the operator.
The present price of this pump, complete, is $15.
The cost of setting out an acre of Pyrethrum plants varies considerably,
but should not exceed $90. If the plants are set out in rows 4 feet apart,
and 2 feet apart in the rows, it will require about 5,445 plants to the
acre. The plants should not cost more than 1 cent apiece, if grown by
the person intending to plant them out, and the Buhach Company offers
to send a package of the seeds of Pyrethrum cinerariefolium sufficient
to plant an acre for the sum of $5.
There will be little or no income from the plants the first year that
they are transplanted to the fields. After the second year the plants
will yield from 300 to 600 pounds of dried flowers to the acre, but when
the winter is dry and cold the plants will not yield more than 150 to 200
pounds of dried flowers per acre the following season.
The kind of Pyrethrum now grown upon the Buhach Company’s plan-
tation is the cinerariefolium. There are a few plants of the P. rosewm
growing in their nursery, but this species is not considered by them to
be so desirable as the former species, although it is hardier and easier
to start from the seeds. When a flower of the cinerariwfolium is crushed
it gives forth a very strong odor peculiar to itself, and doubtless exist-
ing in the insect-destroying property of these flowers. The flowers of
P. roseum give forth no odor when crushed, and the powder made from
them is far inferior to that made from the flowers of cinerariwfolium, as
far as its insecticidal qualities are concerned.
The flowers of all of the cinerariefolium plants appear at the same
season of the year, or within a short time of each other, thus permitting
the whole field to be harvested at one time, whereas the rosewm is much
more irregular in its Howering, continuing to produce flowers during the
greater part of the summer season, sometimes producing a second crop
of flowers the same season, but it does not blossom as profusely as the
cinerariefolium.
12
The insect-destroying property of Buhach consists of a volatile oil
which, in evaporating, exhales a gas that causes death by asphyxia
to those insects which breathe it, producing a similar effect upon insects
that chloroform and ether have upon human beings. But, what is very
singular, while being so destructive to insect life, Buhach has no injuri-
ous effect upon humau beings. That such is really the case can easily
be proved by a visit to the company’s mill at Stockton when in full
operation. At such times the air in the room where the flowers are
ground into powder is filled with the fine, dust-like particles of the
powder; many of the workmen are cbliged to remain in this room con-
tinuously for several hours at a time, and take no more precautions
against breathing the powder than a miller takes against inhaling the
fine particles of flour in his mill; and yet they never suffer from the
effects of thus inhaling the fine particles of the Buhach powder.
Neither is the Buhach poisonous to either man or animals who eat
some of it by chance or otherwise. Mr. Milco writes me that a tea-
spoonful of the aleoholie extract of Buhach was administered to a cer-
tain person afflicted with tape-worm; the dose was repeated every hour
for ten consecutive hours, with the effect of removing the tape-worm
without in the least degree injuring the patient.
Neither is Buhach poisonous to insects. I have seen locusts feed
upon cabbage leaves that had been so thoroughly sprayed with a solu-
tion of Bubach and water that the leaves were thickly covered with
Buhach after the water had evaporated; still the locusts were not at
all injured by thus feeding upon it.
At the stables of the Buhach plantation several tons of the dried
stems of the Pyrethrum cinerariefolium were fed to the horses; the lat-
ter appeared to relish it very much, and I could not discover that they
were injured in the least by thus feeding upon these stems.
It is this perfect immunity from poisonous or other injurious qualities
to those using it that has given to Buhach a prominent position among
our insecticides, and makes it a perfectly safe remedy to use about the
house.
While in one form or another it is so destructive to insect life, still it
appears to have little or no effect upon the eggs; it also is not so fatal
in its effects upon the pup or chrysalids of those insects which pass
through a quiet pupa state as itis to the larvie and to the adult insects.
It appears to have the greatest effect upon the higher forms of insect
lite, while the lower or more or less degraded forms are not so easily
affected by it.
Buhach is sometimes applied in a dry state, but for out-door purposes
this occasions a great loss, since the finer particles of the powder will
float in the air, and be carried away by the wind. A much more satis-
factory way of applying it is to mix it in water and spray the insects
with the solution.
13
As the Buhach at first merely paralyzes the insect, it is necessary
that this influence upon the latter should continue until death results.
To accomplish this some viscid substance should be combined with the
solution of Buhach and water, in order to cause the solution to adhere to
the insects for a sufficient Jength of time to deprive the latter of their
lives. One of the best known substances of this kind is glucose, a semi-
liquid refuse of sugar refineries. This substance combines readily with
the Buhach solution, and does not appear to have an injurious effect upon
the plants that have been sprayed with it. A low grade of brown sugar
would doubtless answer the same purpose, although not in an equal
degree, not being so viscid when mixed with water.
Besides using the Buhach in a dry form, and mixing it with water, it
is sometimes also mixed with alcohol, in the proportion of 1 pound of
Buhach to a quart of aleohol; this should stand in a closed vessel for an
hour or so, when it may be diluted with water to any extent required.
In regard to this solution Prof. E. W. Hilgard, of the University of Cali-
fornia, writes as follows to the Pacific Rural Press of May 5, 1883 (p.
413):
“T find that the effect of the Buhach is materially increased in dura-
tion when instead of the tea the diluted tincture is used, as was sug-
gested by Professor Riley two years ago. ‘The reason is that the alco-
hol extracts with the essential oil also a green resin, which prevents
the too rapid evaporation of the volatile oil, and makes it stick to the
insect.
“ A quart of aleohol to a pound of powder is the best proportion, but
less alcohol may be used. The alcohol may simply be left on the powder
for an hour, and the whole then put into 45 or 50 gallons of water, if to
be used through a ‘San José nozzle.’ But it is far better to let the
alcohol percolate through the powder, and thus get a clear tincture, of
which aliquot parts may at any time be used through any nozzle what-
soever, after proper dilution with water. Thus it becomes a great con-
venience, since the insecticide solution is ready at any moment without
need of boiling or dissolving,and thus the work may be done just when
wanted without any preparation. I find a solution made as above
quite strong enough for any ordinary insect, including the hairy cater-
pillar, which at first seems not to mind it much, but after a while tum-
bles down and succumbs after vain efforts to crawl away. I have not
had an opportunity of trying it upon the Diabrotica or ‘spotted lady-
bug,’ but am told that it also succumbs despite its ability to eat almost
anything from tobacco to belladonna and henbane. All the aphids
yield to it at once, as does the Red Spider when hatched; but it will
not kill eggs.”
In using the Buhach out of doors the best effect will be obtained
when the weather is still and rather cool. In very hot weather the in-
secticidal properties of the Buhach evaporate too rapidly, thus render
ing its time of action so brief as to permit the insect in many cases to
14
recover. In windy weather the evaporation is also rapid, and the deadly
properties of the Buhach are lost, being blown away from the insect, in-
stead of being kept where the latter is compelled to breathe it.
The following experiments with Buhach were made the past season
either by myself or where [ was permitted to witness them in person:
Tomato worms—the larvie of Macrosila carolina, Linn.—sprayed with
a solution composed of one pound of Buhach stirred in ten gallons of
water were killed in a few minutes by it. When first sprayed they mani-
fested their dislike by jerking their heads and the forepart of the body
from side to side, at the same time emitting from their mouths a dark
greenish, semi-liquid substance, as almost every locust or grasshopper
will do when taken in the hand. The jerking gradually increased in
violence, until finally the worms let go their hold of the plants and fell
to the ground, where they wriggled around for a short time, and finally
expired. [am not aware that a single tomato worm treated with the
above solution recovered from its effects.
Theabove solution appeared to have no effects upon a Bordered Squash-
bug (Largus succinctus).
At about 4 o’clock in the afternoon a Twelve-spotted Diabrotica (Dia-
brotica duodecim-punctata Fabr.) was immersed in a solution composed
of one and one-half pounds of Bubach stirred into five gallons of water ;
it was still alive at 9 o’clock, but was dead when examined the next
morning.
A horned beetle (Notoxus cavicornis LeC.) was immersed in the same
solution and at the same time as the above; it was still alive at 3 o’clock
in the afternoon of the next day, but was dead when examined the fol-
lowing morning. It became unable to walk about five minutes after it
had been immersed, and it remained in that condition, occasionally
moving a leg or foot, until it died. Another specimen was sprinkled
with the dry powder, but was not killed thereby; this would seem to in-
dicate that Buhach wetted so as to adhere to the insect is far more effect-
ive than in a dry state, even though it is diluted to a considerable ex-
tent with water. :
A black cricket (@ryllus sp.?) sprayed with the above solution in the
evening was dead the next morning.
An Eleodes quadricollis LeC: that had been rolled in the pure Buhach
was still alive eight days later, although it did not appear to be as
sprightly as it was before being treated with the powder.
A single application of Buhach, either in a dry state or when mixed
with water or with alcohol, will not kill locusts or grasshoppers that
have been dusted or sprayed with it. When treated to the powder or
to either of the solutions they show signs of its effects in from ten min-
utes to half an hour. At first the hind legs are affected, and the in-
sects raise them over their backs and kick around for a short time, and
finally lose all control of them, crawling about by means of their four
anterior legs, and dragging their hind legs aftert hem. After a while
15
the locusts fall down, roll once upon their sides or backs, jerk their legs
occasionally, and gradually become quiet. They remain in this condi-
tion for a longer or shorter time, and gradually recover, but sometimes
a whole day or a day and a half passes after the application has been
made before the locusts have wholly recovered from the effects of it.*
Although the locusts are not killed by a single application of the
Buhach in either of the forms mentioned above, still they do not enjoy
the same immunity when treated with an alcoholic extract of Buhach ;
a few drops of this extract was dropped upon an adult locust at 1
o’cloek in the afternoon, and early the next morning the locust thus
treated was dead. This extract is much stronger than the solution of
Buhach and alcohol described above, and costs about $3 a pint. It
failed to have a fatal effect upon the locusts when diluted with water
to any considerable degree.
For the destruction of locusts and other insects that the Buhach will
not kill outright, it may still be used with advantage by spreading
blankets upon the ground beneath the tree or shrub infested with these
insects, and then dusting the latter with the Buhach, or spraying with
one of the solutions; this will have the effect of causing the insects to
fall upon the blankets in a perfectly helpless condition, when they can
easily be gathered up and be destroyed by burning or otherwise.
In order to give some idea of what success other persons have met
with in using Buhach for the purpose of destroying various kinds of
injurious insects, I will give a few extracts from communications made
by the parties using this insecticide.
The following is extracted from a communication which appeared in
the Pacific Rural Press of January 6, 1883 (p. 12):
“The Buhach powder was mixed with cold water in the proportion of 1
pound of powder to 50 gallons of water. On the 14th instant I sprayed 10
apple trees, the branches of which were literally covered with the Cucum-
ber-beetle (Diabrotica vittata), and the result was that these pests im-
mediately fell to the ground in myriads. The spraying was done with
a Merigot pump, and the trees were covered a short time only with a
fine mist. Although several gallons were mixed, probably not over one
gallon was used. I placed in a small box a number of the beetles that
had been touched by the spray, aud up to the present time all ettorts
to resuscitate them have failed. A small number of the insects which
were not touched by the spray were placed in a phial, and are still liv-
ing. The Cucumber-beetle plays havoc with pear blossoms and is other-
wise destructive, and judging from tie very signal saccess of my late
*Locusts appear to be endowed with more life than the generality of insects. On
one occasion I saw a hind leg of a Differential Locust (Caloptenus differentialis Thom, )
move after it had been separated from the body for several hours. The femur would
draw the tibia toward it, then move it back again; and the last movement of this
kind that I saw it make occurred cight hours after the leg had been separated from the
body.
