77 



ARTICLE I.— ON NEW AND IMPERFECTLY KNOWN STRAW- 

 BERRY INSECTS. 



1. Note on the Life Histcky of the Stkawberry Slug. 



(EmpJiytus maculatus, Norton.) 



Order Hymenoptera. Family Tenthredinid^. 



(Plate VIL Fig. I.) 



In my article on strawberry insects, published in my report for 

 1883, I found myself obliged to leave in doubt an important point 

 in the life history of this insect owing to the conflict of observa- 

 tions as reported by previous writers on this species. 



In the fullest and most authoritative article upon it, that by Mr. 

 Riley in his Ninth Report as State Entomologist of Missouri, the 

 statement is made that it is double brooded, the adult flies of the 

 first brood appearing by the end of June and the beginning of July. 

 "Under the influence of July weather," he says, "the whole process 

 of egg depositing, etc., is rapidly repeated, and the second brood of 

 worms descend into the earth during the fore part of August, and 

 form their cocoons, in which they remain in the caterpillar state 

 through the fall, winter, and early spring months, till the middle of 

 April following, when they become pupae and flies again as related.'' 



On the other hand the observations of Mr. Saunders, made in 

 London, Ontario,* those of Mr. Galusha and Miss Smith, in Central 

 Ilhnois, as reported in the Transactions of the State Horticultural 

 Society, and the statements of Prof, French, in Southern Illinois, 

 published in the same Transactions ; together with those of 

 Miss Alice B. Walton, relating to the life history of this species 

 in the latitude of Muscatine, Iowa ; — all report the absence of 

 a second brcod, or report their failure to detect it, the dates 

 given by Mr. Saunders being, in fact, inconsistent with it.t The 

 point thus left in uncertainty is practically the most important in 

 the life history of this insect, since if two broods occur (the second 

 appearing after the fruit is gathered), the multiplication of the 

 species may be easily and cheaply arrested by the application of 



♦Fourth Report of the Ontario Entomological Society, page 18. 

 t For these references see my report for 1883, p. 71. 



