219 



grown. Eggs are deposited on the new growth and the larvae curl 

 tlie leaves on which they feed. A Tingid, Acysta perseae, Heid., sucks 

 the juices of the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and droy). 

 Anomala undulata, Mels. (leaf-chafer) emerges from the soil at night 

 and devours the flowers, the depredations lasting only about a week, 

 when the beetles return to their breeding grounds. A weevil, Caulo- 

 fhilus Intinasus, attacks the seed of avocado in the orchard and in 

 storage, tunnelling the seeds and rendering them worthless for planting. 

 A moth, Sporganothis sp., oviposits in the flower-clusters, the larvae 

 webbing them together to form a nest and feeding on the flowers. Two 

 Cerambycid beetles, Lypsimena fuscata, Lee, and Elaphidion inerme, 

 Newm., attack dying or unhealthy branches of avocado, and if the 

 infested branches are allowed to remain, the burrows are often extended 

 into healthy tissue. 



Beneficial insects that are either predatory or parasitic upon the 

 above pests include Sympiesis dolichogaster, Ashm., a Hymenopterous 

 parasite of Gracilaria ; a lacewing, Chrysopa lateralis, Guer., which 

 devours red spider ; the predatory thrips, Scolothrips scxmaculatus, 

 Perg., Leptothrips mali, Hinds, and Franklinothrips vespifonyiis, Crawf. ; 

 the CoccineUids, Scymnus utilis, Horn, and S. kinzeli, Casey ; 

 Pwspaltella sp., frequently bred from Trialeurodes floridensis ; 

 Cryptognaiha {Delphastus) pallida, Lee, which is predatory upon the 

 same insect ; and Aspidiotiphagus citrinus, Craw, parasitic on 

 Chryscymphalus dictyospermi. 



Dudley (F. H.). Report of State Horticulturist. — 17th Ann. Rept. 

 Maine Commiss. Agric, Waterville, 1918, pp. 23-50, 6 figs. 

 [Received 29th March 1920.] 



Inspections of localities formerly infested with San Jose scale 

 [Asvidiotm perniciosus] have shown that the practices of cutting out 

 and burning infested trees or thoroughly spraying them have brought 

 the pest almost entirely under control. The nests of the cherry-tree 

 Tortricid \Tortrix cerasvvomna], which was reported as very destructive 

 in 1917 [R.A.E., A, vii, 175], have been eradicated in many towns in 

 the State. 



The importance of bee-keeping in orchards is pointed out, especially 

 among those apples that require cross-fertilisation; an instance is 

 given of an orchard that produced 600 barrels of apples a year, while 

 after bees were placed in the orcliard the crop increased to 1,800 barrels. 



Dusting with sulphur and lead arsenate is being taken up as a 

 substitute for Hquid spraying and three dusting machines are now 

 being used in the State. A short account is given of Palaeacrita 

 vernata (spring canker-worm) which defoliated 150 trees in one 

 orchard. Ploughing in late autumn will bring the pupae to the 

 surface, where the severe winter will destroy them. Banding trees 

 with a sticky substance in early spring will prevent the wingless moths 

 from crawling up the tree-trunks to oviposit. Spraying will kill the 

 caterpillars, using 2 to 3 lb. lead arsenate in lime-sulphur solution 

 (1 : 35), when the buds begin to open and show pink. A general 

 spray calendar is also given 



As maize is one of the important crops of Maine, an account is given 

 of the chief maize pests, namely, Pyrausta nidjilalis (which has not 



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