110 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



IMPORTED INSECTS AND NATIVE AMERICAN 



INSECTS. 



If wo cxainiiit! into the history, as detailed in 

 a reeeiit number of our Magazine, (pp. 15-22) 

 of tlie Imported Currant Worm and the Native 

 Currant Worm, we shall find a very curious 

 state of things. These two insects both pro- 

 duce Sawflies, which are so closely allied to each 

 other, that although they are referred to dis- 

 tinct genera by Entomologists, it may be 

 doubted whether the genus (Pristiphoi-ci) under 

 which the native species is classified be not a 

 mere subgenus of that under which the im- 

 ported species is classified. Reasoning a priori, 

 therefore, we should expect to find a very great 

 similarity in the destructive powers of these 

 two worms, especially as each of them infests 

 the leaves both of the Red Currant and of the 

 Gooseberry. But what are the actual facts? 

 On the one hand we see a Native American 

 species — which must have existed here from 

 time immemorial, feeding on our wild Goose- 

 berries and perhaps on our wild Red Currant, 

 and which yet lias troubled our tame Goose- 

 berries and tame Red Currants so very slightly, 

 that it cannot be proved with absolute certainty 

 to have ever done so at all, except in Rock 

 Island Co., Ills., and In Scott Co., Iowa.* J 



On the other hand we see a species, only 

 introduced into this country from Europe 

 some twelve years ago, which has already al- 

 most put a stop to the cultivation of the 

 Gooseberry and Red Currant throughout a I 

 large part of the State of New York, the 

 northern borders of Pennsylvania, and the I 

 whole of Canada West, and is slowly but sure- 

 ly extending itself in all directions from the 

 point where it was originally imported. What 

 can be the reason of such a wide differeucc in 

 the noxious powers of two such closely allied 

 insects, feeding on exactly the same plants, but 

 one of them indigenous to America and tbe 



, ink and \>A\Kt . 

 ublishe<lat Min- 

 ihii! paper, that 



other imported into America from Europe? 

 Nor is this the only case of tbe kind. AVc can 

 point out at least three other such cases. The 

 imported Onion-fly {Anthomyia ceparinn), of 

 which we herewith present drawings, (Fig. 72, 

 n, larva, b larva magnified, c fl v magnified,) is a 



[Fig. -i,] 



m^ 



terrible pest to the onion-grower in the East, 

 though it has not yet made its way out West. 

 On the other hand, the Native American Onion- 

 fly (Ortalis arcuata. Walker, Fig. 73,) which is 

 a closely allied species and has almost exactly 



[Fiir. 73.] 



Color— Wliitisli . Color— UhickLsh. 



the same habits, has only been heard of iii ouc 

 or two circumscribed localities in the West, and 

 even there docs comparatively but little dam- 



[Fis 



rolnr— Greenish 



age. Again, the 

 Imported Oyster- 

 shell Bark-louse 

 (Asjiidiotus con- 

 rhiformis, Fig. 74) 

 is a far worse fo6 

 to the Apple and 

 certain other fruit 

 trees than our in- 

 digenous Harris's 

 Bark-louse (Asp. 

 Jlarrisii, Fig. 7.'')) 

 though each of 

 them infests the 

 same species. Fi- 

 ally, the imported 

 Meal-worm beetle 



tl>e iiifnniiatioii he imparls is pcrleclly valueless 

 , and the priustical man may be led astray 

 :KC8teit. 



tn the Entomologist, »uii l 

 bi the remedies siiggcsteit 



ru„ui jMi: VBK3 ( Tenebrio muli- c.iior-Miik-wtiiic- ihc...-s 



i^uHn_^^.n,|a>^n,e , Jl'k'Iwht "^ ^ o 7' ) SWarmS "•>•>""— '-^bWud.r.a: 



rcrieciiy \ aiuei'ess throughout the Avhole United States, and is a 



1 may be led astray i , . ■ ., x, -vt .• » 



great pest; while the Native Ameiicaii species 



