171 



Daumezon (G.). Disease of Bacterial Origin observed in SparganotJns 

 pilleriana in France. — MtJily. Bull. Agric. Intell. & Plant Dis., 

 Rome, viii, no. 12, December 1917, p. 1298. [Abstract from Bull. 

 Soc. Path. Vegetate France, Paris, iv, no. 1, pp. 8-10.] 



Larvae of Sparganothis pilleriana, taken from a vineyard at Aramon 

 (Aude), were found to be infected with numerous bacteria resembling 

 the micro-organisms causing " flacherie " in the silkworm. These 

 infected larvae had reached the last moulting stage and the integument 

 was brownish and soft, while the movements of the larvae were feeble. 

 They died in the laboratory before the pupal stage was reached. 



Lecaillon ( — ). Observations on Meigenia floralis, a Dipterous Parasite 

 of the Lucerne " Negril '' {Colaspidema at rum) in France. — Mthly. 

 Bull. Agric. Intell. & Plant. Dis., Rome, viii, no. 12, December 

 1917, pp. 1299-1300. [Abstract from Comptes Rend. Acad. Agric. 

 France, Paris, iii, no. 30, pp. 881-885.] 



Meigenia floralis was found during observations in 1914 to be 

 living as an internal parasite of the larvae of the Chrysomelid beetle, 

 Colaspidema at rum, and to cause its death. In studying the effective- 

 ness of this parasite, M. floralis was found to begin to oviposit in the 

 first days of June, and to be capable of continuing to do so after the 

 time at which the last larvae of C. atrum have left the lucerne, this 

 being usually about 10th to 15th July. A second generation of 

 M. floralis appears before the end of June and can attack the larvae 

 of C. atrum, which are then abundant. At their first appearance 

 (10th to 15th May) the larvae of C. atrum are very little parasitised, 

 but by the time they begin to be rare they are heavily parasitised, 

 usually containing more than one M. floralis egg and sometimes as 

 many as 12, although they do not provide food for more than one 

 parasite. In comparing the parasitism of Colaspidema atrum and of 

 Crioceris asparagi (asparagus beetle) by M. floralis, the author found 

 complete uniformity in both cases. In the case of C. asparagi, however, 

 there is a third generation of M. floralis that attacks the larvae of 

 C. asparagi, these remaining much longer on asparagus than C. atrum 

 does on lucerne. The presence of C. asparagi is in fact essential to 

 the maintenance of the parasite in a given region, since without this 

 host its third generation could not develop and it would become 

 exterminated. 



C. atrum is not held in sufficient check by this parasite and it might 

 be advisable to increase the destructive capacity of M. floralis. This 

 could be done by conveying parasitised larvae of C. atrum, which 

 are easily distinguishable and carry the parasitic egg on their bodies 

 for some days, from a locality where it occurs abundantly to others 

 where it is uncommon. It would also be advantageous to grow 

 asparagus in those districts where C. atrum is harmful, for this plant, 

 being the host-plant of Crioceris asparagi, would aSord shelter to the 

 last generation of M. floralis and allow the parasite to pass the winter 

 until the next season. 



