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the variation being from 26 to 37 days. On lucerne the egg is deposited 

 beneath the epidermis through a long slit made in the stem by the 

 female with her ovipositor. Usually only one egg is deposited through 

 a single opening. The method of oviposition in cowpea stems is 

 different from that in lucerne, the texture of the plant making possible 

 the placing of a great many eggs in the stem through one opening. 

 The seasonal history of S.festimi varies with the climatic conditions, 

 the minimum temperature of any particular year being especially 

 important. The variation appears largely during the winter months, 

 when the insect is supposed to be hibernating. In Arizona, during a 

 mild winter, the insect does not hibernate at all in the adult stage. 

 In that State hibernating adults, which emerge during the first part of 

 February, oviposit at once and young of the first generation appear 

 in March. There are three to four generations annually. The greatest 

 number of individuals occurs during September, when adults of the 

 third generation are appearing ; early in November, the adults begin 

 to disappear rapidly. Of the immense number that hibernate but 

 few appear in the spring. This heavy mortality is doubtless due to 

 the varying temperature, as the appearance of a week of warm days 

 causes the insects to leave their shelters, and should the night tem- 

 perature drop to freezing point, a great many succumb. 



Damage to lucerne and other plants is due to the sucking of the 

 plant juices by the nymphs and adults, causing the plant to wither. 

 The worst damage is done by punctures in a regular and continuous 

 line which girdle the stem. The nymphs are more responsible for this 

 girdling than adults. In addition to the loss of plant juices, the stems 

 are weakened, a gall usually develops, circulation is cut off, and a 

 great many of the plants break off and die. The more tender stems 

 are always chosen for attack. During cool weather feeding occurs closer 

 to the ground than in warm weather. In the extreme heat of summer 

 the shady side of the stem is frequented. To the casual observer the 

 injury to the crop does not seem to be as heavy as it actually is, chiefly 

 because nothing is seen to be devoured. Natural enemies do not 

 exercise any appreciable control. A spider, Argiope transversa, 

 Emerton, the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, Smith, and a 

 small red predaceous mite, Erythraeus sp., are mentioned. Agelaius 

 phoenicetis sonoriensis (the Sonoran redwing) feeds upon this insect. 

 So far, no method has been found for entirely controlHng the pest. 

 Hopperdozers are inefficient ; the timing of the removal of crops so as 

 to destroy the eggs is useless, as many eggs are laid close to the ground ; 

 pasturing cannot be utihsed. Clean methods of farming are the only 

 measure that will bring about a considerable reduction of the insects. 

 This will expose many individuals to their enemies and to cold. 

 A bibhography of eleven works is given. 



CooLEY (R. A.). Twelfth Annual Report of the State Entomologist of 



Montana. — Mta. Agric. Expt. Sta., Bozeman, Bull. no. 102, 

 December 1914, pp. 197-208. [Received 6th April 1915.] 

 During 1914, particularly in the early summer months, insect pests 

 were unusually abundant in Montana. The outstanding feature was 

 an unprecedented outbreak of Pkytometra (Autographa) californica, 

 Speyer (alfalfa looper), in nearly every part of the state. In the Bitter 

 Root Valley inspectors report Eriophyes pyri, Pgst. (leaf blister mite), 



