134 MAINE STATK COLLEGE 



various green-housos in the country and apparently never having 

 been studied, described or figured by any of our entomologists; 

 information regarding its life history, structure and control would 

 seem to be of enough importance to warrant a careful study of 

 the pest. 



Having spent some time during the past two years investigating 

 the nature of this species, the following preliminary notes upon it 

 are humbly submitted, with the hope that they may aid in recog- 

 nizing the form and put our florists upon their guard against it. 

 We cannot hope to have been infallable in our observations, but 

 have tried faithfully to record what we have seen. 



We desire to acknowledge our indebtedness to Prof. L. H. 

 Bailey of Ithaca, N. Y. for specimens of this mite, and also of 

 the red spider for comparison, for a list of host plants and 

 other data from his experience with it ; to the Dingee & Conard 

 Co., West Grove, Pa., for specimens of red spider and notes; 

 to Peter Henderson & Co. for specimens of the mite on Verbena 

 and notes ; to Prof. Muuson and citizens of Orouo who from their 

 abundance have supplied us without reluctance with all the 

 specimens used for study. 



Correspond EN ce . 



After discovering this mite at Orono, Prof. Muuson suggested 

 that it was probably the same species that had given so much 

 trouble in the green-houses at Ithaca, N. Y. We wrote Prof. 

 Bailey and sent him a description of the mite. He responded : 

 "Your description seems to match the mighty mite which we have. 

 I do not know its name. Prof. Comstock does not know it." 

 We wrote again for specimens for comparison and a list of food 

 plants and in our letter called the species Tetranychus 2-maculatus, 

 n. sp., as we had not been able to find any published description 

 of it. Prof, Bailey responded with specimens upon Pepino, which 

 proved to be the species found at Orono, also he stated: "This 

 is the 'Verbena mite,' I suppose, of Henderson's Practical Flori- 

 culture." We responded to Prof. Bailey that the specimens sent 

 were the same as the species found here, but whether they were 

 the same as the Verbena mite referred to in Henderson's Practical 

 Floriculture could not be determined by the vague description 

 given in that work, which though it might serve the purposes of 

 practical horticulture, was valueless from an entomologist's 

 standpoint. 



