149 



and the public are far more interested than formerly in the preser- 

 vation of their shade and ornamental trees. The factors associated 

 with insect control in cities are discussed. Spraying machinery and 

 accessories are described, with spraying formulae and the usual control 

 measures such as banding, etc. Some account is given of the chief 

 insects attacldng fohage, scale and other sucking insects and borers. 

 A useful and comprehensive index is appended. 



DE Ong (E. E.). The Red Spider.— MA/y. Bull. Cal. Dept. Jgric, 

 Sacramento, viii, no. 11-12, November-December 1919, pp. 

 679-680. [Received 11th February 1920.] 



The method of feeding of the mites known as red spiders and the 

 role of chlorophyll in the hfe of trees is discussed. As the food of 

 red spiders consists chiefly of chlorophyll the plants attacked are very 

 much weakened and rendered more susceptible to injury by frost. 

 Remedial measures such as sulphur should be applied in the early 

 summer before the damage done becomes noticeable. 



Weld (L. H.). U.S. Bur. Entom. A New Parasitic Cynipid reared 

 • from a Clover Aphid. (Hym.) — Entom. News, Philadelphia, 



Pa., xxxi, no. 1, January 1920, pp. 14-16. 



Charips leguminosa, sp. n., is described. It is possibly a parasite 

 of the clover aphis, Anuraphis {Aphis) haJceri, Cow., but as it was 

 reared in cages with Aphelinus lapsiligni. How., the most important 

 parasite of this Aphid, it is suggested that it maybe a hyperparasite. 



A key to the species of the genus Charips, Hal., is given. 



Baerg (W. J.). An unusual Case of Parasitism on Clastoptera obtusa. 

 Say. (Hemip., Cercopidae ; Dip., Drosophilidae.) — Entom. News, 

 Philadelphia, xxxi, no. 1, January 1920, pp. 20-21, 1 fig. 



The author records finding spittle masses of Clastoptera obtusa 

 on alder (Alnus americana) inhabited by small Dipterous larvae which 

 were identified as being those of Drosophila inversa, Wlk. [see also 

 R.A.E., A, vii, 139]. Many of the larvae were found on nymphs 

 of the spittle insect, but apparently they do no damage beyond 

 bruising and irritating the sides of the abdomen to which they are 

 attached, and are parasitic only in as much as they use the excess 

 of sap drawn from the plant by C. obtusa and utihse the spittle insect 

 as a means of transportation. Apparently these larvae are exclusively 

 parasitic upon C. obtusa, as nymphs of C. proteus which were abundant 

 on Viburnum close to the alders showed no signs of infestation. From 

 pupae of D. inversa, adults were reared and also a few Hymenopterous 

 parasites identified as Cynipids of the subfamily Eucoilinae. 



Ballou (H. a.), a Weevil attacking Agave. — Agric. News, Barbados, 

 xix, no. 462, 10th January 1920, p. 10. 



A weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus, Gyl., has recently been 

 reported as attacking Agave in Cura9ao. Tliis insect is apparently 

 a, native of Mexico, where it is very abundant, and has also been 

 recorded in Java, East Africa, Haiti and Cuba. Both larvae and 



