SOME MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF THE WORK OF THE 

 DIVLSIOxN OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



VI. 



THE SOUTHERN GRAIN LOUSE. 



( Toxopiera gramlnum Rondani. ) 



By Theo. Pergande. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ApJiis graininuia Rond., Nuovi Ann. della Science, Series III, Vol. VI-, p. 10, 



1852. 

 Toxoptera graminum Passerini, Aphididse Italicse, p. 28, 1863. 



This destructive littleAphididwas first observed and described under 

 the name of Aphis graminum by Dr. C. Rondani, who stated that the 

 winged migrants 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 {Avena sativa and elatior)\ wheat {Triticum 

 vulgare)\ spelt {Triticum spelta); couch grass {Triticum 7'epend); Hor- 

 deum marinum,' soft chess {Bromus inollis), and corn {Zea mais). 



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. 342-352), which I have been unable to consult. 



Dr. J. Passerini redescribed this species in 1863 (Aphidida? Italica?, 

 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 

 Atidi Italiani; Bui. Soc. Ent. Ital., Vol. Ill, pp. 151, 218, 310, and 313). 



In 1881 Dr. G. Horvath, of Budapest, Hungary, published some 

 observations on this species ("Rovartoni Lapok," vol. 1, pp. 143-11:5 

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

 Hungaria?," p. 60, 1897), dividing the area infested b}' 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 



