1905 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



88 



sowing them. The reputation of our Canadian grown pease has risen again 

 rapidly since last year, on account of their freedom from weevils; but 

 growers may remain perfectly certain that, if they again become negligent 

 and do not treat their seed pease, they will have to suffer for it, by the Pea 

 Weevil increasing in numbers and in destructiveness. 



Fodder Crops. 



The loss in grass and fodder crops in 1905 from insect enemies was 

 nowhere noticeable; but there were one or two interesting occurrences from 

 the entomological point of view. The most remarkable of these was a severe, 

 although short, attack on young corn grown in Grey county, by the Rose 

 Chafer. Macrodactylus subspinosus, Fab., Fig. 30. Late in June the 

 beetles flew in large numbers to a field of growing corn when the plants 

 were about eight inches high and in a good vigorous condition. They ap- 

 peared suddenly, covering about two thirds of a twenty acre field; and clus- 

 tered, as many sometimes as twenty insects on each plant, and devoured 

 the leaves. This swarm remained on the corn field for only three days, 

 during which they did considerable harm, and then disappeared as suddenly 

 as they came. 



Fig. 31. Stalk-borer {Papaipema nitela) ; a, female moth; b, half-grown larva ; c, mature 

 larva in injured stalk ; d, lateral view of abdominal segment of same ; e, pupa — all somewhat 

 enlarged. (After Chittenden, U.S. Dept. Agriculture) Full measure. 



The Stalk Borer (Papaipema nitela, Gn.), Fig. 31, which in past years 

 has frequently been accused of doing injury to various plants, but of which 

 no reared specimens were to be found in collections in Canada, was this 

 season certainly identified from specimens sent from Fargo, Ont., by Mr. 

 G. W. Riseborough. In previous years all larvae sent in under the name 

 of '^Gortyna nitela'^ proved to be when reared, Papaipema cataphracta, 

 Grt., which is a much wider-spread species in Canada and of which the larva 

 is very similar to that of P. nitela. This is a rather general feeder, like 

 P. cataphracta, but has more frequently been known as the Potato Stalk 

 Borer, although it attacks corn probably to a greater extent even than pota- 

 toes. Mr. Piseborough found the larvae in some numbers in his corn field 



