208 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



ance to a family living there. They had become such a pest as 

 to actually drive the occupants from the house. They proved 

 to be a perfectly harmless insect and were identified by Mr. 

 Banks as Myopsocus lugens. They are frequently attracted to 

 a light in large numbers. 



In this same month walking sticks occurred in abundance at 

 York, and a number were sent in to the office. 



On the islands in Annabessacook pond in Winthrop the oak 

 trees were stripped by the caterpillar Anisota senatoria. Much 

 uneasiness was felt on account of it as it was thought to be the 



gipsy- 

 September 9th several cocoons of a saw-fly attached to some 

 fir twigs were sent in by Ellen H. Peabody of Machias. These 

 hatched on September 12-13 and proved to be the larch saw- 

 fly, Nematus erichsonii. 



September i8th twigs of the red pine, Pinus resinosa, were 

 received from Mr. Wm. Miller of Bar Harbor infested with 

 small beetles, Conopthorus coniperda, a common enemy to the 

 cones of the white pine, Pinus strohus. This insect was 

 sent to the department at Washington and Mr. A. D. Hopkins 

 in charge of Forest Insect Investigation reported that it was 

 a new and remarkable habit of this beetle. The insect was 

 boring in the living twig of the pine at the terminal bud. It 

 was reported to be quite common at Bar Harbor. 



November 15th Geo. R. Howe of Norway sent in some fine 

 specimens of the "Fig leaf-gall" on white oak, Borhiza torticor- 

 nis, Walsh. These hatched December 26. 



INSECT INFESTING THE DAHLIA. 



While inspecting the nursery at Bar Harbor my attention 

 was called to the presence of an insect that was "stinging" the 

 buds of the dahlia and causing them to blight, so that it was 

 impossible to secure any perfect blossoms. I went to the place 

 and examined the plants. I found it to be a species of true bug, 

 belonging to the family Capsidge. It proved to be the very 

 common tarnished plant bug, Lygus pratensis. Why this insect 

 should select the buds of the dahlia for this work is not known, 

 or why it should "sting" the bud at all as it couldn't be for the 

 purpose of laying its eggs, as it does not lay them at this season 

 of the year. Mr. Wm. Miller of the Bar Harbor Nursery Com- 



