53 



Ohio, survived the winter, l)ut the beetles disappeared early in th(> 

 summer and none have been foimd since that time. The codling moth 

 iCarpocap^.a pomonelhi Linn.) has not been as destructive this year 

 as usual, the spring cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata Peck) seems to 

 be on the increase in many sections, and the tent caterpillar {Mala- 

 cosoma americava FaV).) was abundant and injurious in the north- 

 western part of the State. 



Early in ^Nlay a report was received from Mr. E. E. Kichards, Avho 

 is the owner of a large orchard in Adams County, southern Ohio, that 

 iiis peach trees were being defoliated by insects. An investigation 

 made by my assistant, Mr. Swezey, on May 15, showed that the buds 

 and young leaves in one part of the S-jear-old j^each orchard 

 were being seriously injured by the red-legged flea-beetle {Crepi- 

 dodera rufpes Linn.), while other parts of the orchard were not at- 

 tacked.~T5Tacl^-locust thickets are very common in the vicinity of the 

 orchard, and an examination showed that large numbers of the 

 beetles were present in them and were feeding on the young leaves. 

 From the foreman of the farm it was learned that during March a 

 fire ran through the locust thicket nearest the peach trees that Avere 

 being attacked, and it was found that the leaves had not begun to 

 reappear on the trees in the burned area. This evidently accounts 

 for the injury — the beetles feeding on the peach, owing to the fact that 

 there was no foilage on their natural food plant. Subsequent exam- 

 inations made in widely separated localities in the State have shown 

 that the beetles were present in greater or less numbers. They have 

 been observed feeding on hazel, dogwood, and plum sprouts that were 

 growing in locust thickets, but the latter foliage was most seriously 

 injured. The larval and pupal stages are still unknown, but there 

 seems to be no doubt that the insect hibernates at or beneath the sur- 

 face of the ground, from wdiich the beetles emerge early in the spring. 

 The infested trees were sprayed with disparene late in April, but, as 

 there was jiractically no foliage to hold the poison, very little good 

 resulted. Later in the season the beetles disappeared and the trees 

 were able to put out a crop of leaves. Outbreaks of this insect were 

 reported in Virginia and Maryland several years ago, and were inves- 

 tigated by Mr. E. A. Schwarz, assistant entomologist of the Bureau 

 of Entomology. His report was published in Insect Life for the 

 year 1893.« 



In June, 1904, a complaint was received from the Steubenville 

 Traction and Light Company that some of their electric cars were 

 being destroyed l)y insects. An investigation by Mr. Swezey showed 

 that four cars which had been bought in 1002 had been somewhat 



a \o\. V, pp. 334-.342. 



