80 



SPREAD OF THF: ."MP^DITERRANEAN FLOUR IMOTH IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



March 15, 1!)05, we received spociniens of the Mediterranean flour 

 moth {Ephestia kuehniella ZelL) in different stages from a corre- 

 spondent in Montgomery County, Pa. The insect was reported to 

 have given no end of trouble since it arrived in some corn about a 

 year before. The injury was of the characteristic form due to the con- 

 struction of webs in the flour, in spouts, elevators, and reels, which 

 prevented the stock from running. It was necessary to remove 

 bolting cloths from reels, and to take out elevator belts and clean 

 them. The fact was noted that the stock in the elevators and reels 

 is kept so warm from grinding that the insects breed nearly as rapidly 

 in winter as in summer. The insect was accompanied by the con- 

 fused flour beetle {Triholium con fusion Duv.). 



The recent very rapid increase of this flour moth has been already 

 noted in the Yearbook of this Department for IDOi, page 603. 



TUSSOCK CATERPILLARS IN FLORIDA. 



March 22, 1005, we received word from Mr. PI Neve, Tampa, Fla., 

 that an army of caterpillars had made their appearance in that city 

 and in several localities in the suburbs, stripping oak shade tribes of 

 every leaf, and spreading to other plants, even invading houses by 

 entering the windows, crawling over porches, and climbing walls. 

 Some persons claimed that the caterpillars stung them, causing ugly 

 sores, and it was feared that the orange groves in the vicinity of the 

 city w^ould be infested. The insect concerned in this case is one of the 

 tussock caterpillars, Flemerocampd lnornata Bent., a near relative of 

 the better known northern white-marked tussock caterpillar, Tlcmev- 

 ocampa leucostignia S. &. A. The soreness complained of was the 

 result of the irritating action of the hairs of the caterpillars on the 

 delicate surface of the skin, particularly on the neck and back of the 

 hands. 



A SC^UEAKING SPHINX CATERPILLAR. 



September 20, 1904, Mr. A. C. Wharton wrote us of a large cater- 

 pillar which he had taken at Port Gibson, Miss. It was described 

 as over 2 inches in length, of a pale greenish blue color, and armed 

 at the posterior extremity with a rather stout spine curving back- 

 ward. On capturing it wdth his fingers he was surprised to hear it 

 emit a distinct sound resembling the squealing of a very young mouse. 

 The sound w^as faint but quite distinct at a distance of 2 feet. The 

 species was identified by Dr. H. G. Dyar as Cressonia juglandis S. 

 & A., who states that this species always " squeals " wdien seized, 

 from which fact it is quite generally known as the squeaking sphinx. 



The caterpillar of the death's-head moth of Europe, Mmiduca atro- 



