466 



Correspondence from Indian Territory. 



Inclosed you will iiucl au Hetnipterou, which comes out at night, and, like the bed- 

 bug, makes itself too familiar. It is not at all pleasant to have such a bed-fellow, 

 but he will come out regularly to get his fill of blood. He will suck himself so full 

 of blood that he can hardly navigate. AVhat is his name, and is this a noruial 

 habit ? 



Do galls produced by gnats often appear in numbers sufficient to cause danuige ? 

 There arc two pecan trees in my yard and there is not a single leaf on them that is 

 not unshapely with those galls. 



Garden insects are scarce so far, but potato beetles are here, though not many so 

 far as I have seen. I send a beetle and an Orthoi)terou fur identilication. I found 

 about 200 of the crickets in a butt of a hollow tree. — [A. N. Caudell, Eiugo, Indian 

 Territory, May 29, 1891. 



Reply. — # » # ^]^q specimens which you sent came in good condition. The 

 bug whose bite you describe is the so-called Bloodsucking Cone-nose (Conorhinus 

 sangitistiga). I shall be glad to have an account from you of your experience with 

 this insect, giving the exact facts. You will find it mentioned in Insect Life, vol. 

 II, p. lOG, where a figure is also given. The Orthopterous insect found in the hollow 

 tree is FlKtlantjopnin cupidicola and the beetle is knowu as Sil2)ha novchoi-acensis. The 

 galls upon your pecan trees are not caused by "gnats," but by some plant-louse of the 

 genua Fhylloxcra. They seldom do serious damage to the trees. — [June 8, 1891.] 



Notes on three Noxious Insects of Mississippi. 



Texas Screw-worm {Lucilia macellaria Fabr. j. The larva of this fly has been very 

 troublesome in this locality the past year. Have found them on horses, cattle, sheep, 

 and hogs, doing considerable damage. There has been one case reported whore the 

 fly oviposited on a hiiman being, a boy about eleven years old, while asleep. Chloro- 

 form and carbolic acid are the best remedies we have tried against them. There has 

 beena great deal of excitement about the worm in this county, this being its first 

 appearance to my knowledge,siuce settling here in 1869. 



Ox Warble Fly {Ilypodirma hovis DeGeer.). Have found them in great numbers ou 

 the backs of cattle, especially work-oxen and milch-cows. Farmers geneially apply 

 spirits of turpentine or kerosene to kill larv;e. They have been vei-y troublesome the 

 past season in this locality. Have recommended to my neighbors au ointment made 

 of sulphur and lard,wliich closes the breathing pores of the maggot, causing it to die. 



Harlequin cabbage bug (Mnrgantia histrionica Hahn.) This has been the lirst sea- 

 son that I have observed this bug in the gardens of this vicinity. They have been 

 very destructive to the entire cabbage family. I stopped their ravages by hand-pick- 

 ing several times. — [Geo. H. Kent, Roxic, Mississippi, February 7, 1891. 



Sure Way to Destroy Nests of Harvesting Ants. 



These insects, often so troublesome in gardens and stock-yards, may be destroyed 

 by the following method : Enlarge the entrance so that it will hold a teaswoonful of 

 London purple, repeat the dose after two days, and if necessary a third time. That 

 is all. I have killed lifty nests, most of them after the second dose, but do not for- 

 get to repeat the dose. I have tried cyanide of potassium, etc., in vain, at a much 

 greater expense and with much more trouble.— [F. G. S., Blanco County, Texas. 



Willow Hedges Injured by Sa-w-flies. 



* * * I send you some cuttings of willow containing larvje. The same were 

 found iu willow hedge serving i)urpose offence. Many of the shoots are affected, fully 

 10 per cent, I should Judge. l'\)uu(l some while pruning on tlie 18th instant. Do 

 you know anything about the insect? — [F. H. Stadtmueller, Elmwood, Connecticut, 

 April 20, 1891. 



