rRUC:K INSKCTS. 



May 15 1 received specimens of the pea louse {Nectarophora pisi 

 Kalt. ) from Dallas, and Maj' 27 T fonnd tliat tlie}' had destroyed a 

 garden patcli of peas on the lirazos RiNcr, near Wellborn, Tex. It 

 would seem probable, tlierefore, tliat this is a genei-al pest of jjeas in 

 Texas, as Professor C^uaintance has also observed it near Victoria. 



The southern leaf-footed plant-bug {hcpfogloHsus pliijllopus) is one 

 of the worst pests of ripe pluins and peaches, and this year was fi-e- 

 quently reported injuring tomatoes by sucking the fruit. 



The striped blister beetle {Epicdnto riffafa) is also a common pest 

 of tomatoes and alfalfa. 



A new tomato pest, determined for me l)y l*rof. E. 1). IJall, is 

 Stictoceph(thi roUindata Stal. The adult insects puncture the stems 

 of the young plants, causing them to wilt. Xo nymiihs were reported 

 found c>n tomatoes in the fields. In the breeding cage eggs were laid 

 in the base of the stem in i)airs, much like those of the buffalo tree- 

 hopper. The nymphs did not seem to thrive on tomato, liowever, all 

 dying sliortly. This is probably a synonym of S. festhxi, and, if so, 

 has been previously recorded on tomatoes in Georgia and in New 

 Mexico on alfalfa. 



A leaf-bug, Dicyplins ^(qjaratus Uhl., nearly related to the suck-fly 

 of tobacco, has been troublesome to tomatoes in the college greenhouse. 



The chicken tick {Argnsamericana) is now to be found as far north 

 as the Red River and is occasionally reported from localities where 

 formerly unknown. 



The sweet-potato weevil {Cyliis formicarius) has been the cause of 

 the practical abandonment of the growing of sweet potatoes, which 

 were formerly a (luite profitable crop, in counties in south Texas. It 

 has now spread to Anstin, where it has been known for four j'cars, 

 and near Marlin, where it was destructive for the first time this season. 

 This is a soutliei-n or tropical insect, but it is quite cosmopolitan, 

 occurring in India, China, Madagascar, and Jamaica, and may very 

 possibly spread farther north. Boring from the stem into the root 

 and working in stored sweet jiotatoes, it is a difficult pest to combat 

 and easily spreads. 



One of the principal pests of the jilum is the aphis, hitherto nnde- 

 scribed though first recorded and figured by j\Ir. W. M. Scott at the 

 thirteenth meeting of this Association." As this is evidently a south- 

 ern species, I propose to name it the southern plum aphis, and hope 

 to publish a full description of the viviparous forms shortly. It 

 undoubtedly oviposits on plum in the fall and in Texas migi-ates 

 from it in early summer. 



«Bull. ;51, Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Af,'r., pp. 5(3-5S, figs. 1 to 4, 



