308 



Orchard Pests and Diseases : Directions for Control. — iV.Z. Jl. Agric, 

 Wellington, xviii, no. 3, 20th March 1919, pp. 182-185. 



This paper, which is to be issued in the form of a bulletin, contains 

 directions and formulae for spraying for the commoner pests of orchards. 

 A reference table is given standardising home-made lime-sulphur 

 solution based on a 33° Be. standard. 



Eoss (W. A.). Occurrence of the Pear Thrips in Ontario. — Canadian 

 Entomologist, Londoti, Onl., U, no. 4, April 1919, p. 85. 



Taeniothri'ps inconsequens, Uzel (pear thrips) was taken by the 

 author in the spring of 1918 on pear trees in Ontario, this being the 

 first record of its occurrence in that Province. It was present in small 

 numbers and was not causing any appreciable injury. 



Weiss (H. B.) & Nicolay (A. S.). Notes on the Life-History and Early 

 Stages of Brachys ovatus, Web., and Brachijs aerosus, Melsh. — 

 Canadian Entomologist, London, Ont., li, no. 4, April 1919, pp. 

 86-88, 2 plates. 



Former records of the Biiprestid beetles, Brachys ovatus and 

 B. aerosus, in the United States are briefly referred to. In New^ Jersey 

 adults of B. ovatus have been observed feeding on the foliage of elm 

 {Ulmus amefricana), sugar maple {Acer saccharmn), white oak {Quercus 

 alba), chestnut oak(Q. primis), pin oak{Q. folustris), chestnut {Castanea 

 dentata), scrub oak {Q. ilicifolia), black oak {Q. velutina), pest oak 

 {Q. minor), beech {Fagus ferruginea) and hickory {Hicoria glabra), 

 the various species of oaks being the preferred food-plants ; B. aerosus 

 occurs on beech {F. ferruginea), linden {Tilia americana), witch hazel 

 {Hamamelis virginiana), elm, chestnut, sugar maple, red maple 

 (A. rubrum) and several spe:ies of oak?. The adult beetles of both 

 species feed on the upper leaf-surfaces, usually near the edges, 

 consuming the tissue between the larger veins ; the remaining tissue 

 generally withers away, leaving large, irregular holes. The life-histories 

 are very similiar. Adults appear about mid-May, are most plentiful 

 during June and early July, and disappear early in August. The eggs 

 are laid on the upper surface of the leaves, generally near the edges. 

 The larvae mine the leaves during August and September, generally 

 only one larvae being found in a mine, those of B. ovatus being much 

 longer than those of B. aerosus. Not all the food-plants chosen by 

 the adults are mined by the larvae, oaks being decidedly preferred 

 for the purpose. Pupation generally occurs in October, probably on 

 the surface of the soil, in rubbish, or just under the ground surface, 

 and in this stage the winter is passed. 



Practically all the eggs of B. ovatus in cages and many in the field, 

 as well as many of the larvae that started mines, were parasited by a 

 Chalcid, Closterocerus cinctipennis, Ashm. 



Hathaway (J. E.). Nut Weevil. — Gardeners' Chronicle, London, Ixv, 

 no. 1691, 24th May 1919, p. 253. 



The nut weevil [Balaninus nucum] is often allowed to increase 

 through neglect, but may be kept in check by clean cultivation, and 

 where possible, spraying the trees with an insecticide. The female 