16
experiment, I feel confident that I will have very little trouble in stop-
ping its ravages during the fruit season—Jos. HALES.”
The following appeared in the same journnal for October 13, 1883 (p.
306) :
“This year, with increased yards and more extensive plans, I had
scarcely commenced my work when, to my great annoyance, vermin,
and especially those mites which infest the nests of sitting hens, came
in forces quite appalling. Old remedies were now again employed, but,
as before, found insufficient to match the foe. Half discouraged, I was
relating my trials to a neighboring druggist; he advised flea powder,
and I purchased of him a bottle of Persian insect powder and at once
tested its merits. I found it a partial, but only a partial, relief to the
few nests where used. Thinking, however, that in this, though imper-
fect, remedy I had perhaps a hint, a good suggestion, I at once sent to
the producers and manufacturers of Buhach at Stockton, Cal., for a
small can of their powder, to test still further that kind of ‘death to
vermin.’ A package (one-fourth of a pound) of Buhach powder was
promptly mailed to me, and used as soon as received. To my gratifica-
tion, it seemed to be just the thing I had long been looking for, yet half
despaired of ever finding. The first quarter-pound of this powder ‘ did
the business,’ where used in sufficient quantity; but it was not enough
to go around. So I secured more—two pounds—and I have tested it
thoroughly. It is the thing for poultry. It is a success, especially
wheu used freely and frequently. I have tested its merits in nests, upon
chicks and hens, on roosts, in cracks and crevices of coops, &c., and
with complete success everywhere, I believe. This Buhach powder is
the cleanliest, simplest, most easily applied, and safest remedy for ver-
min which I have yet found good enough.”—Poultry Grower.
For further experiments with Buhach, I would refer the reader to the
back numbers of the American Naturalist, and also to the several Re-
ports of Prof. C. V. Riley, as entomologist to the Department of A gri-
culture, contained in the Annual Reports of that Department.
D. W. CUQUILLETT.
Prof. C. V. RILEY,
Entomologist.
ee
ADDITIONS TO THE THIRD REPORT ON THE CAUSES OF
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EVERGREEN AND OTHER
FOREST TREES IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND.
By A. S. PAckarpD.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
In Dr. Packard’s third report, prepared for the Report of the Ento-
mologist, Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for 1885, was
contained certain matter, mainly descriptive, which, though valuable,
was considered hardly appropriate for a report which it is desired to
make severely plain and practical. This matter was, therefore, pruned
from the Annual Report and is published here in the more limited edi-
tion of the Bulletin.—(C. V. R.)
THE BLACK-HEADED SPRUCE BUD WORM.
(Teras variana, n. sp., Fernald.)
This caterpillar isso commonly met with on the spruce and fir that we
have given it the above English name, though there are other species
which have green bodies and black heads. We first met with it on the
terminal shoots of the black Spruce on Peaks Island, in Portland Har-
bor, June 22, 1881, and also at Brunswick and Harpswell on the day
following, when it was associated with the caterpillars of the Spruce
Bud-worm (Tortriz fumiferana). Unlike that species it does not, so far
as we have observed, cause any decided alteration in the appearance of
the shoots of the tree, not being social or abundant enough to strip the
leaves from a single shoot, as in the case of the Spruce Bud-worm, or
the Reddish-yellow Spruce Bud-worm (Steganoptycha ratzeburgiana)
found on the White Spruce last season. .
The egg-laying habits are not yet known, as none of the moths on
issuing from the chrysalis mated or proceeded to deposit eggs.
The caterpillars usually live near the ends of the shoots, feeding on
the new leaves, which begin to grow out early in June; cutting off the
tender leaves, they make a passage-way between them and the shoot,
which they line with white silk. When disturbed they rapidly crawl
out of their silken retreat and let themselves down to the ground by a
17334—No. 12 2 17
18
silken thread. They are very active in their habits andin confinement
in tin boxes will squeeze through the narrow space between the box and
the cover, so that only an unusually tightly closed box will confine
them. Sometimes, at least in two instances, the caterpillars construct a
case of the leaves which they had cut off at the end of a fresh bud.
The caterpillars were very abundant this year in spruce and firs on
the shores and islands of Casco Bay, from June 10 until July 20. As
full-grown larvie are abundant during the early part of June, it seems
that it hibernates among the shoots of the tree during the winter, and
that as in the case of the Spruce Bud-worm (Tortrix fumiferana) it
hatches in August, or at least late in the summer, and becomes nearly
fully grown before cold weather sets in.
The caterpillar when fully grown is of the usual shape of a leaf-roller,
deep green, with a dark reddish head and cervical shield; before the
last molt the head and prothoracie or cervical shield are black.
From the 14th to the 16th of June the caterpillars change to chrys-
alides within the slight white cocoon they spin among the bases of the
leaves next tothe shoot. The moths begin to issue early in August,
and continue to appear uatil the middle of the month. In one case the
insect pupated from July 6th to the 10th, the moth issuing on the 19th;
hence the pupal period lasts about two weeks. Others which pupated
July 14 to 16 appeared three weeks later. None of the insects lingered
in the pupa state beyond the 14th of August. The moths are subject
to great variation, the details of which are given in the description.
In their color they are assimilated to the moss-covered bark of the
larger branches of the trees they rest on.
The caterpillars are sometimes preyed upon by ichneumons, two
small Ichneumonide having been bred from pupie in confinement. No
Chalcid parasites have yet been observed to prey upon this species.
Should the worms attack shade or ornamental firs and spruces, they
can be subdued by spraying and striking the branches and shoots so as
to dislodge the worms.
DESCRIPTIVE.
Larva before the last molt.—Body pale green, nearly of the color of the fresh leaves,
with the head and cervical or prothoracie shield black. Length, 10-11™™,
Full-grown larva.—Body pale pea-green, moderately thick, gradually tapering from
the middle to the end of the body. Head of the usual shape, somewhat bilobed, not
so wide as the body; dull reddish amber, or greenish-yellow amber-colored in front ;
partly brownish-black behind and on the sides, the black forming two patches on
the vertex. Prothoracic or cervical shield black on a greenish ground; varying to
greenish-amber edged behind with blackish ; sutures and lateral ridge slightly tinged
with yellowish. On the body-segments the piliferous warts green, not distinct ;
arranged as usual in a trapezoid. Thoracic legs greenish amber-colored, first pair
larger and darker than the others; abdominal legs pale green, concolorous with the
body. Length, 12-14™™,
Pupa.—Body rather slender, the double rows of dorsal spines as usual, but the
spines are smaller and not so sharp as usual. End of the abdomen broad, square, and
much flattened vertically, with a small down-curved spine on each side; on the
square edge of the tip are from four to six slender, small, curved, stiff bristles. There
19
are two similar bristles on the underside within the edge of the squaretip. Length,
o-gmm.
Moth.—Head white or subochreous; palpi dull gray, with white scales. Thorax
either white and black or reddish ochreous with white scales. Fore wings with the
basal third either black, gray or snow white; usually dark gray; on the onter edge
of the dark portion are two groups of sharply raised scales. Beyond is an irregular
white band, the white sometimes obscured by gray scales; this band is very irregu-
lar in width, being narrow on the costa, widening towards the middle of the wing ;
it is indented on the inner side at the second tuft of raised scales; where the band is
widest, viz., on the outer edge behind the middle of the wing, is a deep sinus, very
distinct in those specimens’ where the band is white; on each side of the mouth of
the sinus is a sharp tuft of raised black scales, and within (one near the costa) are
the smaller tufts. In those specimens in which the rest of the wing is whitish there
is a large triangular dark spot, with the base resting on the costa; usually, however,
the onter third of the wing is dusky or clear gray, with dark specks and clouds, and
the triangular patch is obscured. Sometimes when the wing is clear gray the veins
on the outer third are hardly clouded with a darker shade of gray. Hind wings and
abdomen slate gray. Expanse of wings, 12-15™™,
This is a yery variable moth, but the four or five raised tufts are nearly always
present. Some striking varieties are here noted:
(a) Pore wings gray, with a broad whitish-gray band just before the middle of the
wing; the large dark triangular spot not present.
(b) The outer third of the wing concolorous with the band, thus leaving a large
distinct triangular spot.
(ce) Fore wings snow white at base, with a snow-white band near the base, in the
outer edge of which the sinus is very distinct; the outer third of the wing is either
white or blackish.
(d) The base of the fore wings clear, deep ochreous, and ochreous streaks on the
thorax.
(e) The most aberrant form, and which would readily be referred to a distinct spe-
cies if it had not been reared from the same kind of caterpillar. It has a dark, gray-
ish-white head, and two black bands on the thorax. The fore wings are dark gray,
finely lined and mottled with black, but interrupted by a broad, very conspicuous,
clear ochreous band extending from the base of the wing to the apex, inclosing the
median vein and submedian fold. There is only a single high black tuft on the lower
edge of the basal third of the wing. One appeared July 30, and another August 20.
Hind wings dark slate gray, with an obscure ochreous slash at the apex.
The following description was prepared by Professor Fernald from
five specimens sent him:
Head and palpi ashy gray, the latter a little darker on the outside.
The thorax is dark ashy gray, with a few blackish cross-streaks on the forward part
of it, and there is a stont thoracic tuft tipped with reddish brown on the posterior
part.
The fore wings are ashy gray, variegated with black and white, with a few yellow-
ish scales intermingled. The basal patch is black, more or less broken with whitish,
and has three black tufts of scales on the outer edge—one on the fold, another on
the cell, and the third between this last and the costa. An oblique band, white
on the costa, but suffused below, starts from the basal third of the costa and crosses
the wing outside of the basa] pateh. The inner margin of this band is slightly an-
gulated, the most prominent angle being on the fold. The outer side of the band
gives off a prominent angle on the cell, which ends at a large tuft of black scales
near the end of the cell, and there are several other tufts along the outer margin
of this band. The surface of the outer part of the wing is of a somewhat leaden
blue color, especially when worn, and mottled with black, white, and yellow scales,
20
but the black is mostly in coarse streaks containing several small tufts. The costa
beyond the middle is blackish, with three small white spots at nearly equal dis-
tances apart. The fringes of the fore wings, the upper side of the hind wings and
abdomen are darker gray with a silky lustre. The under side of the hind wings
is lighter, with darker cross-streaks or reticulations, which are much brighter to-
wards the apex. The under side of the fore wings is dark gray, except along the
costal border, where the markings of the upper side are dimly reproduced. The
legs are brown on the outside, but pale yellowish within and on the end of the
joints. This seems to be a very variable species, and at first sight one might think
that there were more than one species. ;
One variety has the top of the head yellowish, and the oblique band and outer
part of the wing dull whitish and slightly touched with yellowish. Another va-
riety is quite dark, and has a broad bright ochre yellow band through the middle
of the fore wing, from the base to the apex.
