268 
ing of lighted torches through the fields at night and the building of bonfires at 
different points, with the view of attracting the leaf-hoppers to death in the flames. 
The Diedrocephalus flavipes which you send in was first described by Prof. Riley in 
The American Entomologist (Vol. 1, p.78). This is the species which damaged 
wheat fields in Texas, as above mentioned, in 1876. No remedial measures are given 
in connection with the description.—[ December 19, 1893.] 
The Egyptian Icerya in Australia. 
You will be interested to hear that a short time ago Mr. W. W. Froggatt, of Syd- 
ney, sent me a number of Coccids, amongst which was one which I can not identify 
as anything else than Icerya egyptiaca Douglas. The characteristic curling waxy 
processes were present; the antennz agree exactly with the figures of Douglas and 
Insect LIFE; the feet agree; the hairs and spinnereta of the body agree; and the 
color of the insect agrees (although to my eyes it is rather ‘‘red” than ‘‘ orange”; 
butthat is unimportant). The only discrepancy is that Douglas gives the length 
as one-fifth inch; my specimens are rather more than one-tenth inch; yet they are 
adult, having antenne of eleven joints, but early adults not having formed ovisacs. 
I do not attach them to J. montserratensis, as the last antennal joint is shorter than 
the three preceding. 
Among the specimens were some of the second stage 2, with 9-jointed antenne. 
Neither you nor Douglas described this. 
It was my impression that perhaps these insects had been brought from Egypt to. 
Australia in plants or flowers by steamer passengers who might have staid at Cairo 
or Alexandria. But on asking Mr. Froggatt to get me some more, he says in reply: 
“JT will try to get out to where I found them, but it is a rather awkward place unless 
one makes a special trip for it; it is rather a settled district with old orchards. 
within a mile or so; but they were quite in the bush and pretty plentiful.” This 
seems to point to an indigenous habitat. May this also perhaps be an Australian 
Icerya? 
I venture to send you this note as I see J. egyptiaca has been found in India. It 
will be important to recollect that there is a rather large trade in horses from Aus- 
tralia to India, and the insect could readily have been carried in the numerous 
steamers plying in it.—[W. M. Maskell, New Zealand, October 22, 1893. 
Damage by Locusts in Colorado. 
* * * Locusts have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of destruction; 
mostly in alfalfa and potatoes, and injuring wheat, oats, and barley, and orchards. 
They roosted in all varieties of trees to some extent, but, having abundance of the 
two first named plants to eat, they fed mostly on them; but to some extent they are 
omnivorous. They ate the leaves of apples (leaving the main rib) and girdled the 
limbs of plums, and in some cases the bodies of three-year olds, and cut off the 
leaves during the night and cloudy cool days. 
Hopper dozers were used, and bran and Paris green, but these devices proved of 
little use, as the hatching in numbers was nearly continuous until late in Septem- 
ber, and at this date there are quite young ones mixed with old ones. There has. 
been also, every variety ever seen or heard of in color and size.—[E. H. Benton, 
Colorado, October 3, 1895. 
Concerning Spider-egg Parasites. 
Argiope argentata, the most beautiful of the many species of Argiope here, is very 
common on the Island of Catalina and the coast ranges on the mainland. 
Its cocoons may be found in abundance on the common Opuntia engelmanni, in the 
months of August and September, and in examining them I found a large number of 
them parasitized. Of those gathered on the Island over 60 per cent were affected 
—— 
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