182 



THE AMERICAN 



s The Hedgre-Hogr Caterpillar — Huron Burt, Wil- 



^itamsimy. Mo. — The large caterpillar, covered witli stifl 



blaick hairs on each end, and with reddish hairs in the 



middle of the body, is the larva of the Isabella Tiger 



[FiK. 1120 



Colors— (a) Brown and black ; (t) browji ; (c) dull orange and black. 

 Moth {,4r£ti(k_ Jsahella, J lilbn ■ ) The moth is of a dull 

 orange color, with the front wings variegated with 

 dusky, and spotted with black, and the hind wings 

 somewhat lighter and also with black spots . The eater- 

 pillar is one of those which passes the winter as a cater- 

 pillar, rolling itself up like a hedge-hog, and seeking 

 some sheltered place. In the spring it becomes active 

 and ' ' feeds up ' ' on the lirst green blades of grass which 

 it can obtain, after which it undergoes its transforma- 

 tions in the usual manner. These worms cannot be con- 

 sidered injurious, and the supposition that they cause 

 the fever, whence they are called ' ' Fever-worms ' ' in 

 your locality, is of course unfounded and erroneous. 

 A much larger and entirely black prickly worm (larva 

 oi Ecpantheria serlhonia, Hiibn.), and closely allied to it, 

 which occurs quite abundantly in the southern swamps, 

 is likewise dubbed ' • Fever-worm " ' by the negroes, 

 under similar false impressions of its injurious powers. 

 As the niia.sma of the swamps induces ague, and as IMs 

 worm is found abundantly in such situations, the tvi'o 

 circumstances have doubtless been associated through 

 ignorance, and some Ethiopean, right from Dixie, has 

 perhaps perpetuated the name in your vicinity, by 

 applying it to our more northern Hedge-hog Cater- 

 pillar. The Isaliella Tiger Moth is illustrated at Figure 

 112, a giving a back view of the larva, I the cocoon cut 

 open so as to show the chrysalis, and c the moth. Tin: 

 beetles which you found under the bark of a fence 

 rail, may be known by the name of the Sleek Horinus 

 ~\-(Hormus Imns, Oliv.) They feed on rotting wood. 

 Cbick-iveed Geometer— >/. Suggins, Woodbum, 

 Ills. —The pretty little orange moth marked with pink, 

 is the common Chick-weed Geometer (Emnuitoins gra- 

 taria, Fabr.), the transformations of which were first 

 described iu the First Missouri Entomological Report, 

 where you will find the insect figured. The many- 

 legged animal is Cennatia forceps, and is common in 

 houses in this latitude. You will find your Canker- 

 worm queries answered iu the Second Missouri Report. 

 Of course you are right about the absurdity of the sul- 

 phur remedy. 



Bean-Tireevil — Geo. W. Copley, Alton, Ills. — The 

 weevils which infest your beans are In reality the very 

 same Obsolete Bean-weevil [Brucktls olsoletus. Say) 

 spoken of on pages 118 and VS> of this volume. "We 

 have lately been informed by Mr. J. F. Wielandy, of 

 Jefferson City, Mo., that his father, who is a i^esident 

 of your county, has been much troubled with the same 

 pest. The little case in the cartridge box is the larva- 

 case of a small narrow-winged moth, belonging, in all 

 probability, to the genus Solenolia, and closely resem- 

 bling that of Solenohia Walshella, Clem. We cannot 

 believe that it gouged out the twig of the Bartlett pear; 

 but incline to the opinion that this gouging was done by 

 some other insect, and that the case-bearer simply took 

 shelter in the hollow, to gain protection from the win- 

 ter's blasts. The species has never been bred, and we 

 should be glad to have you send us as many cases as 

 you can find. The pretty little leaf-beetle, bearing 

 some resemblance to the 12-Spotted Diabrotica is Cero- 

 toma caminea, Fabr. Attaciis n/nthia in the moth you 

 may send us. 



Bag-^vorni at South Pass, Ills. — G. E. Baker, 

 Sotdli Pass, Ills. — Your insects on Black Spruce, are 

 the notorious Bag- worm, for an account of which see 

 pp. 35-8 of the present volume. The fact of their occur- 

 ring in your locality is an entirely new one, for we have 

 never noticed the insect during our visits there; nor 

 have we ever heard of its occurring there before. In 

 all probability it is yet confined to your grounds, and 

 upon reading the article referred to above, you will at 

 once perceive how important it is to the South Pass 

 community, that you search for and destroy every one 

 that can be found. A single follicle was, in all proba- 

 bility, originally introduced into your grounds upon 

 spruces from some distant nursery. 



Injured Pear Roots— tf. Pauls, Mureha, Mo. — 

 The corrugated pear roots bear no trace of insect work. 

 We can throw no light ou the subject. Perhaps the 

 appearance is prodaced by their getting too dry before 

 planting, and thus causing the bark to split open. [ , 



Eggs or Oblong-Twing-ed Katydid — E. D. Ladd, y 

 Lawrence, Kansas. — The eggs which you found on a 

 currant sprout are those of the Oblong- winged Katydid 

 (Phylloptera ollongifolia, DeGeer). 'I'hey occur on a 

 variety of different trees, and differ from those of the 

 common Broad-winged Katydid in being nfirrower iu 

 width but thicker In depth. 



Insects Named — W. II. Patton, Waterbury, Oonn. — 

 -irour insects are: Xo. 1, ChrysocJius auratus, Fabr. (see 

 A. E. I, p. 24!», and 1.1, p. 27); Xo. 2, PolUtesfuscatus, 

 Fabr.; Xo. 3, cJ and $ Galoptermi reticidatum, Fabr. 

 (see A. E. IT, p. 31); Xo. 4, G. terminale. Say. 



TAKE NOTICE. 



All letters, desiriiif; iuforiuation respectinj; duxIuus or other insects, should 

 be accompanied by specimens, the more in number the better. Suc^ speci- 

 mens should always be packed alons with a little cotton, wool, or some such 

 substance, in any little paste-board box thai is of convenient size, and never 

 enclosed loose in (he letter. Botanists like their specimens pressed as tlat as a 

 pancake, but entomologists do not. "Whenever possible, larvjB (i. e. grubs 

 caterpillars, marjeots, etc.) should be packed alive in some tight tin 

 box — the tighter tne bettei^along with a supply of their appropriate food 

 sufficient to last them on their journey; otherwise they generally die on the 

 road and shrivel up to nothing. Along with the specimens send as full an 

 account as possible of the habits of the insect, respecting which you desire 

 information ; for example, what plant or plants it iniests ; whether it destroys 

 the leaves, the buds, the twigs, or the stem ; how long it has been known to 

 you; what amount of damage it has done, etc. Such particulars are often 

 not only of high scientific interest, but of great practical importance. 



0^- Our readers will confer an especial favor by addressing all letters of a 

 business character to tho iiublisher.«, as the editor has no time to attend to 

 such letters. 



i-ii 



