461 



near the ground and consequently living in a moist atmosphere, while- 

 the former do not congregate closely and are found higher up the tree. 

 About the same time a severe attack of Beauveria densa was raging 

 among the caterpillars of Hepialus feeding underground in a nursery 

 near Paris and destroying the roots of garden plants. This disease has 

 previously been noticed chiefly among white grubs, which have similar 

 habits to Hepialus. In 1911 larvae of Glysia amhiguella and Poly- 

 chrosis hotrana in a vineyard at GermoUes (Saone et Loire) were found 

 infected to the extent of some 80 per cent, by Spicaria farinosa var. 

 verticillo'ides, and in 1913 the disease was again prevalent. In the course 

 of this investigation a weevil of. the genus Rhynchites was found 

 which was attacked by a different fungus that proved to be 

 B.ghhulifera, and it would therefore appear that these vine-moths 

 possess a certain immunity to this disease. In the Jura, under the 

 bark of pines infested with Bostrychids, a number of larvae of Tomicus 

 and some large Scolytid larvae were found mmnmified owing to 

 the attacks of Spicaria farinosa and of Botrytis hassiana, known as a 

 silkworm parasite. 



The method of producing large quantities of spores of S. farinosa 

 adopted in 1913, and the trial of the verticillo'ides variety by means of 

 an emulsion sprayed upon vines against C. amhiguella and P. hotrana 

 are described. The experiment gave negative results, none of the 

 caterpillars showing any signfe of the disease. A second experiment 

 with fungi, especially Sporotrichum globuliferum, against Eriosoma 

 lanigerum proved equally unsuccessful, although the conditions were 

 all favourable to the fungus. It is thought that possibly better results 

 might be obtained with spores of greater virulence, but the point is 

 doubtful. 



Paillot (A.). Note sur le Criocere de I'Asperge et ses Parasites. — 

 Ann. Service des Epiphyties, Paris, iv (1915), 1917, pp. 335-336. 

 [Received 1st September 1919.] 



During 1914 the asparagus beetle [Crioceris asparagi] was very 

 abundant about Auxonne and Dijon, but its activities were limited 

 by the presence of two parasites, Tetrastichus asparagi, Crawf., found 

 only in the Auxonne district, and a Tachinid, Meigenia floralis, which 

 does not seem to occur in the Auxonne plantations, but is frequently 

 found at Dijon. T. asparagi pierces the eggs of the asparagus beetle 

 with its ovipositor and then sucks all the contents of the egg through 

 the hole thus made. The number of empty, flattened eggs found on the 

 plants testifies to the value of this enemy. In some of the eggs that 

 appear intact eggs of T. asparagi have been laid ; this does not prevent 

 hatching, and the larvae harbour from three to as many as nine 

 parasites within their body-cavity until the moment of pupation; 

 they then die and the parasitic larvae pupate. It would be interesting 

 to chscover more of the biology of this Chalcid and the manner in which 

 it subsists from one year to another, with a view to increasing its 

 numbers and introducing it where necessary. The species has been 

 studied in the United States, but has not previously been recorded in 

 Europe [see however this Revieiv, Ser. A, vi, p. 171]. The other 

 parasite, M. floralis, is much better known ; in asparagus plantations 

 at Dijon the majority of larvae of G. asparagi carried 3 or 4 eggs of this 

 flv on the outside of their bodies. 



