66 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION Bui. 112 



progress was made and a paper giving the results of the studies 

 has been published in the Journal of Agricultural Research. 



As a result of our studies it now seems clear that this insect 

 is present in greater or less numbers every year and that there is 

 probably some unsuspected damage done each season. During the 

 spring of 1916 very little damage was reported. This further verifies 

 our previous experience, which is that the army cutworm does not 

 generally appear in very destructive numbers two years in succession. 



From reports and specimens which have been sent to us this 

 fall (1916) it is feared that some parts of the State will again be 

 visited by these cutworms in the spring of 1917. From two localities 

 in central Montana we have information that the very small cut- 

 worms were very abundant in October and that fall-planted wheat 

 was completely eaten up. If further study of the situation indicates 

 it to be desirable, warnings will be sent out in the spring. 



THE WHEAT SHEATH MINER 

 {CereJonta femoralis Meigen) 



It is impossible to say at the present time how important the 

 wheat sheath miner will become in Montana. There is almost no 

 literature concerning it. 



This insect is widely distributed in the State, but we have 

 definite information regarding serious damage in only one locality 

 in Missoula County. In one field of wheat it was found by actual 

 count that 95 per cent of the plants were more or less injured, while 

 an adjoining field of oats had 12 per cent damage. What we now 

 know about this insect seems to indicate that it is a species which 

 continues in destructive numbers year after year. 



During the past two years an assistant, Mr. H. L. Seamans, 

 has worked out the life history and habits of this important insect 

 quite completely and a paper on the subject has recently been 

 submitted for publication. 



SUGAR-BEET ROOT-LOUSE 

 (Pemphigus betae Doane) 

 Extensive experiments in the control of the sugar-beet root- 

 louse by irrigation were carried on at Huntley, under the Adams 

 Fund. This is the third year that the work has been pursued and 

 the results continue to be very satisfactory. It has been found that 



