REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 73 



INSECT NOTES, 1915 



E. Melville DuPorte, Macdonald College. 



There were several more or less severe outbreaks of injurious insects 

 during the season of 1915 at Ste. Annes and the surrounding country\ At- 

 tention is drawn to the more important of these. 



Insects Affecting Grains and Clovers. 



The frit fly {Oscinis carhonaria) and the wheat stem maggot (Meromyza 

 americana) caused some injury to the small grains. The Hessian fly {May- 

 etiola destructor) was observed by Mr. L. C. Raymond to be injuring the 

 wheat of the experimental plots at Macdonald College. I have not found 

 any reference to previous injury by this insect in this neighborhood. It 

 was almost certainly introduced in manure from the stock yards, because 

 the plots most injured were adjacent to the manure pile. 



The chief insects attacking the clover were the Clover Seed Chalcid 

 {Bruchophagus fiinehris) , the Lesser Leaf Weevil {Phytonomiis nigrirostris) , 

 the Clover Mite {Bryohia pratensis), the Pea Aphis (Macrosiphun pisi) 

 and the Clover-head Weevil (Tychius picirostris) . The clover chalcid is 

 a small four-winged fly, the larva of which feeds in the developing clover 

 seeds and is one of the most serious enemies of the seed crop. It has been 

 very abundant in the Montreal-Ottawa district during the past three 

 seasons, last year perhaps not quite so abundant as in the two previous 

 years. 



Another enemy of the clover seed is the larva of the Lesser Clover 

 Leaf Weevil. This feeds in the flower heads, destroying the florets and last 

 year was generally present in the neighboring clover fields. 



The clover mite was most injurious during the latter part of the season. 



The clover insect to which I desire to draw particular attention is the 

 one which I have termed the Clover-head Weevil {Tychius picirostris) . 

 This is a small curculio about one-tenth of an inch long and of an olive green 

 color. This colour is caused by scales which are borne on the wing covers 

 and thorax of the insect, and when these scales are rubbed off the bare 

 nsect is dark brown in colour. 



In May 1915 I noticed these insects feeding gregariously on the leaves 

 of red clover and doing considerable injury. When the clover came into 

 bloom the weevils deserted the leaves for the flower heads, on which they 



