552 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC EXTO^IOLOGY 



[Vol. 8 



Trioza mo.gnolm Ashm. (Homop.j. These ■'jumping plant lice" were exception- 

 ally abundant on bay trees at Rutherford, X. J., diu'ing July, resulting in a deforma- 

 tion of almost ever}' leaf on the trees. Tobacco extract and whale oil soap was found 

 effective in controlling them. 



Pteronus hudsordi Dyar (Hymen.). Larvse of this saw-fly were found for the fu-st 

 time in Xew Jersey feeding on Populus canadensis at Rutherford and Trenton during 

 the middle of August, 1915. The larvae feed on the eclges of the leaves and when 

 disturbed thrash their abdomens about more or less violently. 



Otiorhynchus sidco.tus Tab. (Coleop.). This weevil, which is hsted in Insects of 

 Xew Jersey as occmTingin different parts of the state, has recenth- become somewhat 

 of a pest on rhododendrons and Taxus in several large nurseries. Dr. A. D. Hopkins 

 gives the folloT^dng interesting information about this species. 



OtiorhyncJuis sidcatus is a Em^opean species which has been estabhshed in this 

 country a considerable number of years. In central Etuope it is known accord- 

 ing to Sorauer, to feed on grape vines, ground berries, peaches, flowers with juicy 

 roots or root stalks, ferns and particularly Taxtis and rhododendrons. It occurs 

 there in Hght sandj' or clay soils, in desert lands, meadows, forests, etc. ; also in hot- 

 houses and manure piles. It seriously injures grapes by eating the leaves and buds 

 in the spring. The principal damage is by the larvee which seriously affect or even 

 kill the stems. Their development is very uneven: normally the matme larva 

 hibernates and pupates in the spring but also young larvse from eggs laid late in the 

 season hibernate and feed in the spring until pupation; some of the beetles issuing 

 from the latter may again hibernate so that the same individual may hibernate twice. 

 In general their seasonal histor}- in tliis cotmtry is very similar to that of 0. ovatus. 

 Adults emerge from the soil during May, June and July and oviposit during Jtme- 

 August. The eggs are laid in the grotmd and the larvee which hatch about two 

 weeks later feed on the roots of their favorite plants. After hibernation they resimie 

 feeding in the spring and pupate in the soil dming April and ]\Iay. Trapping the 

 adults by means of bundles of moss, leaves, straw, etc.. placed on the ground in the 

 evening and btirned in the morning, is the most effecti^-e control method in Emope 

 and HkeT^dse here. Advantage may also be taken of then habit to congregate in 

 hiding dming the day tmder boards and similar places.'"' Dr. Hopkins advocates a 

 thorough trial with tobacco dtist for combating them after they are once in the 

 ground. Xo determined effort has ever been made by Xew Jersey nm'serymen to 

 control this pest, it being considerably cheaper to sell the insects along with the 

 plants. 



Harry B. AVeiss, Xew BrunsvjicJc, X. J. 



Sedentary Aphids vs. Spread of Fire Blight. In a recent number of Phy- 

 topathology I have tried to show that aphids are among the chief carriers of fire bhght. 

 An experiment seemed necessary at the time these tests were made to investigate 

 the published statements that aphids are sedentary inhabits while the Heteroptera 

 so far stuched on apple are not. If aphids are extremely sedentary, they can not 

 rank as chief carriers. Let us see. 



First, prolonged study showed that the six or seven different species of aphids, 

 now reported on apple, are far from sj-nckronous in then ^lay to midstimmer migra- 

 tions. There is thus a nearly continual shifting of the aphis population, independent 

 of enemies, interrupted only by each cooler weather period. Fire bhght is hkewise 

 cheeked during the cooler periods of the growing season, but dtning optimum tem- 

 peratures may be opportimely spread by aphids and leaf hoppers of one or the other 

 shifting species. 



Second, aphids are shown not to be sedentary with reference to a single shoot. 

 An mfested sprig of bhghting crab was placed in a bottle of water in the laboratory. 



