BULLETIN No. 162. 



INSECT NOTES FOR 1908.* 

 Edith M. Patch. 



The present bulletin, like others of the series, is concerned 

 with certain insects of Maine which have come especially to the 

 notice of the Station during the current season. In some cases 

 the records are merely statements of insect situations which it 

 may never be desirable to spend more time upon; in other 

 instances the records serve as a preliminary note of species to 

 be dealt with more fully at some future time. The summer of 

 1908 has been one of tremendous insect interest; the devasta- 

 tion of thousands of acres of hard wood forests by the saddled 

 prominent'; the prevalence of almost innumerable other species 

 of caterpillars; the conspicuous appearance of pirie insects, 

 many of them usually rare, at a time when the pines are weak- 

 ened from other causes ; the noticeable great numbers and 

 extent of aphid infestations; the continuation of grasshopper 

 depredations ; may be mentioned among the insect disasters of 

 the season. Over against this we have as a bit of encourage- 

 ment, the noticeable increase of predaceous and parasitic insects 

 all over the State and late in July and in August a pretty general 

 occurrence of a contagious fungus disease which struck various 

 species of caterpillars like a plague, killing them by wholesale 

 and thereby diminishing in many localities the danger of the 

 succeeding generation. 



For many items of interest the Station is indebted to people 

 from different parts of the State who have kindly submitted 

 important material. Such aid, although considerable, is too 

 miscellaneous and disconnected to acknowledge separately and 

 it is hoped that Insect Notes for 1908 will be accepted as a 

 statement of appreciation of whatever suggestions or aid have 

 been given the Station this year. 



* Papers from the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station; Entomol- 

 ogy No. 32. 



