326 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The Peach Lecauium (Lecauiuin nigrofascinatum), seems to have 

 been prevalent tbionghout the State of renusylvauia, but from all 

 accounts in considerably smallei- numbers than during the previous 

 year. It is perhaps not generally known that our species is not 

 identical with the European Lecanium (Lecanium persical) under 

 which name we still find it described; Mr. J. W. Douglas, the cele- 

 brated Coccidologist of London, England, pronounced it in 1895 an 

 undescribed species. 



The adult female is most generally observed, being attached in 

 large numbers on the under side of the twigs about the buds. They 

 are from 3 to 4 mm. long, 2.6 mm. in diameter and about 2 mm. high, 

 somewhat hemispherical, broadest posteriorly and of glossy appear- 

 ance due to a transparent, waxy excretion. Its external surface 

 shows a more or less smooth disk with about 12 radiating ridges on 

 each side. In color they are either entirely red or black, or red with 

 black bands. They have a pair of six-jointed antennae and their legs 

 are rather long and slender and covered with hair and bristles. 

 About the middle of June they begin to hatch continuing till the 

 middle of July. The sexes of the larvae, which are pale yellow in 

 color, are uudistinguishable; but after one week's pupal period the 

 males have developed wings, beautiful and iridescent, but their 

 glory only lasts about one week while the females continue attaching 

 themselves to the bark of trees, doing their destructive work of suck- 

 ing the sap from beneath the bark and thereby killing the tree. 



The Peach Lecanium is comparatively harmless as long as the trees 

 are carefully watched; the scales can be easily scraped off from the 

 lower branches, while two or three applications of kerosene emulsion 

 will thoroughly destroy this little pest in all parts of the tree. 



The Forest Tent Caterpillar (Clisiocampa disstria), made its ap- 

 pearance in Lancaster city and county and became very destructive, 

 especially to poplar and maple trees throughout the whole summer 

 season. The streets with whole rows of skeletonized trees looked 

 very unsightly and it required heroic measures to check the uni- 

 versal spread of this insect. The Apple Tree Tent Caterpillar (Clisio- 

 campa Americana), has been known for years, but its damage has 

 never reached the dimensions as that of the forest tent caterpillar 

 which made its iuroads into New England about six years ago. Late 

 in May and early in June compact silken nests or tents appear in 

 all kinds of deciduous trees, but especially in elm, poplar and maple, 

 containing a large number of beautiful caterpillars of various si-zes. 

 They feed on leaves on all parts of the tree, but evidently prefer the 

 upper and outer branches, eating the parenchyana of the blade along 

 either side of the midrib, or in thick leaves along both sides of the 

 veins. The nest or te<nt is usually made at the end of the branch, 

 frequently the last leaf is utilized, in which they continue to live for 



