42 Maine; agricultural kxplriment station. 1910. 



HYMENOPTERA. 



(Four-winged flies, etc.) 



Lophyrus abietis (Spruce saw fly). 



This saw fly, noted last year in Bulletin 162, was again very 

 abundant the past season on fir and spruce. From Birch Is- 

 land, near, the mouth of Damariscotta River, a correspondent 

 vvrites August 3 : " . . . I find the saw fly busily at work, and 

 the devastation in the country around is appalling. Here it is 

 now at work on the red spruce and I have a number of trees 

 entirely eaten off, and the caterpillars lie as thick as leaves. 

 ..." In woodland trees artificial remedial measures are 

 probably impractical and there the pest can only be left to such 

 natural control as climatic conditions, fungous disease, or the 

 attacks of predaceous or parasitic insects. For ornamental 

 trees we may resort to spraying as soon as the larvae are in 

 evidence. 



From a large number of cocoons collected, about an equal 

 number of males and females emerged. A few parasites, 

 Piinpla sp. and others, were also reared from the cocoons. 

 (Lot 791.) 



Nematus erichsonii (Larch saw fly). 



A report from Gardiner, Maine, dated July 14, states that 

 "a small grove of larch near the house stripped almost as bare 

 as winter." This is the insect which caused such devastation 

 to the larches in this State a number of years ago, that in some 

 sections they were wholly exterminated. 



As with the Spruce saw fly we must place our chief reliance 

 upon the natural enemies, parasites and predaceous bugs and 

 climatic conditions, to hold this pest in check upon woodland 

 trees. Spraying where feasible will control them. (Lot 765.) 



