REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I9II 99 



Say's blister beetle (Pomphopoea sayi Lee.) . This 

 large, usually rare blister beetle is nearly an inch long and is easily 

 distinguished from allied forms by its rather stout, olive green 

 body and the shining black, orange banded legs. It was excep- 

 tionally abundant this year, having been reported as feeding upon 

 locust blossoms at Castleton, Slingerlands, Fonda and Hartford 

 by Messrs Matthew Hart, R. S. Nards, Frank Jansen and Smith 

 Bowen, respectively, the dates varying from May 30th to June 

 14th. Mr Arthut- Ward of Philmont reported this beetle as 

 destroying cherry blossoms June 21st. The abundance of this 

 blister beetle was also noted at Cambridge and Schuylerville by 

 Messrs J. G. Ward and A. C. DeGarmo, respectively, though 

 no record was given as to the food habits. It is possible that 

 a portion of these reports was stimulated by the desire to locate 

 colonies of the periodical Cicada, though this could hardly be the 

 entire explanation. 



This insect was reported in 1909 as swarming upon roses and 

 other plants, devouring much foliage and causing considerable 

 injury in Voorheesville, Albany county, and Quaker Street, Sche- 

 nectady county, while in 1900 it was rather abundant and in- 

 jurious to peach trees at Clarksville. The late Doctor Lintner 

 records this species as feeding upon wheat, the leaves of butter- 

 nut and on locust blossoms, and states that ordinarily it is rare, 

 only individual specimens being taken. These outbreaks last 

 but a week, and as the grubs feed upon grasshopper eggs the 

 species is beneficial on the whole, even though occasionally com- 

 mitting local depredations. It is possible that the insects could be 

 driven from valued fruit trees by the use of long switches or 

 jarring, or even the employment, when weather conditions are 

 favorable, of a dense smoke. It is better to attempt some such 

 method than to kill the beetles by hand picking or by the use of 

 poisons. The latter can not be used with safety upon trees in 

 bloom, to say nothing of its being against the law. 



Red-humped apple caterpillar. (Schizura coninna 

 Abb. & Sm.). This is one of our most striking caterpillars on ac- 

 count of its coral red head, the prominent hump of the same color 

 on the first abdominal segment, and a similar swollen area near 

 the posterior extremity. The full-grown caterpillar is about one 

 and one-quarter inches long, black, with a series of rather con- 

 spicuous yellowish dorsal and ^sublateral lines with white be- 

 tween. There are prominent black tubercles on the body, which 



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