A third variety, in very poor condition and bred on white spruce in Ashland, Me.,
has the head white and the basal part of the fore wings white with only slight traces
of the black tufts and markings. Expanse of wings, 14™™ (Fernald).
THE FIR TORTRIX.
(LTortrix packardiana, nu. sp., Fernald.)
This moth was bred from the fir on Peaks Island, Casco Bay, Maine,
and sent to Professor Fernald, who regarded it as new and sent us the
following description:
Head whitish; palpi and thorax ashy gray; fore wings with a whitish ground
color, and marked with black, which is more or less overlaid with pale bluish or
whitish seales. The black basal patch has an obtuse angle pointing out on the mid-
dle of the wings. An oblique black band broken in the cell crosses the middle of the
wing. A black patch rests on the costa before the apex, marked with one or two
white costal spots; a similarly colored patch within and abovethe anal angle, and
still another on the outer border inclosing the apex, sends in a square projection to-
wards the end of the cell. All the black markings are overlaid more or less with
white scales, and the white portions of the wings are somewhat stained with gray.
The fringes are dark smoky brown.
The hind wings and abdomen above are ashy gray. Fringes lighter. Under side
of the fore wings ashy gray, with the white costal marks reproduced. Under side of
the hind wings whitish, irrorate with gray. Expanse of wings, 16-18"™,
Bred from Fir by Dr. A. S. Packard, for whom I name this species in
recognition of his extensive and valuable work on North American in-
sects.
THE RED SPRUCE BUD-WORM.
(Gelechia obliquistrigella Chambers.)
[Plate I, Fig. 2.]
Associated with the preceding bud-worm occurred in abundance, both
on the terminal shoots of the spruce and fir, a little reddish eylindri-
cal caterpillar, about two-thirds as large as the larva of Teras variana,
and very active inits habits. It occurred as early as the 10th of June,
but it disappeared earlier than the caterpillar of Yeras variana, and
the moths, which were common, flying in spruce at and soon after the
middle of July, were not seen after the first week in August.
al
The caterpillars were beaten from the trees from June 10 to July 17;
after that it was impossible to find any of them. The moths began to ap-
pear July 16-19, and continued to emerge in the breeding boxes until
August 1. The duration of the pupa state is about one week
It is evident that the species is single-brooded and that the caterpil-
lar is hatched in August, and becomes nearly full grown in the early
antumn, hibernating when nearly full-fed, since the fully grown cater-
pillars are abundant by the first week of June. ' The species has been
identified for me by Professor Fernald. It was described from Ken-
tucky by Mr. Chambers, but the larva and food-plant have been hitherto
unknown. '
When about to pupate it spins a small, thin, delicate cocoon, being a
tubular case of silk covered with bits of the scales of the spruce or fir
buds. It is placed next to the shoot in the débris made by the larva at
the base of the leaves. Length, 6™™; diameter, 2".
DESCRIPTIVE.
Larva.—Body cylindrical, of the usual form, reddish brown in color, and about
6-7™™ in length.
Pupa.—Body rather thick, of the usual pale mahogany brown color, the antennse
and tips of the wings on the under side reaching to the middle of the fifth abdominal
segment. End of the abdomen full and rounded, with about ten unequal, irregularly
situated slender bristles, which are slightly curved at the end; besides these there
are several fine bristles along the side of the body near the tip. Length, 5™™.
Moth.—Head cream white; antennie with the basal (second) joint white, beyond
ringed with white and black. Palpi white. first and second joint speckled with
- black, second (longest) joint ochreous at the end; third (last) joint with two black
rings of unequal size, the outer the longer; the tip white. Fore wings moderately
wide, oblong ovate. Ground color ochreous whitish gray; costal region blackish,
base black. A broad oblique band proceeds from the costal edge to the middle of the
submedian space, ending in two white spots; there are some whitish scales on the
outer edge of the band. Just before the middle of the wing is a broad irregular black
band, and beyond it in the submedian space a black spot. A third broad black band
crosses the wing, ending on the hind margin and breaking up into three black spots
on the hind margin; the band incloses near them two twinned white dots. Near the
outer fourth of the wing is a conspicuous white line, sharply bent outwards just be-
hind the middle of the wing; beyond the apex of the angle of the line are several
white scales. At the base of the fringe is an oblique line of black scales, ‘The fringe,
like the adjoining part of the wing, is of mixed gray ochreous, with black scales.
Hind wings rather broad, pointed, pearly slate gray. Legs, including tarsi, banded
with black. Expanse of wings, 13"@™,
When rubbed the green color of the fore wings becomes paler, and the three oblique
black bands are more distinct.
1HE EVERGREEN SPAN-WORM.
(Thera contractata Packard.)
A very common caterpillar on various evergreen trees, such as the
Spruce, White Pine, Hackmatack, and the bush or common Juniper, is
a little green one, striped with white, which is so assimilated in color to
the glaucous green leaves with their whitish under side as to enable the
caterpillar to escape ordinary observation.
22
During the past summer | have found this caterpillar most frequently
on the common Bush Juniper in Maine, but in former years have beaten
the chrysalids out of the trees already mentioned.
The caterpillar is found in July, but becomes fully grown from the
Ist to the 15th of August. Before transforming, it spins the leaves
together with a few coarse silk threads and remains in the tree. Those
reared on the Juniper became chrysalids by the 19th or 20th of August,
and the moths appeared by the 9th of September, so that the pupa state
lasts about three weeks. The moths continue to appear until the mid-
dle or last of September. Those found on the Spruce appeared Septem-
ber 15, and a pupa found on the White Pine disclosed the moth Sep-.
tember 13. Probably by the middle of September all the moths have
appeared. Whether they hibernate and lay their eggs in spring, or
whether their eggs are laid in the autumn on the terminal twigs, and the
species is alone represented by the eggs, remains to be ascertained.
The moth is easily recognized by the sharp fore wings with the narrow,
dark, mesial band, which is black and very narrow on the inner edge,
and by the pale zigzag line reappearing beneath, also by the black
streak near the apex and a smaller apical black dot. It is closely re-
lated to the European T. juniperata, which feeds on the common Juniper.
DESCRIPTIVE,
Larva.—Body smooth, eylindrical; head smooth, slightly bilobed, not quite so wide
asthe body. Head and body green, the color of the upper side of the juniper leaves
on which it feeds. A broad pale glaucous white dorsal band, on each side of which is
a yellowish-white line, which extends along the sides of the supra-anal plate, but rot
meeting its fellow at the apex. Anal legs broad and large, green, with two tuber-
cles which are large and rounded conical. Thoracic legs pink. Length, 16™™.
Pupa.—Oft the usual family shape; green, with a white lateral stripe from the head
to the tip of the abdomen, and another lower down along the abdomen, as well as two
parallel dorsal whitish stripes. Abdominal spine larger and longer than usual, flat-
tened vertically, acute, surface corrugated; two stout terminal bristles exeurvyed at
the ends, a much smaller pair at base of these and along the sides of the spines two
additional pairs. Length, 6™™,
Moth—Pale ash, base of fore wings with two bent parallel black lines, the outer
heavier, and marked with longitudinal stripe on the veinlets. Beyoud isa broad pale
band slightly bent on the median vein. Still beyond isa median band margined with
black, narrowing more than usual on the inner margin of the wing, where the two
black margins meet, forming two contignous black patches; in front the band in-
closes obscure ashen ringlets. A black discal dot; beyond,an obscure pale pateh.
A white zigzag marginal line, the sharp scallops inclosing dark dots. Hind wings
uniformly pale ash color, crossed by two dusky lines. Expanse of wings, 25™™ (one
inch).
THE PINE PHEOCYMA.*
(Pheocyma lunifera Hiibn.)
DESCRIPTIVE.
Larva.—Body long and slender, tapering considerably behind the fourth pair of
abdominal legs. Head not so wide as the body, rather deeply bilobed, with a lateral
V-shaped white spot. A pair of small prominent tubercles on top of the eighth ab-
* This descriptive matter is additional to the note published on p. 327 of the An-
nual Report for 1885.
23
dominal segment, and in place of them on the segments is a pair of more widely
divergent short black dashes: on the segment next to the last is a transverse ridge.
Anal legs long and slender. General color of the body wood or horn brown, of the
shade of old twigs, sometimes reddish or greenish. Head marbled with a set of
transverse wavy whitish lines on each side of the median line. Body with a lateral
row of black dots; beneath, much paler, glaucous green. Length, 35™™.
The larve are very variable; in some the body is reddish with longitudinal bands
much more distinct than usual ; in some the body is pale pea-green, a little paler than
the pine leaves; there is a firm, quite wide medio-dorsal line, and on the sides a wider
white line next to the broader very conspicuous pale red spiracular line, which is
similar in color to the reddish sheath of the pine leaf. Head reddish, with the char-
acteristic oval white spots on each side. In others (as pitch pine) the body is beau-
tifully marbled with gray and whitish. A Y-shaped white spot on the side of the
head. On the segment next to the last abdominal are two small inconspicuous warts.
A faint, broad, grayish-white dorsal band, broadly interrupted at the sutures of the
segments by an irregular transverse umber-brown stripe. A faint lateral broad band,
containing on the side of each segment a clear, white point. Length, 42™™.
Pupa.—Of the usual rather slender Catoeala shape, covered with a slight whitish
bloom. The abdominal tip rather blunt, the surface corrugated with irregular longi-
tudinal furrows above and on the sides; spine small, bearing at the end two very
large, long stout bristles curved outwardsat the ends, which are blunt; at their base
are two pairs of slender bristles. Length, 17™™.
Moth.—Body and wings dark ash-gray and reddish brown; thorax crested, dark
reddish brown, with two blackish transverse lines. Patagia with a white stripe be-
hind the middle and white scales at the tip; hinder part of the thorax dusted with
white. Fore wings black and reddish brown at base, with interrupted and broken
black and white lines. Within the middle of the wing is a broad, slightly sinuous
whitish-cray band. <A large black mark forming a hollow square, the hollow gray-
ish, at the end of the discal space. Beyond this spot are two nearly parallel black
lines, the inner bent inwards at a right angle upon the costa, and sending an angle
into the extra-discal space; the line is bent outwards on the Ist median vein, then
eurying inwards and ending on the hind margin of the wing. The outer line curves
outwards on the costa towards the apex, is bent on the 1st median vein, and behind
is nearly parallel with the innerline. A fine black scalloped hair-line at the base of
the fringe, which is darker on the points of the scallops. Hind wings with a double
black curved band beyond the middle, the space within the lines filled in with
black towards the hinder edge of the wing. An indistinct broad diffuse shade passes
across the wing just within the middle. On the under side of both pairs of wings
the discal dots are present, and there is a diffuse dark line common to both wings.
Expanse of wings, 36™™,
'THE PERIODICAL CICADA IN SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA.
.
By Amos W. Burier, Brookville, Ind.
In presenting what I have to say concerning the Periodical Cicada, I
have tried not to follow in the footsteps of others. I have gathered
much information that is new to me, and, coupled with this, the facet that
these observations were made in a locality where this insect had not
been previousiy studied shall, I trust, assure me your consideration.
