REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AXD BOTANIST. 241 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



tion is maintained of all fruit coming into the province, so as to prevent its intro- 

 duction by that means. 



The Applk Fruit Mixer ^ Lrgijresthia conjugella, Zell.) appeared in small 

 numbers on Vancouver Island during July, but no instance of its presence in large 

 numbers was reported. 



The Mealy Plum Aphis (Hyalopterus prvni, Fab.) was very prevalent in many 

 parts of British Columbia. Spraying with whale-oil soap and quassia proved an 

 efficient remedy. 



The Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia knehnieUa, Zell.). — A mill badly 

 infested with this insect, near Ottawa, was fumigated with sulphur with satisfactory 

 results. An interesting observation was that the larva; were largely parasitized by a 

 small hymenopterous insect, which has been found by Mr. W. H. Ashmead to be a 

 new species, and has been named by him Idechthis ephestiae. 



The Red Turnip Beetle (Entomoscelis adonidis, Fab.). — This native beetle, which, 

 is bright red with three black stripes down its back and a spot on the collar, and 

 is |-inch long by i-inch wide, was very abundant in the North-west Territories and 

 parts of Manitoba last year. Several inquiries were received concerning its habits, 

 and it was observed almost everyAvhere during Julj^ chiefly upon cruciferous weeds, 

 but also on turnips, radishes, occ. Upon a piece of neglected summer-fallow at Kinis- 

 tino, Sask., it was seen in thousands upon the steeple-like plants of the Gray Tansy 

 Mustard (Sisymbrium incisum, Engl., var. Hartwegianum, Watson) and upon 

 Erysimum parviflorum, Nutt., and Erysimum, asperum, DC, a near relative of the 

 garden wallflower. This insecffl^s been treated of at length in my report for 1892. . 



' Strathcona, Alta., June 1. — I send you some beetles which are abundant, climbing 

 up the stems of some weeds on about half an acre of timothy ; they come out of the 

 ground, which I dug up and found the holes about i to f-ineh deep. Are they likely 

 to hurt the timothy ? I have seen them before, but not so plentiful as Jiow.' — Thomas 

 JJaly. 



' Strathcona, Jvme 12. — I send a sample of a beetle which has been doing great 

 damage in my garden, attacking wallflowers and stocks, all young plants ; they are 

 now on my turnip.-., radishes and cabbage. I have killed probably 1,000. What are 

 they called, and what is the best remedy ? ' — John H. Wilson. 



' Souris, Man., September 13. — 1 am sending an insect which is doing nmcli 

 damage in gardens in the Souris district, especially at this time.' — Robt. I. Crisp. 



This beetle, both as a grub and in the perfect state, attacks all cruciferous plants. 

 The best remedy is to spray or dust the plants attacked with arsenical poisons in the 

 same way as for the Colorado Potato Beetle. The grubs are nocturnal in their iiabits, 

 and are seldom seen. 



This is also a European insect, but there is hardly a doubt that it is a native 

 species in the North-west. In certain seasons it is very abundant, and may at any 

 time develop into a serious enemy of the agriculturist. It belongs to the Chryso- 

 melidtp, the family to which also the Colorado Potato Beetle belongs. 



The Asparagus Beetle (Crioceris asparagi, L.). — The Asparagus Beetles, treated 

 at some length in my last report, have occurred again in the Niagara district during 

 the past season, but do not seem to have been the cause of much injury. However, 

 their attacks have been supplemented by another enemy, the Asparagus Rust (Puccinia 

 asparagi, DC), and one of the Hemiptera (Cosmopepla carnifex, Fab.) was found 

 upon asparagus by Mr. Frank Arnold, at Queenston. Ont. These clustered on the 

 plants in very large numbers during the last week of Jul,y. No special injury was 

 noticed at that late date, and it was not thought worth while to advise any remedial 

 treatment. Spraying with either kerosene emidsion or whale-oil soap would doubtless, 

 destroy them, should they at any time prove troublesome. 



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