REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I905 



101 



Eulecanium quercifex Fitch. Young chestnut shoots badly 

 infested with this scale insect, kindly identified through the courtesy 

 of Dr Howard, were received in early June from Miss Eliza S. 

 Blunt of New Russia, N. Y. with the statement that the trouble 



Fig. 13 Eulecanium quercifex, on chestnut, two scales infested with 

 Cordyceps pistillariaef ormis, enlarged (Original) 



was very prevalent on all the young chestnut growth in that locality 

 and about Bolton Landing, Lake George. A most interesting 

 feature of the outbreak was the abundance of a fungous disease, 

 kindly identified by State Botanist Peck as Cordyceps pis- 

 tillariaeformis B. & Br. This fungus was so prevalent 

 that nearly half of the scale insects were afifected thereby. Its 

 peculiar characteristic capitate fruiting stems about -^ inch 

 high made the detection of infested scales very easy. The unfor- 

 tunate individuals appeared to be permeated by this growth and 

 the entire surface changed thereby to an ashy gray color. 



This scale insect varies widely in color, the old ones being a 

 dark brown with irregular, fuscous markings, sometimes approach- 

 ing the appearance of Eulecanium nigrofasciatum 

 Perg. to some extent, while the young ones are lighter and in a 

 few instances bright orange. A few partly grown young were 

 observed and also several males just about to escape. A small, 

 greenish, black headed caterpillar was noticed on one of the twigs. 

 It had evidently been feeding upon the scale insects, and may 

 have been the larva of Laetilia cocci divora Comst. The 

 fungus attack and the work of the Lepidopterous larva were so 



