238 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Chermes strobilobius Kalt.^ The form of this species^ which 

 occurs on the larch has been under observation for the last three years in 

 Washington park, Albany. On May 3 ihe larches were alive with females 

 and eggs. Large masses of eggs were to be found at the base of nearly 

 every fascicle of leaves on some limbs. Over 200 were counted in 

 an egg mass of moderate size, while around the base of other fascicles 

 two to three times this number were to be found. At this time the young 

 were beginning to hatch and some had settled on the larch needles, where 

 they presented a close resemblance to black grains of gunpowder. In 

 the course of a few weeks, these young increase in size and excrete an 

 abundant white woolly matter. They were so thick on the trees in 1897, 

 that the latter part of June the larches appeared as though dusted with 

 flour or starch. 



The life history of this species, as worked out by European investiga- 

 tors, is most interesting, comprising, as it does, a life cycle of two years' 

 duration, and passing through five generations. Briefly, it is as follows : 

 i) Wingless female Hce pass the winter at the base of young pine buds, 

 produce galls in the spring and in them winged 2) females develop, part 

 of which migrate in August to the larches and lay eggs upon the needles. 

 From these eggs emerge 3) young which hibernate in the crevices of the 

 bark and the following spring attack the base of the buds and produce 

 the eggs which attract attention on the larches, and from which the black 

 4) young emerge, a portion eventually developing into winged females, 

 and returning to the pines the latter part of May (probably later in 

 this latitude, as this generation is abundant upon larches till the last 01 

 June), where they lay eggs producing 5) males and females, which in 

 turn are parents to the hibernating form first mentioned and thus the life 

 cycle is completed. 



So far as known, this is the first record of the occurrence of this species 

 in America. The following synonyms are those given by Dr Cholod- 

 kovsky : Chermes coccmeus Ratz. ? in part; C. lands Ratz,, Koch in 

 part; C. ^eniculatus Ratz., in part; C. /lamadryas Koch; C. atraius 

 Jjuckton ? ; C. lariceti Altum ? 



Pemphigus tessellatus Fitch.'^ This insect, the alder blight aphis, 

 has been abundant the past two years on a cut leaved alder in Washing- 

 ton park, Albany, and eventually injured it so much that the tree was 

 removed. It occurs in masses on the under side of the twigs, sometimes 

 being so numerous as to be ' hanging in strings ' from the limbs. The 



a Added subsequently. 



b Identified by Dr N. Cholodkovsky, of St Pctersburtr, Russia. 



c Beitrdj^e zu eincr Monographic der Coni/ercn-Ltiuse. i Theil, Kapitel 5-7, 1896. p. 46. 



</ Added subsequently. 



