104 



planting of American vine stock throughout the wine-growing territory. 

 Under the present laws American vines can not be introduced into the 

 country, but the grand council will ask the Confederation to permit 

 the introduction of such vines under strict governmental inspection. 



THE G-REEX JUNE BEETLE OF THE SOUTHWEST. 



Writing under date of August 31, 1899. Dr. E. E. Kunze. Phoenix, 

 Ariz., calls attention to the injuries inflicted by the Western green 

 June beetle [Allorhina mutabilis Gory) in southern Arizona. This 

 species has received some mention in Insect Life, and more particularly 

 by Mr. Townsend in Bulletin No. 5 of the Xew Mexico Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, page 10. where it is stated to be extremely 

 injurious to ripe peaches, apples, pears, figs, grapes, and other fruits. 



The following is an abstract of Dr. Kunze's letter : 



A few words about the Scarabafld Allorhina mutabilis. which periodically appears 

 in great numbers in southern Arizona to the detriment of deciduous fruit trees and 

 vines. My observation is based upon a continuous residence of three and a half 

 years during closed season (December. January, and February) of each year. This 

 pestiferous insect destroys the first tig crop of the year in southern Arizona. Next 

 to the fig, this beetle attacks grapes. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, pears, and 

 apples are in turn destroyed, the last two fruit trees the least of any. While in 

 Tucson, season of 1897, Mr. Elliott, ex-postmaster, told me that his crop of garden 

 grapes was annually destroyed by mutabilis. He picked oft the beetles as fast as he 

 could, and within two days bet-tie- and berries were alike gone. Other residents 

 related the same story concerning their hg crop. 



In the early summer of L898 in Phoenix I observed mutabilis hanging to a single iig 

 in clusters the size of a folded pair of hands, and when the stem was eaten off would 

 drop to the ground, flying in every direction. 



Mr. S. M. Barrows, of Tombstone, whose family camped with me in the Huaehucas 

 during July. 1899. informed me that his grapes were usually eaten up by mutaW.is. 



A NOTE OX THE COCKLEBUE BILL-BCG-. 



One of the insects figured and treated by the late Dr. Eiley in his 

 Third Missouri Report (p. 60; and in the report of this Department for 

 1881-82 (p. 142) is the gayly-colored red and black snout beetle. JRhodo- 

 bancs 13-punctatus 111. 



This species is said to attack cultivated sunflower, but as neither 

 this nor any other stem borers that attack the large-stemmed com- 

 posites haA~e any apparent effect on the vitality of the plant the 

 species can hardly be said to be of economic importance either as a 

 destroyer of cultivated plants or of weeds. The insect is. however, of 

 interest by reason of its near relationship to the genus Sphenophoruus. 

 many species of which are injurious to corn and other Gramine;e. and 

 and are known generally throughout the country as corn bill-bugs. 



Two imagos and one pupa were taken recently during September 

 near Rosslyn. Va.. from the stems of the Joe-Pye weed [Eupatorium 

 perfoliatum a single individual in each stem. Several other stems 

 which comprised this clump were opened, all of which betrayed un- 