From our older inhabitants I learn the Cicada has heretofore ap-
peared in Franklin County in the years 1834, 1851; and 1868. This
year I have received reports of its occurrence in the counties of Dear-
‘born, Decatur, Rush, Union, Ripley, Franklin, Fayette, Wayne, and
Delaware. The latter, however, is not one of the counties in the south-
eastern part of the State. In Delaware County my informant reports
it as “not abundant”; in Union County it was very common; and, I
should think, was as numerous in Dearborn and Ripley Counties. In
this county and in Fayette it was at no place as common as was ex-
pected. We are entirely without the range of the thirteen-year race.
The regularity of its appearance in certain localities is very interest-
ing. Dr. George Sutton, of Aurora, writes me: “In 1851 the first I
saw fully developed was on the 24th of May. In 1868 I first saw them
on the 28th of May. This year I discovered them on the 29th of May,
although there was evidence that a few had made their appearance a
day or so betore.” Its appearance in Franklin County this year was
very irregular. The first representatives appeared in a few localities
on May 28, and in such localities Cicadas were rather common two days
later. In other places, less than half a mile from those just mentioned,
no Cicadas appeared until June 4, and in other neighborhoods they were
even alter in coming forth.
Many pup were turned up by the plow in April and May. When
these insects emerge from the ground it is with a rush, and a lively
scramble ensues for each elevation near the point of their emergence.
Trees, bushes, weeds, poles, stumps, fences—in short, everything upon
which they can get above the level of their recent homes is ascended.
A friend tells me that his hogs thought so much of the Cicadas as an
article of food that they would not return to their accustomed feeding
24
place. They preferred to remain within the woodland at night, and one
morning he found attached to the hair of the animalsa number of pupa
cases. The Cicadas had clambered upon the backs of the hogs, and
there left their outer garments. I have learned of several instances in
which hogs discovered the Cicadas before they emerged from the ground,
and in some localities they rooted over a considerable amount of ground,
to some depth, searching for this new-found food. Farmers gathered
the immature insects upon their appearance and fed them to poultry.
In most localities where they had been abundant seventeen years
before they appeared this year, but in many instances but few insects
represented the vast numbers of their previous maturity. In many
places where they were abundant at their last preceding appearance no
representatives appeared this year. Many were there which did not
emerge from the pupal covering, but from the heat of the morning sun,
the attacks of birds and of insects, perished.
May 31 they began making their peculiar noise, and by June 7 the
woods resounded with their rattling notes. June 5 they began mating.
Five days later most of them appeared to be mated. ‘Ten days after
beginning mating they commenced depositingeggs. Inthis work I have
always seen the female with the head higher than any other part of the
body. Owing to this fact the eggs appear on some trees to have been
deposited from a certain direction, while on others the opposite appears
to be the direction whence they came. Upou the oak and apple, trees
whose limbs generally grow quite erect, the ovipositor has been inserted
from above, or from towards the end of the limb; while upon beech, elm,
and other trees, which have a drooping habit, the eggs were deposited
from the opposite direction, that toward the base of the limb. The fe-
male effects an opening into the wood by means of two small saw-like
organs. Anexcavation is made, consisting of two apartments separated
by a thin partition of wood. Into these cavities the ovipositor is in-
serted ; apparently an egg is deposited in each of these chambers at the
same time, and each one is lying at the same angle with the partition
wall. The eggs are packed very regularly, and under a glass of low
power look very much like grains of rice. The openings of these egg-
cavities are from five-sixteenths to one-half of an inch in length, and
were found three-eighths, and occasionally a few one-half, of an inch
apart. Sometimes but two or three punctures were to be seen on a
limb, and again the punctured limb would be upwards of a foot in length.
A limb of Black Gum (Nyssa multiflora, Wang.), showing a line of inci-
sions 18 inches long, proved by actual count to have 45 egg chambers
upon it, all in a straight line, and doubtless the work of a single insect.
The largest limb found punctured was not over one-half an inch in dia-
meter. Egg-laying was not confined to trees of any particular species,
yet there were some kinds of trees apparently more desirable than
others.
26
Beech (Fagus ferruginea, Ait.), Maple (Acer saccharinum, Wang.), Oak
(Quercus, several species), Honey Locust (Gleditschia triacanthos, L.),
Black Gum (Vyssa multiflora, Wang.), Thorn (Crategus, several species),
Wild Crab-apple (Pyrus coronaria, L.), Elm (Ulmus fulva, Michx. and
U. americana, L.), Osage Orange (Maclura aurantiaca, Nutt.), Sycamore
(Platanus occidentalis, L.), and among orchard trees, Apple, Quince, and
Peach, were trees upon which the females deposited their eggs in great-
est numbers, but, from the fact that all of these trees are not present in
equal numbers, they could only be occupied in proportion to their
abundance. Cicadas were also found laying upon the Tulip Tree (Lirio-
dendron tulipifera, L.), Black Locust (Robinia pseudacacia, L.), Sweet-
brier (Rosa rubiginosa, L.), Red Bud (Cercis canadensis, L.), Grape
(Vitus cordifolia, Michx.), Poison Ivy (Rhus toxicodendron, L.), Catalpa
(Catalpa bignonioides, Walt.), and upon the domesticated species of Plum,
Pear, Gooseberry, and Currant. Ihave found them very rarely oviposit-
ing on Hickory (Carya, several species), Ash (Fraxvinus americana, L.),
_ Linden (Tilia americana, L.), Walnut (Juglans nigra, L.), and Butternut
(J. cinerea, L.). No eggs were found upon the Wild Cherry (Prunus
serotina, Ehr.), or upon the cultivated Cherry.
Twenty-three days after the appearance of the Cicadas a perceptible
decrease in numbers was observed. Up to this time the males had
greatly outnumbered the females, but the decrease in numbers appears
to come from the disappearance of the former, which, being the first to
_appear, are also the first to leave us. Nine days later but few examples
could be found, and these were mostly females. Thirty-nine days after
appearing but an occasional Cicada could be found, and their season
may be said to be ended. These observations were made in localities
where they first appeared, but observations in other places sustain the
chronology I have given. Ata point 5 miles east of Brookville, on July
15, nine days after they had disappeared from the river valleys, I found
Cicadas abundant and very active, indicating that they had not yet
reached the wane of their maturity. E
The typical species, Cicada septendecim, L., and the smaller torm, cas-
sinti, Fisher, were both found bere, but the latter was much the more
common. Each form frequents a different locality.
I have never seen a place where the territory of the two kinds could
be said to overlap. True it is that an occasional representative of one
form may be found within the range of the other, but such cases are
rare, and when they do occur are easily distinguished.
There are three different sounds produced by the Cicada. The note
of surprise is one which never fails to startle the intruder; it isa shrill
screech of varying length. When several insects utter this noise at the
same time it is almost deafening to one who is close at hand. Another
sound is the peculiar rattling noise made by the insect when flying.
This utterance is very monotonous, without inflection, and prolonged
to various lengths according to the distance of flight. The sounds just
a
27
mentioned: were uttered by both forms of the insect found here, and
were so nearly alike that that uttered by either species could not be
distinguished from similar sounds of its relative. I was somewhat sur-
prised at this. The difference in the size of the insects and therewith
in the size of the sound organs and of the controlling muscles should,
I thought, indicate a difference in the sound produced. In the third
distinct sound, that in which the males display their musical charms to
the other sex, I found a difference which, in all the investigations I
made, proved constant. The note of the varietal form is uttered with-
out much change of tone and, individually, is quite low compared with
that of the other form, but collectively the noise, when the observer is
near, sounds like the rushing of a strong wind through trees of dense
foliage. I have distinguished this sound at a distance of a quarter of
a mnile from the place of its origin, and at that distance it sounded like
the noise made by aswarm of bees passing through the air close at
hand. The sound made by the specific form is so peculiar as to at
once attract attention. It is uttered in an uncertain quivering way,
gradually rising, then falling and passing away as though ended by
the exhaustion of the insect. This sound is well represented thus:
Fe-e-e-ro-o-0. My friend, M. J. F. McKee, whose valued assistance I
have had in preparing my notes on the Cicada, watched the action of this
insect in giving utterance to this sound. He says: ‘‘The male Cicada
(C. septendecim) assumes a position on the upper side of a limb 9r on
the body of a tree, always with the head upward, then ‘t elevates the
posterior ena of its body, at the same time appearing to inflate the
abdomen. With the beginning of the sound the elevated portion of the
body descends, the abdomen appears to contract until, when the parts
reach their natural position, the notes cease. The insect then remains
quiet for a period about equal to the length of the musical effort, when
the performance is repeated. A noise may be produced from a freshly-
killed male by taking hold of each end of the body with one’s fingers,
and alternately expanding and contracting the abdomen, similar to the
manner in which an accordion is played. The sounds thus produced
are not similar to those produced by the insect itself, but in many par-
ticulars there is a decided resemblance, and this, I think, demonstrates
the manner in which the sounds are produced.” Evidently this is done
by inflating the hollow abdomen with air, and then forcing the air
against the corrugated surface of the insect’s drum-like membranes,
when, by the vibration of these membranes as permitted by the power-
ful muscles attached thereto, the noise is produced. I have not been
enabled to make as satisfactory an examination of variety cassinii when
utteriug its sounds. They are evidently produced in a similar manner,
but the motions occurring are different, a trembling of the posterior
parts being all that I have discovered.
Toward the latter part of their lives the Cicadas appear to be affected
- by a peculiar fungus growth. This is most common to the males, but
28
females are also affected by it. Dr. E. G. Grahn, a friend whose as-
sistance I value highly, has, at my request, examined the Cicada with a
microscope. The result of his examination I give in his own words:
‘‘An examination of many of the Cicade reveals the fact that they
have lost several of the posterior segments of the abdomen, and that
this part of the insect is filled with a mealy-looking substance of a some-
what yellowish color. I subjected this substance to microscopical ex-
amination and found it to consist of numberless spherical bodies having
the general appearauce of spores, and it probably is the JMJassospora
cicadina (Peck.), but as I had no description of this fungus I could not
be certain of this.
“In Bulletin No. 8 of the United States Department of Agriculture,
Division of Entomology, Prof. Charles Riley mentions this fungus, and
quotes Mr. R. H. Warder, of Cleves, Ohio, who states that ‘It seemed
to be adrying up of the contents and membranes of the abdomen,’ and
that he found it in the males who may have lost the posterior segments
of the abdomen during copulation, and alludes to it as a ‘dry rot,
which ‘might be the result of the broken membranes,’
“He further states that he ‘never found a perfect male thus affected,’
but finally concludes that ‘this is not positive proof’ Whether or not
Mr. Warder examined this substance microscopically is not stated, but
true it is that in the Cicade of this year the microscope and the various
straining agents reveal countless spherical organized bodies which
could not be formed simply by decomposition or transformed of the
‘contents and membranes of the abdomen,’ and must therefore be re-
garded as a growth or multiplication of similar organized bodies hav-
ing the properties and functions of seeds or spores, which have, in some
manner, gained access to the bodies of the Cicadze. It is true, also,
that this fungus is found not only in male Cicadas who have lost the
posterior segments of the abdomen, but in perfect males as well, as also
in females who are yet in possession of many eggs, and in these speci-
mens the eggs and fungus completely fill up the abdomen. In view of
these facts—which are well attested—it seems somewhat strange to find
Professor Riley quoting without comment the statements of Mr. War-
der. The spherical bodies referred to have a diameter of about ;4,th
of an inch, and have the appearance of being covered on their exterior
with small granules, spherical in outline, and about ;;4,th of an inch
in diameter. In their fresh state they were subjected to the action
of the iodine solution recommended in Huxley and Martin’s ‘ Practical
Biology. A dark border revealed itself, indicating that the cell wall
had taken the stain. Acetic acid rendered them more transparent.
