354 



tidae, discovered^ in the district of WoUombi, New South -Wales, and 

 described by Mr. A. VT. Scott in the Proceedings of the Zoological. 

 Society of London, 1859, under the name of Hypliantidhnn sericarium, 

 belongs evidently to the genus Ephestia, and closely resembles E. 

 JvuehnieUa from the description, but the plate shows two supplementary 

 lines in the basillary space and another in the middle of the terminal 

 space, the imperfect crossing being replaced by a round dot. This 

 slight difference he is inclined to lay at the door of the artist, and 

 thinks that the species may prove to be identical with E. MieJiniella, 

 the more particularly as its larval habits are precisel}^ the same. For 

 the i^resent, however, he is content to let the species remain as E. seri- 

 caria ( Scott) . This communication we deem of considerable importance, 

 as probably adding a new locality to the so-called Mediterranean Flour 

 Moth, and in view of the fact that the species was known in Australia 

 as early as 1859, as indicating, in case the identity is shown, that the 

 species may be an indigene of that country. 



HELIOTHIS ARMIGEE IN AUSTRALIA. 



According to the March number of the Agricultural Gazette of Xew 

 South Wales, our old friend, HeUotMs armiger, there called the Maize 

 Moth, has done great damage recently in portions of Kew South Wales. 

 lN"o mention is made of the ear-feeding habit of the larva, and the principal 

 damage is done by the destruction of the heart of the plant, thelarv?e 

 hiding between the coils of the young leaves. The species has long been 

 known inXew South Wales, but accounts of damage have been rare. 



CUT-W0R3I DAMAGE TO GRAPES IN CALIFORNIA. 



Through the kindness of Mr. J. R. Williams, Weather Bureau 

 Observer at Fresno, Cal., we have been put in possession of particulars 

 concerning a most interesting case of damage to vineyards by two cut- 

 worms in Fresno county this spring. The district surrounding Fresno 

 is essentially a raisin district, and at a number of points the cut- worms 

 have appeared in such extraordinary numbers as entirely to defoliate 

 the vines. Hiding under the surface of the ground during the daj^, as 

 is their normal habit, they have issued at night, climbed the \anes, and 

 eaten off the leaves and young shoots. The specimens forwarded by 

 Mr. Williams show that both species are identical with eastern forms. 

 The most abundant is Agrotis messoria — the Dark-sided Cut-worm — a 

 widespread species which has been locally known in ]^ew York state 

 as the '^ onion cut- worm." The Variegated Cut- worm {Agrotis saucia) 

 occurs in lesser numbers. The first of these species we have previ- 

 ously received from California through Mr. Koebele, but the latter we 

 have not before known as an injurious si^ecies on the Pacific Coast. 

 Mr. Williams informs us that ashes, sulphur, lime, and Paris green in 

 powder have been used to no effect, but that the use of Paris green in 

 solution has resulted successfully. Inasmuch as the worms are obliged 



