179 



thoracic segment; and ou a iiuinber of larvjB lefeiTcd to form 2 received 

 from J. C Ilostetter in 1883 occurred a muuber of larvie apparently 

 identical with the last, all fastened to the under side of the body close to 

 the head of the host larva. 



In the article in the Annual Report for 1884, alreiuly cited, Mr. Web- 

 ster mentions having- observed one of these larvai (N'ematm) with what 

 appeared to be a species of Ophioii that had just i)unctured it with its 

 ovipositor and remained still attached to it. In the attempt to capture 

 them the parasites escaped and the larva fell to the ground and was 

 not found. A larva was found also with the eggs of a dipterous para- 

 site fastened to the thoracic segments. 



Bemediex. — The fact that these Saw-fly larvfB pass the winter in the soil 

 near their food-])lants or in the base of the stalks will insure, in the case 

 of wheat and other small grains, the destruction of most of them by fall 

 or spring plowing. In the case of timothy and other grasses there is 

 opportunity for multiplication of these insects from year to year, and it 

 is entirely within the bounds of possibility that they may become abun- 

 dant enough to effect considerable damage or to spread in injurious 

 numbers to adjacent grain fields. In this event plowing and rotation 

 of crops will be the remedy. 



THE IMPORTATION OF A HESSIAN FLY PARASITE FROM EUROPE. 



By 8. A. Forbes, Champaign, III. 



Sir: According to my promise I submit the following account of a 

 recent experiment, begun at your instance and with material furnished 

 by you, for the transfer of a European parasite of the Hessian Fly to the 

 United States. 



In accordance with arrangements made by telegraph, I received from 

 you May G a package of Hessian Fly puparia, said to have been parasi- 

 tized by the European species SemioteUiis nigripes, and with this pack- 

 age a letter from you asking me to take charge of and liberate the 

 parasites in an inclosure of infested wheat with an idea of introducing 

 the species. A second i)ackage came two days later accompanied by a 

 letter of advice from your assistant, Mr. Howard. 



I had growing at the time under gauze, but otherwise in the open 

 air, a small plot of badly infested wheat 2^ by 3 feet, in very fortu- 

 nate condition for the experiment. This wheat had been transplanted 

 IMarch 20 from a field near Roodlumse, in Morgan County, for use in 

 making observations on the life-history of the Hessian Fly, and contained 

 when transferred large numbers of the insect in the hibernating pupa- 

 rium. Male and female adults had begun to appear in the inclosure by 

 April 1, and these transformations continued to May 13, the greater 

 number of them occurring about April 20, when, for a few days, more 