Aniline green stained both the cell wall and its contents of a nearly
uniform color. Being in doubt whether or not the spherical bodies
were single spores, I subjected some rather dry ones to pressure, and the
cells thus ruptured emitted large numbers of small spherical bodies,
having a diameter of from >535,th to sj; oth inch, each large cell hav- .
29
ing the appearance of a ruptured sporangium of the ordinary Penicillium
glauca or Mucor mucedo; hence I concluded that the cells were really
sporangia, filled with spores. So far I have discovered no traces of my-
celium, upon which these sporangia grow, and am thus led to conclude
that they multiply by fission—probably external gemmation—and that
after asporangium is thus produced its contents are again divided by a pro-
cess of fission into numerousspores. As this process was not really seen
to take place, the foregoing remarks respecting it may be taken as being
theoretical; yet, while making my observations, and particularly upou
the slide treated with aniline green, I noticed a number of transparent
nucleated bodies, of various sizes, approaching that of the large spher-
ical cells, some of them exhibiting a slight, others a considerable, bulg-
ing out of the cell wall together with the contents of the cell. In some
of these, this bulging out had proceeded to a length equal to one-half
the diameter of the cell itself, and left one to infer that a new cell was
to be produced, and that, too, by a process of fission. Hence, my con-
clusions as before mentioned. This, together with quite a number of the
fully formed spherical bodies, was seen in material taken from a com-
plete, perfect male. It is only proper to state that in this case the con-
tents of the abdomen did not completely fill this cavity, and the ma-
terial was in rather a semi-liquid state and exhibited also immense num-
bers of minute spherical and rather long rod-shaped moving bodies
which were doubtless bacteria. These latter were also found in other
specimens in which the posterior segments were missing and the con-
tents of the abdomen, although of the mealy character, were yet some-
what moist, thus affording conditions for the growth and multiplication
of bacteria. Being curious to know what could be discovered in the
abdomen of a perfect and active male Cicada, I subjected some of the
material to examination with a one-quarter inch objective and a 2-inch
ocular and later with a l-inch ocular. In the field of the microscope were
seen numerous flat bands, scattered about over and around each other
irregularly. In great numbers were seen also very fine hair-like fila-
ments which could be traced distinctly and were found to belong to the
flat bands. These latter were made up of a large number of hair-like
filaments arranged alongside of each other, which filaments emanated
from each other as fibers from a large thread; each fiber preserving its
identity, and not being given off as a branch whose identity is lost in
its union with the main trunk. What these hair-like filaments really
were, I was unable to make out.”
I am satisfied that the greater number of Cicadas which escape a
forcible death die from the effects of the fungus previously mentioned.
As much time as possible was devoted to studying the enemies of the
Cicada. Not only those species which kill them, but also those species
which feed upon the dead insects were noted. Among birds the Eng-
lish sparrow, Passer domesticus, Leach, is perhaps its greatest enemy.
Within one week from the date of the appearance of the Cicada in
3)
Brookville not oue could be found, and I doubtif a single specimen was
permitted to deposit its eggs, owing to the persistent warfare waged by
this garrulous sparrow. Of native birds the Robin, Merula migratoria,
Sw. & Rich.; Blackbird, Quiscalus purpureus ceneus, Ridg.; Cat-bird,
Galeoscoptes carolinensis, Cab.; Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes
erythrocephalus, Sw.; Golden-winged Woodpecker, Colaptes auratus, Sw. ;
Towhee Bunting, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, Vieill.; and Orchard Oriole,
Icterus spurius, Bp., were their greatest enemies. Food of every other
sort appeared to be neglected in order that they might feast for a lim-
ited period upon the easily captured Cicada. Of other birds examined |
the following contained Cicada remains: Brown Thrasher, Harporhyn-
chus rufus, Cab.; Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula, Coues; Scarlet Tana-
ger, Pyranga rubra, Vieill.; Blue-gray Guatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea,
Sel.; Worm-eating Warbler, Helminthotherus vermivorus,S.& G.; Purple
Martin, Progne subis, Baird; Wood Pewee, Contopus virens, Cab.; Wood
Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, Baird; Yellow-throated Vireo, Lanivireo
favifrons, Baird ; Cardinal Grosbeak, Cardinalis virginianus, Bp.; Tufted
Titmouse, Lophophanes bicolor, Bp.; Carolina Chickadee, Parus carolin-
ensis, Aud.; Chipping Sparrow, Spizella domestica, Cones; Downy Wood-
pecker, Picus villosus, L.; Great-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus,
Cab.; Indigo bird, Passerina cyanea, Gray; Cow bird, Molothrus ater,
Gray; White-bellied Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis, Gmel.; Yellow-billed
Cuckoo, Coecyzus americanus, Bp.; Black-billed Cuckoo, 0. erythrophthal-
mus, Baird; Gold Finch, Astragalinus tristis, Cab.; Crow, Corvus frugiv-
orus Bartr., and Cedar bird, Ampelis cedrorum, Baird. But two species
of all the birds examined showed no evidence of Cicada-eating. These
were the Blue Warbler, Dendroeca cerulea, Baird, and the Warbling
Vireo, Vireosylvagilva, Cass. Most birds only eat the softer parts, but
some species—the Robin, Brown Thrasher, Towhee Bunting, and a few
others—eat also the wings and legs, and even occasionally the head. I
found Fox Squirrels, Sciwrus niger ludovicianus, Allen, eating them,
the young showing greater fondness for this food than did their parents.
The Ground Squirrel, “Chipmunk,” Tamias striatus, Baird, was very
fond of them. I have seen this mammal climb to the highest limbs of
an apple tree seeking Cicadas. When Cicadas fell into our streams
many of them became the prey of various species of fish. Our fisher-
men complained of their inability to get fish to take the hook while
they were feeding upon this new food. The remains of these insects
were found in Black Bass, Micropterus salmoides, Henshall; Blue Cat
Fish, [chthaelurus punctatus, Jordan; and White Sucker, Catostomus
teres, LeS. Rev. D. R. Moore, a valued fellow-worker, found two spe-
cies of snails, Mesodon exoleta, Binn., and M. elevata, Say, feeding upon
dead Cieadas. This fact was a great surprise tome. But few instances
were recorded of Digger Wasps killing these insects. Stizus grandis,
Say, was the only species observed. Aside from the enemies mentioned
aboye, there were many others to which I could not direct my attention.
dl
In general it may be said beetles, spiders, and other insect enemies prey
upon them incessantly, while parasitic flies, scavenger beetles, and ants
destroy great numbers of their dead bodies.
Young trees upon the lands of nurserymen attract the Cicada in great
numbers. I do not know that any specific remedy was tried; if so, no
doubt it failed, as those interested secured laborers who collected all
the insects they could and killed them. Here and in our orchards is
where the greatest damage was done.
Many peculiar ideas are associated with anything that is mysterious.
To the uneducated mind the regular appearance of the Cicada, with
which it is incapable of associating any thought of growth or of devel-
opment through other forms, is a great mystery. Such a person also
never thinks of an insect save as a destroyer of that which is necessary
for his welfare. It was not infrequent to hear agriculturists of fossil-
ized minds discussing the amount of damage the Cicadas would proba-
bly do to growing crops. The expressions of another class of persons
showed another train of thought. ‘+ Why,” say they, ‘ these are the
same kind of locusts which troubled Pharaoh in Egypt. The Lord has
marked them. Don’t you hear them say Pha-a-a-r-o-oh ?”
From the best information I can gather, I think with each septendeci-
mal visit these insects are becoming less numerous. The sites of towns,
the immense tracts of cultivated lands, together with artificial ponds
and other changes which man is causing, are each year lessening the
amount of ground suitable for their adult life. Besides what man is
doing to make the country unsuited for their habitation, the insects are
preyed upon by many enemies which man has brought within the region
of their habitation. Natural enemies, by the removal of certain bar-
riers, are enabled to increase. Others, by reason of changes of environ-
ment, are found in greater numbers within certain restricted areas;
others, again, by changes of habits, are made more aggressive. Allin
all, he who can carefully look back over the past half or three quarters
of a century, and intelligently study the great changes which have
taken place in both fauna and flora, must conclude that, with but a few
more returns, this periodical insect will be represented by few or per-
haps no descendants of its now vast numbers.
NOTES OF THE YEAR.
THE CoLORADO PoTaTo BEETLE IN GEORGIA.—In the spring of the
present year we received the Colorado Potato Beetle (Doryphora 10-
lineata) for the first time from the State of Georgia. Under date of May
18 we received from Mr. Woodward Barnwell, of Savannah, a letter ac-
companied by specimens of the larvie of this insect. There could be
no question as to their identity. Both Mr. Barnwell and Dr. A. Oemler,
the president of the Chatham County Agricultural Society and author
of “Truck Farming at the South,” wrote that they had never before
heard of this insect within the limits of the State.
The evidence shows that the Doryphora did not reach Savannah* by
gradual spread, as we have heard of it from no nearer point of late
years than eastern Tennessee,* and the chances are that it has been
directly imported from the North. Such an importation is a very easy
matter, as many of the truck farmers in the vicinity of Savannah buy
seed potatoes at the North from time to time. Mr. Barnwell himself
got Jast winter 110 barrels seed potatoes from Aroostook County,
Maine. Under these circumstances the beetle has probably often been
taken to Savannah before, and the very fact that it has never heretofore
developed there in sufficient numbers to be noticed affords the best in-
dication that it is not much to be feared in so warm a climate. Still we
advised Mr. Barnwell to be on the safe side, and to destroy it as thor-
oughly as possible by the use of Paris green.
THE SUGAR CANE BEETLE INJURING CorRN (Plate I, fig. 1).—Six
years ago Ligyrus rugiceps Lec., injured the sugar-cane crop quite se-
verely in certain portions of Saint Mary’s Parish, Louisiana. <A note
upon this habit was given in the Annual Report of the Department for
1879 (pp. 246-247), and the report for 1880 contained quite an extended
article on pages 236-240, the result of observations made by Mr. How-
ard in the spring of 1881 upon the infested plantations. The same ar-
ticle was embodied in Special Report No. 35 of the Department, pub-
lished April 28, 1881.
The beetle seems to have done little damage to sugar-cane outside of
Saint Mary’s Parish along the Bayou Teche, and since the great floods
in the spring of 1882, which were especially disastrous in that partieu-
lar region, we have heard no further complaint of sugar-cane pests.
