more or less trouble in northern regions, particularh^ in Virginia, 

 Maryland, Delaware, and New Jerse}- , where cucurbits are much cul- 

 tivated. Occasionally it is injurious as far north as Minnesota and 

 w^est to California. It has been collected also in Adelaide. South 

 Australia. 



INSTANCES OF INJURT. 



The melon aphis first attracted notice thru its injuries to cotton in 

 1854, and from that time on it has done more or less damage 3^ear by 

 year, and, in view of its rapacity, rapid multiplication, and omnivo- 

 rous habits, will no doubt continue injurious in spite of all that can 

 be done to repress it. As a melon and cucumber pest it was noticed 

 in Florida and southern Illinois in 1880, and in the next three years 

 caused considerable losses in those States and in Georgia. Soon after- 

 wards it became recognized as a strawberr}^ pest. In later ^^ears many 

 other food plants were added to its known dietary. The years 1892, 

 1893, and 1898 were unusually bad "aphis years." 



In 1893 information was received from a pickle company of Omaha, 

 Nebr., of severe injury in that State. This company was growing 

 between 30,000 and 50,000 bushels of cucumbers a .year, and sev- 

 eral hundred neighboring farmers grew this vegetable for the com- 

 pany. Two-thirds of the crop grown in 1892 was destroyed by the 

 aphis, and in 1893 half of the crop was lost. These injuries made it 

 diflicult to induce outside planters to grow for the company. 



In 1898 this species was extremely troublesome. In order that a 

 good idea of its destructiveness may be had^ some reports are cited. 

 In January injury was reported on cucumbers in Florida and in Maj^ 

 to strawberries in Delaware, where the insects were described as 

 "taking everything clean." By June this insect had been very 

 injurious to watermelon in southern Texas, when it destroyed many 

 acres of earl}^ vines. In July Texas correspondents reported the 

 destruction of 1,000 acres of cantaloupes in one locality, and the out- 

 break assumed such proportions as to cause much newspaper com- 

 ment. One company reported that the ravages of this pest had cost 

 them $20,000, and that agriculturists of that section had sustained irre- 

 trievable loss. In November a Pennsylvania correspondent reported 

 losses to cucumbers grown under glass, and in December this aphis 

 resumed its ravages to cucumbers in Florida. 



LIST OF FOOD PLANTS. 



The insect here considered is the most nearly omnivorovis of any 

 known species of aphis. The list of plants upon which it has actually 

 been found feeding shows great diversity, and future observations 

 may add many more host plants. 



It is partial to the plants that have previoush^ been mentioned — 

 melons and other cucurbits, cotton, okra, orange and other citrus 



