12 First Report on Economic Zoology. 



TPvEAT.AIENT. 



Soot and lime have been found of some benefit. The chief thing 

 to do, however, is to treat the land with gas-lime during the autumn 

 and winter to kill the hibernating insects, then in the puparium 

 stage in the soil, and so prevent their doing damage another year. 



On the Continent some good is said to have been done by 

 applying superphosphate of lime as a preventative. 



Treatment with gas-lime is the only certain way of lessening 

 these pests on a large scale. 



The three small caterpillars were probably non-injurious. 



Chafer Larvse. 



{Mdolontliidcc. ) 



Several enquuies have been made at the Board of Agriculture 

 during the past summer concerning Chafer larvae, the so-called 

 White Grubs. From Ferryside, South Wales, the grubs of the 

 Garden Chafer or Cock-y-bonddu {Phyllopertha liorticola, L.) were sent 

 on June 20tli. They were reported as Antler Moth caterpillars 

 (Charceas graminis, L.). The Cock-y-bonddu is apparently the common 

 Welsh chafer, for nearly all the larvae examined have proved to be 

 this species ; the attack seems to have been fairly general in Wales 

 this year. The Summer Chafer {Rhizotrorjus solstitialis, L.) has also 

 done much damage in many parts of Great Britain. From Launceston 

 they were especially reported as damaging pastiu'e land, also from 

 Wye. 



By far the most abundant species, however, has been the Cock- 

 chafer {Melolontha vulgaris, Fabr.), which has occuiTed this summer 

 in large numbers in the following localities : Wetherby, York, 

 Chester, Lytham, Southwell, Pewsey, Eoydon, Limpsfield, Croydon, 

 Tooting, Highgate, St. Leonards, Catford and Wye. 



The brood appeared from the first to the thiixl week in June. The 

 Summer Chafer {R. solstitialis) has occiuTed as adults at Wye, the 

 brood occurring from the third week in July to the end of August. 

 In districts wheie these broods are recorded we shall now know 

 when to expect the next brood of beetles and so be prepared to take 

 steps to collect them wholesale as soon as they appear. In this way 

 only can any real good be done in districts where these Chafer larvse 

 are harmful. Full information regarding these pests is given in 

 the revised leaflet No. 25 of the Board. 



