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Megilla fuscilabris, Muls., larvae of a Syrphid and of the lace wings, 

 CJmjsopa and Hemerohius. The application of a driving spray com- 

 posed of 2 U.S. gals, kerosene, 1 lb. common laundry soap to 1 U.S. 

 gal. water and diluted to one-ninth its strength before use is advised. 



Plathij-pena scahra, F. (green clover worm) was responsible for much 

 damage to bean plants in 1919. Clover is the usual food-plant of this 

 moth, but occasionally it attacks beans, peas, vetch, soy beans, tick- 

 weed (Meibomia sp.), strawberry and blackberry. During the infesta- 

 tion of 1919 both common and Lima beans were attacked, irregular 

 holes being eaten in the leaves and sometimes in the pods by the 

 caterpillars. The moths appear in the spring after hibernation in the 

 adult stage ; eggs hatch in I to 6 days ; the larval stage requires about 

 25 days and the pupal stage 10 to 14 days. There are apparently two 

 or three generations in a year ; adults have been found in Connecticut 

 from June to November. A spray consisting of 1 oz. lead arsenate 

 paste or | oz. powder to one U.S. gallon of water proves an effective 

 remedy against the larvae, or one teaspoonful of Blackleaf 40 with 

 one oz. laundry soap in one U.S. gallon of water. 



Much interest has been aroused by the discovery of a borer in maize 

 that was at first thought to be Pyrausta niibilalis (European corn borer) 

 but was subsequently identified as a new species and described as 

 P. ainsliei, Heinr. [R.A.E., A, viii, 116]. Meantime an Act was passed 

 in Connecticut making provision for the suppression of P. nubilalis 

 should its presence be proved, and a brief review is given of the situation 

 in regard to this pest in other States. P. ainsliei was found in the 

 larval stage in the stalks of maize and of smartweed {Polygonum) and 

 particularly in Polygonum persicaria, and probably occurs also in other 

 weeds such as pigweed {Chenopodium album) and beggar's ticks {Bidens 

 fivndosa). The adults appear in Connecticut in the first hali of July ; 

 vhe eggs laid by these hatch before the end of the month and the 

 larvae begin to tunnel in the stems of plants, passing from smartweed 

 to maize and vice versa. No injury occurs to the tassels or ears of 

 maize ; the holes are found on the main stalks, usually two or three feet 

 from the ground ; the plants are not very much injured and their 

 growth and vitahty are not impaired. Hibernation occurs in the 

 stalks, and the larvae resume feeding in the following spring 

 and pupate in June. The injury to maize in Connecticut has 

 not been sufficiently severe to necessitate remedial measures. 

 Probably it is only during seasons of unusual numbers that maize is 

 attacked, the insect surviving unnoticed in weeds during ordinary 

 years. If it should again become unusually prevalent and attack 

 maize, the stallcs should be cut into short pieces about ^ inch in length, 

 and either used as food for stock or put into a silo. Stallcs left in the 

 field through the winter should be burnt before 1st May, and the fields 

 should be kept free from any large growth of smartweed. 



Papaipema nebris, Gn. {nitela, Gn.), the common native stalk borer, 

 is present every year in Connecticut, and infests maize, beans, potatoes, 

 eggplant, tomato, rhubarb, spinach and many other common vegetable-' 

 and weeds. There is only one generation in a year, hibernation pro- 

 bably occurring in the egg-stage on the stalks of weeds. Larvae appear 

 early in June, and when attacking maize usually feed on the new 

 leaves before they um-oll. Later they are found in the developing 

 tassel or boring in the stalk, which thev may tunnel down to the base. 



(692) ' " b2 



