m 



THE REPORT OF THE 



[1» 



The meeting adjourned at 4.30 p.m. in order to enable the members from a distance 

 to catch their respective trains. It was the unanimous opinion of all present that this was 

 the most useful, interesting, and also entertaining, meeting that the Society has ever held. 



NOTES ON SOME INSECTS OF CONIFEROUS SHADE TREES. 



By Pbof. W. Lochhbad, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. 



gjWW, Chermes Abietis (Spruce Gall Louse). Many complaints were made in May about 

 an insect which was attacking spruce trees. The terminal, young shoots were first 

 attacked, then the immature leaves of the buds became enlarged at their base, and the 

 tissues were gradually killed, so that the twigs curled up and died. Conspicuous woolly 



secretions were observed 



Wili 'i on *^ e l eaves °f tne 



spruce about the first 



week in May. These 

 secretions enveloped 

 masses of yellowish eggs 

 (200 to 300 in number). 

 About a week later the 

 eggs hatched, and the 

 young lice moved to the 

 bases of the young leaves 

 of the shoots, when 

 enlargements began to 

 form. A fine spruce 

 hedge at the Agricul- 

 tural College was in- 

 fested so badly that it 

 was feared that the fine 

 trees would be perma- 

 nently disfigured, and 

 even destroyed. An 

 examination of the new 

 Fig.! 8. Spruce Gall Louse, (a) Summer form of nymph, (b) A sprig of White leaves revealed a louse 

 ^_Spruce, with one twig affected by galls produced by the young lice. a ^ jjj e ^ase f nearly 



every new leaf, and the deformation of the twig were becoming quite evident. A later 

 examination showed the presence of several fat syrphus larva?, which had taken up their 

 quarters at the bases of the leaves, and were feeding quite greedily on the lice. Many 

 other buds were examined from different parts of the hedge, and in every case syrphus 

 larvae were found. To spray this tall hedge with whale oil soap and tobacco solution 

 appeared a gigantic task, and to clip off the infested twigs was not to be thought of, as 

 such an operation would be a life's task. Just at this juncture, when there seemed no 

 other expedient but to leave the control of the lice to the syrphids, Dr. Howard, of Wash- 

 ington, who had been consulted in the matter, wrote as follows : 



'* Tour best hope of relief seems to be in the probable ultimate appearance of some 

 parasitic or predaceous enemy ; and, when the gall louse is as abundant as you describe, 

 I think relief in this direction will shortly be forthcoming." 



Accordingly the lice were left to the tender mercies of the syrphids. 



Observations during the remainder of the season were made rather intermittently on 

 account of absence from College for several weeks; but, on August 19th, another exam- 

 ination of the galls and twigs was made. Woolly secretions were again observed which con- 

 tained masses of eggs (30 to 40 in number). A few adult winged forms and many young lice 

 were seen but in numbers not to be compared with those seen in May. Many 

 syrphus larvae were again found. On August 31st some of the infested twigs were again 

 examined, but there were very few lice, no eggs and no adults, while the syrphids were 

 quite numerous, and occupied tunnels in the leaf bases between the galls. 



