7r> 



INJURIOUS OCCURRENCES IN 1898. 



Frequent inquiry has been made concerning this species and the 

 injury committed by it, but it will be sufficient for present purposes 

 merely to recount the occurrences of the year 1898 as an example of 

 what is lia])le to happen any year. 



May 10 l)eetles were observed in a raspberry patch at Tennallytown, 

 D. C, feeding upon the upper surface of the leav^es. July 1 we 

 received a conununication from Sister Marie, Nazareth, Ky., about 

 injury to locust in that locality. July 22 Maj. Henry E. Alvord, of 

 this Department, transmitted specimens of locust leaves from Fairfax 

 County, Va. , with accompanying statement that all locust trees over 

 an area of several square miles in that county were at that time appar- 

 ently dead, looking as if a fire had swept through the country, but 

 without actually consuming the foliage. Major Alvord was interested 

 to the extent of 300 acres, carrying a very large locust growth of 

 considerable value. On this tract not a tree could be found, either old 

 or young, protected or exposed, that was not in bad condition. The 

 cause of the affection of the plants was not at first attributed to insects, 

 but believed to have developed as a result of a recent period of excep- 

 tional dryness and heat, a remark which applies to muck injury to 

 locust that is caused by this leaf-miner. Ravages were so extensive, 

 also, that it was practically out of the question to attempt any general 

 remedy or means of prevention. August 1 we received from Mr. J. E. 

 Herbert, York, Pa., specimens of leaves showing injury by this species 

 and attributed to blight or rust. Injury was stated to be general 

 along the Susquehanna River, in York County, where every locust 

 tree seemed to l)e affected. 



HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF THE SPECIES. 



The natural history of the leaf-mining locust ]>eetle was first made 

 public in an article "Upon the Economy of Some American Species 

 of Hispa," by Dr. Harris, printed in 1835 (Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. I, pp. 111-1.51), an account which, until comparatively recent 

 years, constituted the onl}- source of information regarding the early 

 stages of the Hispini. It is noticeable that neither Harris nor subse- 

 quent authors of early times mentioned this species as particularlj^ 

 troublesome, the lirst instance of ol)served injury having been pub- 

 lished in 1808 ill an editorial answer to a correspondent of the American 

 Entomologist (Vol. I, p. 58). The injury in question was at Frank- 

 fort, Ky., and it was stated that the beetles had eaten the leaves of 

 black locust in that section so severely as to kill the trees in some 

 cases, and generally to injure their growth and appearance. It was 

 pointed out in the editorial reply that the principal damage was doubt- 

 less due to the insidious work of the larvte in the pulpy internal sub- 



