3 i6 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Nov. , '06 



increase in Danbury, and that he noticed it last year about 

 one-half mile distant from the infested tree first noticed. 



From letters of May 28th and 3Oth, from Hamden and 

 Hartford, this insect is apparently causing the leaves to drop 

 from maple trees in these localities. Mr. C. D. Jarvis, of 

 Storrs, Conn., informs me that he has observed in Canada an 

 injury to maples, presumably caused by this insect. I have 

 observed its work on many of the streets of New Haven, in 

 Westville, and in Stonington. Mr. Walden reports it from 

 Southington. Thus it seems to be on the increase in Connecti- 

 cut, and in a few years will perhaps be generally found attack- 

 ing the sugar maple. 



CHARACTERISTIC INJURY. 



The leaves begin to fall late in May or early in June, May 

 2/th being the earliest date on which I have observed them 

 falling in noticeable numbers. It is only the blades that fall; 

 most of these have a piece of stem from one-fourth to one-half 

 of an inch long, being eaten nearly off at this point. The 

 remaining portion of the stem or petiole remains upon the tree, 

 and is not shed until ten days or two weeks later, when it 

 ripens at the base and falls to the ground. In the worst cases 

 that have come under our observation about one-third of the 

 leaves have dropped from the tree, and this is the proportion 

 mentioned by Mr. White in his letter. 



The larva tunnels in the stem, and as it approaches maturity 

 eats out the entire inside, leaving the cylindrical epidermal 

 layer. The burrow is packed with the particles of woody ma- 

 terial which the larva has eaten and voided. This is often 

 packed so closely that the stem keeps its shape or may be 

 somewhat swollen on account of it, though it is lacking in 

 strength. On small maple trees in the insectary, which were 

 attacked by the adults, collected and reared, the leaf blades 

 wilted slightly and drooped before breaking off ; but the sever- 

 ing point could be seen distinctly as a line around the stem 

 where the larva had eaten it nearly off. Below this line the 

 stem was fresh; above it both stem and leaf blade wilted and 

 drooped. In one case the blade did not drop, but still remained 



