February, '13] PARROTT: NEW DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS 61 



drawn off or whether it should be deepened. In the beginning of 

 injury by the larvje, judicious removal of the water, and reflooding 

 a.^ the proper time, should be followed. When injury has reached 

 its maximum, removal of the water is disastrous and under such con- 

 ditions the fields should be kept well flooded. 



It should be noted, however, that while excessive flooding may be 

 necessary at times to partially save injured fields, the practice itself 

 does not destroy any of the insects and a continuation of the practice 

 can hardly result otherwise than in a steadily increasing infestation 

 from year to j^ear. 



Possibility of Poisoning the Weevils. Mention has been made above 

 of the manner in which the adults feed upon the rice leaves before and 

 during the period of oviposition. This would suggest the possibility 

 of destroying them with arsenical poisons. The water-weevil is, in 

 fact, more of a surface feeder than the plum curculio or boll weevil 

 and some measure of success has attended the use of arsenicals against 

 the latter insects. The ordinarj^ spraying machinery could not be 

 used in a flooded field, but there appears to be no good reason why a 

 powdered arsenical, such as powdered arsenate of lead, could not be 

 distributed from the levees with hand dust-sprayers, advantage being 

 taken of prevailing breezes to distribute it over and across the "cuts." 

 Consideration would of course have to be given to the possibility 

 of the water carrying sufficient of the poison, after leaving the field, 

 to be dangerous to stock.' 



President W. D. Hunter: As there is no discussion of this paper 

 I will now call for the paper by Mr. Parrott on ''New Destructive 

 Insects in New York." 



NEW DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS IN NEW YORK 

 By P. J. Parrott 



The agricultural interests of the State of New York sustained large 

 losses during 1912 by the depredations of insects. In variety of species 

 and extent of damage the record has been an unusual one, and in my 

 opinion has not been equalled for many years. While noting the des- 

 tructive work of the common pests familiar to most entomologists, 

 one also could hardly fail to be impressed with the number of com- 

 paratively new insects that came to the front and which, judging from 

 their behavior during this and recent years, are likely to demand serious 

 consideration in the future. It is the purpose of this paper to give 

 brief notes on some of the more important species which have lately 

 attracted our attention. 



