I40 B.C. Entomological Society. 



Mr. W. Downes undertook the work necessary under the Dominion 

 Entomological Branch on Vancouver Island, undertaking in particular the 

 studies necessary on the strawberry-root weevil and pear-thrips. He was 

 also able to prove the existence of the apple-maggot and its food-plant, 

 showing that the species in British Columbia was a " biological species " 

 not connected with the apple at all, but with the Symphoricarpus or 

 .snowberry. It was, however, in all other particulars identical with the 

 typical apple-maggot of the East. Mr. Downes also received this year an 

 hnpression of the parthenogcnctic nature of the strawberry-root weevil 

 adults, an impression which he verified the succeeding year. 



The writer was able this year to bring to light in the Upper Country 

 several insect pests which liad not been noted previously. Chief among 

 these was the alfalfa-seed chalcid, which was found wherever alfalfa was 

 grown between the Lower Similkameen and Lillooet and causing a loss 

 which varied from 25 to 75 per cent, in the seed-crop ; the clover-seed midge 

 at Victoria; the greater wheat-stem maggot (Meromyza americana) in the 

 neighbourhood between Salmon Arm and Chase; and, the pear-psyllia at 

 Nelson. All of these insects rank in the forefront as economic pests and 

 doubtless will need consideration at some time in the future. Hemerocampa 

 vetusta form gulosa (the tussock-moth of the fir) was also reported from 

 Armstrong, Chase, Salmon Arm, and Hedley during this year, and its 

 presence has been noted every year until the present at the same points, 

 with the addition of Vernon and Okanagan Centre. A species of Lach- 

 nosterna which was believed to be referable to the species (dubia) anxia 

 was received from Blind Bay in the Shuswap area and Vernon. Mr. 

 Downes also added Synanthedon rutilans and Aristotelia fragariae among 

 the injurious small-fruit insects of the Island. 



In the spring of 1918 Mr. Tothill, as a result of his preliminary inquiries 

 of the year previous, instructed his assistant, Mr. A. B. Baird, to repair to 

 British Columbia for the purpose of undertaking a systematic study into 

 the parasitism of the tent-caterpillars, the spruce-bud worm, and fall web- 

 worm. Mr. Baird made Agassiz his headquarters and he remained in 

 British Columbia until the close of this present year 1920, when he returned 

 to his headquarters at Fredericton, New Brunswick. 



British Columbia was honoured in the autumn of 191 8 by a visit from 

 Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, Dominion Entomologist. Dr. Hewitt, of course, 

 was not a stranger to British Columbia, inasmuch as he had visited the 

 Province on the average of every other year since his appointment in Ottawa 

 in 1909. However, on this occasion his visit was noteworthy because it 

 added just one more milestone to the progress of entomology in the Prov- 

 ince. The Lower Eraser \'alley has always contended against the mosquito 

 plague, and public opinion was aroused to such a pitch that the writer was 

 enabled to arrange a meeting with the Vancouver Board of Trade, the Reeves 

 of the Eraser Valley municipalities, and Dr. Hewitt this autumn. The 

 meeting was held at Mission, with Mr. C. E. Tisdall in the chair, on 

 September loth. Dr. Hewitt promised to appoint an officer from his 



