REPORT OF THE EXTOMOLOGIST A.XD BOTAXIST 231 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Otfawa, and by the end of the season hardly any maggots or pupre could be found in a 

 place where they are usually very numerous. Another parasite also occurred with the 

 above, but in smaller numbers, namely, Eucoila anlhomyice, Ashm., a small black four- 

 winged proctotrypid fly. 



The Asparagus Beetle (Crioceris asparagi, L.) — This beetle and The 12-spotted 

 Asparagus beetle, which have been mentioned in my last two reports as occurring 

 commonly in the Niagara peninsula, have this year spread farther through the coun- 

 try. Prof. Lochhead found both species at Guelph, Out., and noted that the 12-spotted 

 species was the more abundant of the two. They were not noticed until the middle of 

 August and they did no appreciable damage to crops. The Asparagus Kust (Puccinia 

 asparagi, DC.) was reported from three or four places and was particularly injurious 

 on some two-year old plants grown from seed at Ottawa. Mr. J. A. Balkwill reports 

 that there was hardly any at London, Ont., in 1900, but that it increased to a marked 

 degree last summer. 



The Zebra Caterpillar (Mamestra picta, Harris). — The autumn brood of this 

 caterpillar was remarkably abundant at Ottawa during September and October last, 

 and caused considerable damage in gardens to many kinds of plants. The caterpillars 

 were also destructive in fields of fodder rape and turnips. Clover and lucerne were 

 also attacked, but the growth of these crops was so heavy that the loss was seldom 

 noticed. In gardens, cabbages suffered a great deal, and, although they did probably 

 little harm at the time of year they occurred, the caterpillars were extremely numer- 

 ous on beets and asparagus. In the flower garden the greatest loss was in late flower- 

 ing Gladioli. The eggs are laid in clusters of about 150. At first the caterpillars are 

 gregarious in habit, and many spikes of flower buds would be destroyed by a brood of 

 caterpillars before their presence was detected. When half-grown, these caterpillars 

 separate and wander in all directions, attacking almost all kinds of vegetation. The 

 full grown caterpillars are very conspicuous and very gaily coloured. They are two 

 inches long, velvety black on the back, with two golden yellow stripes connected by 

 narrow white wavy lines along the sides. The head and legs are bright reddish brown. 

 When full grown these caterpillars spin slight cocoons just beneath the surface of the 

 ground, and the moths fly in the spring and in August. They are rather dull-coloured, 

 purplish-brown moths with white underwings and expand about l£ inches across the 

 opened wings. 



The SouASn Bug (Anasa tristis, DeG.), known locally as 'Bishop Bug' in west- 

 ern Ontario. — This troublesome and destructive insect was the cause of frequent 

 complaints in western Ontario, from growers of all kinds of plants belonging to the 

 Gourd family, such as squashes, melons and cucumbers. Mr. J. B. Spurr, of Toronto, 

 a large grower of melons, who suffered considerably, reports, August 23 : 

 ' Squashes are very scarce on the Toronto market on account of the prevalence of the 

 Squash Bug this year.' He made the interesting observation that on his grounds, 

 when plants were attacked by the Squash Bug, they were not injured by the Striped 

 Cucumber Beetle, and also that, when plants were attacked by the latter, they escaped 

 the injury from the Squash Bug. This bug is very rare indeed at Ottawa. Twenty 

 years ago, two specimens were taken here by Mr. W. H. Harrington, and' none were 

 seen since, although looked for carefully, until the past season, when a few specimens 

 were taken. At Montreal Mr. M. Waring Davis reports considerable injury from the 

 insect this year. Prof. Lochhead writes : ' These bugs were decidedly injurious in 

 most localities throughout western Ontario. All the old well-known remedies seem 

 to have failed altogether in keeping them in check. In the College garden it was 

 decided to keep a watchful eye over the early Squash Bugs ; but, in spite of great 

 care exercised in hand-picking and spraying, they seemed to increase.' 



Remedies. — There is still need of a better remedy than those usually advised to 

 prevent loss from the Squash Bug. In seasons of ordinary occurrence, hand-picking 



