30 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



however, for many fields of spring wheat and fall wheat, as well 

 as of other grains, were damaged. 



This is one of the species about which we need more information 

 "and research is now being conducted under the Adams fund. 



THE COLOEADO POTATO BEETLE 

 In view of the urgent feeling of necessity for producing as much 

 food material as possible this season, the unusual abundance of 

 the common potato beetle was especially noticeable. Early in the 

 season before the new plants had broken through the ground the 

 adult beetles, which had passd the winter in hibernation in the 

 soil, were much in evidence and when the young plants appeared 

 they were set upon at once. Many people in the State resorted to 

 hand picking and in view of the desirability of prompt action and 

 the scarcity of insecticides it was probably the best thing that could 

 be done on small patclies. Large fields are not generally attacked 

 by enough of the adults in the early spring to do serious harm to 

 the plants. This is explained by the fact that the beetles congregate 

 from the surrounding territory and the larger the field the larger the 

 number of plants for them to spread out upon. When the larvae 

 or slugs appeared later in the season it became evident that we 

 were confronted by an unusual abundance of these insects. Steps 

 had already been taken to aid the farmers in -having available a 

 supply of poison and attention was called to the fact through the 

 press that arsenite of zinc, which was cheaper and entirely satis- 

 factory, was available in place of Paris green and arsenate of lead, 

 both of which contain chemicals of much importance in the war 

 industries. 



A LTTTUE KNOWIN STEM MAGGOT OF WHEAT 



One of the most interesting features of the season's work was 

 the occurrence in May of a maggot in the stems of young winter 

 wheat plants at a number of widely separated points in Montana. 

 Specimens were sent in with inquiries and maggots were reared 

 in the insectary with the result that a very unusual fly was secured. 

 The specimens were examined by Dr. J. M. Aldrich, a specialist in 

 the Diptera, who found them to be Hijleinyia cereali.% (Gillette), an 

 insect which Professor Gillette reared from wheat in Colorado and 

 about which he wrote very briefly in Bulletin 94 of the Colorado 

 Experiment Station, December, 1904, pp. 14, 15. 



