The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE BANE AND ANTIDOTE. 

 The Army Worm and Moth and Its Deadly Enemy. 



In 1888 Mr. Fletcher, in his address to 

 the Entomological Society of Ontario, 

 referred to the army worm (Leucania uni- 

 pacta) as being common in Canada, but 

 rarely causing serious damage. He said : 



A fact which has frequently been obser- 

 ved with regard to these caterpillars, and 

 one which gives great comfort, is that 

 whenever they increase largely in numbers, 

 they are invariably checked by the appear- 

 ance of friendly parasitic insects. It must 

 be remembered that all insects are not 

 injurious, but on the other hand that many 

 are very beneficial, preying upon and 

 destroying injurious kinds. These belong 

 to different natural orders * * * Of the 

 Diptera or two-winged flies, there are 

 several species of Tachina flies, which 

 closely resemble our common house flies. 

 These lay their eggs on the surface of the 

 they 



Fig. 991. — Army worm (Leucania un- 



ipacta), about natural size. 



a, male moth ; b, abdomen of female ; 



c, eye ; d, pupa ; e, caterpillar. 



skin of the caterpillar, to which 

 adhere firmly. When the young mag- 

 got hatches, it eats its way through the 

 skin into the body of its host and thrives 

 at its expense. 



In July last Prof Panton, of the O.A.C. 

 Guelph, found the army worm in great 

 abundance in the vicinity of Port Col- 

 borne ; and also Guelph. Every green 

 thing was being devoured along the path 

 of the army of worms which, however. 



Fig. 992— Yellow-tailed Tachina-fly (Exor- 

 ista flavicauda), which is parasitic on 

 the army worm, (Double natural size.) 



had then nearly closed their campaign for the present season. 



KieffeP a Good Market Pear. — It is lemarkable that the only pear that 

 is exhibited freely on the fruit stands of Philadelphia, during midwinter, is the 

 Kieffer. This is in abundance everywhere. Whatever critics may say of their 

 quality, somebody likes them, as they sell freely. A good point with them is 

 that they do not rot easily by handling, as other pears do. They rank with the 

 apple in this respect. — Meehans' Monthly. 



