[flltcher] 



INJURIOUS IXSE(;TS of CANADA 



213 



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Leetle, and since then occasional complaints of tlieir attacks upon 

 plants belonging to the Spinach and G-onrd Families have been received. 

 A European species, Silplia opaca, L,., has similar bad habits and is 

 known as the Beet Carrion Beetle. This has been treated of several 

 times by Miss E, A. Ormerod, the eminent English economic entomolo- 

 gist. As a remedy against these insects, plants may be protected by 

 spraying or dusting them with poisonous insecticide's, those containing 

 arsenic being the most useful. 



The Carrot Eust-fly (Psila rosce, Fab.). — An insect enemy very sel- 

 dom mentioned in the writings of entomologists, but one' which is fre- 

 quently complained of by correspondents in New Brunswick and some 

 parts of the ])rovinces of 

 Quebec and Ontario (in the 

 East), is the Carrot Rust-fly 

 of Europe. In 1885 infested 

 carrots were found at Ot- 

 tawa, Ont. (Eep. Hon.Ent. 

 Dep. Agr. Can., 1885), and 

 since then this insect has at 

 ditîerent times caused rather 

 serious losses in some other 

 parts of the Eastern prov- 

 inces. The red carrots are 

 much more attacked than 

 the white ones, but no kinds are always exempt. Surface treatment 

 with carbolized or other malodorous substances, have given good results 

 in preventing the flies from laying their eggs. Late sowing has also 

 been found very useful. As the larvœ work also in stored carrots during 

 the winter, the soil in which the latter have been packed , should be 

 carefully treated to destroy the pupœ of those lar\'-8e which leave the 

 roots and enter the soil to complete their development. 



The Tomato Stalk-borer {Hydrœcia cataphracta, G-rt.). — For many 

 years all lepidopterous borets in the stems of tomatoes and potatoes in 

 Canada have been considered to be Hydrœcia nitela, Gn., but upon breed- 

 ing during several years a great many examples from larvae found boring 

 in these plants in Central Canada I have never succeeded in obtaining 

 any other species than H. cataphracta. I am, therefore, led to believe 

 that this is the insect which has been refeiTcd to previously as "the 

 Stalk-borer." Not only does the larva attack the tomato and potato, 

 but it bores into the stems of almost every other plant while in a suc- 

 culent condition if they are thick enough. Unfortunately no remedy 

 is possible* other than the cutting out of the larva when its presence is 

 detected by the fading of the leaves. 



Fig. 7.— The Carrot Kust-fly— natural size (1, 5, 7), 

 and enlarged (2, 6, 8). 



