TITE 



VOL.III.-slf.^s.VOL.l. 



NEW YORK, MARCH, 1880. 



No. 3 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 



THE HUB PUBLISHING CO. of n. y. 



323 Pearl St., New York. 



TERMS Two dollars per annum, in advance 



EDITORS : 



CHAS. V. RILEY, EditSr Washington, D. C. 



A. S. FULLER, Assistant Editor, Ridgewood, N. J. 



TRAPPING THE CARPET BEETLE. 



The recently introduced Carpet-beetle 

 {Anthrenus scropJmlaria)^ the larva of \vhich 

 is_known under the Vather misleading name 



LFig. JS-] 



Imtorted Carpet-beetle; — a, larva; ^, pupa, dorsal view, with split larva skin 

 surrounding ; c^ do. ventral view removed from skin ; d, beetle — hair lines showing 

 natural size (after Riley). 



of " Buffalo moth," bids fair to be even 

 more injurious to carpets and woolen goods 

 generally, than the old and familiar clothes 

 moths belonging to various species of the 

 genus Tinea. It has certainly become 

 widely disseminated in this country, for 

 many of our correspondents who employ a 

 sweep-net in collecting, whether in Oregon, 

 California, or any intermediate locality, ob- 

 tain specimens every season. 



For several seasons we were at a loss to 

 know upon what kind of plant or plants 

 the perfect insect fed, as it was quite evi- 

 dent that the persons who sent them had 

 made their collections in the field and not 

 in the house where the larva pursued its 

 mischievous work. Last summer, how- 

 ever, in collecting pollen-loving beetles 

 belonging to the genus Mordella upon 

 the flowers of Spiraeas, which they fre- 

 quent, Mr. Fuller was somewhat surprised, 

 as well as pleased, to find this very carpet 

 pest at work among them, likewise feeding 

 upon the pollen of the flowers. Every 

 day for several weeks he caught some 

 of these beetles on the same plants, but 

 on no others in his garden. 



It is quite probable 

 that they do feed upon 

 the pollen of other 

 plants, but they appear 

 to prefer the Spiraeas. 

 As these plants are in- 

 digenous to all parts 

 of the country from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific 

 ocean, the beetles can 

 always find enough of 

 them, if preferred to 

 other kinds. It is very 

 easy to capture the 

 beetles while feeding, and it might be well 

 to use the Spirreas as a bait, planting 

 them about and near the house, not 

 only to insure a visit from the beetles, 

 but also to maUe it convenient for the 

 members of the family to examine the 

 plants frequently, and capture the little 

 pests. The beetles after casting their pupa 

 skin, pass out of the house into the open 

 air to obtain food and meet their mates. 



