TWENTIETH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 21 



THE HESSIAN FLY 



During the past season it has come to our knowledge that the 

 Hessian fly has appeared in eastern Montana, where it has in some 

 fields taken as high as 30 per cent of the crop. No one can tell what 

 the future of this insect will be in Montana. It has a bad reputa- 

 tion elsewhere. On several occasions the damages in the wheat belt 

 from this insect have amounted to upward of $100,000,000 in a single 

 year. In 1922 the damage to the Iowa wheat crop alone was $1,500,000. 

 From what we have seen already we know that this insect is capable 

 of doing damage which if unchecked would prohibit wheat growing. 

 The State Entomologist has lacked funds to make an adequate survey 

 of the conditions. We do not know how far the insect extends. The 

 nature of the insect is such that the farmer does not know of its 

 presence in many cases. Unless an adequate appropriation is made to 

 this office, the insect will spread, inflict its losses, and the farming 

 public will remain largely in ignorance. The Hessian fly must be 

 studied in each locality in order to know how to control it. So far 

 it has been found in Richland, Roosevelt, Wibaux, and Dawson counties. 



THE JACK PINE SAWFLY 



Lodge pole pines in the vicinity of West Yellowstone in Montana 

 and in Yellowstone National Park were seriously damaged during the 

 summer of 1924 by an insect known as the jack pine sawfly. Wide 

 areas of forest lands have been attacked by this insect, leaving a brown 

 appearance as though swept by fire. The experience with this insect 

 in other states would indicate that it is a pest of much importance 

 but it will probably die out after a few years prevalence. Associated 

 with this insect is the pine leaf tier (species undetermined). 



AN INSECT DESTROYING THE LOCO 

 Dr. Howard Welch, of the veterinary department, brought to the 

 attention of this department an insect very destructive to the loco 

 plant. This proved to be a new species which has recently been de- 

 scribed by Dr. W. Schaus as Epischnia parkerella. This insect is very 

 abundant in Park and Sweet Grass counties where it has in some 

 places, according tb ranchers, been very valuable in ridding their 

 ranges of loco. The insect bores into the crown and stem of the loco 

 plant, causing it to wilt and die. The course of the life history was 



