I04*^ IXJUKIDUS INSECTS : C.lCN-lvKAI, 



1914 in different parts cf Kuropean Russia. The (juestion of the type of 

 weather in that year is also discussed. 



The year 1914 was exceptionally abnormal, The second half of the 

 winter of 1913-T914 was exceedingly warm throughout Russia, and little 

 snow fell, except in the governments of the north-east and e?st. Thus, 

 in January, the mean temperature in Southern Russia was (/^ C (10. 80 F.) 

 above the normal. February was exceedingly warm. The positive fluctua- 

 tions amounted to g^C (16. 2" F) in the central and south-eastern parts of 

 Russia. The spring became dry with the return of cold. The first half of the 

 summer (June, July) was very hot and dry in northern and middle Russia. 

 The south, and particularly the south-west, suffered from torrential rains. 

 The second half of the summer was very cool. In August, the temperature 

 was 4"C (7-2° F) below the normal (in the central governments). In eastern 

 Russia the rainfall was much above the normal, while in the western part 

 the drought continued. The fiist half of the autumn, up to the loth Oc- 

 tober was rather rainy, but soon afterwards anticyclonic conditions became 

 established. From September to November the temperature was below the 

 normal throughout the country. It may therefore be said that the year 

 was not favourable to insect development ; the early spring, the return of 

 cold during that season f nd afterwards the drought, all being unfavourable 

 factors. 



Among insect pests in 1914, Elateridae occur most widely: injury 

 caused by them was reported in 18 governments, with different climatic 

 conditions (e. g. Moscow and Astrakhan). It was not possible to ascertain 

 the number of species in question. In any case the presence of several 

 species was reported in the government of Kaluga. 



The most serious damage was caused by the following insects : Oria 

 (Tapinosfola) muscidosa Hb. ; Eitxoa [Agrotis) segsfum Schiff. (governments 

 of Ekaterinoslav and Astrakhan) ; Pirausta nuhialis Hb. ; Elateridae ; 

 Lema menalopa L- ; Anisoplia austriaca Herbst ; Oscinella frit L. (government 

 of Orel) ; Cephus pigmaeus Iv. (government of Ekaterinoslav), and locusts. 



The insect pests reported in Central Russia exclusively were as fellows : 

 Feltia {Agroti) exclamationh Schiff. ; Hydroecia nictitans Bkh. ; OcJisencJiei- 

 meria taurella Schiff. ; Lasioptei'a ceredlis Lind. and Apion sp. 



Phlyctaenodes sticticalh E- was recorded in 9 governments, but only 

 caused injury in that of Kuban, and, to a less extent, in that of Kharkov. 



Below is a detailed list cf the insect pests, in which, for the sake of bre- 

 vity the name of the town stands for that of the government tvhere the injury -was 

 caused. 



I) CoLEOPTERA. — (i) Zahvus hlaptoides Kreuts pnd Z. tenebrioides 

 Goeze, both attacking wheat, the former in Ekaterinoslav, the latter in 

 Bessarabia ; (2) Ophonus calceatus Duft. at Ekaterinoslav on Setaria germa- 

 nica ; (3) Blitophaga undata Miill., at Stavrcpol. en the young leaves of 

 barley and wheat ; (4) Meligethes aeneus F. , at Kiev, am wheat, on flowers of 

 saffron Salix, Caltha and Viola ; in Bessarabia, on the floral bud.>of Brassica 

 Rapa oleifera ; (5) Elateridae were reported at Petrngrad, Novgorod, Pskov, 

 Viatka, Perm and in Livonia ; Agriotes lineatus E. caused extensive damage 



