104 -"^'E^^' VORK STATE MUSEUM 



have had their vitality reduced somewhat by unfavorable condi- 

 tions, not exempting very severe droughts and extremely low 

 winter temperatures. These, however, must be considered only 

 as predisposing factors, since the primary injury a])pears to have 

 been caused by this insect. The conditions observed the past season 

 have been duplicated in earlier years in Albany and vicinity. This 

 aphid is also injurious to pine seedlings and has 1)een observed on 

 balsam. Fortunately it is very lia1)le to attack by our various 

 species of ladybeetles which arc undoul)te(lly of material assistance 

 in keeping it in control. 



The aphid winters as yellowish l)ro\vn eggs well protected by a 

 copious, waxy secretion, the young appearing in the latitude of 

 Albany from the middle to the latter j)art of May. The full-grown 

 female is dark grayish purple and about one-thirty-second of an 

 inch long. 



It is very probable that this pest can be controlled satisfactorily 

 by a forcible spray of cold water which would wash off large 

 numbers of the insects. Ex])eriments have shown that thorough 

 spraying with a kerosene emulsion, tlie standard formula probably 

 diluted with 9 parts of water, w^as very effective w^hen the appli- 

 cation was made in May. It is probable that a whale oil soap solu- 

 tion, using I pound to 4 gallons of water would be equally satisfac- 

 tory. In either event the spray should be coarse and forcible so 

 as to drive the insecticide through the woolly protective matter and 

 bring it into contact with the underlying insect. 



:\iisci:llaneous 



Hawthorn sawfly ( T r i c h i o s o m a tibialis Steph.) . A 

 cocoon of this European species was received April 10, 191 1 through 

 the State I^epartment of Agriculture. Hie specimen was removed 

 from Crataegus whirh had l)ccn im])orte(l from Holland. The adult 



was reared and the provisional 

 identification confirmed. A badly 

 crushed cocoon, apparently of the 

 same species and taken from rose 

 sticks imported from England, 

 was transmitted for identification 

 by the Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture November 27, 1912. 

 Fig. 14 Hawthorn sawfly (original) This insect is closely allied to 

 the native elm sawfly, C i m b e x a m e r i c a n a Leach, a species 

 which is rather common in New York State and is found especially 



