12 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



mens were forwarded to the office and the Entomologist was able to 

 confirm by actual observation, reports of injury to both corn and 

 tomatoes. 



The orchid Isosoma, I. orchidearum Westw., is rarely 

 brought to the attention of the economic entomologist, partly be- 

 cause of its scarcity and probably also on account of the fact that 

 orchid growing is a highly specialized and therefore fairly well- 

 understood business. Pseudo-bulbs of orchids infested with this 

 insect were received from Mount Kisco last July and later in the 

 season orchid roots infested with the Cattleya midge, Parallelo- 

 diplosis cattleyae Moll. , were transmitted by another person. 

 Both of these insects affect the vitality of the plants and are briefly 

 noticed elsewhere in this report. 



Flies and mosquitos. The interest in the control of the house fly 

 has continued, and early in the season the Entomologist prepared a 

 brief folder concerning the house fly. This was widely circulated 

 in a monthly bulletin of the State Department of Health and also 

 issued as a separate. 



Practical control of mosquitos has received its due share of atten- 

 tion, the Entomologist personally investigating a peculiar problem 

 on the shores of Sodus bay. The investigations started the past 

 season will be continued another year in an attempt to abate the 

 mosquito plague associated with swamps lying practically at lake 

 level. 



Gall midges. The European box leaf miner, Monarthropalpus 

 b u x i Lab. , has become well established on Long Island and is seriously 

 injuring box hedges, since many badly infested leaves drop and the 

 plants soon become very scraggy. A series of experiments have shown 

 the practicability of destroying these miners while still within the 

 plant, by the use of fumigants, carbon bisulphid being the most 

 promising of these materials. A detailed account of this insect is 

 given on subsequent pages. 



Studies in this group (Itonididae) have been continued and a 

 number of new species, mostly reared, and several new genera 

 described. There have been a number of important additions in 

 this group to the New York fauna. The American zoophagous 

 species, mostly beneficial because of their preying upon other forms, 

 especially scale insects, plant lice and plant mites, have boon tabu- 

 lated. This compilation shows a possible importance as natural 

 checks hitherto scarcely suspected. 



Lectures. The Entomologist has delivered a number of lectures 

 upon insects, mostly economic forms, before various agricultural 



