68 



Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. II, 



OCCURRENCE IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE. 



It seems to have been observed at Parma, Italy, as early as 

 1847 (i)- Five years later, in 1852, (i) Rondani, who described 

 the species during this year, wrote to Professor Bertoloni under 

 date of June 14, also from Parma, relative to the insect as follows: 



"We have in our city an innumerable number of insects of a 

 species of the Aphis genus, of Linnasus, of the order of Hemiptera. 



Fig. 2 — The spring grain-aphis or "green-bug" {Toxoptcra graminnm: a, 

 Avingless female; b, larva; c, pupa. Much enlarged (from Pergande.) 



Sometimes and in certain places the number of these insects fly- 

 ing in clouds in the air has been so great as to render them troub- 

 lesome to people, entering the nose, eyes, and even the mouth 

 when one cannot think how to protect oneself from them." 



Elsewhere in this letter Rondani states that he had never been 

 able to find it on any but graminaceous plants, where it nestled 

 on the leaves. In commenting on this letter of Rondani, (i) 

 Prof. Bertoloni takes occasion to say that: 



"Innumerable specimens of the Aphis graminum Rondani, 

 are seen in the streets of the city of Bologna and these have sev- 

 eral times entered my nose and eyes when passing rapidly along 

 the canal of Reno." 



Passerini (2) excepted we find no mention of the insect 

 again until 1884, when Dr. G. Horvath (3) mentions an attack 

 on oats in Central Hungary in June, 1883. Ten years later, in 

 1894, Professor Karl Sajo, (4) records another outbreak, also in 

 Hungary, again among growing oats. 



Schouteden (5) in 1906, records the species from Belgium, 

 but gives no further data except that it affects the graminaceas. 



