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 ^richifran. August 10 we received from ^Fr. 

 J. E. W. Tracy, Bureau of Plant Industr}^, specimens of the larva of 

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

 Mich. 



Mr. Tracy wrote that ho obtained the specimens on that da}' and 

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

 vicinity know 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 wore 

 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 

 affected 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 Northern 

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

 anything now or unusual. 



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

 in Bulletin Xo. 33, pages OG-OS, 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 1893, 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 Xova 

 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 

 Le]:)idoptera, but is included in Smith's Check List of I.,epidoptera 

 under No. 5702. In most publications the species is mentioned as 

 Semasia nigricana. 



A NEW WESTERN ROOT MAGGOT. 



August 10, 1007, iMr. E. M. P^hrhorn sent from San Francisco, Cal., 

 some radishes, the roots of which were atlected by a maggot. The 

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

 Coquillett for identification. They were first mistaken for Pegomya 

 cepetorum^ because of the very close relation of the two species, but 



