54 



merged twigs in company with Dryops fastigiaius. So we supposed they were the 

 larvse of that species, as no Psepheniis ever occurred there that I know of. 



Saperda calcarata is playing havoc with the Silver Poplar here. They attack the 

 trunks and bore them full ol holes, which weakens the tree, and at the first wind 

 storm the top breaks off at the point. I Avas out yesterday and beat a number of 

 Clyianthus aJhofasciatus from Wild Grape-vine, and as this was one of your desiderata. 

 I have set aside a pair for you. 



THE CLOYEE-LEAF WEEYIL IN OHIO. 



This insect lias been spreading southward since we first treated it 

 in 1882, but has not extended its work to the West as rapidly as might 

 have been expected. In Newspaper Bulletin No. 93 of the Ohio Ex- 

 perimental Station Mr. Webster records it from Lake and Portage 

 Counties, Ohio, and where it seems to have appeared in sufiicient num- 

 bers to do some damage. We have not before noted the fact that for 

 several years this insect has been very abundant in the vicinity of 

 Washington, D. 0. Nothing in the way of remedies seems to have been 

 discovered since the publication of oiu^ article in 1882. Where the stub- 

 ble can be burned during the winter the numbers of the insect can be 

 greatly reduced, but plowing under during May, although it necessi- 

 tates some loss, wiU be the most efficacious remedy. 



THE JAPAIs^ESE GYPSY MOTH AIs^D ITS PAKASITE. 



It will be remembered that we have been in correspondence with the 

 Eev. H. Loomis, Yokohama, in reference to a Microgasterin parasite of 

 the GjT)sy Moth of Japan, which latter he supposed to be identical 

 with the same species which is creating such great havoc in Massachu- 

 setts at present. The parasite proved to be a new species of the genus 

 Apanteles, and on the occasion of a recent visit to this country Mr. 

 Loomis brought specimens with him in the cocoon state, which were 

 turned over to the Gn^sy Moth Commision. None of the adult para- 

 sites emerged, so far as we have been able to learn. Mr. Loomis caUed 

 upon us in Washington and we urged him to send specimens of the host 

 insect. This he has recently done, and it turns out that the Japanese 

 Moth is, as we susi^ected, and as Mr. W. F. Kirby conjectured in an 

 early number of Ixsect Lipe, diflerent from the European species 

 which has been introduced into this country. The Japanese species is 

 Ocneriajajwnica. It is a larger insect than the Oypsy Moth of Massa- 

 chusetts, but is so closely related that there is every reason to suppose 

 that this parasite will affect our species. This is all the more likely to 

 be the case as the parasites of the genus Apanteles seldom confine 

 themselves to a single species of host insect, while many of them are 

 very general feeders. In fact, we anticipate that some of our native 

 congeneric species of this genus will acquire a taste for the imported 

 caterpillar. 



