182 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 3 



About mid- August, the onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind.) was 

 very abundant, and did much damage to onions, and especially to the 

 onions for seed. They attacked the seed-pods before the seeds had 

 hardened, and in many places the seed crop was a total failure. 



The Colorado potato-beetle {Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) was 

 about as abundant as usual. The apple leaf -hopper {Empoasca mali 

 LeB.), which was very destructive to potatoes last year, v/as a slight 

 offender in 1909. 



A new pest of the potato and other crops for this part of the state 

 has made its appearance within the last few years, and this year it 

 has spread over a much larger territorj^ and has become a pest of 

 prime importance. This insect is one of the wire worms {Limonius 

 confusus Lec.^), and, according to our observations in Cook County, 

 differs from most wireworms in that it is most abundant and destruc- 

 tive in the higher parts of the infested areas. This species was found 

 damaging potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cabbages, radishes, and sweet- 

 corn. The English soil-fumigant, Apterite, which has been highly 

 recommended by one or two English entomologists, was tried, but 

 without any noticeable benefit. 



Insects Injurious to Flowering Plants 



The corn root-aphis {Aphis maidi-radicis Forbes) was not nearly 

 so destructive to asters as last year, but, nevertheless, injury was 

 reported from a few localities. 



In greenhouses, aphids were not especially abundant, except in a 

 few cases. Those which were found doing noticeable damage were 

 Myzus persiccB Sulz. on carnations, Macrosiphum circiunflexa Buck, 

 on easter lily and maidenhair ferns, and M. sanhorni Grill, and Aphis 

 rufomaculata Will, on chrysanthemum. 



The variegated cutworm {Peridroma saucia Hbn.) was found dam- 

 aging greenhouse carnations, smilax, and Asparagus plumosa. It is 

 especially fond of the tender young asparagus shoots. Our experi- 

 ments showed the poisoned bran mixture together with the trap 

 lantern a very satisfactory remedy. Hand picking was useless in the 

 asparagus houses. 



The greenhouse leaf-tyer {Phlyctcenia ferrugalis Hbn.) is another 

 greenhouse insect which is with us every year, attacking chrysan- 

 themums. It is of no importance on any other plant. The use of 

 arsenate of lead, beginning when the plants are small, has given us 

 satisfactory results. 



^ Determined by C. A. Hart. 



