321 



Do you kuow of any such habit in the States? — [Frazer S. Crawford, Adelaide, 

 South Australia, November 24, 1889. 



Reply. — » - # lu reference to the specimens which you sent. No. 1 is JSitj-i/isc/iia 

 lestophoni Riley MS. No. 2 interests me intensely as it is the first primary Hymenop- 

 terous parasite on Icerya from Australia. I propose to characterize it and name it 

 Ophelosia crawfordi* if you have no objection. It is souiewhat near Dilophogaster, 

 which is a parasite on some allied Coccids, but will have to form a distinct genus. I 

 shall be very glad to get some additional specimens of this for the Museum collection, 

 but particularly should be obliged to you if you could succeed in sending over a box of 

 living specimens with a few Icerya for them to breed on. Bettor still, if you could 

 get a good supply of Icerya from the tree or neighborhood where these were found, 

 the chances would be very good of some of them coming out on the journey, or even 

 after they arrived in California. I should like to have some sent to Mr. Koebele at 

 Alameda, and also some to Mr. Coquillett at Los Angeles. 



The beetle in red pepper is the well-known cosmopolitan Sitodrepa panicea. — [Jan- 

 uary 10, 1890.] 



Proconia uudata Injuring the Vine. 



Inclosed please hnd envelope containing two specimens of an insect ; it is of aver- 

 age size and first made its appearance about ten or fifteen days ago. Its mode of 

 operation is to stick its sucker or bill into the young shoot of the vines and commence 

 to pump. The water of the vine passes immediately through the bug, which can 

 plainly be seen with the eye by holding your hand under it. When it is at work, your 

 hand in about one minute will be covered with water, just about like the morning 

 dew. Its bill is placed near where its head joins its body. It is very destructive to 

 the vine ; the leaves it does not attack, only vines, stems of the leaves, and the stems 

 of the bunches of grapes. Inclosed please find cutting from the vines. The leaves of 

 the vine were also eaten, but by some other insect, as I have failed to find this bug 

 eating the leaves. If there is any remedy for the destruction of them please let me 

 know at once. — [A. B. Daily, San Marcos, Tex., May 10, 1886. 



Reply. — The insect which you send is one of the common leaf hoppers of the vine 

 and is known as Proconia undata. You describe its work very well, and if it appears 

 in suflicient numbers to threaten your vines seriously, it will be well for you to spray 

 them in the heat of the day with an emulsion of kerosene and soap, according to the 

 usual formula. The leaves on being examined showed the appearance of a fungus 

 (PhyUoaticia labriiscce), which produces the rust colored spots. If this fungus ap- 

 pears extensively you will find a remedy in dustiug the vines with sulphur and lime. — 

 [May 17, 1886.] 



* Since described on p. 249 of the current volume. 

 21715—^0. 10 3 



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