470 , EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



Report of injurious insects in Finland for the year 1899, E. Reutkk ( Lamlbr. 

 Sli/r. Mcddcl. [HelsiiigJ'ors], lUOO, Xo. SJ, jiji. 44) ■ — Exi)eriiiieiit8 were imuk' in com- 

 bating Charseas graminis. These experiments inchuled the use of lysol, "lila," and 

 Paris green. Lysol was obtained from several firms, some samples Ijeing strongly 

 alcoholic, others slightly alcoholic, and still others being crude lysol. It was found 

 that a thorough spraying with a 2 per cent solution of lysol and water quickly killed 

 all the larvte which were touched by the fluid. A careful application of the 2 per 

 cent solution had a better effect than a less thorough spraying with a 3 or 4 per cent 

 solution of lysol. Lila is described as a violet colored fluid of unknown composition. 

 Wlien used in a 5 per cent solution it had no effect in destroying the larva?. The use 

 of Paris green in combating this insect proved also unsatisfactory. Experiments with 

 Paris green were c<jnducted on a large scale. It was found that the larv^je continued 

 to feed upon grasses which had l)een sprayed with Paris green and that only a small 

 percentage was killed. Detailed statements are given of the prevalence and injurious 

 attacks of this insect in various localities. When the species occurs in unusually 

 large numbers it is recommended that rotation of crops be adopted and that the 

 remedies which are in common use against the army worm should be adopted. 



Further observations were made on the insects which cause the silver-top condition 

 of various grasses. These observations were made for the most part on the same 

 species of insects which were studied and reported upon in a previous pul)lication by 

 the same author (E. S. R., 12, p. 970). Brief notes are given on a few insects which 

 are injurious to cereals, including Iladeua secalis, CIdorops tieniopnH, Oscinis frit, and 

 Physopus tenaicorms. Garden crops were depredated upon by a large number of 

 insects; and notes are given on the habits and life history of Athalia spinara, Meli- 

 getlies icneus, Cassida nebuloH<t, cal)bage-root maggot, and scales. Brief notes are also 

 presented on some of tlie in.sects which feed upon fruit trees, berry bushes, conifers, 

 deciduous trees, and roses. 



Injurious insects, F. Shermax, .jr. [Bui. Xorth ('arolh'ia Stale Bd. Agr., 22 {1901), 

 No. 6, pp. 0-29, Jigs. 16). — The author gives brief descriptive biological and economic 

 notes on the harlequin cabbage l)Ug, cabliage i>lusia, ca})bage butterfly, white grubs, 

 Hessian fly, tobacco flea-beetle, l)agworm, imported elm-leaf l^eetle, San Jose scale, 

 scurfy scale, oyster-shell bark louse, woolly aphis, codling n*ioth, peach-tree borer, 

 and plum curculio. 



The variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), R. 'W. Doaxe and D. A. 

 Brodie {Wa.^hinglo)i Sta. Bid. 47, pp. Pj, figs. .5). — The authors give a ])rief account 

 of an unusually extensive outbreak of this species in the State of Washington in 

 1900. The insect attacked all sorts of plants, including field crops, garden crops, 

 and fruit trees. Some yomig orchards were completely ruined and hop fields suf- 

 fered severely. A description is given of the insect in its various stages. The 

 authors did not determine whether the species was single or double Ijrooded in the 

 State. It may pass the winter in the larval, pupal, or adult stages, but probably 

 hibernates as a rule in the pupal condition. Two parasites were reared from the 

 cutworm and are identified as Ichneumon mauru^ and Meteorus indigaior. The artifi- 

 cial remedies which are recommended for the control of this insect include clean 

 cultivation, ditching, ]>anding of trees, protecting small plants by paper wrappings, 

 spraying with Bordeaux mixture, spraying with arsenicals, and hand picking. 

 Potato vines which were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture we're well jirotected against 

 the attacks of the insect, while unsprayed vines in the same field were entirely 

 destroyed. 



Two new wheat pests, W. AV. Fboggatt [Agr.' Gaz. New South Wales, 12 [1901), 

 No. 3, pp. 350-356, pis. 2). — The grain aphis is reported as having injured wheat 



