10 THE REPORT OF THE No. 33 



is doubtless of use to the insect in boring into the ground to reach the larvae of the 

 May beetles, upon which the parasite is said to deposit its eggs. The abdomen 

 of the male is club-shaped, and not more than twice the length of the head and 

 thorax. The males are seen only rarely, and are supposed to fly high in the air. 

 The females, on the contrary, fly near the ground and often alight, apparently 

 to rest. 



As usual the green aphis was troublesome on the rose bushes. In this 

 connection I wish to place on record that from two independent sources I was 

 informed that English sparrows were seen feeding upon the pests and destroying 

 large numbers of them. This is at least one good deed that stands to the credit 

 of these successful little colonizers. 



Division No. 6. — H. F. Hudson 



The season of 1923 on the whole has been a light insect year. So far as 

 known to the writer, the insect loss to the staple crops has been generally light. 

 There are, however, one or two entomological features worth noting. 



Field Crop Insects 



Wireworms. — In Elgin county, as well as in Perth county, considerable 

 injury was done by various species of wireworms. Around the outskirts of 

 Stratford, covering an area approximately five square miles, wireworm injury 

 was very marked. Replanting was necessary in many fields. Several corn- 

 fields in Elgin county had to be replanted owing to the ravages of these pests. 



Cutworms. — On the lighter soils extensive injury to oat and cornfields has 

 been noted. In Middlesex county, approximately one hundred acres of corn 

 land had to be replanted. The identity of the cutworm is not known. 



The Hessian Fly. — Reports of injury to the wheat crop was received from 

 Huron, Waterloo, and Middlesex counties, but injury generally was light. 



The European Corn Borer. — -There appears to be a slight general increase 

 of this pest but on the whole the general injury was not as marked as in previous 

 years. It seems to be gaining headway around London, in Middlesex county, 

 especially in early sweet corn, while a similar condition prevails around Aylmer, 

 in Elgin county. 



The Colorado Potato Beetle. — The spring brood of this insect was 

 heavy, and very injurious, but the second brood was light. 



Truck Garden Insects 



The most important truck insect of the year was the cucumber beetle. 

 Cucumbers stood the attack better than melons which were in some cases totally 

 destroyed. Some efficient control measure is needed. Dusting with hydrated 

 lime helps in control, but too frequent dusting appears to injure the foliage. 



The Cabbage Maggot. — Injury was less marked this year than for several 

 years, although near Port Stanley there was a fifty per cent, loss in a commercial 

 plantation. 



Shade Tree Insects 



The White-Marked Tussock Moth. — This was quite abundant around 

 London, Ontario. In the fall as many as twenty egg masses were noted on a 

 single tree-trunk. 



The Walnut Datana. — These caterpillars were more abundant than I 

 have noted for several years. Wherever walnut trees were present they were 

 in many cases defoliated. 



