2'J2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [July,'l8 



than the severe winter of 1917-18. The past winter is thought to have 

 had no appreciable effect in decreasin;? or retarding the appearance of 

 the tent-caterpillar near Washington, D. C. 



Aphids. — "A few warm days in early April followed by a cool 

 rainy April and a cool May have resulted in the most serious out- 

 break of aphids that western Oregon has experienced in recent years. 

 Practically no type of crop or plant has escaped infestation and in the 

 majority of cases the attack is extreme"; Macrosiplium pisi is espe- 

 cially mentioned. Experimental work to destroy the insects took 

 several forms. A wooden drag. 10 feet long, 18 inches wide, pulled 

 In- a horse through 12 acres captured 140 pounds of aphids. A fungus, 

 ' Einpusa aphidis Hoffman, is killing aphids in great numbers, but ap- 

 parently only in limited areas." The same Macrosiplium is doing 

 considerable damage to later pole varieties of peas in Louisiana. 



"After an unusually mild and open winter, followed by a cool and 

 rainless spring," Macrosiplinin crcclii appeared in great numbers on 

 alfalfa near Fernley, Nevada. The rosy apple aphis is unusually abun- 

 dant in the Rogue River valley, Oregon, and has done injury to apples 

 in West Virginia ; the green peach aphis, Myzus persicae, is abundant 

 at Wenatchee, Washington. Complaints of the melon aphis (Apliis 

 gossypii) come from California, Texas and Alabama, of the bean 

 aphis (A. runiicis L.) from California, Ohio and New Jersey. In 

 New Jersey, "the rosy apple aphis and other aphids of the orchard, 

 especially Aphis pomi. received such a severe set back from the April 

 snow and sleet storm that injuries are inconsequential." Apple aphids 

 "are relatively scarce" in Connecticut. The non-appearance of aphids 

 at Wichita, Kansas, up to May 16, is noted as unusual ; they "are very 

 scarce throughout the entire western part of Michigan." 



Sweet Potato Weevils. — Observations on the Sweet Potato Weevil 

 (Cylas fnrwicavins Fab.) in flight are recorded, although it is believed 

 not to fiv long distances, .\nother weevil, which attacks this plant in 

 Jamaica, has been found on Calonyction acuJcatum and Ipomoca pcs- 

 caprac at Moore Haven, in extreme southern Florida. It is Buscepcs 

 porcellus Boh., very closely related to the so-called sweet potato 

 "scarabee" (H. hatafac). 



Control of the Colorado potato beetle in Louisiana appears to be 

 succeeding. 



Damage by the chinch bug in Texas will depend much on weather 

 conditions; in some counties ttiey are very abundant. 



In May, in York County, Alaine. Lachnosterna tristis "visited 

 shade trees in such numbers that their flight made a noise that 

 exceeds that of a dozen swarms of bees ... a very unusual 

 record for Maine." 



