98 



June 20 and July 5 there was an assorted variety of weather; rain, 

 hail, cyclonic wind storms, and other similar manifestations followed in 

 rapid succession. On July 5, when I again visited the fields, I did not 

 find a single colony of Aphis cucumeris on either melon or cucumber^ 

 nor have I found more than an isolated specimen here and there since 

 that time. This state of affairs exists all over the truck region of the 

 State, and none of the hundreds of melon and cucumber fields exam- 

 ined showed any trace of injury by the Aphids. So far as my observa- 

 tions go, I am now inclined to believe that the Ajihid has an alternate 

 food-plant on which is passed the period between August 1, when it 

 usually disappears from the cucurbs, and June 15, when it reappears 

 on them. This is a belief without much observation to support it, and 

 is i)ut forth as a suggestion merely. 



Epilachna horeaiifi, larva and imago, has increased steadily in the last 

 years, and now ranks as an annoying pest, even slightly injurious locally. 

 While it is phytophagic in all active stages, the young larvte show a 

 somewhat carnivorous tendency. I have noticed on several occasions 

 that the first one or two larva^ from an egg cluster would eat into every 

 unhatched egg in the group before attacking the leaf. 



Diahrotica vitfata does comparatively little injury with us. It is 

 abundant enough, but is amenable to discipline in the form of plaster, 

 with or without Paris green. Abundant as is the imago on all cucurbs^ 

 I have as yet found l)nly a single larva on all the i^lants I have sliced 

 up. I have seen traces of its work in some instances in the form of 

 channels eaten in the bark of the root; but it certainly is not injurious 

 in this stage in New Jersey. I have pulled up dozens of wilting canta- 

 loupes and many more squash vines and have carefully examined them, 

 yet I have found only a single larva, and in no case was the wilting 

 caused by it. Do the larva? ])erhaps have another food-plant? A 

 grower at Esopus, on the Hudson, destroys many of the beetles by 

 sending a man through his patch morning or evening to collect the 

 closed male fiowers, in which the insects hide, often in large numbers. 



There has been another appearance of the larva of Phytonomiis punc- 

 tattis, the Clover-leaf Beetle, threatening serious injury; but it was 

 again checked by the fungous disease that destroyed so large a propor- 

 tion of the specimens in 1890 and 1891. 



The Entomologist has not been overwhelmed with novelties, but he 

 considers that he has work ahead for another season at least, even if 

 nothing new turns up. 



Mr. Howard stated that the new asparagus beetle, CHoceris 12-punc- 

 fatus, seems to be spreading very slowly. He also expressed astonish- 

 ment that the Eose Chafer did not yield to the effect of pyrethro-kero- 

 sene emulsion in view of the statement of Prof. Cook in 1891. 



Mr. Webster thought it little use to attempt to fight this pest with 

 insecticides, which only killed, and did not protect from continued at- 

 tack. It seemed to matter little how many were destroyed, as their 



