93 



only was caught in this about one hour after dusk. Never before dur- 

 ing iny fourteen years of collecting moths with lights, sweeps, etc., 

 have I, within my memory, collected a single Carpocapsa. 



THE. HESSIAN FLY. 



(Cecidomyia destructor.) 



This insect has been quite abundant and destructive to grain in the 

 central part of the State during the season. A Mt. Eden correspond- 

 ent wrote to the Oakland Engineer, May 2, as follows : 



The Hessian fly has done irreparable damage to the grain in this vicinity. There 

 has been hardly a tield that has not been attacked. The prospect for a large barley 

 crop is very good. The wheat crop will be a comparative failure. What is leftfrom 

 the Hessian fly is being destroyed by the rust. 



Personally, until this spring, I have had no opportunity of making 

 any observations upon this insect. On May 26, while in the Santa 

 Cruz Mountains, it was noticed that some of the barley had fallen 

 to the ground. On examination, puparia of the Hessian fly were found 

 in places where the straw was fallen. The insect was found at the time 

 in all stages from young larvre to puparia, and some of the latter had re- 

 cently hatched. From puparia collected at the time, flies made their 

 appearance until the beginning of July. Other puparia collected 

 about July 1 have not hatched up to date, and the insects are still in 

 the larval state within the puparia. A few specimens of parasites 

 (Merisus destrtictor) were bred from these, and from the same straws 

 several specimens of an Isosoma. 



During September, 1S87, 1 found puparia, which I took to be those of 

 the Hessian fly, on two species of grasses near here. These were for- 

 warded to Washington, where thej^ arrived in good condition, as stated 

 in letter of October 3d, and the grasses were determined as Elymus 

 americanus and Agrostis sp. Again during the summer I found the 

 puparia upon several species of grasses in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

 I shall be prepared next season to give a list of grasses upon which the 

 Hessian fly is found, and also more accurate notes as to the habits of 

 this insect, which, as it would appear, is a very old resident of this coast. 



JOINT-WORMS. 



(Isosoma sp.) 



These insects have been abundant and destructive in most wheat- 

 growing sections, and they will continue to be numerous uutil stricter 

 measures are employed for burning the straw and stubble. 



LOCUSTS. 



These did not appear in any large numbers except in the northern 

 part of the State and, from some accounts, in Oregon. On my visit to 

 Shasta Valley, Siskiyou County, at the end of July, locusts were no- 



