250 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



grown, was mistakt'ii by many cinring tlie spring of 1907 for T. graminum. It 

 is present in Nebraslva in some numbers every year, being the source of a more or 

 less steady and continuous drain on the small grain crop. The European grain 

 aphis (Sipliocorync avcnw) was found in some numbers associated with T. 

 gramimim and M. (jranaria. It has probably always been present to some ex- 

 tent in the State but has never become so numerous as to be a menace to small 

 grain. 



The root-infesting aphid (Forda occidentalis) was found in great abundance 

 in almost all wheat fields examined while investigating the green bug. Some 

 plants in these fields supported as high as 40 lice, although the field as a v.^hole 

 was not noticeably damaged, and usually a much smaller number was found 

 upon the plants. It is always attended by a small brownish ant, the species of 

 which has not yet been determined. A second root-infesting aphis {Gcoica sp. ) 

 was found abundant in one locality in October, 1907. 



The corn root aphis {ApJids maidi-radicis) was reported as doing considerable 

 damage north of the Platte River. The corn leaf aphis (.4.. maidis) was fre- 

 quently found upon broom corn, sorghum, and Indian corn. The cherry aphis 

 (Myzus cerasi) did considerable damage to cherries and plums. The green 

 peach aphis (M. persiccr) is fairly numerous upon peach trees in orchards of 

 southeastern Nebraska. The woolly aphis has become very common in Ne- 

 braska. The boxelder aphis {Chaitophortts ncgundinis ) has done considerable 

 injury to boxelder trees. The melon aphis has become injurious to pickle grow- 

 ing in the State. 



An account of The Botflies Affecting Live Stock in Nebraska is given by M. 

 II. Swenk (pp. 327-341). Owing to persistent and emphatic complaints from 

 farmers and stock raisers, detailing losses from injured hides, shortened milk 

 supply, etc., due to the ravages of the ox warble fly {Hypodcrma liucata), a cir- 

 cular was sent out to prominent cattle men outlining the known habits and life 

 history of the insect and asking questions in order to bring out such personal 

 observations as had been made. The general concensus of opinion as reflected 

 in over 100 replies has been summed up by the author and is in part as follow^s : 



" The ox w^arble fly is present over the entire State, and while eastwardly it 

 seems to be only fairly common, in western Nebraska it is abundant and of 

 recent years has been decidedly on the increase. On the majority of ranches 

 from 50 to 75 per cent of the cattle are affected. . . . The first grubs appear 

 as early as September, when a few very small ones are discernible upon close 

 inspection, more appearing during October, November, and December, and all 

 reaching very obvious size by New Year's day, from which time on they are 

 conspicuous. ... 



"As a I'ule there is no dockage on animals poor in flesh because of warble 

 attack, but sometimes 5 to 10 per cent of the value is docked for this cause. 

 Warbled hides, however, are always rated second class, which is equivalent to 

 a dockage of one-third. Where only a few grubs are present the interference 

 with fattening is too slight for consideration, but badly Infested animals fatten 

 only with great difficulty or not at all, require 10 i)er cent more feed, and are 

 usually about a moiith behind uninfested individuals, an interference in all of 

 perhaps 25 to 35 per cent. Where the two are equally accessible to the flies, 

 farm and range cattle seem to be equally infested, but westwardly the range 

 cattle seem to have much the worst of it. . . . 



"The eggs are deposited on the lower portions of the limbs, usually the hind 

 legs about the hoofs. The cattle ai-e everywhere afraid of the flies and try 

 to escape from them by running or seeking water, where the fly will not follow. 

 . . . Very few had found evidences of the grub elsewhere than in the back of 

 the animal. . . . 



