8 



States, and according to Mr. E. A. Schwarz in a recent letter to the 

 writer, is found as far south as the City of Mexico. It is best 

 known as an injurious species along the Mississippi Valley. 



In this State it is little known outside the willow-growing dis- 

 tricts. It first attracted the attention of the willow -grow- 

 ers in 1875 when more than 50 acres of willows in Onondaga 

 County were practically destroyed. From that time until 1893 

 the beetles did not appear in suflScient numbers to do serious 

 injury. In the spring of 1894 the beetles appeared in swarms 

 throughout the willow-growing sections of the central part of 

 the State, greatly reducing the yield of marketable willows. 

 During 1895 and 1896 there was no apparent decrease in the num- 

 ber of beetles and the injury to the willows was not lessened. In 

 1897 the beetles were somewhat less numerous, but still sufl&ciently 

 abundant to do great injury to the willows. 



Although widely distributed throughout the State, the dis- 

 tribution of the species as a seriously injurious pest is practically 

 limited by Oneida, Madison, Onondaga and Cayuga Counties. 

 Although basket-willows are grown commercially in at least eight 

 counties west of Cayuga, the beetles have not been found in suf- 

 ficient numbers to do serious injury. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



The principal food plants of this species are willow and cotton- 

 wood. It has also been found upon the box-elder. 



HOW THE WILLOWS ARE INJURED. 



The nature of the injury caused by the beetles will doubtless 

 be better understood after a brief explanation of the method of 

 growing basket-willows. The principal species cultivated is the 

 European osier, Salix vimhialis. As previously stated by Df. 

 Lintner* the willows are propagated by cuttings. These cut- 

 tings are nine inches in length and are set six inches into the 

 ground, and about fourteen or fifteen inches apart in rows about 

 three feet apart. The young willows grow rapidly, a good growth 



*New York State Entomologist Rept. 1895 : 185. 



