264 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



Revision of the Coccinellid.se of Madagascar, A. Sicard (Ann. Soc. Ent. 

 France, 78 {1909), No. 2, pp. 135-165, figs. 25). — This is a continuatiou of the 

 revision previouslj' noted (E. S. R., 22, p. 362). 



Supplement to the list of Coleoptera of Guadeloupe, M. Pic {Ann. Soc. Ent. 

 France. 7S (1909), No. 2, pp. 166-172).— A third supplement to the list of 

 Guadeloupe Coleoptera published by Fleutiaux aud Salle in 1889. 



Monograph of the wasps of the genus Belonogaster, R. du Buysson {A)iii. 

 Soc. Ent. France, 78 {1909), No. 2, pp. 199-270, pis. 6).— A table for the separa- 

 tion of species accompanies the monogi-aph. 



Two common orchard mites: The brown mite, the red spider, G. P. Wel- 

 DON {Colorado Sta. Bui. 152, pp. 3-12, figs 7 ; Better Fruit, 4 ( 1910), No. 10, pp. 

 21-26, figs. 7). — The brown mite {Bryohia pratensis) and the red spider {Tetra- 

 nychus hiniaculatus) were quite generally distributed in the orchards of the 

 western slope of Colorado during 1900, their injury in some localities being quite 

 severe. 



The brown mite passes the winter In Colorado principally in the egg stage. 

 These overwintering eggs are deposited during May, June, and July. In 1009, 

 but few living mites could be found after August 1. The eggs are usually de- 

 posited on the trunk and limbs of trees, the crotches being favorite places. The 

 author has found the eggs more numerous on pear, cherry, plum, prune, and 

 almond than on any other orchard trees. The apricot and quince do not seem 

 to be attacked. The eggs hatch with the warm weather of spring, the young 

 being nbundant on May 1 at Delta in 1009. In the larval stage they are red in 

 color, but after the first molt become brownish or often an olive-green color. 

 Observations made during 1009 indicate that in western Colorado there are but 

 3 broods. 



Their direct injury is confined principally to the foliage, but masses have fre- 

 quently been observed upon the stems. " The epidermis of a leaf is pierced by 

 their mandibles and the sap .sucked from within. The first sign of infestation 

 of a tree is the pale color of the leaves, not unlike that caused by leaf-hoppers; 

 when not abundant there may be only a few leaves affected. They generally 

 attack the lower leaves first, and unless conditions are favorable to their in- 

 crease, they may confine themselves largely to the water sprouts and tender twigs 

 at the crotch of the tree. When multiplication is uninterrupted they may cover 

 the foliage of an entire tree causing it to turn yellow and drop prematurely, 

 thereby materially weakening the vitality of the tree. Little black specks, the 

 droi)i»ings of the mites, render the fruit and foliage unsightly, and while there 

 may be no serious consequences from t-his source, it pi"ol>ably does sometimes 

 interfere with the looks of a fancy pack of early fruit. Often the fruit of a 

 badly infested ti'ee is small and does not matui-e properly." 



Experiments with tobacco sprays indicate that while they kill the mites 

 touched, repeated applications during the summer are necessary to keep the pe.st 

 in check, as the eggs are not destroyed and many mites escape the spray. Ex- 

 periments show that flowers of sulphur, 1 lb. to 3 -gal. of water with enough 

 soap so that the sulphur will mix with the water is a perfectly effective remedy, 

 when used as a summer spray. Oil sprays seem to penetrate the eggs and de- 

 stroy them better than the tobacco extracts, but are unsafe to use with water 

 strongly impregnated with alkali. Lime-sulphur applied when the trees are dor- 

 mant has no effect upon the eggs, but appears to kill the young mites as they 

 hatch out. 



T. bimaculatus is the only red spider of importance in western Colorado. Its 

 injury is similar to that of the brown mite. In many cases small fruits have 

 been damaged severely ; raspberry, currant, and gooseberry bushes are thought 

 to have been the greatest sufferers. The leaves are sapped of their vitality. 



