SUMMAEY OF INSECT CONDITIONS DURING 1921. 5 



sojourns, appearing in September in Louisiana and Texas and in 

 October as far north as Michigan and New York State. 



The clover-leaf weevils were very troublesome in the East-Central 

 and West-Central States and were also reported from the northern 

 Pacific coast. 



The plum curculio was quite troublesome in the New England, 

 Middle Atlantic, and East-Central States. 



Blister beetles were extremely abundant throughout the entire 

 country east of the Rocky Mountains, reports of serious depredations 

 having been received from New York, Indiana. Illinois, Ohio, Mis- 

 souri, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Dr. Arthur Gibson, 

 Dominion entomologist of Canada, says : 



These insects appeared in numbers in tlie various Provinces as follows : In 

 New Brunswick and other sections of eastern Canada the ash-gray blister beetle, 

 Macrobasis unicolor Kby., caused important injury to the foliage of potatoes. 

 In the prairie Provinces the western blister beetle, Cantharis nuttalU Say, 

 occurred in nvimbers on beans and certain other crops. Epicmita puncticolUs 

 Mann, was reported from Alberta, where it was found attacking potatoes and 

 beans. In Manitoba, Macrobasis murina Lee. was found in numbers on the 

 foliage of the same plants. 



The pea aphis was reported as very destructive in Oklahoma, 

 Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois very early in the season, while during 

 May and June reports of serious depredations by this pest* were 

 received from Oregon, Colorado, and Nebraska. 



With the extremely fragmentary data on ecological conditions 

 throughout the country at present available, it is obviously necessary 

 to limit the annual summary to the few insects that are attracting the 

 particular attention of the working entomologists in the several 

 States. Therefore, in the following pages the entomological situa- 

 tion for the season of 1921 has been reviewed as it relates to 19 of the 

 more serious, and conspicuous insect pests of this country. 



CORN EARWORM. 



(HeUothis obsoJeta Fab.) 



During the past season the corn earworm has been one of the most 

 seriows and important pests. It has been of unusual abundance over 

 much of its range, and has extended its depredations far to the north 

 of its usual limits. 



In New England the pest was reported from Maine for the first 

 time since 1915, and the second time since 1892. Doctor Patch re- 

 ported rather serious infestations over the southern half of the 

 State, covering much of the important sweet-corn canning region. 

 In Massachusetts the only previous recqrds of the occurrence of this 

 insect since 1886, when the State experiment station was organized, 

 are from the extreme southern border of the State. This year the 



