479 



SOME NOTES ON IOWA INSECTS. 



The present spring- lias been au unusual one with re^^ard to the abun- 

 dance of a number of species of iuvsects, and some of the observations 

 made are perhaps worthy of earlj^ record. 



The White-winged TAhio [Bthio ulbijyennis) has been present in phe- 

 nomenal numbers and has attracted attention far and wide. I have 

 had specimens from a number of localities, reports from others, and 

 here at Ames it has been present in numbers never before observed. 



One point with reference to its appearance in many localities is that 

 so many report it as injurious to vegetaiion, and such statements as 

 "eating corn, potatoes, * * * and everything," or "killing the 

 fruit," and others equally strong, indicate a strong belief on the part 

 of the observers that they have actually seen such injury, i^one have 

 sent specimens of injured plants, and while there is perhaps a bare pos- 

 sibility that they could do some damage iu blossoms, it seems more 

 probable that they have excited attention by their immense numbers, 

 and any injury found on the plants where they cluster has been ascribed 

 to them. No damage to any of the plants they rest upon has been 

 observed in this locality. 



The Plum-leaf Plant louse {Apliis irrnnifoUi) is another species that 

 has been wonderfully abundant, so much so that for a time specimens 

 were received almost every day from correspondents in widely sepa- 

 rated localities. In some cases the injury reported was such as to have 

 very serious effect upon the trees. The great amount of curling of the 

 leaves renders thorough treatment with kerosene emulsion quite diffi- 

 cult for this species, and makes it specially important to begin treatment 

 as soon as the lice first make their appearance. 



The Currant Aphis {Myziis ribis) and the Cherry Aphis {Myzxis ccrasi 

 have also been unusually plentiful, as indeed are almost all the com- 

 mon species and a number that have never been observed here before. 



Agallia sanguineolenta Prov. was very abundant in grass in early 

 spring, and with the appearance of beets has attacked them. 



Deltoceplialus debilis is fairly swarming iu blue grass, and I have 

 found that for capturing these the most successful hopper dozer yet 

 tried is simply a long flat strip of sheet iron covered with coal tar and 

 drawn flat on the ground. 



Cutworms are very abundant, and reported destructive in many lo- 

 calities. — [Herbert Osboru, Ames, Iowa., June 2, 1891. 



PRECAUTIONS IN INVESTIGATING THE EITES OF rOISONOUS ANIMALS. 



Dr. R. W. Shufeldt has favored us with a copy of his paper entitled 



" Medical and Other Oi)inions upon the Poisonous Nature of the Bite 



of the Heloderma," and although this paper does not trench upon onr 



province, the author's conckVsious as to precautious will apply equally 



3329~No. 11 — -4 



