56 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



of the insects affecting stored' grains and vegetable products is of 

 prime importance, but at present no funds are available for such work. 



DIPTEEA 



Mosquitoes {Culicidae). More than the usual number of let- 

 ters were received desiring information about mosquitoes. Their 

 importance as carriers of disease is becoming more pronounced each 

 year and in view of this fact special attention was given to the col- 

 lecting of them during the past summer. Many hundreds were col- 

 lected and it is hoped that they may soon be studied and named. 



Marguerite Fly {.Phytomyza lateralis Fall.). Much injury 

 was caused in a Helena greenhouse by the larvae of this fly mining 

 in the foliage of marguerites. It occasionally does considerable 

 injury in eastern greenhouses and its appearance in Montana adds 

 another pest to our rapidly increasing list. 



Cabbage Maggots QPegomya brassicae Bouche). Cabbage 

 maggots were reported in many parts of the State. This pest is 

 decidedly on the increase in Montana. 



The Currant Fly (Epochra canadensis Loew). Inquiries for 

 methods of controlling this pest were very numerous but none 

 could be given for no sure remedy is known. Its life history under 

 our conditions was worked out during the past summer and in time 

 we hope to be able to recommend control measures. 



COLEOPTERA 



(Silpha bituherosa Lee). A beet field near Billings was 

 badly injured by the black slug-like larvae of this beetle and slight 

 damage was worked in nearly all of the beet fields. The badly 

 injured field bordered on a strip of land whce Solanum triflotum 

 was growing profusely. This weed is the native food plant of the 

 beetle and upon it they were feeding and breeding in large numbers. 

 The colony was exterminated by spraying the weeds and adjoining 

 beets with Paris green. 



Wire Worms (Elateridae) . Click beetles, the parents of wire 

 worms, are very common in Montana and it is not surprising that 

 each year brings reports of injury by them. We have collected a 

 large number of species of click beetles and they are now being 

 named by an expert in this group of insects. 