* Specimens of the beetle and larva were received May a 1835, from Mrs. Mary
Frist, of Chattanooga, Tenn., who wrote that they were destroying the crop of Irish
potatoes in her garden.
32
30
The present season, however, we were somewhat surprised to receive
the same inseet—Ligyrus rugiceps—from Mr. H. M. Houston, of Monroe,
Union County, North Carolina, accompanied by a letter written June
2, 1885, in which he stated that the insect was new to himself and his
neighbors, and that it worked just under the surface of the ground, cut-
ting into young corn with five or six leaves, working in as far as the
heart and killing the center blades without injuring the outside ones
orwithout cutting the plant down. Fig. 1, Plate I, was drawn from
specimens working in sugar-cane, but indicates precisely the method
of work in young corn. ; :
Mr. Houston gave no particulars as to the amount of damage being
done, and although he was written to for further information we did not
hear from him again, and the inference is that the beetles disappeared
without doing much damage. It was so well shown in Louisiana that
this species is capable of exceptional increase and corresponding injury
under favorable circumstances that it is not at all improbable that we
have here the beginning of a serious damage to corn in North Carolina.
The life-history of this beetle is not known. The most careful search
in the Louisiana sugar fields in 1881 failed to show a trace of the larvie
or pup, and it was judged probable that they bred in the surrounding
swamps. Until something definite is learned concerning the life-history
and larval habits, we can only recommend as a remedy the use of fires
and trap-lanterns in the field, as the evidence of 1881 shows that the
beetle is strongly attracted to light.
THE CORN-ROOT WEB-WORM AN OLD PEST IN INDIANA.—Professor
Forbes’ recent discovery of Crambus zeellus in [linois, and his interest-
ing article upon the species in the Fourteenth Report of the State En-
tomologist of Illinois (1884), in which he treats it as an entirely new
pest (and such it is for all that has been published concerning it), ren-
ders the following letter from Mr. B. F. Ferris, of Sunman, Ind., re-
ceived through our Indiana agent, Mr. Webster, of considerableinterest :
“Tn the Indiana Farmer, of this date, I notice acommunication from
yourself in regard to a ‘new corn pest,’ and asking for information in
regard to them. They are nota new pest to me by any means. My
first experience with them was about thirty years ago. I had broken
up a field of 17 acres of sod, and planted it on the 1st of May in as fine
condition as I ever had a sod. Almost every hill came up, and I would
not have paid a very high premium to have been insured 50 bushels of
eorn to the acre. But the corn was not more than well up before [ no-
ticed that the cut-worms, as I thought, were cutting it off. Upon ex-
amination, however, I discovered that they were not our common cut-
worms, but a small dark-colored worm that enveloped itself in a slight
web, just as you have described them, and for want of a name I ealled
them ‘ web-worms,’ and they are known by that name in this neighbor-
hood at this time. As a result, they entirely destroyed my field of
corn, with the exception of about an acre or so at each end of the field,
17334— No. 12—3
34
where the ground was a little broken by small hollows. They were very
numerous in this vicinity that season, and occasionally there have been
a few of them since, but not doing much damage until the present sea-
son. In one field of mine, which had been pastural two years before
breaking, they have almost entirely taken up 4 or 5 acres, so that I have
planted a part of it with white beans, and contemplate sowing the bal-
ance with buck wheat.
“T think they are produced by a small, whitish miller, with dirty,
brownish stripes upon it, as I have seen a great many of them about
the fields. They made their appearance about the time the worms com-
menced their depredations. I also saw a great many about on the first’
visitation of the ‘web-worms,’ and supposed at the time that they were
the authors of the mischief.” * * * [B. F. Ferris, Sunman, Ind.,
July 4, 1885.
MONEPHORA BICINCTA DAMAGING BERMUDA GRAss. [Plate I, fig.
6.|—This rather striking-looking bug, belonging to the family Cereopide,
and easily recognizable from its marked coloration, is widely distributed
and by no means rare over the more southern portion of the country, but
has never been reported as injuring cultivated plants. This season, how-
ever, a large number of specimens were received from Hon. A, P. But-
ler, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of South Carolina, dated
Columbia, October 20, in which he stated that they appeared in 1884
on the farm of Mr. Speigner, on the Congaree River, near Columbia,
and destroyed a small patch of Bermuda grass. This year it again ap
peared in large numbers on the same farm, and completely ruined a
10-aere field of the same grass. Major Butler examined the field in
person,,and states that it looked as if a fire had passed over it, while
thousands of the bugs were found. This exceptional increase of the
insect is of considerable interest. The best remedy will be found in
burning over the field in the fall.
A NEW ENEMY TO THE PERSIMMON.—Mr..C. W. Johnson, of Saint
Augustine, Fla., wrote us, June 25, concerning the work of an insect
which punctured twigs of Persimmon and layed its eggs, from which
the larvee hatched and bored into the heart wood. The specimens were
recognized as Oberea bimaculata, a beetle which customarily lays its
eggs in Raspberry or Blackberry, but which we have also observed to
oviposit in Cottonwood. It has never before been recorded as injuring
Persimmon. Oberea schaumii, a closely related species, we have also
observed on Cottonwood, and Mr. Schwarz has found it ovipositing in
Sassafras.
THE BLACK SCALE OF CALIFORNIA (Lecanium olee Bernard).—This
destructive scale was treated of in the Annual Report of the Depart-
ment for 1880, pp. 336-337, but little beyond structural details was given
We have received the past season a few notes concerning it from Mr.
35
Alfred W. Hinde, of Anaheim, Los Angeles County, California, which
we think of sufficient interest to publish :
“This is the most common species of scale insect found in southern
California, being especially partial to the orange and olive, on which it
thrives and increases very rapidly. It appears to do very little harm
to the tree itself, even when allowed to multiply undisturbed to its full
capacity. But, owing to the sweet secretion which the scale is con-
Stantly exuding, and which drops on the leaves and branches, it is
always accompanied by a species of black fungus, which thrives on the
sweet secretion combined with moisture. It is this fungus which does
the real harm, for it grows on the fruit as well as on the leaves and
branches. In the case of olives it renders the fruit unfit for making a
fine quality of oil; and with oranges it renders the fruit so unsightly
that it does not bring near the price that clean fruit does, unless
each orange is thoroughly rubbed with a moist cloth, which is a very
tedious process. When the scale is killed the fungus disappears, hence
the fight against the scale. It is one of the easiest species to kill; a
good kerosene emulsion, if thoroughly applied, is sure death to them,
provided it is given at the right time, viz., just after the young have
left the shelter of the parent scale. To make a thorough job of it
the trees should have two sprayings, at intervals of several weeks,
as all the young do not hatch out at the same time. A year ago
last September we gave our old seedling orange trees a good spray-
ing with a kerosene emulsion, but owing to our lack of experience in
mixing the oil and soap, it was not a thorough emulsion, and hence
only killed about 50 per cent. of the scale. The season of 1884 was
extremely wet, and I find that the black scale increases much more
rapidly in a wet thanin adry season. This wetness, combined with the
ineffectual spraying, caused the fungus to greatly increase, and the or-
anges were extremely dirty, more so than in any previous season that I
can remember. The present season (1885) has been the exact reverse
of last season, being so dry that we have had less than one inch of rain-
fall since the first of January last to the present date (November 1).
Besides being dry the summer has been very hot; at two periods afew
weeks apart in August and September the mercury rose to 107° in the
shade. At the first hot spell the heat continued for nearly a week. A
few days after this hot week we noticed that all the old scale appeared
to be dead on the orange trees. I could hardly believe that the hot
weather could do this, so I made further examinations, and then I would
have another doubting fit and start out and examine them again, but
always with the same result, viz., 1 would not find more than two or three
live oil-scale on the trees. The young ones I did not think to look for,
as they were probably not yet hatched, except ina few instances. Then
we had the last very hot day, September 23, when a thermometer placed
in the sun, four feet from the ground, registered 148°, witha hot, burning
36
wind all day. This capped the climax for the scale and I have no doubt
saved this part of the State many thousands of dollars in the improved
condition of the fruit without the expense of spraying. I have just now
(November 1) made a thorough examination of our orange and olive
trees, and find the following results: On large olive trees, no old scale
alive, and 50 per cent. of the young dead; on old s2edling orange trees,
old scale all dead, and only 10 per cent. of the young alive; on young
and medium-sized budded orange trees (4 to7 feet high) [ have been un-
able to find a single live scale, young or old. Under many of the old,
dried-up scale insects I find what appear to be masses of dried eggs,
but as my lens is not of sufficient power for me to be certain, I will
mail you a sample so you can be sure if this is the case. I should be
glad to hear from you on this point. The fruit of both olives and or-
anges is the cleanest I have ever seen here, being entirely free from old,
black fungus. We have not sprayed the trees this year, as it was not
necessary.”
An examination of the specimens sent showed that all the eggs were
empty, and that about one-half of the scales had been parasitized by
the common California purasite of the Black Scale, Tomocera califor-
nica Howard, es was evidenced by the circular holes of exit, too large
for any other species.
THE BLACK SCALE OF CALIFORNIA FOUND IN SOUTH CAROLINA.—
This insect (Lecanium olee Bernard) is found in California infesting a
great variety of trees and is one of the most serious enemies to Orange,
Lemon, and other fruit trees in that State. In Europe it is confined to
the Olive, and is but occasionally found on other plants. The species
has not been definitely recorded in this country from any other locality
than California, though Professor Comstock, in his Report as Entomol-
ogist to this Department for 1880 (p. 336), mentions a scale received
from Fort George, Fla., on Live Oak, Holly, Oleander, and Orange as
apparently the same.
Under date of May 29, 1885, Dr. J. H. Mellichamp, of Bluffton, S. C.,
sent a bark louse from White-flowering Oleander, which he had noticed
for the past two or three years, which proved identical with California
specimens of this insect. It is impossible to say at present what the
probabilities are of the spread of this insect in the Southeastern States,
If the insect mentioned by Professor Comstock five years ago was in-
deed Lecanium olee, it would then seem as though the chances were
against its becoming a serious pestin the Hast. :
BIBIO ALBIPENNIS AS AN INJURIOUS INSECT.—The general opinion
among entomologists has always been that the White-winged Bibio
could not be called an injurious insect, as it normally feeds in the larva
state on damp, dead leaves on the ground or upon galls attached to such
leaves; in other words, upon decaying vegetation. Our correspondence
this year with Mr. C. F. Walters, of Northumberland, Pa., however,
|
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.
_
37
shows that where introduced with manure or compost they may injure
certain crops. We quote a portion of his letter:
* * * “Tama trucker, and I find these ihaggots are becoming more
numerous every year. The first that I ever saw was four years ago,
when they got into my cold frames and destroyed some of my plants.
Since then they have been on a rapid increase; at the same time I
never was very much alarmed on account of them until last fall, when
1 plowed my ground (which I always do in the fall, preparatory for
spring) I found them to be very numerous. They inhabit the earth not
singly, but in masses. * * * I tried to count a batch of them and
found that the number would not end in hundreds, but lead to thou-
sands. When I find them in my cold frames the only remedy I have is
to lift all the ground, together with the plants, and cast them out. The
area which they occupy is from 10 to 24 incbes. They are found very
close to the surface, just so that they have a very slight protection.
