2^2. ENTOMOLOGICAL XEWS. [July, 'l8 



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

 had no appreciable effect in decreasing 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" ; Macrosiphum pisi is espe- 

 cially mentioned. Experimental work to destroy the insects took 

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

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

 "Empusa aphidis Hoffman, is killing aphids in great numbers, but ap- 

 parently only in limited areas." The same Macrosiphum is doina: 

 considerable damage to later pole varieties of peas in Louisiana. 



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

 rainless spring," Macrosiphum creelii 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 (Aphis 

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

 aphis {A. rumicis 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 jormicarius Fab.) in flight are recorded, although it is believed 

 not to fly long distances. Another weevil, which attacks this plant in 

 Jamaica, has been found on Calonyction aculeatum and Ipomoea pes- 

 caprae at Moore Haven, in extreme southern Florida. It is Euscepes 

 porceUus Boh., ver\' closely related to the so-called sweet potato 

 "scarabee" (E. batafae). 



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 they 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." 



