28 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



by the state of Massachusetts to exterminate the gypsy moth. If the 

 fight is given up, another pest will make its way over the land and exact 

 a heavy tribute. It would certainly cost Massachusetts people very 

 much less than $200,000 annually, about what is appropriated at present, 

 to maintain a very efficient system of inspection and treatment to pre- 

 vent the introduction of insect pests. It is impossible to say beforehand 

 just what insects may become acclimated and injurious, but were due 

 attention given this subject, the danger of admitting such pests could be 

 reduced to a minimum. 



Manner of spread. Scale insects as is well known to many from 

 bitter experience are readily spread by transportation of nursery stock, 

 but not of fruit. The young are frequently carried by birds for short 

 distances, and it has been demonstrated that winds will do the same. 

 The English sparrow seems to be an active agent in spreading certain 

 scale insects, for the elm-bark louse, Gossyparia ulmi Geoff., probably owes 

 its general distribution over Albany and Troy to this bird. Some species 

 like the gypsy moth which has well-developed wings but does not use 

 them to any extent, and the white-marked tussock moth, the female of 

 which is wingless, depend very largely upon the caterpillars crawling or 

 being carried by some agency. The young larvae may be blown some 

 distance by winds, but many are carried by animals, teams and other 

 conveyances. Elm-leaf beetles are frequently seen resting on the cloth- 

 ing of people and there is no reason why they should not be carried by 

 teams. In Troy, N. Y., it seems as if the electric cars were prominent 

 factors in distributing this pest over the city. Many insects are trans- 

 ported in soil or rubbish accompanying their food plant. Such is prob- 

 ably the case with both asparagus beetles, for otherwise their occurrence 

 here and there in the state could hardly be explained. Many winged 

 insects fly long distances, and when this is true of the females, there is little 

 hope of restricting their spread. The presence of well-developed wings 

 is no proof that the insect flies great distances, though some are known 

 to take extended flights. The monarch butterfly, Anosia plexippm Linn., 

 is believed unable to stand our northern winters and the race is maintained 

 here only by adults flying from the south. There are a number of 

 records of butterflies being found at sea, in one instance 1000 miles from 

 the mainland. Certain owlet moths, or Noctuidae, and the hawk moths, 

 Sphingidae, have a strong flight and some species have been found far 

 out at sea. Honey and bumble bees fly considerable distances and the 

 same is true of certain beetles. In early spring it is by no means uncom- 

 mon to see Colorado potato beetles flying over fields of considerable 



