860 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE V..,A. 1915 



COLONIZATION OF PARASITES. 



The parasites and predaceous beetles were received and distributed in colonies 

 in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Mr. J. D. Tothill. The following table 

 gives the location and strength of each of the colonies distributed. All the colonies 

 are strong ones with the exception of the single colony of Meteorus. 



DISTRIBUTION OF IMPORTED PARASITES AND BEETLES IN 1913. 



Species. 



t'mnpsilura conciimala . 



Apanteleb lacteicolor . 



Calosama sycophantn . 

 Meteorus versicolor . 



Location of Colony. 



Fredericton, N. P> 



N-repis N. B 



St. Stephen, N. B 



Bear River, N. S 



Whittier Ridge, N. B.. 

 IJasswood Ridgfe, N. B. 



St. Stephen, N. B 



Nerepis, N. B 



Bear River, N. S 



St. Stephen, N. B 



Whittier Ridge, N. B.. . 

 Whittier Ridge, N. B.._ 



Size of Colony . 



2-!.S puparia. 



500 



.^00 



500 



4"J& adults. 



000 cocoons, 



000 



391 



000 11 



100 adults. 



100 



475 cocoona. 



It is gratifying to note that the larvae of the beetle Calosoma, which were 

 reared by Mr. Tothill in 1912 and allowed to go into hibernation at Fredericton, 

 N.B., successfully withstood the winter of 1912-13, which was severe owing to the 

 snowfall beirig less than usual and the occurrence of very low temperatures. 



APANTELES IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



Winter webs of the Brown-tail Moth collected in Nova Scotia during the season 

 1912-13 were kept and the larvae emerging from them were fed in Fiske trays at the 

 laboratory at Bridgetown, N.S., with a view to ascertaining whether any native 

 parasitic insects were attacking tlie Brown-tail Moth caterpillars. Caterpillars 

 from winter Avebs collected at Bear Tiiver, N.S., were found to be parasitized with 

 a species of Apanteles. Specimens of the Ainu teles were submitted to Mr. A. F. 

 Burgess of the Gipsy Moth Parasite Laboratory, Melrose Highlands, Mass., for 

 determination, who reported on July 9, as follows: "The specimens of Apanteles 

 have been examined by Mr. Summers aiid checked up with specimens which we have 

 here and the description which was drawn up by Mr. Viereck for Apanteles lactei- 

 color. The description is somewhat vague, but the specimens tally very well with 

 other specimens of lacteicolor which we have here at the laboratory, and we there- 

 fore believe it to be that species." 



The pleasure the discovery of the occurrence of this species of parasite in Nova 

 Scotia created was only a little greater than th(^. mystery surrounding the reason 

 for such occurrence. It cannot have reached Nova Scotia by natural 

 spread. Either it was introduced with winter webs of the Brown-tail 

 Motb on plants carried from j\[assachusetts prior to 1910, after which dates such 

 plants have been inspected, or A. lacteicolor, or a species of Apanteles most closely 

 resembling lacteicolor, is native to Nova Scotia. In any case it augurs well for 

 the future of the colonies of A. lacteicolor which we are introducing into the pro- 

 vince. 



Parasites of Native Insects. 



In addition to the work connected with the importation and colonization of the 

 parasites of the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths, Mr. J. D. Tothill continued at the 



Ottawa. 



