REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 169 
ous and destructive in portions of Antelope County, this State, upon the small 
trees planted and growing on ‘‘ tree claims.” A Mr. Copeland tells me of sey- 
eral instances where parties who had planted ash trees failed in proving up on 
their claims on account of the ravages of this insect. About equally destructive 
and by far much more numerous is the larve of the Ash Saw-ily (Monophadnus 
barda, Say). This insect also infests the same district, where it also kills many 
trees by repeatedly stripping them of their foliage. The larve of this Saw-fly are 
whitish and feed in company in a similar manner to that of several other species. 
I have seen upwards of a dozen of them upon the upper surface of a single leaf. 
Kerosene emulsion would be an effectual remedy against both of these insects. 
I have for several years past noticed that some insect works in the seeds of our 
ash trees often to such an extent that fully half of the seed upon a tree has been 
injured. This, in a wooded country, would be of but little or no importance. 
Out here, however, where we depend upon the few natural groves that are grow- 
ing along our streams to furnish seeds for the planting of the thousands of tree 
claims scattered over our treeless prairies, we soon discover the loss of seed. The 
present summer I found the two weevils Thysanocnemis helvolus and T. fraxini to 
be the depredators. 
Another insect which appears to be greatly on the increase in Nebraska is Datana 
angusii, G. and R., known out here as the Walnut Caterpillar. This insect has for 
the past four or five years been more or less injurious to our planted groves of 
black walnut. This year, however, it was quite abundant, and at three or four 
places completely defoliated a large per cent. of the trees. On father’s place, ad- 
joining town, there were at least 50 trees thus stripped. The first worms appear 
sometimes during the early part of July, and from that time on until the beginning 
of October. Whether there are more than a single brood each year, or whether 
their appearance is irregular, I can not say. Unlike some of the other species of 
the genus, this insect appears to be remarkably free from the attacks of parasites of 
all kinds. At least this has been my experience with it, never having found a 
single larva that showed any signs of being parasitized. The only birds that I ever 
saw eating it were the Cuckoos, both the yellow and black-billed species. 
Where the trees are not too tall, and time allows, hand-picking will answer ad- 
mirably in disposing of this and allied species. During the third to last molts the 
larvee congregate on the trunk and can be easily taken, their black bodies clothed 
with the scattered long white hairs, making them quite prominent objects whether 
in the foliage or upon the bark of the tree. Their gregarious habit also renders 
them more conspicuous and the more readily observed on account of their taking 
the foliage clean as they go. 
The Honey Locust, which is used as a hedge-tree in portions of Nebraska, suffers 
greatly while yet smal! from the attacks of the gray Blister-beetle (Lytta cinerea). 
I have seen the trees defoliated in a few days. This present year but little injury 
occurred in the immediate vicinity of West Point, but up in Holt County trees that 
were set out last year were completely denuded, the beetles in some instances 
almost covering the entire tree, so numerous were they. 
This tree also suffers greatly from the attacks of a Tortricid, the larvee of which 
spins together several leaves at night and feeds upon the adjoining ones. This in- 
sect, too, occasionally becomes sufticiently numerous to defoliate trees. Last year 
a piece of hedge, here at West Point, over 100 feet in length, suffered in this re- 
spect. ; 
THE AMERICAN CIMBEX. 
(Cimbex americana. ) 
This large slug-like larva feeds upon the White Willow, usually used for a hedge 
tree and wind-breaks about buildings. A few years ago I first noticed it in injurious 
numbers on the hedges of Willow in Dodge County, about 16 miles southwest of 
here. This summer again I was surprised to see it in very many new localities, 
both in this and Dodge Counties. It always appears upon rather elevated ground 
back from the Elkhorn and tributaries. 
_ Referring to my notes of July 22 in reference to this insect I find the follow- 
ing: ‘‘ To-day I visited several localities only to find at least one-half of the larvee 
matured and transformed. In scraping away the leaves and other vegetable 
débris from underneath the trees it was found that the grubs invariably sought the 
sheltered or sunny side of the hedge before spinning in. They also appear to be 
gregarious in this stage, always congregating into groups of from two or three to 
twodozenor more. Their transformation takes place only one-half or three-fourths 
of an inch below the surface.” 
