THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 597 



INSECT NOTES. 



Mr. Harry S. Smith, superintendent of tlie State Insectary, has received a small 

 weevil from Mr. Richard Baird of Inyo County, who reports it as doing considerable 

 damage to the buds of apples during the past spring just as they are opening. 

 Dr. Van Dyke determined the weevil as Eupagoderes mortivallis. It is considerd as 

 a rather rare form. 



This spring the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lind., has been found attacking canta- 

 loupe vines. All stages of the insect occurred on the vines and produced a mottled 

 effect on the upper surface of the leaves. It was found generally distributed through- 

 out the Brawley district, but only serious in a few small patches. Onion fields are 

 generally infested — some of them severely so. 



The large light-colored, circular scale so common on the foliage of the manzanita 

 in the higher altitudes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has been described as a new 

 species, Aulacaspis mansanitce, by B. B. Whitney, state quarantine inspector at San 

 Francisco. This scale is often mistaken by the growers in those regions for San Jose 

 and other orchard scales. 



The pear slug, Caliroa cerasi Linn., is reported by certain growers to be unusually 

 abundant along the Sacramento this season. 



The alfalfa caterpillar, Eurymus eury theme (Boisd.), is doing some damage to 

 alfalfa in Imperial County. 



Many specimens of the common grain thrips, Euthrips tritici Fitch, have been 

 received from growers who feared damage would be done to the alfalfa fields. This 

 insect is exceedingly common and abundant in the blossoms of alfalfa, but so far has 

 not been reported as doing any considerable damage to the crop. It is especially 

 abundant in the Imperial "Valley and other sections in the southern part of the state, 

 and is easily recognized by the orange-colored thorax. 



The small scarabseid beetle, Serica alternata Lee, is quite abundant along the 

 beach at Ventura, Califorina. S. H. Essig collected great quantities of it there during 

 the middle of May. 



The red-humped caterpillar, Schizura concinna S. & A., has already appeared in 

 many districts of the Sacramento Valley. Prompt sprayings with arsenate of lead 

 form a ready means of controlling this pest. 



The raspberry horntail, Hartigia cressoni, is doing considerable damage to logan- 

 berries, roses, blackberries and raspberries in the vicinity of Sacramento. 



The grasshopper which has been doing much damage in the Sacramento valley 

 this spring proves to be the devastating grasshopper, Melanoplus devastator conspicuus 

 Scudd. Its ravages have been particularly severe in some orchards. 



Mr. G. P. Weldon, chief deputy commissioner, reports cicadas quite abundant in 

 an olive orchard near Chico. The adult insects were puncturing the small twigs and 

 depositing their eggs therein. The species has not yet been identified. 



A small weevil has been collected in Ventura County by S. H. Essig, who, with 

 Mr. Vaile, horticultural commissioner, reports it doing considerable damage to the 

 foliage of apricot trees in Ventura County. The leaves and tender twigs are attacked. 



A small yellow scale, Aspidiotus britannicus Newst, has been found abundant on 

 the leaves of Imported bay trees from Holland. 



E. J. Vosler, assistant superintendent of the State Insectary, has returned from a 

 two weeks' scouting trip for the alfalfa weevil, Phytonomus posticus Gyll. The alfalfa 

 fields along the Salt Lake Route in the Mojave Desert between Daggett and Victor- 

 ville were thoroughly examined, but fortunately no trace of this pest could be found. 

 This newly settled region which is mainly watered by pumping plants has an acreage 

 in alfalfa of approximately 500 acres. The alfalfa fields in the Imperial Valley were 

 also examined with a negative result. 



He also reports that in the Imperial Valley little damage is being done to the melon 

 vines by the melon aphis, Aphis gossypii Glover. The practice has been to destroy 

 the infested vines by burning, as soon as the aphis is detected. The melon season 

 • for the valley closed about July 15th. 



