Il6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



of crops is one of the most efficient methods of preventing the 

 undue multiplication of these insects, 



Cecropia moth. This large insect, Samia cecropia 

 Linn., as is well known, is subject to attack by a number of 

 parasites, one of the most efficient of these being Front ina 

 f r e n c h i i Will. The puparia of this fly are sometimes very 

 numerous in the cocoon of the host (plate 27, figure 3) which in the 

 case illustrated contained forty-one puparia. 



Cotton moth (Alabama argillacea Hiibn.) . The un- 

 usual flights of this species attracted the notice of several ento- 

 mologists. Prof. C. R, Crosby of Cornell called our attention 

 to the presence of the moths at Ithaca. Writing under date of 

 September 28th, he states that the insects covered the ground 

 beneath the street lights, by the thousands. They were numer- 

 ous at Schenectady, " masses sometimes covering whole sides 

 of buildings near electric lights," according to Richard Lohr- 

 mann. Mr Henry Bird of Rye also reported the appearance 

 of the moths and recorded a marked preference by them for 

 the thin-skinned Concord grape as compared with the thicker 

 skinned Salem, hundreds being observed feeding upon the 

 fruit. He states that the punctures made by the moths were 

 exceedingly minute and left no immediate trace, though it is 

 probable that the keeping qualities may be affected. A great 

 abundance of this insect was noted September 23d in Philadel- 

 phia by Dr Henry Skinner, while Doctor Britton, state ento- 

 mologist of Connecticut, records the presence of hundreds at 

 New Haven, Conn., September 25th. Prof. H. T. Fernald re- 

 ports the capture of a number of moths the last week in Sep- 

 tember at Amherst, Mass., and Arthur Gibson records their 

 presence at St Thomas and Sarnia, Ontario. These appear- 

 ances are interesting, as they probably indicate extended 

 flights. These insects are no menace to residents of the North, 

 since they appear unable to live upon any other than the cot- 

 ton plant. 



Depressaria atomella Hiibn. Larvae of this species were 

 transmitted by Mr John Dunbar of Rochester, under date of 

 March 25, 191 1, accompanied by the statement that they de- 

 voured the blossoms of Cytisus albus. The infested 

 plants were obtained by him from another florist in the city, 

 who in turn had imported them from Holland the preceding 

 fall. Adults were- reared April 20th and were apparently the 

 above-named southern and central Europe form, though the 



