REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I908 



55 



above had been deserted by the aphids and many of them con- 

 tained numerous cast skins. Some showed evidence of having 

 been invaded by parasites, which latter presumably preyed upon 

 the young- plant lice. 



Complaint of this insect's work, accompanied by specimens, was 

 received from Mr C. C. Laney, superintendent of parks, Rochester, 

 N. Y. This gentleman stated that the galls were more abundant 

 on white spruce than upon any other coniferous tree. Serious in- 

 juries were reported from Elizabethtown by Mr Selh Sprague 

 Terry, who stated that 50 spruce trees, none over 25 feet high, 

 have practicall}' all the new growth affected by this insect. Mr 

 John Nill sent from Star lake, in the southwestern part of St 



Fig. 18 Spruce gall aphid, destroyed buds; a, one cn- 

 larRed. (Original) 



Lawrence county, badly infested spruce twigs with an inquiry as 

 to the cause of the trouble. 



This insect, while rarely causing the death of the trees, fre- 

 quently produces serious deformities, because twigs bearing galls 

 are very likely to die, thus producing a very unsightly tree. Ex- 

 periments conducted by Mr R. A. Cooley showed that thorough 

 spraying in April with a whale oil soap solution, i pound to 2 

 j.'allons of water, is very effective in checking this insect. A more 

 detailed discussion is given in New York State Museum memoir 

 8, volume i, pages 189-91. 



Miscellaneous 

 Corn worm (Ileliothis a r ni i g c r ilubn.). This six^cies 

 is much better known as the boll worm of the South, though it is 



