222 Fiftieth Report on the State Museum 



in coition. No eggs were apparently deposited by them, and in the course 

 of about ten days the adults were all dead. As they had no proper food, 

 this probably hastened their death and might also account for the non- 

 production of eggs. 



Earlier History and Nature of its Injuries. 



The operations of the insect first came under ihe notice of Dr. Fitch in 

 1854, and at that time it seemed to him more destructive than any other 

 grapevine feeding species whose life-history had hitlierto been given. It 

 was reported in 1869 as very common in Missouri by Prof Riley, and 

 the following year it was more injurious than usual in that section. The 

 same year it was very troublesDme in Canada, according to Mr. Saunders. 



The principal injury by this insect is the destruction of the unfolding 

 leaves in the early spring, and if unmolested the young larvae will later 

 devour the forming blossoms. 



Distribution. 

 The gartered plume has a wide distribution throughout Canada, the 

 Eastern United States, and westward at least as far as Missouri. It is 

 also known to occur in Nebraska, and California, and it will probably be 

 found in all of the Northern and Middle States of the Union. 



Parasites. 

 Several parasites have been reared from this insect by Dr. George 

 Dimmock, who simply records the fact without giving the names. None 

 were obtained by me the past season, and there is no record at hand of 

 rearings by others. From this, it may be inferred, that the parasites of 

 this insect are not abundant. 



Remedies. 



The presence of the larvse, is readily indicated by the webbing together 

 of the terminal leaves. The caterpillars are so sheltered within the 

 inclosing leaves, that arsenical spraymg would be of little value against 

 them. The most practicable method of keeping the insect in check, 

 appears to be the simple one of gomg over the vines a few times in the 

 early spring and crushing the concealed caterpillars by hand within their 

 nests, which are easily detected. 



