134 FOETT-FIRST REPORT ON THE StATE MuSEUM. 



Young corn, in Bethany, Genesee county, was attacked in June, 

 by caterpillars, living within webs and silken tubes in the ground 

 among the roots, which they leave to feed upon the stalk beneath 

 the ground and to some extent, on the leaves above, after the habit 

 of the cut-worms, although belonging to a different family from 

 the Noctiiidce, viz., the Pyralidce. In some cases, the injury caused 

 by them had necessitated replanting. From examples sent to me 

 by Mr. W. E. Harding, I was able to rear the moth, and to find it 

 to be a species of Or ambus, distinct from C. zeellus Fern., which 

 has been so injurious to corn in Illinois, although the larval opera- 

 tions as described to me are almost identical with those of that 

 species. A description of the caterpillar was made, which will be 

 given, together with a fuller notice of the insect and its operations, 

 after the moth, at present in the hands of Professor Fernald for 

 determination, shall have been named. Cramhus zeellus, known in 

 Illinois as the root web-worm, in an instance related, was found to 

 have cut down every hill of corn in a field of twenty acres. 



Injury to corn is reported by Mr. C. L. Landers, of Afton, Che- 

 nango county, from the larv8s of one of the larger Chrysomelid 

 beetles, which, upon rearing the imago, proves to be Chelymorpha 

 Argus Licht. He also observed the same, feeding on barley, cab- 

 bage, grass, plantain and other weeds. The occurrence of this 

 insect in harmful number upon a valuable field crop is so unusual 

 that it was noticed in a communication to the Goiontry Gentleman 

 of September I, 1887, as a " Milkweed Beetle with Bad Habits ;" 

 see page — , of this Report. Beetles from the pupse sent to me, 

 emerged August nineteenth. 



Under date of May ninth, Mr. J. W. Babcock, of Rochester, 

 observed an_^attack upon his apple trees, the nature of which was 

 quite new to him. Both the buds and blossoms were being spun 

 together and rapidly eaten. From examples received, and from 

 moths subsequently reared, it was ascertained that the insect was 

 the eye-spotted bud-moth, or Tmetocera ocellana (Schiff.). The 

 perfect insect was obtained on June third, although July is given 

 as the usual time of its appearance. Mr. Babcock was informed 

 that the attack could be arrested by spraying the trees with 

 London purple in water — one-fourth pound to a barrel. 



The rose-beetle, Macrodactylus subspinosus (Fabr.), made an 

 appearance in unwonted numbers in Granby, Oswego county, in 

 the fore part of June. The Osivego Times of June tenth, stated 



