MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON TRUCK-CROP INSECTS. 95 



INJURIOUS OCCURRENCE OF THE PEA MOTH IN THE UNITED 



STATES. 



Prominent among the injurious occurrences of the year 1008 was 

 the discovery of the pea moth {Enarmonia nigricana Steph.) for the 

 first time in the State of ^Michigan. Aucfust 10 we received from Mr. 

 J. E. W. Tracy. Bureau of Plant Industry, specimens of the hirva of 

 this species and its Avork in growing peas and pods from Charlevoix, 

 Mich. 



Mr. Tracy wrote that he obtained the specimens on that day and 

 some days earlier and that Mr. E. W. Coulter and others in that 

 vicinity knew nothing of the identity of this insect, which was causing 

 them considerable concern. The caterpillar first showed itself in 

 very small numbers four or five years before, but it had increased 

 rapidly until the year of writing, when 15 per cent of the peas were 

 ruined. The insect appears to start operations by eating the embryo 

 stem and then moves along the pod until it makes its exit and dis- 

 appears. Early varieties of peas were the worst sufferers in the 

 afl'ected district. At the time of writing our correspondent found a 

 less number of living larvae than previously. 



This appears to be the first record of the appearance of this insect 

 in the United States, although it has been known as a pest in Canada 

 for several years and has undoubtedly been present in our Xorthern 

 States, where peas are grown, without having been recognized as 

 anything ucav or unusual. 



A two-page account of this species has been published by the Avriter 

 in Bulletin No, 33, pages 9G-98, which includes a brief illustrated 

 description of the moth and larva and a consideration of the distri- 

 bution, nomenclature, history, habits, and remedies. 



This insect first came to notice near Toronto, Ontario, in 1803, and 

 notices of its ravages in Canada were given in several subsequent 

 years by the late Dr. James Fletcher in his report as entomologist 

 and botanist of the Dominion of Canada. It is an importation from 

 the Old World and is well established in New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia as well as in Ontario, and is also recorded fi*om Manitoba. 



The name of this species was omitted from the Dyar catalogue of 

 Lej)ido])tera, but is included in Smith's Check List of Lepidoptera 

 under Xo. 5702. In most publications the species is mentioned as 

 Senuniia n ir/Hrana. 



A NEW WESTERN ROOT MAGGOT. 



August 10. 1007, ^Ir. E. M. Elirhorn sent from San Francisco. Cal., 

 some radishes, the roots of which were all'ected by a maggot. The 

 adults were reared September 3 to 20 and were referred to Mr. I). W. 

 Coquillett for identification. They were first mistaken for Pegomi/d 

 cepetoiuin^ because of the very dose relation of the two species, but 



