116 



This is a common species in the South and a familiar object from 

 its occurrence on the blossoms of cotton. It is, however, not known 

 to injure this last-mentioned crop. 



Nuttall's blister beetle {(Jantharis niittaUi Say). — Jul}^ 21, 

 1902, Prof. L. R. Waldron, Agricultural College, North Dakota, sent 

 specimens of this beetle, with report that it was injuring oats and 

 barley at Minot, in that State, and attacking plants about 6 inches 

 above ground. 



The changa or Porto Rico mole cricket {Scapteriscus didac- 

 tylm Latr.). — Several forms of crickets, more especially the large fos- 

 sorial mole crickets, were prominent as garden pests during the past 

 year. Of these, the above-mentioned species (tig. 1) was most con- 



-piG. 4.—Scai)tenscus didactylas; adult, somewhat enlarged (reengraved). 



spicuous. It was described, in fact, as by far the most serious insect 

 pest that the Porto Rican agriculturist had to encounter. January 21, 

 1903, Mr. S. W. Goodyear wrote in regard to the occurrence of this 

 species in Brunswick and Glynn counties, Ga. In that region it was 

 commonly known as the "ground puppy," a somewhat appropri- 

 ate name considering its peculiarly tawny, puppy-like appearance. 

 These insects burrow into the earth and are quite destructive to differ 

 ent forms of vegetation, and especially to cabbage, collard. and kin- 

 dred cruciferous plants. They were unknown in that vicinity until 

 about 1899, but since then they had caused all who raised vegetables 

 much annoyance and considerable loss of money. 



This appears to be the first report of this species doing damage to 

 useful plants in the United States; indeed we have at present no avail- 

 able record of the insect's previous occurrence in the State of Georgia. 



This mole cricket has been given considerable attention during the 

 past year by Mr. O. W. Barrett, entomologist and botanist of the 



