340 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 10 



twigs. He speaks of taking a similar louse upon Lamium and Stachys 

 and makes the suggestion that it may be identical with M. ribis, but 

 thinks not, as his attempts to transfer early summer — "Vorsommer" 

 — forms to the Lamium did not succeed. 



We have repeatedly transferred the migrants from the Ribes to 

 Stachys and Leonuriis and the fall migrants from these plants to the 

 currant and had them take well, so feel safe in announcing these two 

 genera, at least, as summer hosts of Myzus ribis Linn. 



For structural details of this species, see Figure 17. 



Chairman A. W. Morrill: The next paper, by Professor Illing- 

 worth, will be read by the secretary. 



A TROUBLESOME HOUSEHOLD PEST (ATTAGENUS 

 PLEBIUS SHARP) OF HAW AH 



By Dr. J. F. Illingworth, Professor of Entomology, College of Hawaii, Honolulu 



This insect has habits somewhat closely related to the well-known 

 black carpet beetle {Attagenus piceus 01.) of the United States. My 

 first experience with this pest was upon opening up two trunks, which 

 had been stored for about a year. After arrival in Hawaii we had 

 packed away all of our winter clothing, which was superfluous in a 

 tropical chmate, but which we thought might be useful if we ever 

 again visited colder regions. It was certainly a most distressing sight 

 that met our gaze, when the trunks were opened — everything of animal 

 origin was ruined. Our new woolen undersuits were completely riddled ; 

 fur, hair and feathers were a mass of fragments; and, worst of all, our 

 heavy, outer clothing was shot full of holes. 



I soon discovered that the beetles had not confined their attention 

 to the trunks, for several other objects in the same storeroom were 

 injured. A saddle, padded with sheep-skin, was badly eaten; and even 

 the felt paper, which lined one of my small grips, was almost completely 

 gnawed away. We soon began to find the beetles on the windows in 

 the rest of the house, and occasionally noticed a beginning of their 

 work in the closets. Fortunately, however, they do not give any 

 trouble to clothing or other objects which are used frequently. 



During subsequent investigations, I have found that this beetle is 

 often destructive to dried fish in the Honolulu markets, though the 

 principal injury to this product is by the larger dermestid, commonly 

 known in the United States, as the leather beetle {Dermestes vulpinus 

 Fab.). Dealers in brushes in Hawaii have also come to know this 



