REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Office of the State Entomologist, ) 

 Albany, January 6, 1885. j" 



To the Honorable Board of Regents of the University of the State of 

 New York: J 



Gentlemen — I beg leave to present the following report of some of 

 the operations of my department, for the year 1884 •* 



The work of the office has been assiduously carried on during the 

 year. Fortunately for the agricultural interests of the State, no insect 

 attack of unusual extent has been made upon any of the principal crops, 

 nor have we to record the introduction from abroad of any very inju- 

 rious insect pest, 



So varied, however, is the economy of insect life, and so different are 

 the conditions under which it presents itself to our notice, that even 

 without any special and unusual subject of investigation, the past year 

 has brought with it many forms and phases of insect attack of so inter- 

 esting and important a character as to occupy all the time that could be 

 devoted to their study. 



To the larger number of these, my attention was called by requests 

 made to me for the name of the insect, an account of its habits, changes, 

 continuance, etc., and the best means for preventing its injuries. 



To all such inquiries I have returned full reply whenever possible to 

 do so, even when it has been necessary, in the case of new forms of 

 attack, to make special study before satisfactory information could be 

 given, and feasible and effectual remedies suggested. 



By this means, I have endeavored to show the value of this depart- 

 ment to _ the agriculturist, orchardist, gardener, and to community in 

 general, in the confidence that with its work more widely known and 

 appreciated, calls for its assistance would be more frequently made upon 

 it, and the sphere of its usefulness thereby greatly extended. 



It has been very gratifying to me that in several instances I have been 

 able to indicate such measures of relief from insect depredations, that 

 the success attending their use has been so signal as to demonstrate the 

 value of the studies and investigations in economic entomology. 



Special Studies. 



Of the following insects, special study has been made by me dur- 

 ing the past year, in consideration of (with one exception) injuries 

 caused by them within our State : 



Wheat joint-worm, Isosoma tritici Riley. 

 Squash-vine borer, Melittia cucurbita (Harris). 

 Angoumois moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Oliv.) 

 Great Leopard moth, Ecpantheria scribonia (Stoll). 

 Apple maggot, Trypeta pomonella Walsh. 



