1911 EiNTOMOLOGlCAL SOCIETY. ^i> 



Last year Mr. Gibson called the Society's attention to the outbreak of the 

 Spruce Bud- worm {Tortrix fumiferana, Clem.), which had been reported to the 

 Division of Entomology as causing serious defoliation of the spruce and balsam 

 trees in the Province of Quebec, about 100 miles north of Ottawa. During my visit 

 to British Columbia, in October of last year, it was found to be defoliating the 

 Douglas fir on Vancouver Island, and when that region was revisited a month ago 

 I found that the attack had been more serious this year, many young five-year old 

 and older trees of the second growth having been killed. The area of infestation 

 in Quebec appears to have spread also, and reports have been received from a num- 

 })er of owners of timber and pulp-wood limits as to the seriousness of the defolia- 

 tion, which is very conspicuous from Mattawa across to the Saguenay Eiver in 

 Quebec. It has also been recorded from other districts in Quebec. What the re- 

 sults of this defoliation will be cannot be foretold. It is known that the insect was 

 chiefly responsible for great destruction among the spruces in Maine some years ago. 

 ISTow that it has spread over so wide a stretch of country nothing of a practicable 

 nature can be done to control it. We are, therefore, studying the parasitic means 

 of control, to which I hope to refer to-morrow, and we are also clearing up some 

 obscure points in the life-history of the insect. 



The White-marked Tussock Moth (Hemerocampa leucostigma, S. and A.) 

 has been unusually abundant in the Maritime Provinces during the past year, 

 especially in Nova Scotia. In Halifax and Charlottetown it has caused consider- 

 able alarm on account of its defoliation of the shade trees in those cities. The 

 citizens appear to be fully alive to the danger of the repeated defoliation of their 

 shade trees, and it is hoped that timely destruction of the egg masses in the win- 

 ter and, if necessary, spraying in the summer will be resorted to. 



Mr. Caesar has already referred to the occurrence of the Forest Tent Cater- 

 pillar. These insects occurred in very large numbers in New Brunswick, and also 

 in British Columbia, where whole tracts of country were defoliated. We also re- 

 ceived them from Edmonton, Alberta. The great abundance of the Fall Web- 

 worm, especially in some localities, was very noticeable during the past season. 



Another caterpillar, of wbich I do not think we have yet heard the last, is the 

 Green- striped Maple Worm (Anisota ruhicunda, Fab.). This species was re- 

 ported to the Division last year as defoliating the maples in a sugar bush, and this 

 defoliation was stated to have caused a decrease in the amount of sap obtained 

 from the trees. During the present year it was reported as defoliating maples in 

 the Rideau Lakes, and along the northern shores of Georgian Bay the maples were 

 stripped of their leaves. 



Mr. Caesar: Have you seen much of the Thrips in Ontario? 



Dr. Hewitt : I have not had any cases of the Thrips to which I refer reported 

 es yet from Ontario. 



Mr. Caesar: Does the whole of the wheat get that silvery appearance? 



Dr. Hewitt: It is on oats that we have found it. The white and silvery- 

 appearance of the head and stem of wheat is usually due to the wheat-stem maggot. 



Mr. Nash: Is the Rose Beetle generally reported? 



Dr. Hewitt: I do not think that we have had many reports. 



Mr. Caesar: It is fairly abundant round 'Clarkesville. 



Mr. Swaine: I might mention. Dr. Hewitt, that I found the Spruce Bud- 

 worm at Hudson, P.Q., this season. Have you had it reported as far south as that? 



Dr. Hewitt : We have had it reported from a number of localities in Quebec, 

 other than those which I have mentioned. I have found it within a few miles of 

 the Vermont boundarv. 



