New York State Museum 



14XH RKPORX 



OF THE 



STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



1898 



Office of State Entomologist 



Alba^iy, October 15, 1898 



To the Secretary of the University of the State of New York : 



I have the honor of presenting herewith my report on the injurious 

 and other insects of the state of New York, for the portion of the present 

 year ending October 15, 1898. 



General entomologic features. The year has been characterized 

 by excessive damages to trees in both city and country. Reports have 

 been received from many locaHties of widespread injuries by the tent 

 caterpillars, Clisiocampa americana Fabr. and C, disstria Hlibn. The 

 white-marked tussock moth, NotolopMis leiicostigma Sm.-Abb., was 

 reported as unusually destructive to shade trees in various parts of 

 the state, while in Albany its injuries have been greater than for 

 several years. A remarkable outbreak occurred at Schenectady, the 

 light green larvae of Xylina antennata Walker appeared in such num- 

 bers that a large portion of the many soft maples in that city was 

 defoHated. Such destructive work by this species has never been 

 recorded, and is a striking example of what a comparatively harmless 

 insect can do, provided the conditions are favorable. Another interest- 

 ing feature was the presence of zebra caterpillars, Mamestra picta Harris, 

 in such abundance on recently gathered timothy hay as to literally cover 

 it. Hitherto, this pest has been regarded as an enemy to cabbage and 

 related garden crops, more rarely attacking other plants. The leaves of 

 many elms have been seriously injured by an unknown leaf miner. The 

 cottony maple-tree scale, Pulvinaria innumerabilis Rath von, has been 

 extremely abundant and destructive throughout the state, affecting the 

 soft maples most seriously. The destructive brown apricot scale of 

 California, Lecaiiium armeniacum Craw, was discovered in Erie county on 



