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New species of Tetrastichus attacks elm leaf beetle.-—-P. A. Berry, 
of the gipsy moth laboratory, Melrose Highlands, Mass., has been making 
observations on the biology of a species of Tetrastichus that was found 
parasitizing larvae and pupae of the elm leaf beetle (Galerucella xan-— 
thomelaena Schr.). Specimens of the parasite have been determined by 
C. F. W. Muesebeck, Washington, D. C., as a new species of Tetrastichus. 
Mr. Berry submits the following notes on parasitization by this Tetras— 
tichus: "From 400 pupae collected at Woburn, Mass., on August 17, para-— 
sites emerged from 92. Dissections showed that 96 more pupae contained 
living, full-grown parasite larvae, making a total of 188 of the 400 pu— 
pae, or 47 per cent parasitized. Apparently the parasite will spend 
the winter as a full-grown larva. From 54 pupae and 75 larvae collected 
at North Woodbury, Conn., on August 23, a total of 80 pupae were ob-— 
tained. Parasites issued from 18 and 16 others had living parasite lar- 
vae in them, giving a parasitism of 42.5 per cent. Five, or 10 per cent, 
of 50 pupae sent from Washington, D. C., were parasitized." 
Melrose Highlands, reports that the following parasite material of Phyllo— 
toma nemorata Fall. was received from W. F. Sellers, Budapest, Hungary: 
"From Freistadt, Austria: 6,092 Phyllotoma mines containing chalcid larvae; 
2,559 Phyllotoma hibernacula; 153 Phanomeris phyllotomae cocoons; from 
Monichkirche, Austria: 121 Phyllotoma mines containing chalcid larvae. 
The great majority of the chalcid larvae will evidently overwinter in 
that stage or as pupae. A total of 328 adults representing seven species 
have, nevertheless, already issued. The most conspicuous of these is 
Chrysocharis sp., of which there have been 128 specimens." 
CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS 
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Reporting on hosts of the corn ear worm, Geo. W. Barber, Savannah, Ga., 
Says: "During the second and third weeks of September very large numbers 
of Heliothis obsoleta Fab. associated with Heliothis virescens Fab. passed 
through a fifth generation on beggarweed (Meibomia sp.). While H. obso-— 
leta was scarce during 1930 and 1931 on this food plant, it was present 
in numbers in some cornfields, easily surpassing the possible population 
of the corn plants of such fields. In such fields the beggarweed grows 
shoulder high and so thick as to completely cover acres of early planted 
corn, the stalks of corn still standing (September 27). This allows the 
insect to build up an overwintering population much greater than would 
be the case if the corn were harvested earlier and the beggarweed cut for 
hay before seeding. Observations in 1932 have indicated that this sug— 
gestion might well be added to our recommendations for control of this 
insect in the South. It was particularly noted this year that the ear 
worms feeding on beggarweed were of large size-—fully as large as most 
individuals feeding on corn ears, much larger than the H. virescens 
larvae feeding with them." 
