220 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Inquiries developed the fact that two, instead of one, species of 

 ox warble occur rather abundantly in the United States. Exact 

 information regarding the range of the different species was obtained 

 and studies were made of their relative importance and their exact 

 effects on the hosts. 



The nose fly {Gastwphilus Jiaemorrhoidalis) has recently assumed 

 considerable importance in the North Central States. This pest 

 occurs in great abundance during the harvest season and interferes 

 greatly with the work, since horses are practically uncontrollable 

 when it makes its attack. An agent was placed in South Dakota to 

 investigate this problem, which is an entirely new one and of more 

 thaii local importance, because the fly is undoubtedly spreading 

 rapidly to other parts of the country. 



CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECT INVESTIGATIONS. 



Work on cereal and forage insects was continued imder the direc- 

 tion of Mr. F. M. Webster. 



Range caterpillar. — The investigations of the range caterpillar 

 were continued throughout the fiscal year. Since any measures 

 requiring any considerable expenditure of time and funds would be 

 impracticable because of the \vide range of country infested by the 

 pest and the low returns from the land, special attention was given 

 to the introduction of parasitic and predaceous insects with the hope 

 that these could be colonized in numbers sufficient to control the 

 range caterpillar. With this end in view an agent was sent to New 

 England to obtain as many pupas as possible of Compsilura concinnata, 

 the imported fly parasite of the gipsy moth and brown-tail moth, to 

 be forwarded to Koeliler, N. Mex., the nearest railway station to the 

 camp established for the investigation of the range caterpillar. More 

 than 5,000 specimens were sent. Up to the close of the year no 

 specimens have been recovered, but it is quite possible that the 

 parasite will eventually be fomid to have become established. 



Better results were obtained in the introduction into New Mexico 

 of an American and an imported species of predaceous beetle of the 

 genus Calosoma. Both Calosoma calidum, from Missouri, and C. 

 sycoplianta, the European species which attacks the gipsy moth, 

 were recovered on the cattle ranges, showing that they passed the 

 winter successfully and are now probably permanently colonized in 

 New Mexico. 



In March, 1915, about a thousand cocoons of a hymenopterous 

 parasite which may attack the range caterpillar were obtained in 

 California and sent to New Mexico. 



Until the present year the range caterpillar was supposed to feed 

 almost exclusively upon grasses of the genus Bouteloua, but it is now 

 known to feed also upon cultivated grains, thus rendering it of more 

 importance than was formerly supposed. 



True army worm. — A considerable portion of the time of a num- 

 ber of the men connected with these investigations was occupied with 

 an investigation of the true army worm, which, startmg in New Mex- 

 ico in the very early spring, covered almost the entire country east of 

 the arid plains and did a great deal of damage. The outbreak in 

 Texas was the first that has been recorded as occurring in that State. 



