III. The Bramble-Flea Louse. 



{Trioza iri])unctata^ Fitch.) 

 Order Hemiptera : Family Psyllid^. 



Historical. — The lirst notice of the injury caused to blackberry 

 canes by this insect was given by Drs. Walsh and Kiley,* in 1869, 

 from; material received from Charles Parry, of Cinnaminson, N. J., 

 who reported that it was injuring the cultivated blackberry. 



In a paper read before the ]^ew Jersey State Horticultural 

 Society, in 1880, A. S. FuUerf stated that this insect was rapidly 

 increasing and doing more damage each year. 



Mrs. Mary Treat described, in 1887, in " Injm-ious Insects of the 

 Farm and Garden," the work of the " Bramble-Flea louse ;" but 

 her description is apparently a repetition of that given by A. S. 

 Fuller, and undoubtedly refers to the injury at that date, viz., 1880. 

 Whether it has caused any serious injury since the above date, I 

 can not say ; at least I find no record by any of the Station ento- 

 mologists or horticulturists of injury done by it. It is a peculiar 

 fact that all recorded comjjlaiiits of injury by it are from New 

 Jersey. 



Dr. Riley states that it occurs on pine from Canada to Florida. 

 The blackberry, as will be shown further on, is its principal food 

 plant. Hence it is liable to increase in destructive numbers during 

 almost any series of years which are favorable for it, and every pre- 

 caution should be taken to prevent its increase. 



Soon after commencing work in the Second Judicial Department, 

 I noticed a peculiar curled and deformed condition of the wild 

 blackberry leaves and canes. As, at the time I was not familiar 

 with the species of Psyllid* of the Atlantic coast, whose method of 



* American Entomologist, vol. I, p. 225. t American Entomologist, vol. lU, p.C-i. 



