70 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



INSECTS OF THE YEAR. 



BY H. T. FERNALD. 



During the year 1909 insects were abundant, but no serious 

 outbreak of any one species was noted. Average losses were the 

 rule, and in some cases there was less destruction than usual. 



Eor several years the elm-leaf beetle (Galerucella luteola 

 Mull.) has been increasing in abundance and attracting more 

 attention. During 1909 its work was evident over quite a large 

 part of the State, and this has led to attempts to control it by 

 legislation. Under these circumstances an outline of its history 

 in the State may not be out of place. 



Just when this insect reached Massachusetts is unknown, but 

 as it came from the south, and was found in Amherst in 1895, 

 it is probable that it entered the State by the Connecticut valley 

 a year or two earlier. At first it was not abundant enough to 

 attract much attention, but by 1899 it had begun to be noticeable 

 on the elms there, had also reached the eastern part of the State 

 aud was working northward. Two years later it had become 

 injuriously abundant in eastern Massachusetts, and in 1902 it 

 was becoming a pest in the northeastern part of the State, though 

 elsewhere its injuries seemed to be less, on the whole, than they 

 had been the year before. 



The beetles appeared abundantly the spring of 1903 and laid 

 many eggs. About the first of May, however, a prolonged 

 drought began, lasting nearly eight weeks. During this period 

 many of the egg masses failed to hatch, and some, at least, ap- 

 peared to dry up, while in many cases where the eggs hatched 

 Ili(! liny grubs could be seen l)iling at the leaves hardened by 

 the drought, but failing to make any impression on tlieui. The 

 mortality of these insects under llie circumstances was enor- 

 mous, and the amount of injury comparatively small. The fol- 



