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TRUCK CROP AND STORED PRODUCT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS. 
F. H. Currrenpven, Jn Charge. 
An outbreak of unusual severity of the onion thrips was reported in Marshall County, Ind., 
and vicinity, during July. The localities from which these reports emanated included Donald- 
son, Grovetown, Hamlet, Walkerton, and Plymouth, and our correspondents stated that the 
thrips seriously threatened the onion crop over.a very considerable acreage. 
The Colorado potato beetle, as has previously been announced, has been discovered at 
work on the Pacific coast in the State of Washington. It has also been known to occur in Idaho 
for some time and it is invading new territory in Arizona and probably New Mexico. Agents 
and correspondents are urgently requested to report the occurrence of this species in any sus- 
pected new locality. 
There has been a severe outbreak of the three-lined blister beetle (EH picauta lemniscata Fab.) 
in Louisiana. It has attacked principally potato and tomato. The first record of its occurrence 
was on May 17, when the beetles were reported stripping plants in parts of fields of Irish potatoes. 
On tomatoes they work in the same manner, doing much damage to young plants. At Jeffris 
they were reported May 21 to be doing great injury. <A correspondent wrote that they de- 
stroyed acres of potato vines and that no crop resulted and that they were seriously handicapped 
since unless the insects could be controlled it would be useless to plant Irish potatoes in that 
vicinity. Mr. Thomas H. Jones reported that the favorite food plant was the spiny amaranth 
(Amaranthus spinosus), and where this weed was growing between the cotton rows it was 
attacked to a small extent. 
The squash ladybird (Hpilachna borealis Fab.) was reported very injurious during the last 
week of July to squashes in and near tidewater Virginia, where it has also been rated a pest of 
great importance in certain years. It will be interesting to know if this species is so injurious 
elsewhere. 
Aphides and flea-beetles have been very destructive in the vicinity of the District of Colum- 
bia, Maryland, and Virginia, but owing to adverse weather conditions, especially droughts 
followed by rain storms, experiments employed to test remedies have been unsatisfactory. 
Aphides of many species apparently entirely disappeared toward the end of July but some have 
reappeared in shght numbers. Ladybirds have been extremely active as checks; so much so 
that there appears to be no food left for them. 
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICH ;: 1915 
