526 



Weiss (H. B.), Undesirable Insect Immigration into New Jersey.— 



Canadian Entomologist, London, Ont., xlix, no, 9, September 1917, 

 pp. 293-298, 1 plate. 



The importation into New Jersey of Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa 

 (European mole cricket) from Holland ; Blaberus discoidalis, a 

 tropical cockroach, from South America ; Cholus forbesii, a tropical 

 orchard weevil, from Colombia ; and the Tingid, StepJianitis pyrioides, 

 on azaleas from Japan is recorded. This immigration continues in 

 spite of well-developed and well- enforced systems of inspection, owing 

 largely to the impossibility of adequately examining the plants without 

 destroying the tissues. Ordinary inspection cannot exclude all foreign 

 pests, and such examination as would be perfectly thorough would 

 not be tolerated by the importers, nor paid for by State governments. 

 Inspection does, however, prevent an overwhelming rush of imported 

 pests and checks and delays their spread to a considerable extent. 



Fenton (F. a.). Observations on Lecanium corni, Bouche, and Physo- 

 kermes piceae, Schr. — Canadian Entomologist, London, Ont., x\i^ 

 no. 9, September 1917, pp. 309-320, 19 figs. 



Eulecanium {Lecanium) corni, Bch., probably a native of Europe, is 

 one of the commonest and most widely distributed soft scales, being 

 found as far north as Nova Scotia and Ontario, and southward into 

 Mexico. Although it can live on numerous plants, a list of which is 

 included in this paper, it seldom becomes of economic importance, 

 serious outbreaks being of rare occurrence. The species is capable 

 of much variation in form, size and colour even on the same host, and 

 since it develops on numerous plants it is subject to a variety of normal 

 environmental conditions. Parasitism and disease produce abnormally 

 developed forms, and these, as well as immature individuals, have been 

 described as separate and distinct species. The history of the insect's 

 appearance in America is given, with an account of the life-history and 

 a description of the various forms. The results of a number of experi- 

 ments undertaken with a view to determining whether E. corni could 

 be transferred from one host-plant to another, are given in a table. 

 In several instances the attempts were unsuccessful, but this was due 

 either to parasitism or dislodgement of the females. 



The following Chalcidoidea have been bred from E. corni, which on 

 some trees were so heavily parasitised as to be almost exterminated : 

 Coccophagus lecanii. Fitch ; C. cinguliventris, Gir. ; C. jjerjiavus, 

 Gir. mss. ; Blastothrix longipennis. How. ; Comys bicolor. How. ; 

 Euderus lividus, Ashm. ; and Aphycus albiceps, Ashni. The most 

 abundant and effective parasite in Wisconsin is Coccophagus lecanii, 

 while in California Comys fusca. How., which apparently has not been 

 found in Wisconsin, seems to be the chief check. Predatory enemies 

 include the larvae of the fly, Leucopsis nigricornis, Egger, which devour 

 the eggs, while those of the Coccinellids, Hyperasjns binotata. Say, and 

 Chilocorus bividnerus, Mais., feed on the eggs and young. A fungus, 

 Cordiceps clavulatum, destroys many of the adult females. 



Physokermes j)iceae, Schr. (spruce scale) is a serious pest of Picea abies 

 (Norway spruce) in Wisconsin ; it has been introduced from Europe 

 and is dependent upon spruce and pine as host-plants. The history 



