340 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE OCCURRENCE OF THE EUROPEAN BOXWOOD 

 LEAF-MINER IN CALIFORNIA. 



By Harry S. Smith. 



Kecently, while on a trip of investigation in the San Joaquin Valley, 

 the writer was shown some boxwood plants in a nursery, which 

 appeared to be in a very bad way. A large proportion of the leaves 

 had evidently been attacked by some insect, causing them to become 

 badly distorted, with large brown blotches. Closer study showed 

 them to be infested with a Dipterous leaf-miner. This fact was noted 

 in the Monthly Bulletin for April. A series of specimens was brought 

 to Sacramento, and within a few days, about April 1st, a number of 

 the adult insects issued. Not knowing of any such insect attacking 

 Boxwood, and being unfamiliar with the particular group to which 



Fig. 71. — The Boxwood Leaf-miner {Monarthropalpus 

 ouxt Lab.). Illustration shows infested leaves. (Original.) 



thi.s insect belongs, specimens were sent to Dr. E. P. Felt, State Ento- 

 mologist of New York, and an authority on the Itonididte. Dr. Felt 

 replied that the insect was kno\^Ti as the Boxwood leaf-miner, 

 Monarthropalpua hnxi Lab., a native of Europe, which has alreadv 

 become well established on Long Island and is seriously damaging 

 Boxwood hedges there. 



I was informed by the nurseryman in charge that he had found the 

 trouble only on the imported plants, and that so far none of the Box- 

 woods which had been grown locally had been attacked. Diligent 

 search among the Boxwoods confirmed his observations. 



