MICROBIAL DISEASES OF INSECTS 945 



forms producing local lesions and typical fruit bodies. Thaxter has 

 described and figured a great number of these species. 



OTHER MICROBIAL DISEASES* 



A new saccharomycete, Monosporella unicuspidata, n.g. and n.sp., 

 was found by Keilin to be parasitic in the body cavity of the ceratopog- 

 noid larva (Dasyhelea obscura) which usually lives in the thick brown 

 sap that fills the infected wounds of elm or horse chestnut. 



Paillot describes five species of coccobacilli which infect the cater- 

 pillar of Pieris brassica, namely, B. pieris fluorescens, B. pieris lique- 

 faciens, B. pieris non-liquefaciens a and B. non-liquefaciens ft and B. 

 pieris agilis. 



Three new bacteria parasitic in the caterpillar of the gipsy-moth 

 have also been described by Paillot. One of these resembles B. lyman- 

 tria of Picard and Blanc, the other two are Diplococcus lymantria, a 

 species quite different from that of Hanneton, which causes a very 

 energetic phagocytosis to take place in the blood of the insect but is 

 not very pathogenic, and Bacillus liparis which resembles Bad. 

 diphtheria morphologically. This last named organism also induces 

 a very active phagocytosis, but is more pathogenic than D. lymantrice. 



A silk worm disease in Japan is produced by a spore-forming organ- 

 ism Bacillus sotto ("Sotto" is a Japanese term signifying "sudden 

 decay "), the ill effects of which are due to a toxin which largely remains 

 fixed in the organism and in the spores. Atoxogenic strains of this 

 bacillus occur which can be distinguished from toxogenic strains neither 

 culturally nor through immunization. (Aoki and Chigasaki). 



Paillot has found the cockchafer to be susceptible to many varieties 

 and races of coccobacilli which cause septicemias. Four types of 

 B. melolontha are found, one a liquefying type, the other three non- 

 liquefying. In about 30 per cent of the septicemias caused by B. 

 melolontha a secondary infection occurs. Three different associated 

 diseases have been studied, due (i) to B. melolonthce nonliquefaciens ft 

 and a Gram-positive diplococcus, Diplococcus melolontha, (2) to B. 

 melolontha liquefaciens and Diplococcus melolonthae, and (3) to B. 

 melolontha liquefaciens and a large sporulating bacillus, B. hoplo- 

 sternus. B. hoplosternus is very pathogenic for the cockchafer and the 

 caterpillars of Vanessa urtica, Euproctis chrysorrhea, Chelonia caja, 



* Prepared by Z. Northrup Wyant. 

 60 



