738 



Weldon (G. p.)- The woolly aphis as a pear pest. — Mthly. Bull. Cal. 

 State Commiss. Hortic, Sacramento, iv, no. 9, September 1915, 

 pp. 441-444, 2 figs. 



From an economic standpoint Eriosoma lanigerum (woolly aphis), 

 has been associated almost entirely with the apple. Few entomologists 

 appear to have ever found it plentiful on pear trees, and outside the 

 States of Oregon and California it has been practically unknown on 

 the roots of the pear. The author's attention was first directed towards 

 the possible importance of this insect on the pear in August 1913, at 

 Martinez, California, where it occurred abundantly on the roots of 

 seedlings and on old trees of the Bartlett variety. Since then it has 

 been found throughout the State. Some of the worst infested trees 

 were in orchards from one to three years old, the smaller fibrous roots 

 being covered with Aphids in such abundance that the sickly condition 

 of the trees could readily be accounted for. Great numbers of Aphids 

 were also fomid in two orchards at least 20 years old. On the 

 pear, it is the fibrous roots which suffer most, and a colony of the 

 Aphids has seldom been found where roots were of greater diameter 

 than a lead pencil. This destruction of the fibrous roots makes this 

 pest possibly even more dangerous to the pear than to the apple and 

 also accounts for the fact that it has been little observed. Aerial colonies 

 of Aphids are seldom seen on pear trees. Microscopic study has not 

 revealed any characters by which the insects on the pear can be 

 distinguished from those on the apple. 



EssiG (E. 0.). New Records of the shot-hole borer. — Mthhj. Bull. Cal. 

 State Commiss. Hortic, Sacramento, iv, no. 9, September 1915, 

 p. 445. 



The loquat is added to the list of fruit trees attacked by Scolytus 

 rngulosus, Ratz. (shot-hole borer or fruit-tree bark-beetle). In 

 California, the new areas of infestation are gradually increasing. 



Insect Notes. — Mthly. Bull. Cal. State Commiss. Hortic., Sacramento, 

 iv, no. 9, September 1915, p. 446. 



The new Encyrtid parasite of mealy bugs recently imported from 

 Sicily has been recovered from field colonies at San Diego and Pasadena. 

 Coccophagus orientalis, Howard, received from Cape Town, has been 

 colonised on the black scale at Fair Oaks. A Coccinellid, Chilocorus 

 bijyastnlatus, from Italy has also been placed in the orchards at Fair 

 Oaks. Tetranyckus bimucidatus (red spider) destroyed half the crop in 

 some fields of white and pink beans in Sacramento county. Willows 

 heavily infested with the larvae of Chrysobothris femorata, F., have been 

 received recently ; this beetle also injured a young apricot orchard. 

 Chionaspis pinifoliae (pine-leaf scale) was found commonly on yellow 

 pine in Lake County. Pantomorus fuUeri, Horn (Fuller's rose weevil) 

 has been doing considerable damage to lima beans in Ventura County. 

 " Black Leaf 40 " was effective in controlling a strong infestation of 

 Aphis riimicis on beans. Additional colonies of the cabbage worm 

 parasite, Apanteles glomeratus, have been founded. 



