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PRINCIPAL INJURIOUS INSECTS OF THE SEASON, 1914. 



W. Lochhead, Macdonald College. 



The season of 1914 was a normal one and there were few insects 

 present in startling numbers. 



The following are the chief forms arranged according to their orders: — 



(a) Acarina (Mites) .—The clover mite was present on clover 

 plants, doing some damage but not as abundant as last year. 



Red Spiders. — Abundant on ornamental shrubs, and to a less extent 

 on fruit trees. 



A very large number of immature gamasids were observed attached 

 to houseflies (Phorbia spp.), and many other insects. It is not certainly 

 known whether these mites are parasitic or if they use the flies merely for 

 transportation; but if they are parasitic (as is very probable) they must 

 have served as a check to the increase of many flies. 



(b) Orthoptera (Grasshoppers and locusts). Grasshoppers and 

 locusts were quite abundant in pasture lands. Though little attention 

 is given to these insects in this neighbourhood their numbers in certain 

 fields were sufficiently high to cause quite appreciable injury. 



(c) Hemiptera (True bugs). — Greefi Apple Aphis (A. pomi) was 

 quite abundant and where proper control measures were not taken did 

 considerable injury. 



Woolly Aphis of Apple. — Its presence was hardly noticeable in the 

 College orchard, but in some of the neighbouring orchards it was quite 

 abundant. 



In the early part of the season the plums were attacked by the Plum 

 Aphis, but this decreased materially later on. The various aphids were 

 partly held in check by various lady birds, syrphus fly larvae and lace- 

 wing fly larvae which were quite abundant. 



The Oyster-shell Scale was present on some ornamental rosaceous 

 shrubs. The College orchards are free from it, but neighboring orchards 

 are aiTected, in some cases considerably. 



Leaf-hoppers on the apple were more abundant this year than in 

 previous years, but their attack was not formidable. 



