STRAWBERRY CROWN GIRDLER AND OTHER INSECTS. 217 



Stripped here and there. The rose bushes did not happen to be 

 attacked badly at that date. One alder clump composed of five 

 stems none of which was six feet high presented a peculiar 

 appearance with every leaf skeletonized and dangling with pair- 

 ing beetles. From this single clump 1,315 chafers were collected 

 and then the task of clearing the bush was abandoned as hope- 

 less. Twenty leaves were then picked at random and from one 

 to three pairs of chafers were still clinging to each. 



About this time specimens of the rose chafer were received 

 from Mt. Vernon with the complaint that some of the orchard 

 trees were covered with them. Several apples about one inch 

 in diameter, accompanying this communication, were tunnelled 

 to the core by the chafers which were gorged and sticky with the 

 repast. See figure 21. 



A report from West Peru stated that a whole orchard had 

 been stripped. Early in July from East Sumner a correspondent 

 wrote that for three years the rose chafer had done great damage 

 to orchards, berry bushes and gardens, " about ruining every- 

 thing they touch," 



Carpet beetle. Early in June carpet beetles, Anthrenus 

 scrophulariuSj were seen commonly upon rhubarb and horse 

 radish blossoms at Orono. June 9, they seemed especially 

 numerous and a half day's collection was made from one rhubarb 

 bed during which time 156 of these beetles were taken. As they 

 were also on polliniferous flowers which are gathered for house 

 decoration, it is advisable to be on the watch for these beetles 

 in picking flowers in order to make sure that none are carried 

 into the house in this way. The adult beetles are pollen eaters 

 but the young, as is known well enough, are among the most 

 troublesome of household pests. 



Flea beetle. About June 6, several species of flea beetles 

 were much in evidence at Orono. The cucumber flea beetle, 

 Epitrix citcmneris, had riddled the leaves of potato vines. A 

 striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta vittata, was present especially on 

 horse radish, and bronze flea beetles were conspicuous upon 

 rhubarb and other plants. 



Wire worms. As the present season brought an unusual 

 number of complaints against wire worms, the following state- 

 ments in regard to these insects were published as a newspaper 

 bulletin. 



