SOME MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF THE WORK OF THE 

 DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



VI. 



THE SOUTHERN GRAIN LOUSE. 



( Toxoi^tera gmmlnum Rondani.) 

 By Theo. Pergande. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Aphis (/nimiiiinii Kond., Nuovi Ann. della Science, Series III, Vol. VI, p. 10, 



1852. 

 Toxopter(( graininum Passerini, Aphidid.'e Italicte, p. 28, 18G3. 



This destructive little aphidid was first observed and described under 

 the name of Aphis graminurn b}- Dr. C. Rondani, who stated that the 

 winged mig-rants were swarming- during the month of June in immense 

 numbers in the streets of Bologna to the great annoyance of the 

 inhabitants. In connection with his description he gives a list of the 

 following graminaceous plants on which this plant-louse had been 

 observed to feed: Oats {Aveiia mtlm and ciat!<)r)\ wheat {Trltteuiii 

 vulgare)\ spelt {Tritiomn speUa)\ couch grass {Trlticuni rei)en><)\ lior- 

 deuni marinum.' soft chess {Broiunx nioUis), and corn {Zea inais). 



A lengthy article on the grain aphis was also published the same 

 year by Dr. Dom. Luigi Mazzanti (Nuov. Ann. Sc. Nat. Bologna, Ser. 

 Ill, Vol. 6, pp. 3-12-352), which I have been unable to consult. 



Dr. J. Passerini redescribed this species in 1863 (Aphididte Italicte, 

 Genoa, pp. 28, 29), removing it to Koch's genus Toxoptera. He men- 

 tions as its food plants Triticum, Hordeum, Avena. Zea. and Sorghum. 

 The same food plants were also mentioned by Passerini (Flora degli 

 Afidi Italiani; BuL Soc. Ent. Ital., Vol. Ill, pp. 151, 248, 340, and 343). 



In 1884 Dr. G. Horvath, of Budapest, Hungary, published some 

 observations on this species (''Rovartoni Lapok,'' vol. 1, pp. 143-145 

 and XIX, and a second article on the same insect in '"Fauna Regni 

 Hungarian," p. 60, 1897), dividing the area infested by it into regions. 

 Regions I-IV comprising the central, eastern, and northern sections, 

 and VI the- southernmost central area. Neither of these publications 

 is at my command. 



An interesting article on the destructiveness of this species to oats 

 was published by Dr. Karl Sajo, Budapest, Hungary (Zeitschrift fiir 



7 



