REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I917 55 



acteristic resting attitude, lengthwise of the supporting stalk and 

 with the wings rather closely wrapped about the body. The eggs 

 are dropped indiscriminately on grassland. Recently turned sod 

 is likely to be moderately infested with partly grown hungry cater- 

 pillars which usually shelter in a webby retreat near the surface and 

 generally close to the base of affected corn or other plants upon 

 which the insects feed. Remedial treatment is out of the question 

 and injury is best avoided by not planting corn on recently turned 

 sod in sections where these pests are likely to be troublesome. 



Grasshoppers (Melanoplus atlanis Riley and others) . 

 These familiar pests were exceedingly abundant and destructive in the 

 foothills of the Adirondacks in 19 14, and less so in 19 15. On account 

 of these ravages they have been watched rather closely, especially 

 during the past season, because of the importance of anticipating 

 and preventing serious injury. The unusually heavy and con- 

 tinued rains during the spring and early summer were unfavorable 

 to the development of young grasshoppers and greatly promoted 

 the growth of vegetation, both being not unimportant factors in 

 reducing insect injury, especially if the latter be judged from casual 

 indications. 



The cool weather delayed the appearance of the young insects and 

 it was not till the latter part of June that reports were received 

 of their being locally abundant, especially in the vicinity of Saratoga 

 Springs. An examination at that time revealed a few limited 

 areas where there was a moderate to somewhat heavy infestation, 

 though in most instances there were not enough insects to threaten 

 the crop seriously. Similar conditions were found to obtain on 

 certain sandy areas in the town of Easton, Washington county, 

 though the infestation was decidedly less than that observed in 

 Saratoga county. A sandy area in the town of Schuylerville, directly 

 west of Haystack station, was somewhat generally infested in early 

 July, many of the insects probably drifting in from near-by semiwild, 

 grassy areas. There were a few spots, evidently hatching grounds, 

 on this latter where the insects had evidently been very abundant 

 a little earlier. They were also numerous along a sandy lane. 



It is quite possible to overestimate the numbers of these pests, 

 particularly where leaf hoppers are numerous, and this is just what 

 occurred in certain fairly well-grassed pastures in the last-named 

 area. It was easy to recognize a few of the small hoppers and 

 then assume that all the jumping insects were these pests, whereas 

 a considerable proportion were comparatively harmless leaf hoppers. 

 It should be remembered that serious infestations of young grass- 



