164 THE KEPOET OF THE Xo. 36 



DiSTKIBUTION IN THE PROVINCE. 



Argyrospila is so common aud so widely distributed all over the United 

 States that it is not at all surprising to find that it exists almost, if not quite, all 

 through the fruit districts of Ontario. . I ^ have either captured or reared adults 

 from places here and there all the way from Ottawa to Norfolk County and feel 

 sure I could, with a little searching, find them in almost all other fruit counties. 

 This clearly indicates that it is by no means a new pest, but that through some 

 peculiar absence of natural means of control has the last two or three years 

 suddenly become a very destructive one in a few orchards and may yet become so 

 in others. 



Rosaceana was until the last couple of years considered our most common 

 and destructive apple leaf-roller. It is seldom present, however, in large numbers. 

 It, too, has existed all over the Province for many years. 



Semiferana is very little known in Ontario. There is one specimen in the 

 collection of the Ontario Entomological Society, but without any data as to where 

 and when it was taken. A specimen was taken by Dr. Fyles at Levis, Quebec, and 

 one is reported as being in Mr. Winn's collection, but he has no recollection of 

 having seen or taken any. There is no record of it from Nova Scotia. In 

 Ontario, Mr. Crawford and I have searched in several localities this fall for egg 

 masses, but found none outside of the orchard at Simcoe. It is very probable, 

 however, that a careful search of forests would show its presence in quite a number 

 of localities, otherwise it is difficult to account for its abundance at Simcoe. 



Host Plants. 



At Simcoe we found the Fruit-tree Leaf-roller (argyrospila) preferred apple 

 trees to any other kinds. A few were observed on pears, plums and peaches, and 

 also on oaks. In the orchard it was seen that the larvae fed freely upon almost 

 any kind of succulent or moderately succulent weed beneath the trees. They 

 were very fond, too, of the leaves and heads of clover and of vetch in such positions. 

 A study of the literature on the subject shows that it has a very large number 

 of food plants, including numerous weeds, forest and shade trees, and shrubs. 

 So that it is by no means limited to fruit trees. 



The Oblique-banded Leaf-roller (rosaceana) is found most commonly on 

 apples and pears but from the list of host plants given by Slingerland and Crosby, 

 which include several weeds and clovers, it must be almost as omnivorous as 

 tlie Fruit-tree Leaf-roller. 



The Box-elder Leaf-roller (semiferana) has never before, so far as I can 

 find, been reported as attacking apples. A few wild cherries and currants beside 

 Box-elders have been found by Lugger slightly infested. Its favorite food, how- 

 ever, is the Box-elder, often called the Manitoba Maple. In Colorado and Min- 

 nesota it has been reported as occurring at times in great numbers on these trees. 

 It is recorded also from oaks and hickory. 



Nature and Extent of the Injury Done. 



So far as we could see from a single season's work, the feeding habits and 

 injuries done in the orchard by all three species were so similar that a description 

 of what was closely observed in the case of the Fruit-tree Leaf-roller will serve 

 for all. 



We were not able to begin our work until May 3rd and by this time the 