When I plowed my ground in the fall I found them under old cabbage
leaves and under anything that would shield them from the light.
* * * The only soil that I have as yet found them in is such as has
been heavily manured for several years in succession. In fact it seems
to me that they breed in the manure; at least I have found them in old
manure that I had purchased from parties who had kept it over a year,
and consequently it was very fine and seemed to suit them. Cold and
freezing seem to have no effect upon them. Just as soon as there is the
least thaw, if there are any plants suitable to their taste, they will at-
tack them.” * * * [C. F. WALTERS, Northumberland, Pa., March 23,
1885.
We advised as a remedy the plentiful sprinkling of the infested earth
with a kerosene emulsion, well diluted where plants are liable to be
damaged, but strong where used on earth in the spring before plants
have been set out.
AN ENEMY TO SILK-worms.—The common Spined Soldier-bug (Po-
disus spinosus Dall.) isa well-known predaceons insect, and is often men-
tioned in treatises on injurious insects as one of the beneficial enemies
of the destructive species. It has turned up the present season, how-
ever, in the role of a noxious insect itself. Mr. E. J. McAuley, of Oak-
dale, Ill., who fed his silk-worms on leaves of the Osage Orange, found
that certain specimens of the bug, brought in by accident upon the
leaves, played havoc among his worms, sucking their juices and de
stroying them. This naturally suggests that the leaves of both Osage
and Mulberry should be carefully examined for predaceous insects be-
fore giving them to the worms.
GREAT DAMAGE TO BEANS BY BLISTER BEETLES.—Nuttall’s Blister
Beetle (Cantharis nuttalli, Say), one of the largest and most beautiful
species of its family, has often been reported as damaging field crops.
In the Annual Report of the Department for 1879 it was recorded as
doing damage to beans at Fargo, Dak., and the present season it has
38
appeared in great numbers and inflicted severe injury on the great
seed farm of Northrup, Braslan & Co., of Minneapolis, Minn., at La
Moure, Dak. This firm has nine hundred acres in beans alone at
La Moure, and the loss which they sustained was quite serious. We
advised the use of the old remedy of driving the beetles into’ wind-
rows of straw which are then burned.
ANTHOMYIA ANGUSTIFRONS A LIGNIVOROUS INSECT.—Late in the
summer we received from Mr. John G. Jack, of Chateaugay Basin. Prov-
ince of Quebec, Canada, specimens of a fly which he described as feeding
in the larva state upon planted beans. Somewhat to our surprise the
flies proved to belong to Anthomyia angustifrons, Meig., a species which
we had described both in our Ninth Report on the Insects of Missouri
and in the First Report of the United States Entomological Commission,
as preying upon the egg pods of the Rocky Mountain Locust. This dis-
erepancy in habit is so marked that we wrote to Mr. Jack for full par-
ticulars and quote from his reply :
“Tn answer to your inquiries about the bean-feeding habit of An-
thomyia calopteni, | gladly give what notes I possess. I first noticed
the larvee on June 25. We had planted a bushel of Golden Wax beans
and a few of sume other varieties on or about June 15. They had not
come through the soil by the 25th, and on scratching away a little of
the earth above the rows, I was surprised to find that, although the
beans were well sprouted and some of them were near the surface, yet
they had an unhealthy appearance, and onexamining the cotyledons and
stems, I found them infested with maggots. They were in numbers of
from one or two to twenty-five or more in a plant, and the interior of
the bean and stalk was so eaten away in many instances that only a
very thin wall remained. I collected a large number of the larvee and
kept them until they had produced the flies. The larve were collected
on June 25, and on the 28th a good number had entered the ground to
pupate, and on July 2 all of my specimens had pupated and I could
not find a maggot in the field. On July 9 and 10 most of the imagines
appeared. One-half of the field in which these larve were so abun-
dant had been sown in buckwheat the year before, and the other half
had a black currant plantation from which the old bushes had been re-
moved. It was in that part of the field where the currant bushes had
been that the Anthomyia larve were most destructive. Certainly more
than nine-tenths (90 per cent.) of the beans were completely destroyed
and never grew sufficiently to reach the ground. On the other half of
the field, where the buckwheat had been grown, very few of the beans
were affected. They were all covered with a plow, with about three
inches of soil. The soil is a sandy loam, and the rows ran north and
south through both pieces of land, so that the difference caused by the
attack of Anthomyia was very marked. In another field, on July 17, I
found oceasional beans that had not come through the ground, and in
them I found several maggots which I think were of the same species,
i
39
but I did not keep them. I think that I have noticed similar larve in
young growing beans during the past year or two, but they were rare
and I gave no attention to them. Occasionally the infested beans grew
through the surface and the first leaves expanded, but they soon turned
yellow and withered and died.”
THE TILE-HORNED PRIONUS IN PRAIRIE LAND.—In our Second Mis"
souri Report we gave several instances of the finding of the larvee of
Prionus imbricornis in prairie land some distance from large trees, show-
ing that in all probability they fed on the roots of herbaceous and even
annual plants. The past summer another instance of the same thing
has come to our notice, and Mr. Samuel W. Glenn, of Huron, Dak.,
states in a letter dated June 3, accompanying a specimen of this larva,
that they were found “in large numbers by Mr. J. B. Coomer, a farmer
residing six and a half miles southwest of Huron, in ground which was
broken in June, 1883, and not since plowed till to-day. Their average
distance from the surface was about seven inches. There are no trees
within a radius of twenty miles.”
THE CLOVER-SEED MIDGE IN WISCONSIN.—Up to the present season
the Clover-seed Midge (Cecidomyia leguminicola Lintner) has been found
only in New York, Vermont, District of Columbia, Virginia, and one
locality in Pennsylvania (Lewisburg, Union County). During the past
year, however, we have received specimens of infested heads of red
clover from eastern Wisconsin, where it seems to have just been no-
ticed for the first time. The chances are against the theory of recent in-
troduction, however, and that the probabilities are that it has been pres-
ent in the State for some years, becoming abundant enough to attract
attention only this season. Mr. Claus Oesan, of New Holstein, Calu-
met County, wrote under date of June 26, 1885, that hardly a single
blossom was to be seen in any of the Red Clover fields in his vicinity,
while Alsike and White Clover blossomed as usual. He noticed this
same paucity of bloom in the second crop of the previous year, but the
first crop of 1884 was full of fine blossoms.
This insect was treated in the reports of the Entomologist, United
States Department of Agriculture, for 1578 and 1879, and the remedy
recommended in the latter report is to cut the first crop of the season
three weeks earlier than usual, giving the larve of the midge no time
to mature. This remedy necessitates that the farmer should be familiar
with the insect in all stages, and should make careful examinations at
short intervals until the proper time for cutting arrives. AJl volunteer
clover should also be mowed, and all of the farmers of a neighborhood
should cut at about the same time, as otherwise the remedy will be
only partly successful.
Dr. Lintner, in his First Report as State Entomologist of New York (p.
54), says:
In the many instances in which our economic entomologists have recommended
plowing under the infested crop, I would venture to supplement this direction: fol
40)
low with a liberal application of fresh gas-lime, if it can be conveniently obtained”
of perhaps a hundred bushels to the acre. I believe that this would prove the best
possible method of arresting severe attacks of the two great clover pests, the clover-
seed midge ( Cecidomyia lequminicola) and the clover-root borer ( Hylastes trifolii), when-
ever they occur within easy reach of the gas-works of our cities, &c.
This recommendation followed Dr. Lintner’s previous statement* to
the effect that the best remedy he was prepared to offer was “ turning
deeply under the infested fields while the larvee are most abundant” or
(adopting our suggestion made in the report of the Entomologist, U.S.
Dept. Agr. for 1878, p. 251) “cessation from clover culture for a period
of time.” These radical plans for extermination need not, however, be .
adopted unless the total destruction of the seed crop has been brought
about, or unless the work of the midge is combined with that of the
Root-borer (Hylesinus trifolit), and both hay and seed crops are de-
stroyed. Where damage by the midge alone is concerned it will be
well to give the remedy first mentioned—early cutting—a fair trial.
COLASPIS FLAVIDA INJURING THE LECONTE PEAR.—The LeConte
pear is a very popular fruit in parts of the South, and a great deal of
capital is invested in its culture, particularly in parts of Georgia, from
which State enormous quantities are shipped every year to northern
markets. Although, strictly speaking, it is a second-class fruit, its ex-
treme prolificacy and hardiness render it valuable. It has been claimed
that it is blight-proof and that insects will not injure it, but both of
these assertions are unwarranted, as young trees, up to four or five
years of age, frequently blight, and as the present season has developed
an insect enemy of some importance.
This insect is the well-known Colaspis flavida, commonly known as
the ‘“Grape-vine Colaspis.” Specimens were forwarded to us, July 23,
1885, by Mr. L. C. Bryan, of Savannah, together with a newspaper ac-
count of the method of work and the damage done in Liberty County,
Georgia. The injury complained of was simply the work of the adult
beetle, and consisted in riddling the young growth and the tender young
leaves as they unfolded in May with small holes, as close together “ as
the holes in a pepper box.” We treated this species in our Third Mis-
souri Report, showing that in the larva state it feeds on the roots of
strawberries, and, after issuing as an adult beetle, it feeds at first on
strawberry leaves and afterwards flies to the vineyard, where it riddles
the leaves of grape. It is also found feeding on clover leaves in July
and August near Washington, and may be found throughout the woods
on the wild grapevines. The species seems to be single-brooded in Mis-
souri, aud is probably so also in Georgia. No other larval food-plant
than strawberry has been found, though doubtless such exist.
No satisfactory remedy has been proposed against the insect in the
larva or pupa state, but where the adults occur on pear trees in any
“The Insects of the Clover Plant, Fortieth Aun. Rept. N.Y. State Agr. Soc. for 1380,
Author’s Edition, pp. 11-15.
41
number the trees should be sprayed, if the fruit is very young, with
the Paris-green or London-purple solution. If they occur in injurious
numbers later in the year they can be jarred down upon sheets satu-
rated with kerosene.
GREAT DAMAGE BY THE CoTTONWOOD BorRER.—In our last annual
report we devoted a few pages to the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle (Plagio- :
dera scripta), which was surprisingly abundant during last season, and
incidentally mentioned the Cottonwood Borer (Saperda calearata), with
the statement that its injuries had not of late been at all comparable
with those of the former insect. During the season of 1885, however,
not a single complaint of the Leaf Beetle has been received, while the
work of the Borer in parts of Dakota has been very noticeable. Dr. J.
Y. Landerdale, post surgeon at Fort Sully, sent us specimens of the
larvee on July 25, with the statement that they were committing ‘ fear-
ful ravages” among the cottonwoods at the post. ‘‘Trees of ten and
twelve years’ growth are dying from the top limbs to the ground.”
This borer is a very difficult insect to fight, piercing the trunk of the
' tree, as it often does, midway up amongst the branches. Thereis really
no remedy save cutting out the pup in April or May, or the larve ear-
lier. The beetles make their appearance in June. Where a tree is so
badly damaged that it has become unsightly, it should be eut down and
burned before the beetles issue.
