REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 67 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Scale (ErlopeUis festncce, Fouse.) was abundant in Nova Scotia. The Carpet Beetle 

 or 'Buifalo Moth' (Anthrenus scrophularice, L.) called for nttcntion as a household 

 pest. It was first reported in this role in Canada in 1889. 



1896 was another Army-worm year, this time in western Ontario. There were 

 also widespread depredations on fodder crops by locusts or grasshoppers in many parts 

 of the Dominion. Similar outbreaks had occurred in western Ontario in 1893, and 

 on Sable Island in 1895. The injurious species were in each case the Red-legged- 

 Locust {Melanoplus femur-i-uhrum, DeG.), the Lesser Migratory Locust {M. atlanis, 

 Riley), and the Two-striped Locust {A[. hivitlatus, Say.). 



The first record of the Apple Maggot in Canada was made in this year at Adol- 

 phuritown in Lennox county, Ontario, and an insect which injures the apple in a very 

 similar manner (Argyrestliia conjugella, Z.) was abundant in Vancouver island and 

 the lower mainland of British Columbia. 



In 1897 fruit insects were the chief objects of study. The San Jose Scale may 

 be said to have begun its injurious work in Ontario orchards in this year, and great 

 efforts were made to prepare our fruit-growers to recognize it, to appreciate the danger 

 of neglecting it, and in pointing out the best known means of control. The Currant 

 Maggot (Epochra Canadensis, Loew.) was also dealt with. 



1898 was marked as the first year of a rather serious outbreak of the Rocky Moun- 

 tain Locust in Manitoba, which lasted until 1904, and was the cause of much loss in 

 central Manitoba. The outcome of this occurrencCj however, was the discovery of 

 the useful Criddle mixture by Mr. Norman Criddle, of Aweme, Man., which has been 

 of great use in controlling these very destructive insects. The Lesser Apple-worm 

 (Enannonia prunlvora, Walsh) was destructive in British Columbia orchards, and 

 much harm was done by the two common species of Tent Caterpillars in Ontario. 

 This was chiefly to forest trees. 



The season of 1899 was signalized by an extensive destruction of the pea crops 

 all through the older provinces by the Destructive Pea Aphis (NectaropJwra destruc- 

 tor, Jnsn.) This is supposed to be identical with a species which sometimes attacks 

 clover. The Asparagus beetles (Crioceris asparagi,, L., and C. IS-piinctata, L.) also 

 added themselves to the pests of the Canadian market gardener in this year. They 

 have done some harm in the south-western counties of Ontario ever since. 



In 1900 began a period of very severe injury to the fall wheat crop of western 

 Ontario by the Hessian Fly, which lasted for two years, and another old-time enemy, 

 the Pea-weevil (Bruchii-s pisorum, L.) was so abundant as to cause some growers to 

 relinquish the cultivation of this useful pulse. The attacks of this latter were much 

 intensified by extensive injury by the Pea Moth (Semasia nigricana, Steph.) Per- 

 haps the most remarkable outbreaks of the year were by two cutworms, the Variegated 

 Cutworm (Pcridroma saitcia, Hbn.) in British Columbia, and the Spotted Cutworm 

 (Nfictna c-nigrum L.) in Ontario. 



In 1901 two new enemies, the Potato-stalk Weevil (Trichoharis trinotata. Say.) 

 and the Grape-vine Colaspis (Colaspis hrunnea. Fab.) were added to the Canadian 

 list, but the injury was not serious by either of them. 



In 1902 the first serious injury by the Hessian Fly to spring wheat in Manitoba 

 cccurrcd, but the same season saw its almost entire disappearance from the fall wheat 

 crop of Ontario. Injury by the Pea-weevil was again excessive in Ontario and special 

 efforts were made by the Division to stir up pea-growers to imited action in fighting 

 this destructive enemy. The seed pease were fumigated by all the leading seedsmen 

 and in 1903 there was a most noticeable diminution in the numbers of the Pea-weevil. 

 This improvement has continued up to the present time. 



In 1904 there were no new attacks of importance. The cause of the greatest loss 

 to farmers, brought to the notice of the Division was by. a widespread epidemic of the 

 Black Stem-Rust in the large wheat crop of the Prairie Provinces. There were also 

 more severe losses frcra cutworms in some districts than is usually the case. The 

 efficacy of the Poisoned Bran-mash for field practice on a large scale was amply proved. 



