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114 



THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 



Aug. 15, 



%\i.t ®ttt<lltt<il0flll8t. 



[For the OultlvAtor and Country Gentleman.] 



No. 30.— Th e gr ain aphis. 



I have occasionally, in former years, noticed in fields of 

 wheat a species of plant louse, of a bright grass-green 

 color. But as only a very fe«r of thorn appeurect to be 

 scattered about upon the grain, and I found no winged 

 individuals accompanying it whereby I could determine 

 its name and preserve it in my cabinet, I regarded it as a 

 thing of no importance, and thus gave no attention to it. 

 About a year ago there was sent to the Country Gkn- 

 TLKMAN, I think from Columbia county, what was said to 

 be a red insect that was thronging some of the fields of 

 oats there. The spceiniens were evidently a plant louse, 

 but were so dried up when they reached me I could make 

 nothing satisfactory out of them ; nor could I find any 

 euch insect then in the oat fields in my own neighborhood. 

 W. Freeman, Jr., of South Adams, Mass., visiting me 

 about the same time, informed me he had noticed a plant 

 louse of a pale brick-red color, extremely numerous in a 

 field of oats at East Uampdcn in that State. We thus 

 know the insect we are to speak of was overrunning the 

 fields in some places, last summer. 



Early in May last, when rye and winter wheat were but 

 a few inches out of the ground, I met with this insect, 

 more numerous than any other, in every part of every 

 grain field in my neighljorhood. Towards the close of 

 ^at month, specimens having wings began to occur. By 

 inclosing them singly in vialtt, I found that the winged fe- 

 males usually gave birth to four young lice in twenty-four 

 hours, whilst those without wings produced eight within 

 the same time. And as the young grow to maturity and 

 commence bearing in a few days, it will be perceived with 

 what rapidity these insects multiply. 



As yet they were scattered, one in a place, upon the 

 loaves and stalks of the grain, puncturing them and suck- 

 ing their juices. But as soon ns the heads of the grain 

 put forth, I observed they immediately began to cluster 

 upon them, fixing themselves at the base of the kernel.s, 

 on the outside of the clialV, with their beads downward, 

 thus sucking out the juices which should go to swell and 

 mature the kernels. And now the young lice, instead of 

 scattering themselves and wandering away, as fast ns they 

 Were born, settled down anmnd their jiarcnt as close as 

 they could crowd themselves together. Thus, in a short 

 time, nearly every kernel of the grain in almost every 

 head over whole fields, came to have a cluster of these 

 lice at its base. 



One of the most remarkable circumstances relating to 

 these insects is the change in their color, which now began 

 to take place. Whilst they were scattered about upon the 

 leaves and stalks of the grain, they were all of a bright 

 grass-green color. Kow orange yellow or deep flesh red 

 individuals began to appear among them. This color is 

 so wholly different from green, that these orange ones 

 might be suspected to be a different species. But green 

 females placed in vials were found next day to have young 

 with them of both colors — some being green, othei's orange. 

 And a few days later, other green females were found to 

 have orange young only, no green ones being born any 

 longer. It is probably the change in the quality of its 

 food which causes the insect to change thus in its color, 

 the juices which the plant elaborates lor the growth of its 

 flowers and seeds being nmch more highly refined, nutri- 

 tious and dainty, than those which circulate in the stalks 

 and leaves where the insect at first feeds. And it is truly 

 curious and wonderful that this green colored insect on 

 coming to feed on the juices which grow the flowers,, be- 

 gins thereupon to give birth to young having a gay orange 

 color similar to that of the flowers. 



Before the close of Juno, I foresaw that these lice, 

 multiplying so rapidly, would ."ioon throng the heads of 

 the grain in such excessive numbers us to attract public 

 notice and excite alarm. It was about the middle of July, 

 three weeks ago, that my neighbors began to bring heads 

 of wheat in from their fields to me, to know what this in- 

 sect was, and what they could do to remedy it. And for 

 the past fortnight, scarcely has there been a day but that 

 specimens have been brought or .sent to me, from distances 

 frequently of five and ten miles around; whilst every 

 mail is bringing me letters and boxes containing it— six 

 such having come to hand together, a few days since. 

 From these correspondents, I infer that this insect is now 

 swarming in all the grain fields that are drained bv the 

 Hudson river and its tributaries, and also those of the 

 Connecticut. And it may very likely be similarly com- 

 mon over districts more remote, from which no informa- 

 tion has yet reached us. 



As the rye, wheat and barley become juicelo-ss, this in- 

 sect gradually disappears from them, and becomes gather- 

 ed upon the oats, these being still green and succulent. 

 Hence the oats, before they ripen, are liable to be more 

 thronged and overrun by it than any other kind of grain. 

 Rye, ou the othor hand, grows so rapidly,' and ripens so 



early, that it escapes any perceptible injury from these in' 

 Bocta. One of our correspondents, W, G. Cook of Cats- 

 kill, states, " it is found on oats and peas as well as wheat.'' 