LEPTOCORIS TRIVITTATA INJURING APPLES (Plate I, fig. 5.).—This
bug is quite a common species and has been found ina great variety of
situations. It is characteristically a plaut-feeder, but has never been
known to occur in such numbers as to do much damage to any culti- -
vated crop. It has been found in large flowers like magnolia, covered
with pollen, and occurs in summer on the stems and leaves of annual
plants, which it probably punctures. In August of the present year,
however, specimens were sent to us by Mr. A. L. Siler, of Ranch, Kane
County, Utah, as injuring fruit at Kanab, the county seat of the same
connty. Mr. Siler’s attention was called to them by the postmaster,
Mr. B. L. Young, who stated that these insects were destroying their
fruit crop, eating the fruit as fast as it ripened. On one tree which Mr,
Siler examined, and which bore apples of a medium size, they were
present in enormous numbers, and every apple that he could see was
covered with the bugs. They were stated to have bred on the Box Elder
shade trees (Negundo aceroides).
We wrote Mr. Siler, advising him to have the trees sprayed with a
dilute kerosene emulsion by means of a force-pump with a spray-nozzle.
The breeding of the bugs on Box Elder, and their desertion of this tree
for the ripening fruit, makes the case precisely similar to that of the
Red Bug or Cotton Stainer (Dysdercus suturellus, to which it is moreover
quite closely related) in Florida, as where cotton and oranges are grown
near together the bugs desert the cotton, on which they breed, for the
more attractive fruit. There the bugs are attracted to piles of cotton-
42
seed or decaying oranges, on which they cluster in the cool of the morn-
ing, and are then readily killed in bulk by drenching them with hot
water or pure kerosene.
This offers a suggestion as to the probable efficacy of a similar rem-
edy for the Leptocoris, although as yet no experiments have been tried
and no extended observations made as to its habits.
PROCONIA UNDATA IN INJURIOUS NUMBERS. (Plate I, fig. 4.)—Aug-
ust 14, 1885, Dr. A. Oemler, of Wilmington Island, Georgia, wrote us of
aninsect which was becoming very abundant and injurious toanumber of
different plants in his vicinity. August 29,in reply to a request, he sent
a number of specimens of Proconia undata, and among them one speci- ~
men of Analcises mollipes, included probably on account of its super-
ficial resemblance to the former species. He wrote that he observed
them to be more common than usual in 1884, particularly on the young
growth of a Black Hamburg grape-vine, and that this year they were
plentiful, doing considerable damage to Okra by sucking the sap from
its stems, and occurring also upon *‘ mile maize.” Writing again, Sep-
tember 6, he stated that one patch of Okra was nearly killed out, and | ~
that there were “ eight ov ten specimens at a time to each plant.”
OCCURRENCES OF THE ARMY WORM DURING THE SEASON.—1885
has been a decidedly off year*for Léucania unipuncta. In no ease was
the normal second brood injurious to any extent, so far as we can learn,
The third brood appeared, however, in injurious numbers at Deer Park,
Garrett County, Maryland, damaging the oat crop to aconsiderable extent
on the farm of the ex-United States Senator, H. G. Davis, during the
first week in August. Hither the same brood retarded, or a fourth gen-
eration appeared about September 18 in Sussex County, Delaware.
One of our correspondents, Dr.R. G. Ellegood, of Concord, writing under
date of September 21, says:
“They made their appearance three days ago in a piece of low corn-
field in this county. In one of my professional rides yesterday I
came in contact with them. Though but three days in operation they
have utterly destroyed 8 or 10 acres of corn. The ground is covered
with them and with their excrementitious droppings.”
On September 2, Mr. John B. Smith, visiting Goshen, Orange County,
New York, for the purpose of studying the Onion Cut-worm (Agrotis
messoria), found thatthe Army Worm was quite abundantin the oat fields
near that place, so much so as to attract general notice. Returning to
the same locality on October 5, he found no traces of larve, eggs, or im-
agines, and only a few pupa shells in the oat fields, but the larve could
probably have been found in the neighboring grass-lands.
One of our correspondents, Mr. M. 8S. Crane, of Caldwell, N. J., wrote
us October 13, that while sugaring for moths August 26 he counted over
forty Army Worm moths on his first seven baits. He has captured the
moths every year, but this season they were unusually abundant. No
damage from the worms, however, was reported from his vicinity.
43
CALIFORNIA REMEDIES FOR THE WOOLLY APHIS.—Mr. W. G. Klee
writes in Bulletin No. 55 of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the
University of California about the widespread disease of the apple tree
produced by the Woolly Aphis (Schizoneura lanigera) and its repression.
He describes the insect and the astonishing rapidity of its inerease in
the dry climate of California. After trying the various remedies sug-
gested for its extermination upon the twigs, such as rubbing kerosene
on the infested spots, or washing them with lye (three-quarter pounds
to the gallon), or with a solution of whale-oil soap, or sulpho-carbonate
of potassium, he found them only of use in arresting the disease. If,
however, the roots are once thoroughly infested, all the remedies usu-
ally recommended proved insufficient or impracticable. Gas lime was
found very efficacious, as well as inexpensive. It has to be used with
care, and the dose must be regulated according to the character of the
soil and subsoil and the age of the trees. Ina porous and deep soil there
is less danger than in a clayey one, where the water charged with the
antidote permeates the soil very slowly, and has time to corrode the
bark. It is always safe to use only a small dose first—from one shovel-
ful on a small tree to four on a very large one, spread over the surface,
according to the spread of the roots; the rain will wash it into the soil.
Fresh ashes should be piled close about the trunk to prevent the aphis
from descending to the roots. He found that lady-bugs would consume
most of the Aphids adhering to the twigs, and to protect these benefi-
cial insects it is wise to have conifers growing in the vicinity of the or-
chards to provide hibernating quarters for them. Two to three spray-
ings of the trees are also recommended; the first application with hot
water of 140° F., the second with tobacco water and whale-oil soap in
the following proportions: In a decoction of tobacco (1 gallon water to
one-half pound tobacco) put half a pound of whale-oil soap. This mix-
ture ought to be applied at about 130° F., and should be followed in
about a week by another application.
Seedlings of the Golden Russet and Rawle’s Janet are exempt, pos-
sessing tough and wiry roots.
THE HESSIAN FLY IN CALIFORNIA.—A number of notices have oc-
curred in the California newspapers during the season, relative to the
appearance of the Hessian Fly on the Pacific Coast. Anxious to learn
the truth of these reports, we wrote for confirmation to Mr. Matthew
Cooke, of Sacramento, who answered under date of May 29 that he had
traveled extensively through the infested section of the State and had
seen unmistakable proofs of the presence of the fly. He defines the
region as follows:
“ Take a map of California; find Vallejo, in Solano County (opposite
Mare Island Navy-yard), and draw a line to Benicia (8 miles). From
Benicia continue the line to Suisun, and then in a north or northwest
direction draw a line that will fall north of Napa City, in Napa County ;
thence back to Vallejo. This will be a line of nearly 60 miles, and the
44
grain lands in this section are infested by the Hessian Fly. A section
of country in Sonoma County, located between Petaluma and Santa
Rosa, is also infested. I have not examined other sections reported.
About six years ago it appeared in a field of grain (wheat) near Vallejo,
aud has spread since that time. Mr. Brownlee, of Creston, about 10
miles from where it first started, lost 580 acres of wheat in 1883.”
Specimens which Mr. Cooke sent with his letter proved the correct-
ness of his determination. If the insect has really, as he states, been a
denizen of California for six years, it seems strange that the fact should
never before have been authoritatively placed on record. We have
been on the lookout for such a fact ever since the publication of Dr.
Packard’s first map of the distribution of the species,* and when Mr.
Jooke in his work on injurious insects, in 1885+, stated that he had no
knowledge of its existence in California, we accepted his evidence as
practically conclusive.
We shall now watch its further spread in the State with interest,
more particularly to see whether the energetie Californians will fight
this pest any more successfully than the Eastern farmers have done.
It is worthy of note also that the False Chinch Bug (Vysius destructor)
has done great damage in vineyards in California during the summer,
and that it was also reported as injuring rye and wheat.
‘ WHEEL BUGS” DESTROYING HIVE BEES.—In October we received
from Mr. C. M. Gibbens, of Winchester, Va., a live specimen of the
Wheel Bug (Prionotus cristatus), with the information that it was found
in abundance upon his grounds and preyed upon his honey bees, lurk-
ing about their hives. Although the Wheel Bug is, so far as we know,
exclusively a predaceous insect, this particular habit has not, we think,
before been observed.
AGONODERUS PALLIPES INJURIOUS TO CoRN (Plate I, fig. 2).—This
common ground beetle was, until quite recently, supposed to be strictly
carnivorous. In 1882, Professor Forbes, in the Twelfth Report of the
State Entomologist of [llinois, page 27, recorded that he found this
species (referring to it as A. comma) under the clods and in the ground
about the roots of corn in a field, which was injured by the Corn-root
Worm (Diabrotica longicornis), and on examination of the stomach con-
tents they were found to have partaken both of animal and vegetable
food. In the same report (p. 43) he states that he found them in a field
of corn infested by the Chinch Bug, and examination showed that they
had fed in part on Chineh Bugs and other insects, but also on vegeta-
tion, which appeared to have been roots of corn. On page 111 (loc. cit.)
he states that a dissection of the stomachs of fifteen specimens of this
* Report upon the Rocky Mountain locust and other insects, &c,. Ninth Ann. Rept.
U.S. Geol. and Geogr, Surv. Terr., Washington, 1877.
t **Injurious insects of the orchard, vineyard,” &c. By Matthew Cooke, Sacramento,
1883.
45
species showed the presence of 50 per cent. of vegetable material, all
fragments of the higher plants except 2 per cent. of common fungi.
During the last summer specimens of this beetle were received from
Illinois (H. H. Harris, Lynnville, Morgan County) and Iowa (J. M.
Evans, Salem, Henry County, through Dr. J. M. Shaffer, of Keokuk),
with the information that it was damaging young corn by gnawing into
the seed grain and by eating the sprouting roots. The exact amount
of damage done was not stated, but it was said to be quite extensive,
Specimens were sent to the Department showing the beetle actually en~«
gaged in eating a large cavity into the seed, as shown in the figure, so
that there can be no doubt as to the accuracy of the observation.
If this damage should become extensive, a satisfactory remedy will
be found in soaking all seed-corn for a short time before planting in
some arsenical solution, such as Paris green or London purple, in water.
Such a course will not injure the germinative quality of the seed, and
will probably result in the death of all beetles which attempt to gnaw
the seed.
tye Whe
>
EXPLANATION TO PLATE.
i?
Fie. 1.—Ligyrus rugiceps—natural size (after Comstock).
FiG. 2.—Agonoderus pallipes—enlarged (original). =
Fie. 3.—Gelechia obliquistrigella—enlarged (original),
Fia. 4.—Proconia undata—enlarged (original), dix,
Fra. 5.—Leptocoris trivittata—enlarged (original). . tens
Fig. 6.—Monephora bicincta—enlarged (original). ; we
>
_ x 7
: ro) , : oad + al
Bulletin 12, Division of Entomology, Department of Agriculture. PLATE I.
HI)
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al \ WANICHOLS.
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