106 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [April, 



DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SIVIITH, ScD., New Brunswick, N. J. 



Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor. Prof J<jhi> 

 B. Smith, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N.J. 



The Flour Moth in Mexico.— Since the discovery of the flour moth^ 

 Ephestia kuelmiella Zell., in bran, meal and cakes in the Mexican exhibit 

 at the World's Fair (" Insect Life," vol. vi, p. 221), we have suspected its- 

 presence in Mexico, but have had no positive information regarding it. I 

 am now (March 5, 1896) in receipt of a package of matted flour from a 

 flouring-mill in Saltillo, Mexico, which is literall}' alive with larvae and 

 pupae of the flour moth. The insect has been established in the mill (or 

 over a year, and is an alarming pest. The climate is so even there is- 

 little or no difference in the attack at any time of the year. It infests all 

 parts of the mill, but is most troublesome in spouts, elevator legs, puri- 

 fiers and hoppers.— VV. G. Johnson, Urbana, HI. 



The Hymenopterous Parasite of the Angonmois Grain Moth.— In the year 

 1S83, Mr. F. M. Webster described a parasite of the Angoumois grain 

 moth {Sitotroga {Gelechia) cereal ella Ol.), giving it the name Pteromaliis- 

 gelechicz {\2W\ Rept. St. Ent. 111. p. 151). The subfamily to which this- 

 species belongs, Pteromalinae, contains many minute forms of very similar 

 appearance and difficult to separate. Recently parasites were reared at 

 the Department of Agriculture from moth-infested corn from Sharpsburg, 

 Texas, which have been compared by Mr. Ashmead with a series in the 

 National Museum from Europe identified as Dibrachys boiicheantis Ratz. 

 and pronounced by him to be indistinguishable from that species. Furtixr 

 comparison with one of Mr. Webster's types, kindly loaned by Prof. 

 Forbes, and with much other material bred from this moth, shows all of 

 the.se parasites to belong to one and apparently the same species. 



Mr. Ashmead expects soon to give the Pteromalinae the careful study 

 that they deserve, and it is to be hoped that he will find characters for the 

 separation of the grain moth species from the European boucheanus since 

 the former is undoubtedly a primary parasite of Sitoiroga and has always 

 been considered a very useful auxiliary in the reduction of its grain-de- 

 stroying host, while the latter, according to Brischke, is invariably hyper- 

 parasitic, preying upon the true parasites of such pernicious species as the 

 gypsy moth. Indeed, it was originally described from material bred from 

 a Microgaster living upon that moth, and, if it has continued as active, as- 

 noted by its describer, must be placed in the category of injurious .species. 

 Ratzeburg observed (Ichn. Forstins, 1844, vol. i, p. 196) that this was the 

 most abundant of all the parasites of the gypsy moth, and that from the 

 clusters of Microgaster cocoons only about half of the Microgasters. 

 issued. 



