Montana State Library 



3 0864 1004 0621 7 



Thirteenth Annual Report of the State 

 Entomolocjist of Montana 



INSECT PESTS OF 1915 



The amount of damage caused b}' insects in Montana durini; 

 the season of 1915 was greater than in any other year since the 

 office of state entomologist was created. The outstanding feature 

 of the year was tlie abundance of grain pests, the worst of wliich 

 was the army cutworm. This insect aL>ne destroyed at least 10i.),0tH) 

 acres of grain. 



The more imjiortant insects which came to our notice during 

 the year are brieHy discussed and recorded. 



ACARINa 



Leaf Blister Mite {Ki-iophyes ])i/ri Pgst). For several years 

 the leaf blister mite has been increasingly injurious in the apple 

 orchards of the Bitter Root X'alley and during the past season it is 

 reported to have done more damage than any other orchard pest. 



Clover Mite {Bryohia prafensis Garman). Several letters were 

 recei\ed complaining that this mite was inxading houses. In one 

 instance it was reported as injuring clover lawns. 



Red Spider {Teti-anyclnis hiniacitlatus Harvey). In the \-icinity 

 of Flathead Lake red spiders were unusually injurious to raspberries. 



Spotted Fever Tick ( Derm acev for reiuisfris Iianks). One of 

 the striking- features of the season of 1915 was the appearance of 

 this tick in large numbers in eastern Montana where it previouslv 

 had attracted but little attention. A number of cases of spotted 

 fever were also reported for the first time from this locality. 



ORTHOPTERA 



Grasshoppers (.Icridldae). Not a single report of grasshopper 

 injury was received during the season, which is rather remarkable 

 considering the abundance of insects in general. 



Coulee Cricket (Peranahnis scahracollis Thom.). This large, 

 clumsy cricket, which attracted much attention in Washington during 

 the past summer, also appeared in western Montana on the Flathead 

 Reservation. In several places it caused considerable injury. 



HEMIPTERA 

 Capsid injury to wheat {Capsus ater Linn). An unusual injury 



