76 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF OXrARIO. 



Mr. Smith, referring to the climbing cut-worms, said that he had been frequently called 

 on to determine for correspondents moths described as having been bred from climbing 

 larvje. He had received several such from Mr. Slingerland. He questioned if they did 

 not adapt themselves to differing conditions, sometimes assuming the climbing habit, 

 while perhaps normally working on the ground. 



Mr. Howard reported that the species subjujicta and scandervs had been repeatedly 

 sent in this year as climbing cut-worms. 



Mr. Sirrine asked if all cut- worms did not climb as young larv;^, giving his experience 

 with cabbage cut-worms as sustaining that view. 



Mr. Smith said that" this is the habit of 

 Cameades mes-^oria Fig. 34, on onions. In this 

 connection he urged the value of personal obser- 

 vation to impress one with the true significance 

 and importance of the working habits of insects. 

 In illustration of this he referred to his having 

 recently witnessed a grasshopper invasion' in the 

 west, which had brousht to him a realization of 

 the possibilities of this insect to which before 

 he had been a stranger. He said also that^the 



Hessian dy, commented on by Mr. Davis, had proved very much more numerous in 



Xew Jersey this year than in years recently passed. 



Mr. Lintner said this fly was also very abundant in western Xew York. 



Mr Howard said this is distinctively a Hessian iiy year, and that the division had 

 recently issued a circular to facilitate answering the numerous inquiries received on the 

 subject. 



The following paper by Mr. Chittenden, was read by Mr. Sirrine : 

 Heebivobocs Habits of Certaix Dermestid.e. 



Fie. 



The Dermestidi^, as is well known, feed chielly upon dried animal substances. Certain 

 species, however, are reported to have injured vegetable material, and a few recorded 

 instances of damage of this character are cited. Until very recently the various species 

 of household Dermestida? had not been suspected of actually breeding in other than 

 animal substances, but the experiments of the writer indicate that they subsist also on a 

 vegetable diet. 



The lai'va of Attagenus piceits, or black carpet beetle, was received in cereals from 

 various sources, and was finally brought to the attention of the writer in such manner as^ 

 to lead to a suspicion that it might feed, at least occasionally on vegetable substances^ 

 Adult insects were confined in a jar of flour and meal, and their progeny were found to 

 thrive upon this material. This species was also found to breed in timothy seed, and in- 

 cidental mention is made of serious injury to bolting cloth by it in a mill at Georgetown, 

 D. C. A brief review of the history of this insect in America, where it has been known 

 since about 1 806, is given, and instances of its reported occurrences in granaries are citied. 



Trogoderma UirsaU Melsh , a common museum pest, was found to infest flaxseed, 

 castor beans, and cayenne pepper that had been on exhibition in the museum of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, the larva being reared from the egg deposited 

 in these substances and the adults having been bred from other larvte feeding on them. 



An unknown and evidently recently imported species of Trogoderma was stated to 

 be living in flaxseed, castor beans, and silk worm cocoons with the above-mentioned 

 species, and in red-clover S'='ed. This species is believed to have been introduced at- 

 Washington in the silkworm cocoons. It has been taken in Xew Mexico and will pro- 

 bably be found to have established itself elsewhere in the United States. 