 It is only where pens are sown among oats that this insect 

 will be found ou them, I am confident, nor will it feed on 

 the pea. I have never seen any plant lice living on the 

 peas in this country, nor is any species mentioned by au- 

 thors as belonging to it in Europe. This is the more 

 remarkable since the bean, and every other species of vege- 

 tation appears to have one or more kinds of these lice in- 

 festing it. 



This insect is unquestionably identical with one that has 

 long been known in Europe as being common at times in 

 the grain fields there. It is scientifically named Aphis 

 Avnice, by Fabricius, and entomologisUs generally, a name 

 literally meaning the aphis or plant louse of oats. But os 

 the description given By Fabricius certainly differs in 

 several paiticulars from this insect, Kirby and Curtis des- 

 cribe it under the name of Aphis grauaria, and some of 

 the German naturalists name it Aphin cerealis, whilst one 

 of the hitter, probably supposing the insect on barley dif- 

 ferent from that on oats, has entered it under the name 

 Aphis J/ordei. As it infests all other kinds of grain as 

 well as oats, the "grain aphis," rather than "oat aphis," 

 will be the most correct and deffnite name by which to 

 designate it in English. 



Alter what has been said above, every reader will know 

 the insect I am alluding to. A detailed description of it 

 is therefore unnecessary. Suffice it to say it is a plant 

 louse similar to those we so frequently see on cabbage and 

 other vegetation in our gardens and yards. The full grown 

 female is shaped like an egg, and is scarcely larger than 

 the head of a pin, beiag the tenth of an inch long, or a 

 little less, soft or of a fiesh-likc consistency, slow and slug- 

 gish in her motions, of a grass green color, changing in 

 hot weather to orange red or yellow, and having the honey 

 tubes black, and also the antenna;, except at their bases, 

 the feet and the ends of the shanks and of the thighs. The 

 winged flies are colored in the same maimer, as is also the 

 young, except in them the black parts are only smoky or 

 dusky. 



As to its habits I may briefly observe that all the insects 

 we see on the grain during the spring and summer are 

 females, some having wings, but most of them never ac- 

 quiring wings. They do not bring forth eggs, but living 

 young, which mature in a few days, and then commence 

 bearing, without any intercourse of the sexes. It is only 

 when cold weather is coming on, at the end of the season, 

 that moles are produced. All the males have wings. They 

 mty be (lislinguishji from the winged females hy being 

 destitute of the little tail-like process at the end of the 

 body. The sexes now pair, and the females thereupon 

 lay eggs, placing them no doubt upon the fall sowed wheat 

 and rye that is then up in our fields. These eggs remain 

 through the winter to be hatched by the warmth of the 

 following spring. The young from them grow up and com- 

 mence giving birth to living young, no males and no eggs 

 being produced, except as the closing act of its operations 

 in autumn. Such at least is the case in other species of 

 aphi.-!, from whence I infer it will be the same here. 



When this insect is numerous, as it is at present, it will 

 undoubtedly be a serious injurj- to the grain crops. By 

 sucking out the juice as it does, the juice which should go 

 to fill and mature the kernpis, it will evidently cause the 

 grain when ripe to be dwarfish, shrunken and light of 

 weight. Our fanners are often disappointed in finding 

 their oats, when they suppose they have grown a fine 

 crop, turn out much lighter by weight than they antici- 

 pated. I now suspect this deficiency is frequently occa- 

 sioned by these insects preying unobserved upon this 

 grain. 



As the career of this inscot for this present year will 

 be drawing towards its close before this communication 

 can meet the public eye, I do not deem it worth while to 

 make any suggestions as to remedies. The reader will 

 be more interested in knowing what our prospects in 

 reference to it are in the future. It having been so 

 numerous last year as to attract notice in some places, and 

 having multiplied this season to such an excessive extent, 

 will it remain with us, infesting our grain fields thus in 

 coming years? Shall we see it again next year as we see 

 it now ? No I The Philistines be upon thee, Sampson I 



On many of the wheat heads may at present be noticed 

 from one to a half dozen or more of these lice which are 

 very large, plump and swollen, of the color of brown 

 paper, standing in a posture so perfectly natural you sup- 

 pose they arc alive. Touch them with the point of a pin, 

 you find they are dead. Pick off a part of their brittle 

 skin ; you see there is inside a white maggot doubled 

 together like a ball. Put one or two of these wheat heads 

 in a vial, closing its mouth with a wad of cotton. In a 

 week's time or less you find running actively about in the 

 vial some little black flies like snuill ants. These you see 

 have come out from the dead lice through a circular open- 

 ing which has been cut in their backs. Drive one or two of 

 these flies into another vial, and introduce to them a wheat 

 head having some f're.sh lice. Sec how the fly runs about 

 among them, examining them with its antenna;. Having 

 found one aciapted to its wants, watch how dexterously it 

 c\irves its body forward under its breast, bringing the tip be- 

 fore its face, as if to take accurate aim with its sling. There, 



the aphis gives a shrug, the fly has pricked it with its sting, 

 an egg has been lodged under iti skin, from which will 

 grow a maggot like that first seen inside of the dead, 

 swollen aphis. And thus the little fly runs busily around 

 among the lice on the wheat heads, slinging one after 

 another, till it exhausts its slock of eggs, a hundred proba- 

 bly or moie, thus insuring tlie death of that number of 

 these lice. And of its progeny, fifty we may suppose 

 will be females, by which five thousand more will bo 

 destroyed. We thus see what efficient agents these para- 

 sites are in subduing the insects on which they prey. I 

 find three different species of them now at work iii our 

 fields destroying this grain aphis. I have not apace hero 

 to describe them. A particular account of them will bo 

 given in my Keport in the forthcoming volume of Tran- 

 sactions of our State Agricultural Society. 



