294 



Insect, Fungous and other Pests, [august, 



or the grubs of Daddy Longlegs (see Leaflet No. n), which 

 were infesting potatoes, from Brigg. 



Aphides. — Many specimens of aphides have been received. 

 Apple trees especially appear to be infested, specimens arriving 

 from Dorking, Ealing, Stroud, Heathfield, Witham, &c. 

 Other specimens included the aphis on silver fir and the 

 Plum Aphis from Exeter, aphides on cherry trees from 

 Stroud, on currants from Stroud, Ealing, and Liverpool, 

 and on gooseberries from Northwood (Middlesex) and Liver- 

 pool. Aphides were also present on cabbages sent from 

 Witham, but the chief damage was done by the weevil Baridius 

 mentioned above. Aphides or Plant Lice are dealt with in 

 the Board's Leaflet, No. 104, the Woolly Aphis in Leaflet 

 No. 34, and Currant Aphides in Leaflet No. 68. 



Larch Aphis. — From Norwich came a report of young larch 

 trees suffering from a severe attack of the Larch Aphis, a full 

 account of which will shortly be given in this Journal. 



It may here be noted that the small greenish larvae or 

 maggots of the Hover Fly (Syrphus) were found with several 

 of the above specimens. These larvae are exceedingly useful as 

 they feed greedily on the aphides. They are mentioned in 

 Leaflets 104 and 68, while they were more fully dealt with in 

 this Journal, Vol. V., No. 3, December, 1898, p. 328. 



Sawflies. — Specimens of the Gooseberry and Currant 

 Sawfly, Nematus ribesii (see Leaflet No. 12) were received 

 from Stonehaven and from New Pitsligo (Aberdeen). 



Sawfly on Willow's. — Specimens of galled willows forwarded 

 from South, Patterton (Somerset) were found to be infested 

 with a sawfly, Nematus gallicola, which lays its eggs on various 

 species of willow. Galls are induced on the leaves by the 

 pricking of the buds by the sawflies. The caterpillars which 

 hatch from the eggs feed inside the galls, and when full grown 

 leave the galls and papate in the soil. There may be two 

 broods in the year, the first sawflies issuing in May and laying 

 the eggs which, in due course, after the larval and pupal 

 stages, result in a second brood in August and September. 

 Unless the galls occur in overwhelming numbers the trees 

 attacked do not suffer much. Nematus gallicola is partly 

 kept in check by Ichneumon parasites (see Journal, Vol. V., 

 No. 3, December, 1898, p. 332). 



