406 



Eeport of this Department for 1SS4 (pp. oOl-rJOS). In the West 7V/. 

 IJimUa and albionica* also do some damage. 



None of the injurious species are restricted to any one food-plant, but 

 attack freely all sorts of cruciferous vegetables, both cultivated and 

 wild. As an examide of food-habit it might be mentioned that Ph. vit- 

 tata infests alike cabbage, turnii), radish, horse-radish, cresses, mustard, 

 shepherd's purse, charlock, Lepidium, Matthiola, and Hesi)eris, and has 

 even been said to attack the strawberry. 



Ph. nemoram is in its larval state a leaf-miner, as is also siiniata, but 

 rittata is subterranean iu habit, and it would seem probable from tlie 

 fact that the larval history of annoraciw is unknown that it belongs to 

 the latter class and breeds in the roots of its food-x>lants. 



As has been said, and as may readily be seen by reference to the 

 accompanying illastration (Fig. 47), Ph. armorackc is not likely to be 

 confused with any other species of the genus. It is somewhat larger 

 and broader than any American Phyllotreta. In form it is oval and 

 strongly convex, and black iu color. The first three antennal joints, 

 the tips of the four anterior femora, the tibia? and tarsi are reddish 

 yellow. The elytra is very light yellowish or cream color, nearly white, 

 with a very thin, black lateral margin and a broader sutural stripe, 

 which is broadest at the middle and constricted at each end and 

 extends from the base of the thorax to the tip of the elytra, where it 

 joins the lateral line. The front is very finely, and the prothorax and 

 elytra densely, j)unctate. In my specimens there is a sensitive pore 

 from which proceeds a seta, located on the lateral margin just behind 

 the anterior angle. In the male the fourth antennal joint is slightly 

 thickened and longer than the fifth; in the female the fourth and fifth 

 joints are equal. In length this species measures from 3 to '6.6''-'''''. 



A NEW WHEAT PEST. 



(Sciara tritici ii. sji.) 



By U. W. COQUILLETT. 



Prom observations made both in this couutrj^ and in Europe it 

 appears that the larva^ of the different species of Sciara feed principally 

 upon vegetable matter in a greater or less state of decay, their favorite 

 haunts being beneath the loose dead bark of various kinds of trees, in 

 the deserted burrows of wood-boring larvie, in decaying wood, par- 

 tially decayed galls, under excrements, in mushrooms, etc. In this 

 country a single species is known to infest apples i^reviously attacked 

 by the larviie of the Codling moth, and by burrowing through the par 

 tially decayed portion, to thereby hasten the decomposition of the more 



"Ph. albionica has been very generally confused in literature with jJusiUa, which 

 was not separated as a distinct species until 1889. The latter is the commoner 

 species. 



