30 BULLETIN NO. 2, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 
THE WINGLESS WHEAT ISOSOMA IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 
I have this day mailed to you for investigation some wheat-straws containing the 
larva or grub of a fly or something else, hoping to have you make an investigation 
and give me what it may he. Our crop is short, and has been ever since it has infested 
the wheat. — [J. A. Starner, Dayton, Columbia County, Wash. Ter., September 2, 1882. 
Reply. — The specimens show the insect to be the wingless " wheat-stalk Isosoma'' 
(Isosoma tritici Riley) which has been studied during the past two years from specimens 
received from Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois. It is also probably the same insect 
referred to in the Pacific Mural Press of three years ago as infesting wheat in Califor- 
nia. I cannot enter into a discussion of the insect here, but will refer Mr. Starner to 
the article in the annual report of this department for 1881, which is now in the 
printer's hands and will be issued before the end of the year. 
FUNGUS GROWTH UPON HONEY DEW. 
I herewith inclose a specimen of insect production which, at present, very closely 
resembles sponge. It is made by a multitude of small insects, having a fiber very like 
cotton, attached to posterior or abdomen. Particles you will observe in specimen. I 
have been much in the woods and fields, but never saw anything like this before, 
attached to leaves and branches of beech trees. There is quite a quantity of insects 
and product where this was fouud. If the matter interests you, I will take pleasure in 
furnishing specimens and details. — [Rev. J. A. Lyons, Johnson City, Tenn., Septem- 
ber 4, 1882. 
Reply. — The peculiar sponge-like growth upon the beech twig which you send is 
a fungus (Scorias spougiosa Fries), started originally, without much doubt, upon the 
honey-like excretions of a colony of wooly plant-lice. The species of the plant-louse 
cannot be determined with absolute accuracy, as you have sent no winged individuals, 
but it is in all probability the Schizoneura imlricator of Fitch. The specimen is very 
interesting, as I have never before seen this fungus at such an early stage of its growth 
ELAPHIDION VILLOSUM BORING TWIGS OF WISTARIA. 
According to your request I send you to-day the '* Wistaria Borers" I have col- 
lected and placed in a box, to await further results. I prefer that you should watch 
their development, for I am away from my office too much for that business. The 
smallest I have observed are about one-fourth of an inch long, and are found just in- 
side the bark of the dead wood ; the channels made by them are filled with " powder- 
post," and generally leave the center of the twig unless the larva is nearly grown, 
when it seems to strike for the center, and makes itself a home there preparatory to 
cutting off the limb, which you will see it does at each end of its "ctave." The small 
larvae are white, with a large head tipped with black. The large ones are of a honey- 
yell ojw color. The segments of the body, which are very marked, seem to serve it 
well for legs while in its burrow, but it is quite helpless when taken out and placed 
on the hand or on a table. It will move quickly aloug its channel when it is partly 
cut open, but cannot crawl at all when placed on a level surface. When you have 
reared the perfect form I shall be glad to hear from you in regard to it. — [M. C. Read, 
Hudson, Ohio, September 29, 1882. 
[One of the twigs was opened, and the borer proved to be the larva of a Ceramby- 
cid, Elaplndion villo8um.~\ 
THE AID OF SPIDERS IN THE SPREAD OF SCALE-INSECTS. 
I have reached the conclusion that spiders play a much more important role in as- 
sisting the spread of scale insect than any other insects. From the beginning of my 
