INSECT ENEMIES OF WESTERN FORESTS 23 
species of Lalaninus are found in the Western States. These are 
listed below : 
Species Hosts and distribution 
Balaninus uniformis Lee ~~ Oak acorns. New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, 
California, Oregon, and Washington. 
Balannws caryae Horm 2. 2. Hickory, pecans. Eastern States and west- 
ward into Colorado. 
ESQLONWUILILS “RECLUS. SAY. = Chestnuts, acorns. Eastern States and 
westward into Arizona. 
PLOVUILUS MUASICUS: SAY] 252 Ee Oak acorns. Eastern States and westward 
into New Mexico and Arizona. 
Balaninus q-griseae Chittn__ —__-_ Griseous oak acorns. Arizona. 
ACORN MOTH 
Small white or pinkish caterpillars, about three-fourths of an 
inch in length when full grown, the immature stage of the acorn 
moth (Melissopus latiferranus Wls.), may at times be found boring 
through acorns and throwing out larval castings, which are held 
together by a web, at the entrance hole. They also infest the seeds 
of Catalina cherry in southern California and may likewise be found 
in the large green cynipid galls formed on various oaks. There is 
only one brood a year, and the larvae hibernate in cocoons within 
the ground. 
INSECTS INJURIOUS TO SEEDLINGS IN NURSERY OR 
FOREST 
In nurseries and plantations, and even in natural forests, young 
seedlings are the easy prey of a great variety of insect enemies. In 
seedbeds the nurseryman must guard against insects as well as 
against damping off, rodents, heat injury, and unfavorable soil con- 
ditions. In transplant beds insect damage may be more severe than 
in the seedbeds. In some cases white grubs alone have destroyed 90 
percent of seedlings planted in badly infested soils. In western 
nurseries the strawberry root weevils have occasionally taken a heavy 
toll in the transplant beds. Cutworms, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, 
and other insect pests become abundant at intervals. After planting 
in the forest, nursery stock is subject to damage by a great many 
insect enemies before it becomes well established and able to resist 
attack. So far, western forest nurseries have been more fortunate 
than those in the East in escaping troublesome insect pests. 
It is at these early stages in the tree’s life cycle that root-feeding 
insects do their greatest damage. After the trees have become fully 
established in the field and have developed a large root system there 
is less danger that soil-infesting insects will injure them seriously. 
Most of the soil-inhabiting insects that feed on the roots of seedlings 
show little preference for any particular tree species. Root bark 
beetles and root aphids are among the few that confine their feeding 
to the roots of certain host plants. White grubs, wireworms, root 
weevils, cutworms, and root maggots feed not only on the roots of 
forest seedlings but on the roots of many other plants. The stems 
of young seedlings may be attacked above ground by cutworms, 
grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and various bark-chewing beetles; and 
the leaves may be fed upon by caterpillars and sawflies and by vari- 
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