40 PARASITES OF GIPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 



which he gave the name Tetrastichus xanthomelxnse. In this very 

 interesting article Dr. Marchal called attention to the fact that the 

 elm leaf-beetle had multiplied for several years in a disastrous way 

 about Paris, skeletonizing the leaves in the parks and along the ave- 

 nues. In 1904 the ravages apparently stopped, and MarchaFs obser- 

 vations indicated that this was largely due to the work of this egg 

 parasite. He studied the life history of the parasite carefully during 

 that year at Fontenay-aux-Roses and published his full account the 

 following February. 



Visiting Dr. Marchal in June, 1905, after the publication of this inter- 

 esting article, the senior author asked him whether he had been able 

 to make the further observations promised in the article, and he re- 

 plied that the elm leaf-beetle had so entirely disappeared in the vicin- 

 ity of Paris that he had not been able to do so. The visitor urged him 

 to make an effort through his correspondents to secure parasitized 

 eggs of the beetle for sending to the United States in an effort to intro- 

 duce and establish this important parasite on this side of the Atlantic. 

 It was considered hopeless to attempt the introduction that summer, 

 as the time was so late and it was not then known in what part of 

 France the elm leaf -beetle could be found abundantly. During 1906 

 practically the same conditions existed. A locality was found, but 

 the parasites did not seem to be present. In 1907, reaching Paris 

 about the 1st of May, the visitor again reminded Dr. Marchal of his 

 desire to import the parasite into the United States, and meeting M. 

 Charles Debreuil, of Melun, the subject was again brought up and M. 

 Debreuil later in the season forwarded eggs of the beetle to the United 

 States, which were promptly sent to the parasite laboratory at North 

 Saugus, Mass., but the time was too late, and the parasites had 

 emerged and died. 



In April, 1908, the Entomological Society of France published in its 

 bulletin (No. 7, p. 86) a request from the senior author that eggs of the 

 elm leaf-beetle should be sent to the United States for the purpose of 

 rearing parasites. This notice brought a speedy and effective response. 

 About the 20th of May Prof. Valery Mayet, of Montpellier, France, a 

 personal friend, secured a number of leaves of the European elm car- 

 rying egg masses of the beetle, placed them in a tight tin box, and 

 mailed them to Washington. They were received May 28, and at 

 once forwarded to the junior author at the parasite laboratory at 

 Melrose Highlands. On opening the box the junior author found a 

 considerable number of active adults of the parasite. Most of them 

 were placed in a large jar containing leaves of elm upon which were 

 newly deposited masses of the elm leaf-beetle eggs. Probable oppo- 

 sition was noticed within an hour after the receipt of the sending. 

 There were probably somewhat more than 100 adults received in the 

 shipment and very few emerged from the imported egg masses after 



