VII 

 REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



General. The Entomologist reports that the season of 19 18 

 presented many features in common with the abnormal spring and 

 summer of 19 17. The rainfall in the western part of the State was 

 not so great as last year and the injury then so generally attributed 

 to the seed com maggot was much less prevalent, and limited very 

 largely to the wetter ground. The developments of both last year 

 and this have shown that the seed corn maggot problem is largely a 

 question of methods, the depth of planting and drainage being the 

 more important factors and the insect injury largely a consequence 

 of unfavorable conditions. 



The apple tent caterpillar was notable for its absence in most 

 sections of the State, particularly in portions of Dutchess county. 

 The late leaf feeders, such as the red-humped apple worm and the 

 yellow-necked apple worm were, as last year, exceptionally abundant, 

 and there has been even more severe damage in Rensselaer and Col- 

 umbia counties, in particular. The fall webworm, the hickory tussock 

 moth caterpillar and some related species were also uncommonly 

 numerous and destructive. 



Fruit tree insects. Reports received by the Entomologist from 

 areas infested by the recently established apple and thorn skeletonizer 

 indicate a moderate abundance of the insect with some extension of 

 the infested territory. It is now known to occur from Yonkers 

 north to Yorktown Heights and it appears to be somewhat generally 

 distributed in Nyack. 



Codling moth. Field studies of the codling moth were continued 

 by the Entomologist in cooperation with the bureau of horticulture 

 of the State Department of Farms and Markets. Evening tempera- 

 ture records were kept by Mr George W. Mead, living 3 miles west 

 of Barker and about 2 miles from Lake Ontario, and Mr E. E. Crosby, 

 residing 4 miles southeast of Lockport and located on the Erie plain 

 about 14 miles from the lake. Interesting variations between these 

 two localities were found to exist and as evening temperatures greatly 

 influence the deposition of codling moth eggs, these data have a 

 practical bearing and serve to explain some apparent inconsistencies 

 in the abundance of the pest in various orchards. The observations 

 on deposition of eggs in different parts of Erie county by Mr L. F. 



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