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Out-of-door Hibernation of Lecanium hemisphaericum in Pennsylvania. 



About a year ago, I sent to the Department of Agriculture specimens of Lecanium 

 whicli were pronounced hemisphwricum, which had infested an outdoor cucurbitous 

 plant, from about the Ist of July until late in October, when the plant was removed 

 (1886). After the plant (or plants) was removed I observed that about a dozen of the 

 adult females had located on an upright support of the arbor, where they remained all 

 winter. They were not examined until late in the following spring (1887), perhaps the 

 1st of May, and then I found them all vacated. The plants came up in great num- 

 bers in the spring, but my women folk considered them a nuisance and removed every 

 one of them from the premises. On the spot formerly occupied by the vines my wife 

 set some foreign ferns, where they remained until the advent of frost this fall, when 

 I noticed that they were almost as badly infested as the Echinocystis was last season. 

 I also found that a Japanese Quince {Cydonia japomca), over which these vines were 

 permitted to run last year, were similarly infested. Xow, I desire you to determine 

 whether these are all the same species. Because, if they are, then Lecanium heiuis- 

 phcericum is capable of an outdoor survival of the winter of South Pennsylvania, which 

 may be a matter of some importance to know. 



It may be pertinent to the subject to state that we have had these ferns in our pos- 

 session for the past seven or eight years, keeping them in the house during winter, 

 and setting them out during the summer, and I have never noticed a single specimen 

 of Lecanium, or any other insect, on them until the i)resent season, and lam confident 

 that I would have noticed them sometime during the seven years had they been pres- 

 ent. My observations last year demonstrated that this insect multiplies prodig- 

 iously on a curcubitaceous plant, and if it can endure the outdoor winter with impu- 

 nity it may possess possibilities that can not be entirely ignored. * * * — [g. g. 

 Rathvon, Lancaster, Pa., October 29, 1887. 



Reply. — * # » j recollect perfectly your correspondence of a year ago in refer- 

 ence to the Lecanium Jiemisphcericum and a note of the singular fact of its outdoor oc- 

 currence was made at the time for publication in an early bulletin. It has not, how- 

 ever, been published as yet, and your present observation will form an interesting 

 postscript to it. An examination of the specimens sent this time upon tlmfern shows 

 that they are Lecanium hemisphoiricum, but those upon the twig of Japanese Quince 

 belong to a different species — Lecanium jjersicw. The latter species has long been 

 known to infest peach and plum out of doors as far north as the latitude of New York 

 City, but the wintering of hemispharicum under the circumstances is of great interest. 

 I have never seen this species even in the latitude of Washington upon anything but 

 hot-house plants. — [November 2, 1887.1 



The Introduction of Lestophonus iceryae*. 



* * * A Monophlcebus which was left in San Mateo on a Cherry Laurel badly in- 

 fested, showed by a recent visit numerous holes, and judging from their condition two 

 months previous when seen, at least 50 or 60 flies had hatched, all probably a mouth 

 after being placed there. Of course it was too early to expect any of their progeny 

 to appear, but if successful I shall look for them. * * ** — [W. G. Klee, 220 Sutter 

 Street, San Francisco, Cal., October 4, 1888. 



A House infested with Psocidae. 



In March, 1886, a lady here bought a new mattress composed of hair and corn-husks. 

 It was used daily until the following August, when the family left home for a six 

 weeks' vacation. A day or two after the return in Sopteiriber, there were uoticed on 

 a pair of shoes, which had not l>een in recent use, several little colorless creatures 

 resembling the common " book-lice " in ai)pearance, some of which have been sent to 

 you. Continuing the examination, what was her horror to find the under surface of 



*' See Insect Life, No. 1, p. 21. 



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