NOTES FROM TEXAS. 67 



AFTERNOON ."SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1906. 



The following papers on miscellaneous insects were presented, dis- 

 cussion being postponed until the completion of the series : 



NOTES FROM TEXAS. 



By A. F. CoNRADi, Collcfic Station, Tex. 



Toxoptera graminum Rond. — The southern grain aphis made such 

 a thorough impression on the Avheat farmers of northern Texas dur- 

 ing that memorable outbreak of I'JOl that at every recurrence of a 

 sporadic attack the office of the State entomologist is flooded with 

 letters. During two seasons we have been justified in consoling- 

 stricken sections Avith the forecast that the parasites were abundant 

 and would no doubt hold the pest in check. The spring of 1004 was 

 begun with good growing weather, but 1905 was one of the wettest 

 in the history of the wheat belt of Texas. During both seasons the 

 parasites were effective. Should therefore a cold, moist spell set in, 

 it is a question whether these parasites would do the work, and the 

 outcome could not be foretold. The writer has faith in crop rotation 

 in checking the ravages of this pest. His observations tend to show 

 that the attacks are nnich more serious on old Avheat fields, wdiile 

 frequently rotated fields are entirely free. Thus the pest migrates 

 from old wheat fields to rotated lands. Northern Texas has a good 

 range of agricultural crops for systematic rotation. Manj'^ of the 

 wheat fields have been sown to wheat for over fifteen years. A sys- 

 tematic rotation of cotton, wdieat, corn, and alfalfa no doubt would 

 greatly check the ravages of the '" green bug." We furthermore have 

 faith enough in the value of the parasites to establish a laboratory at 

 College Station, hoping to be able to breed these natural enemies in 

 sufficient niunbers to supply these sections where sporadic outbreaks 

 of the '■ green bug " occur. The value of the parasites in checking 

 the outbreak of injurious insects is often so unmistakable in onj- work 

 here in Texas that operating such a ]al>()ratory is fully justified, llie 

 chief outbi-eaks occur in the territory lying between meridians 1)5 and 

 98 and pai-allels 32 and 34. 



Urarwtcs t/telinv.s ITIju. — This is a widely-distributed cotton pest 

 in Texas. It threatens to be e([ually serious eacli sjjring. It is most 

 injurious over the same area as the "'green bug" {Toxoptera grami- 

 nunt).^ and southward between meridians 94 and 97 to the Gulf and 

 westward between parallels 31 and 32 as far as Howard County. It 

 is also seriously destructive in Xueces and Duval counties. Only 

 the first brood is injurious, the second being generally checked by 

 natural i)arasites. Should these parasites fail to appear some season, 

 serious damage to cotton could only be avoided by most thorough 

 application of Pax'is green or some other equally effective arsenical. 



