THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 219 



INSECT NOTES. 



The almond mite, Bryobia pratensis. Is badly Infesting almond trees near Santa 

 Susanna. The citrus red spider, Tetranychiis nii/tilaspidis, is beginning to make its 

 E.ppearance in the citrus groves in Ventura County. — A. A. Brock. 



Eriophyes pyri, the pear leaf blister mite, has been observed very commonly during 

 the month of March. On March 11th observations were made in a number of pear 

 orchards in the vicinity of Grass Valley, Nevada County. At this time the pest was 

 found beneath the bud scales, most of them under the basal scales, where were also 

 found a great many eggs. Apparently these eggs were hatching and mites of various 

 sizes were seen. On March 19th, at Sacramento, the pear buds were just beginning to 

 burst open and many of the leaves already showed the characteristic blister-like 

 patches due to the attack of this mite. Many of the eggs were again found under- 

 neath the bud scales, as well as mites in different stages of growth. Seemingly the 

 mites, which snend the winter season beneath the bud scales, lay their eggs as the 

 buds begin to swell, and the first mites to do any damage during the season are those 

 that have emerged from the eggs that were laid by the over-wintering forms. — 

 Geo. p. Weldon. 



The larvae of Elateridse, or wire worms, have been very injurious to newly planted 

 potatoes, and various other root crops in the vicinity of Sacramento during the past 

 month. — H. S. Smith. 



The Chrysomelids Haltica bimargmata Say. and Disonycha 5-vtttata Say., were 

 collected on willow March 19th in Yolo County. — E. J. Vosler. 



The adult of the pear slug, Caliroa cerasi, was taken on pear trees near San Jose 

 on March 25 th. — Geo. P. Weldon. 



Several hundred colonies of Hippodamia convergens have been shipped to the 

 Imperial Valley during the past month for use in the experiments against the melon 

 aphis. Owing to the unseasonably warm weather in Sacramento the ladybirds have 

 suffered much larger mortality than usual. — H. S. Smith. 



The adults of the crane fly, Tipula simplex Doane. were common during the middle 

 of March in Sacramento County. The males of this species were most abundant about 

 March 13th, the wingless females being numerous a week later. — E. J. Vosler. 



A number of codling moth larvae and one pupa were found beneath the bark of 

 some old apple trees near Grass Valley on tlie eleventh of March. Apple trees are 

 practically dormant and it is interesting to note that pupation of this insect has 

 already begun. — Geo. P. Weldon. 



A species of Pseudococcus (undetermined) was found to be fairlv common in cer- 

 tain vineyards in Fresno County early in March. It is the same species which caused 

 considerable damage to that crop during the past season. The insect passes the 

 earlier portion of the year under the bark of the grapevine, which makes control by 

 spraying a very difficult proposition. — H. S. Smith. 



The fruit tree leaf roller, Archips argyrospila, is doing considerable damage to pear 

 buds in a large orchard near Hayward that was inspected on the twenty-fifth of 

 March. At least 75 per cent of the blossom clusters in this orchard had from one to 

 three recently hatched larvas feeding within. A considerable number of the egg 

 masses were also found, and it was observed that most of the eggs had already 

 hatched. The abundance of this pest in certain orchards at the present time would 

 seem to indicate that unless something is applied for its control soon, most of the 

 crop of fruit will be destroyed. — Geo. P. Weldon. 



The Insectary has received from Dr. H. T. Fernald, Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College, Amherst, a package of twigs infested with San Jose scale from a locality 

 where the parasite Prospaltella perniciosi was found commonly last j-ear. It is 

 hoped to introduce and establish the parasite in California. — H. S. Smith. 



The citrus red spider, Tetranychus mytUaspidis, is quite commonlv seen on pear 

 trees in the vicinity of Sacramento at the present time. It was also ob.served in a 

 number of near orchards near San Jose. The first mites noticed this season were 

 seen on pear twigs on March 6th. — Geo. P. Weldon. 



A few specimens of a Pseudococcus, apparently Pseudococcus bakeri Essig, were 

 taken on apple trees from Yolo County March 19 th. — E. J. Vosler. 



Colonies of Leptomastix sp., the new Chalcidoid parasite of the mealy bug from 

 Sicily have been liberated at Alhambra, San Francisco, Ventura. Marysville, San 

 Diego, Riverside, Fresno, and Gainesville, Fla., during the past month. — H. S. Smith. 



The pear thrips. Twniothrips pyri Daniel, are doing some damage to the pear 

 in the Sacramento River pear section. The growers are spraying with the standard 

 distillate oil emulsion, "Black Leaf 40" formula. This season one or two adults 

 are apparently doing as much damage as many times that number in an ordinary 

 season. Where spraying for the thrips has been a yearly event little or no damage 

 has been done by this insect. — E. J. Vosler. 



The grain thrips, Euthrips tritici Fitch, is reported by F. W. Waite, of EI Centro, 

 as injuring apricots, the young fruit being attacked. — H. S. Smith. 



