l8o SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Clieriues pinicortlcis Fitch. 

 Tlie Pine-bark Chernies. 



(Ord. Hemiptera: Subord. Homoptera : Fam. Aphidtd^e.) 



Coccus pinicoi'ticis Fitch, in Traus, N. Y, St. Agriciil. Soc. for 1854, xiv, 1855, 

 pp 871-873; 1st Kept. Ins. N. Y,, 1856, pp. 167-169 (description of wing- 

 less form). 



Ghermes piuifolia'^ Fitch: in Trans. N. T. St. Agricul. Soc. for 1857, xvii, 1858, 

 p. 741; 4th Rept. Ins. N. Y , 1859, p. 55 (description of winged form). 



Coccus pinicorticis . Walsh, in Pract. Entumol , i, 1866, p. 90 (the larvae of Aspi 

 diotus pinifolia). 



Chermes pinicorticis. Shimer; in Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, ii, 1869, pp 383-385 

 (winged form bred from the wingless). 



Coccus 2yiidc.orticis. Lintner. in Count. Gent, for Aug 21, 1873, xxxviii, p. 535. 



Coccus pinicorticis. Glover: in Kept. Commis. Agricul. for 1876, p. 44 (mention). 



Chermes pinifolio}. Thomas. 8th Rept. Ins. 111., 1879. p. 156 (from Fitch). 



Chermes pinicorticis. Osborn in Trans. Iowa St. Horticul. Soc. for 1878, xiii, p 

 400 (habits, etc., without name), id., for 1879, xiv, pp. 96-107 (diff. stages); 

 Bull. Iowa Agricul Col., 1884, pp. 97-105 (general account). 



Chermes pin if olice. Packard; Ins, Inj For. Shade Trees, 1881, p. 118 (from Fitch). 



The specific and common names of this insect indicate the tree upon 

 which it occurs. Of the several varieties of pine, it is almost entirely 

 confined to the Scotch pine {Pnins sylvestns) and the White pine 

 {Phuis strobus). Its more usual habitat is upon the smooth bark 

 around and below the axils where the limbs start froni the trunk. Its 

 appearance is that of little spots or patches of a white, flocculent, wool- 

 like substance, adhering to the bark. This, however, is only a secretion, 

 for the insect may be found beneath it when the covering matter is parted 

 or brushed away. 



The Secretion. 



This white substance, which alone attracts the attention of the ordi- 

 nary observer, as it completely hides the insect from view, is found, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Shimer, most abundantly upon young white pines, near 

 the ground in early spring, at about the time the frost is leaving the 

 ground. Later it extends upward upon the trunk and into the axils of 

 the branches. When examined with a magnifier, it has the appearance 

 of " fine Saxony wool, the crinkled fibres drawing apart as do those of 

 wool." Microscopic examination has shown it to be given out from 

 some gland-like organs arranged in four rows upon the back and sides 

 of the body of the insect. 



