F. V. TllKOlJALD 35 



This winter, 191 3-1 91 4, I found apterous viviparous females again 

 right through the winter, a weekly search being made, and they now 

 and then produced living young. 



Natural enemies. 



In spite of this aphis having a very large number of natural enemies, 

 they do not seem to have any effect upon it when weather conditions 

 are favourable to it and unfavourable to the host plants. I have failed 

 to find any parasites or predacious insects attacking it in winter when 

 they might clear off the comparatively small numbers that then occur, 

 nor do they appear until June or July, long after the aphides have done 

 their worst harm. 



Later in the year they are preyed upon by a number of natural 

 enemies. The chief amongst these are several spiders, at least two species 

 of Phalangidae or harvest men, and the adults of Scymnits sp. and 

 its larvae to a small extent. That spiders and phalangids do enormous 

 good there is no doubt at this time. But the most interesting enemy 

 this aphis has that I have seen is the long eared bat. A tall tree in 

 my garden was every night in July surrounded by these animals, hovering 

 like a large moth at the tips and sides of the top branches, and clinging 

 on to them. Wishing to know what they were so assiduously hunting 

 for, I shot one and found it was full of hundreds of Aphis abietina, not 

 only the alate females, but the apterae and nymphae that they must 

 have taken from the needles. 



I bred only two Chalcids. Several Syrphid larvae were active 

 amongst them and Adalia bipunctata. 



Treatment. 



In plantations of course nothing can be done that would pay to do, 

 out in nurseries and where any special trees we wish to save are attacked 

 we can very easily destroy this pest. Paraffin jelly, nicotine and soft 

 soap, quassia and soft soap, soft soap alone, lime sulphur wash and such 

 patent washes as White's Abol, MacDougall's Summer Wash, and Cook's 

 Tobacco Wash were tried. All Avith the exception of lime sulphur and 

 soft soap alone killed great numbers, but the best results were obtained 

 with Cook's Tobacco Wash, then with nicotine and soap and slightly 

 below these came White's Abol, MacDougall's Summer Wash and 

 paraffin jelly, then soft soap and quassia. Soft soap alone was not 



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