226 



THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Clover-Troriiis — E. P.'Flaiulers, GaUshurff, Mich. — 

 Tlie larv:c sent, whi(;li arrived in excellent order, and 

 which, as you say, "were found iu myriads in the 

 bottom of a stack consisting partly of clover-hay," are 



Colorg— (1 and 2) brown; (4) honey -yellow ; (5 and C) golden-yellow 

 and brown. 



the veritable Clover-worms, of which vee herewith pre- 

 sent figures in all their stages. Figures 1 and 2 repre- 

 sent the larva, 3 the cocoon, 4 the pupa, 5 and 6 

 the moth, and 7 the -white web in wliieh the worm 

 for the most part lives. The motli is scientifically 

 known as Aaopia costaUs, Fabr. "We copy your de- 

 scription of the way in which this worm operated, 

 as it applies generally to the other ■ instances in 

 which it has been met with. "The hay close to 

 the ground was stuc'k together with a sort of web, 

 and was lilled with white cocoons so thick that, before 

 close inspection, one would pronounce it mouldy. The 

 hay was also literally tilled with their excrement; and 

 after the last load had been removed, the h.ay-rack and 

 , also the baru-tloor was fairly covered with the insect." 

 As you suggest, this is the same worm that was de- 

 scribed by the Senior Editor in the old Praetieal Ento- 

 mologist (vol I p. 82;) but the Junior Editor was the 

 first to breed It to the perfect moth state, and he gave 

 its complete history in the Prairie Farmer(\\>Y. 20, 1867). 

 The moth is one of our prettiest species, being of a 

 redtlish brown color with golden-yellow marldngs and 

 fringe to its wings. 



Raspberry Brand — J. M. Beecher, A'eu'port, Mo.— 

 As you rightly infer, the orange fungus on thoraspberiy 

 leaves which you send, is the same as that which we 

 ' spoke of on page 204 of our last number. "We lately 

 saw a great deal of this fungus and have observed that 

 it is almost entirely confined to the present year's 

 growth of cane, and it has the curious elJect of causing 

 a dozen pale siclily shoots to spring from the ground 

 where but one should properly grow. It furthermore 

 seems to be more than a mere affection of the leaves, 

 for if the shoots which are attacked by it be cut down — 

 no matter how often — the new ones wliich spring up in 

 / their place, are always attacked by the brand . It seems 

 to flourish best in a wet season and on a stiff soil. Ful- 

 ler recommends underdraining to: its prevention. The 

 minute blood-red maggots which were upon the leaves, 

 were not the cause of the brand, but were feeding upon 

 it. They are the larvie of some minute gnat. 



Rose-'CT'arms' — Geo. S. Graver, Warrenslurg , Mo.— 

 The three worms of a pale green color and covered with 

 conspicuous black spots, which were found feeding on 

 a white rose bud, are the larva: of a deep rust-colored 

 moth, the Beliothis marginidens of Guenee, belonging to 

 the same ^euus as the Cotton Boll-worm which we 

 figure in this number. Since the worms were received 

 they have become full grown, and have entered the 

 earth. When full grown this worm is variegated with 

 longitudinal stripes of black, 'white, rust-red or yellow, 

 and looks very different from the immature uniformly 

 black and green worm. In 1867 we bred a number of 

 the moths tfom these rose-feeding larva:, but the same 

 worm is a pretty general feeder, attacking witli ap- 

 parent relish the leaves of the poplar, the willow and 

 the smart-weed. Its injuries are readily checked by 

 hand-piclving. 



Plum-tree Plant-lice — Dr. T. W. Gordon, George- 

 town, OMo — The minute insects, mostly of a pale green 

 color, without wings, but some of them black with wings, 

 which so thickly infest the underside of yoiu- plum leaves, 

 are apparently the common Plum-leaf louse {ApJiis primi- 

 folien, Fitch). The species is very variable , but may at 

 once be distinguished from the Cherry Plant-louse (Aphis 

 cerasi, Linn.) which infests the leaves of the cherry, by 

 tlie paler appearance which they present when assem- 

 bled under the leaves. Plant-lice of different kinds 

 have been very numerous this year, and more especially 

 with us, on flowers and vegetables. They may be killed 

 by a thorough drenching with weak lye, strong soap- 

 suds, tobacco water or cresylic soap; but whatever the 

 solution be. it must toucli the lice, or it otherwise will 

 have no effect. Another most efficient method of 

 clearing large trees of these lice, is that of introduc- 

 ing in their midst a number of their natural enemies, 

 such as the Lady-birds and their larva: (Fig. 165), 

 the larva; of the Syrphus-flies (Fig. 166), or those of the 



CFig. IC5.] CFig. icr] 



Lace-wino- flies (Fig. 107). The small birds should also 

 be encouraged. We predicted on page 184, that the 

 Apple-tree Plant-lice, which were so very thick on the 

 bursting buds of the Apple, in the early part of the 

 season, would soon disappear and do no harm. Two 

 weeks after the article referred to had been written, 

 scarcely one of these lice was to be found , as we learned 

 from reports and from our own observation . We mast 

 give the small birds the greater part of the credit for 

 the sudden disappearance of the lice. The warblers 

 especially were very active in this good work, and among 

 them none more so than the Pewee, the Maryland Yel- 

 low Bird, and the American Sparrow. 



Ichnenmon Flies— 5. J. Throp, Troy, 7H«.— The 

 little cottony mass which was found under some white 

 clothes that were laid out on the grass to bleach, is 

 formed by the larv^ of some little parasitic Ichneumon 

 fly, belonging very probably to the genus Mia-ogaeter. 

 We have frequently bred the flies from similar cottony 

 masses. Some unfortunate caterpillar, infested with 

 the maggot-like larva; of one of these Ichneumon flies, 

 had crept, exhausted, under the white clothes; and 

 while there, the maggots worked their way out of its 

 body and wove, in concert, the loose wooly mass, in the 

 interior of which each one afterwards spun for itself a 

 more compact cocoon . 



J. E. Trabue, Sannihal, Jfo.— The cottony masses 

 which you find on the Army-worm, and which many 

 suppose to be the eggs of that insect, are in reality, 

 smiilar parasitic cocoons with the above. Instead of 

 producing a Hew generation of Army-worms they will 

 produce a swarm of that worm's deadliest foes, and 

 should not in consequence be destroyed. 



A new Curculio Humbug.— .ff. P. Flanders, 

 Galeshurg, Mich.— The Patent Lamp to destroy the 

 Curculio by attracting it as it flies round by night, of 

 which vou enclose the circular, is liable to the same 

 fatal objection as the plan of the German Gardener, 

 upon which we commented in No. 9 (p. 183)— namely, 

 that the CurcuUo does not fly by night, and consequently 

 would not be attracted even by the most brilliant lamp . 

 Neither would this contrivance be of much use "in an 

 orchard or about an apiary ; ' ' for among the moths it 

 is chiefly the Owlet-moths that are attracted by alight 

 in the night-time ; and the Bee-moth as well as most of 

 those which infest orchards, with the exception of those 

 produced by Climbing Cutworms, belong to other 

 groups, which have not that strange propensity to burn 

 their wings oft' in the fire. 



Eggs xuiscsiTTieiL— Judge A. M. 'Bromn, Villa, Ridge, 

 Ills.— The eggs you speak of, upon strawberry leaves, 

 never came to hand . 



