Injurious Insects and How to Control Them. 



By E. P. Felt, D. Sc, State Entomologist, New York State Museum, Uni- 

 versity of the State of New York. 



Before considering any of the forms which so frequently at- 

 tract our notice through their depredations, I will mention briefly 

 some of the beneficial species. 



Beneficial insects. — There are many parasitic and predaceous 

 forms which prey on injurious insects and are therefore beneficial. 

 Examples of these may be found in the numerous ichneumon flies, 

 some of which are important parasites, or in the predaceous 

 ground beetles, bugs and others which boldly attack our pests. 

 A little observation will soon enable the farmer to recognize these 

 and he will then protect or at least avoid destroying them. Pro- 

 fessor Kellogg, of California, records an instance where a well 

 meaning correspondent destroyed a pint of beneficial lady bugs 

 under the impression that he was killing the depredators on his 

 rose bushes. Other species feed on noxious plants and thus in- 

 directly benefit man by preventing these from becoming nuis- 

 ances. Insects also render valuable aid as scavengers and the 

 myriad forms inhabiting the soil undoubtedly do much toward 

 reducing it to a more friable, fertile condition. They are also 

 used to some extent for food by man and the honey bee supplies 

 a most important article for the table. Insects are also fed to 

 poultry, song birds and in nature undoubtedly constitute a valu- 

 able food for many fish. The silk worm supplies the material for 

 an important fabric, the cochineal and lac insects, substances of 

 considerable value in the arts. One of the most important ben- 

 eficial functions of insects consists in fertilizing the blossoms of 

 our fruit trees, that is, carrying the pollen from flower to flower. 

 Without the aid of bees, wasps, certain flies and other insects, it 



