257 



Sammlung und Verwertung der Maikafer. [The Collection and Utilisa- 

 tion of Melolontha melolontha.] —Schweiz. Zeitschr. Obst- u. 

 Weinbau, Frauenfeld, xxvii, no. 7, 6th April 1918, pp. 108-109. 



An order of the Swiss Department of National Economy, dated 

 25th March, requires all commmies, where a flight of Melolontha 

 meJolontlia is expected in 1918, to collect, kill and utilise these beetles. 

 Special emphasis is laid on this last point as these insects form a 

 valuable cattle food. 



Griddle (N.). Popular and Practical Entomology. Light Traps as a 

 Means of Controlling Insect Pests. — Canadian Entomologist, London, 

 Out., 1, no. 3, March 1918, pp. 73-76. 



Within recent years a good deal of attention has been paid to the 

 question of the use of light-traps as a means of controlling certain 

 insect pests. This practice is, however, not nearly so efficacious in 

 destroying moths and beetles as it would appear to be. Insects are 

 attracted to bright light only in comparatively hmited numbers even 

 mider the most favourable weather conditions, the several essential 

 factors, such as warmth and cloudiness, absence of moonlight and a 

 stormy atmos^^here with preferably a light rain falling, very seldom 

 occurring in combination. A more important consideration is that 

 the proportion of males secured in this manner is always far in excess 

 of the proportion of females. A table of collections made during 

 August and September for the past three years illustrates this. The 

 proportion of Hymenopterous parasites taken at the lights must 

 also be considered. It is certain that at least some of the female 

 moths captured will have already deposited a projoortion of their eggs. 

 It is therefore considered that, at present at least, light-traps are not 

 a practical method of controlling insect pests. 



Gillette (C. P.) & Bragg (L. C.). Aphis saliceti (Kaltenbach), Sipho- 

 coryne pastinacae (Linn.), and allied Species. — Canadian Entomo- 

 logist, London, Ont., 1, no. 3, March 1918, pp. 89-94, 1 plate. 



The object of this paper is to clear away some confusion regarding 

 several species of Aphids that are very similar in general apj^earance, 

 and all but one of which have willows for their winter hosts. A key 

 is given differentiating Aphis theobaldi, sp. n., A. saliceti, Siphocoryne 

 capreae, S. essigi, sp. n., S. pastinacae and S. grabhami. 



Aphis saliceti, Kalt., of which Siphonophora salicicola, Thomas, and 

 A. salicicola, Monell, are synonyms, differs from other species mentioned 

 in this paper in its habit of remaining upon willows throughout the 

 year without apparently having an alternate summer host. It is also 

 remarkable for the early appearance of sexual forms, these having been 

 fomid as early as 20th June. A. theobaldi, sp. n., which has been 

 erroneously recorded by Theobald as A. saliceti, Kalt., apparently 

 alternates between willows and umbelliferous plants. Siphocoryne 

 essigi, sp. n., was erroneously recorded by Essig in 1911 as Hyadaphis 

 pastinacae. S. pastinacae, L., of which Syphocoryne (Aphis) xylostei, 

 Schrank, is a synonym, has the European honeysuckle, Lonicera 

 xylosteum, as its winter host. 



(C472) O 