And aiding these parasites in the work which they have 

 been created to perform, are several other insects, to which 

 I can only briefly allude. A Lady bug or Coccinella, (C 

 9-notala, Herbst) a pretty little beetle, nearly the size and 

 shape of a half pea, of a bright yellow or red color, with 

 nine small black spots, has all the season been quite com- 

 mon in our grain fields, it and its larvic feeding on this 

 aphis. Another insect of the .same kind, but much small- 

 er, and black, with ten yellow dots on its wing covers, 

 (Brachyacanlha lOpustulala, Melsheimer,) is little less 

 common. The Chrysopa or Golden-eye flies are also there, 

 placing their white eggs at the summit of slender threads, 

 that their young may feed on these lice. The larvae of 

 different Syrphus flies, small worms shaped like leeches, 

 may also be seen on the grain heads, reaching about as an 

 elephant does with his trunk, till an aphis is found, which 

 is thereupon immediately grasped and pulled from its foot- 

 hold and devoured. Attacked by so many enemies, this 

 grain aphis, numerous as it is, will be so subdued, that next 

 year I doubt whether it will be noticed. 



Mr. J. S. Grknnkll writes from Greenfield, Mass., that 

 the wheat there is seriously injured by the maggot of the 

 midge, but he cannot trace any connection between that 

 and this insect. There is no connection between them, 

 although they both operate alike in dwarfing the kernels 

 of the wheat. In my own vicinity, also, the midge is nu- 

 merous this year, though not one of its larva: was to be 

 found in the wheat ears last year. Certain I therefore am, 

 it has other places in which it breeds, when an extremely 

 dry June drives it partially or totally from our wheatfields. 

 Some of our fields here will be more injured by it than by 

 this aphis, notwithstanding the latter is .so numerous. And 

 I am now better assured than I have befory been, wehavo 

 no parsltes, nothing whatever, that molqsts the midge, 

 save, only the yellow birds, and bow inadequate they aro 

 to quell it, thirty years' experience shows. Seeing the 

 natural parasites and other destroyers of this aphis in our 

 wheat fields, so busily at work to conquer it, has brought 

 to my view more forcibly than ever before, what a god- 

 send it would be to have the natural parasites ol the midge 

 here, subduing it for us as this aphis is being subdued. 

 These parasites would be millions of dollars annually in 

 the pockets of the fanners of our State. They alone 

 would enable us to sustain, yes, without feeling it, the 

 heavy taxation which our present national disturbance 

 must entail upon us. Asa Fitcu. 



Salem, N. T.. Autr. 6, 1861. 



[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] 



A Novel Bee Freak — Invading Svsrarms. 



On the IB Ih of July I had been out on the prairies a few 

 miles, returning homo about 3 o'clock p. u. The first thing 

 I heard was tliut " lito strange swarms of bees had como in 

 o southerly direction and invadod a stock in one of our old 

 hivos. This seemed strange, but upon inquiry it appeared 

 that the hives had been closely watched, being all in sight of 

 tho summer cooking apartment, and no swarm had left either 

 of tho only two old hives I have, and none was expected, bo- 

 oauso both had thrown off large swarms before. I had no al- 

 ternative therefore but to acquiesce in the conclusion that one 

 or two swarms of strange bees had actually come from some 

 other placo and " invaded " tho old hive, which was pretty 

 full before, and which, of course, must result in great com- 

 motion, and probably a battle of tho queens during the even- 

 ing and night succeeding. 



On the morning of the 16th I had just returned from post- 

 office, and sending a small boy homo with the horse, com- 

 menced mowing, when in about ten minutes our oldest girl 

 returned on the horse— I was half a inilo from tho house — to 

 say that one swarm of tho "invading" bees had just como 

 out and wore alighting in a tree near by. It was about half 

 post eight, a. m. I rode home and hived the early Aioving 

 swarm, about half a peck, quickly. About 4 p m. another 

 cluster camo through tho air, when I again loft mowing and 

 added these, ab<mt a quart, to tho morning swarm. As I 

 could not see a queen on the cloth used for the latter to move 

 upon into tlio hive, I think tho ^ocond cluster may have been 

 made up of " stragglers " from the 6 o'clock swurm. They 

 stay in the hive, and appear to bo going to work. 



As I never heard of bees swarming at 8 a, m. in a natural 

 way, and as tho morning was no more than comfortably warm, 



