407 



from the live roacb.— [J. Otto Thilow, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 4, 

 1890. 



Reply. — Your favor of the 4th instant, with accompanying box containing a speci- 

 men of cockroach, came duly to hand. The roach is Periplaneta atistralasiw Fabr., 

 and you are no doubt correct in stating that the injury to your Lastrea is due to this 

 insect. I am not aware that this particular species has been reported before as 

 being injurious to greenhouse plants, but I know that a closely allied species, viz., 

 Periplaneta americana, occasionally infests greenhouses and feeds upon various plants. 

 P. australasm is a cosmopolitan species, but l>y no means so universally distributed 

 and so common as the Croton Bug, Phyllodromia gerinanica or P. americana. It is 

 abundant in Florida, and perhaps also iu other Southern States, but I do not know 

 whether it has fairly established itself in any of our Northern cities. I would 

 beg you, therefore, to let me kuow whether this species is common in your green- 

 houses or elsewhere in your neighborhood, or whether only a few specimens were 

 accidentally imported with plants from tropical countries. 



As to remedies for roaches, I refer you to my article on household pests in Insect 

 Life, Vol. ii, p. 266, a separate copy of which is sent you herewith. — [December 8, 

 1890.] 



The Grape-root Prionus. 



Please let me know the particulars of this bug. I took this from some California 

 vines. They were sent from California to Dallas, Texas, 4 years ago, and were 

 planted in Dallas 2 years, but did not fruit. I brought them to the plains last spring. 

 Upou taking them up nearly all the vines have these bugs upon them. — [A. Kawling, 

 Marienfeld, Texas, November 30, 1890. 



Reply. — The specimen which you send is a full-grown larva of one of the large 

 long-horn beetles known as Prionus imbricornis. These larvae have been previously 

 recorded as feeding on the roots of grape, but are comparatively rare and are not con- 

 sidered to be very serious enemies of the vine. Nothing can be done in the way of 

 remedies except to dig the larvae out by hand,— [December 10, 1890.] 



A New Native Currant Worm. I 



I send you by this mail one male parent of a native Hymenopterous currant worm, 

 the same as was noted a year or two ago by Professor Lintner in his New York re- 

 port. I first bred one pair in 1887 from larvae grown in 1886, and this was raised in 

 1888-'89. The springs of 1888 and 1890 I was not able to find any. Please report 

 name, etc. — [E. W. AUis, Adrian, Michigan, December .3, 1890. 



Reply. — This insect is without doubt Janus flaviventris Fitch (see Fitch's seventh re- 

 port; species No. 12). This discovery of yours is a very interesting one, if the insect 

 works in the way described by Lintner in his fourth report, page 47. — [December 5, 

 1890.] 



Insects from Montserrat, West Indies. 



I now send you in spirits : 



(1) A fly found in the near vicinity of the Galba tree when the Icerya was so bad. 

 This fly I also found in thousands on a fig tree close by. 



(2) Some of the female Icerya. 



(3) A piece of wood off a fig tree in close proximity to the Galba, which is covered 

 with cottony-cushion blight. 



(4) A yellow kind of Lady-Bird, also found on the Ficus. 



(5) A smaller and whiter Lady-Bird. 



The Galba tree had been cut down and lopped up ready to burn, so as to destroy 

 the blight, so it was hard to find what was wanted ; but I caught No. 1 flying round 

 the dying branches. I then discovered the same flies on a hog-plum tree adjoining 



