67 
eter. Some of these healthy scales lingered upon the leaves until 
their faUing (as late as November ist). 
When this insect pest appeared the attention of our citizens was 
called to its destructive methods by this society. Through the 
kindly medium of the newspapers remedies were recommended, 
the employment of which by many of our property holders, to- 
gether with the prevalence of its natural enemies, will, we trust, 
do much toward holding the insect in check in the coming year. 
C. E. Brown. 
Fruit Feeding: Habit of the Cotton Worm Moth. 
The cotton worm moth Alctia argillacca, Huebn., widely known 
in the southern states by reason of its destructive habits, has been 
repeatedly observ^ed for several seasons past, in quite large num- 
bers, puncturing ripened grapes in early October, in small vine- 
yards in and about Milwaukee, Wis. 
Often as many as five or six of these moths were observed at 
night feeding upon a single bunch, and often nearly every second 
bunch was thus beset with insect depredators, the damage to the 
yield (in bruised fruit) being anything but slight. 
At such times the insects did not appear to mind the light of 
a dark lantern and were quite approachable^ enabling one to 
tumble them into a cyanide jar with ease. 
After settling upon and piercing a grape they would generally 
remain in that position for several minutes and then fly away or 
shift to a neighboring grape. 
The fruit-feeding habit of the adult moth is well known, and 
is especially marked in the south ; the curious arming of the 
hanstellum enabling it to pierce fruit easily. Dr. L. O. Howard, 
entomologist of the United States Agricultural Department, says 
that he is not aware that this habit of the moth has ever been ob- 
served before as far north as Milwaukee, Wis. 
C. E. Brown. 
The Balsam Apple Vine as an Insect Trap. 
A rather unusual occurrence which created some little interest 
among local entomologists and others in August of the present 
year was the ensnaring of a large green dragon fly Anax junhis, 
Driiry, by a tendril of wild balsam apple, Micrampeles lohata, 
Green. 
