Eighth Report of the State Entomologist. 211 



' .i4f 

 State Entomologist of Illinois, as Aphis cucumeris, and was treated of 

 by him at considerable length (nine pages) in the Twelfth Report on 

 the Insects of Illinois, published in 1883. 



Fig. 49.— The melon aphis, Aphis cucumkris, winged oviparous female. (After J. B. Smith.) 



It is there characterized as " a minute, very sluggish, green or green- 

 ish-black insect, occurring in immense numbers from spi'ing to late 

 summer, on the underside of the leaves, and also upon the roots of 

 muskmelons, cucumbers, squashes, and other cucurbitaceous plants, 

 causing the leaves to curl and shrivel and lose their color, and greatly 

 hindering the development of the plants." 



It further appears, from Professor Forbes' account, that it was first 

 observed in Illinois, in 1880, as doing much injury to nutmeg and 

 muskmelon vines, and also to the cucumber vines. Early in the spring 

 of 1882 it made an overwhelming attack on both watermelons and 

 muskmelons, in many localities in Illinois, entirely killing the plants. 

 Cucumber vines growing in the vicinity were not greatly injured; 

 squash vines to a slight extent. 



In some instances, where the vines were not at once killed by exces- 

 sive numbers, the plant-lice disappeared from them about the 1st of 

 August, permitting the plants to rally somewhat and yield a partial 

 crop. Many of the insects had been parasitized, and their dead bodies, 

 by thousands, were found clinging to the leaves. 



This insect has not, so far as we know, been previously reported from 

 the eastern part of the United States. It is to be hoped that in its 

 presence here it may be met by the same parasitic attack that checked 

 its increase at Normal, Illinois. The operations of the parasite — a 



