204 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



to contend with before our system of classification can be at 

 least approximately correct. 



I should like, also, to draw your attention briefly to the great 

 economic importance attached to their study, for this also, by 

 many entomologists and the public, is only slightly appreciated, 

 although to the farmer, fruit-grower, and agriculturist it is of the 

 most urgent importance. 



It is estimated that between three and four hundred millions 

 of dollars are annually lost in the United States from the dep 

 redations of insect pests. Think of it ; more than double the 

 amount now in the United States Treasury ! Now, all of these 

 insect pests have their natural Hymenopterous parasites true, 

 many of them still unknown to us that prey upon and destroy 

 the eggs, larvae, pupae, and sometimes the imagoes themselves. 

 Were it not so, not a crop of any kind could be raised in the 

 United States. Few of us can estimate or appreciate the value 

 of the services that thousands of these little parasites are daily 

 performing for us in our midst in our fields, our orchards, 

 and our forests in destroying and ridding us of the numerous 

 Lepidopterous, Coleopterous, Hemipterous, and Dipterous insect 

 pests so destructive to our forests, fruits, cereals, and our garden 

 and field crops. 



I am sorry to say, some of our entomologists, who having paid 

 little or no attention to these insects, or who have given them 

 but little thought, are disposed to belittle the services of our 

 Hymenopterous parasites and, because they do not totally exter 

 minate their hosts, claim they are of little economic importance. 

 Now, I believe if we were to take away our Hymenopterous 

 parasites, scarcely a single crop of any kind could be raised in 

 the United States certainly no cereal could be raised, as Aphides 

 alone would destroy all so rapid and prolific are they in their 

 development. 



To illustrate the wonderful prolificness of an Aphis I will 

 quote from Buckton. He says : 



"A single insect hatched from one of these shining black ova may be 

 the mother of many billions of young, even during her lifetime. Latreille 

 says one female during the summer will produce young at the rate of 25 

 in a day; and Reaumur calculates that one Aphis may be the mother of 



