del, and Prince George. April 19, here at the station, I found several larvæ of a creamy color attached to leaves; although still living, they were unable to move. I made a careful examination of them and came to the conclusion that they were being destroyed by the fungus Empusa (Entomophthora) sphærosperma often found on this species. My identification of this disease was afterwards verified by Mr. B. M. Duggar, of Cornell University, who has given much study to the subject of insect diseases. From April 19 to May 12 the contagion seemed to increase in intensity, and it was not an uncommon thing to find four or five dead larvæ flat on the surface or curled about the edges of a leaf. They were also on the heads of clover, stems of timothy, weeds, grass, in fact, on anything that projected above the surface of the ground. By May 15 it was almost impossible to find a single living, healthy larva, and by the 20th they had disappeared. The disease was widespread throughout the counties above mentioned, as shown by personal inspec tion or the examination of material sent to me.

Next in order of succession came several species of flea-beetles. A little blackish species (Chatocnema pulicaria) was particularly abun dant and destructive to young corn from May 6 to May 25. They were more numerous on sugar corn than field corn, and almost completely ruined the first planting in parts of Prince George, Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Kent, and Worcester counties.

Epitrix cucumeris was very destructive to young potatoes, and was observed as most abundant from May 15 to the 21st. Tobacco was injured slightly by Epitrix parvula the first ten days in June.

The potato stalk-borer (Trichobaris trinotata) has been reported from upper Baltimore County as doing much injury. I collected several beetles from eggplants here at the station June 19.

The tobacco worm, Sphinx (Protoparce) carolina, or "hornblower," as it is called in this State, has been unusually destructive to tobacco in Anne Arundel, Prince George, Charles, St. Mary, and Calvert counties this year. The tobacco growers of this section have greater fears of the second brood than of the first.

The melon plant-louse (Aphis gossypii) early this season was very abundant on cantaloupes in Somerset, Wicomico, and Dorchester counties. As noted in Bulletin 48 of the Md. Agr. Exp. Sta., we have found kerosene emulsion, applied with the Success kerosene emulsion sprayer, very effective in the destruction of this pest. Aphis brassica, A. persica-niger and Myzus cerasi were also prominent among the plant-lice this spring on account of their numbers.

The striped cucumber beetle (Diabrotica vittata) and the harlequin cabbage bug (Murgantia histrionica) have both occasioned much correspondence. The former has attacked cantaloupe, wetermelon, squash, and cucumber very seriously in many sections of the State. The latter has confined its depredations principally to cabbage and kale.

The strawberry weevil (Anthonomus signatus) has made its usual 5441-No. 9—6

attack upon strawberries, and in many parts of Anne Arundel, Prince George, and Caroline counties cut the crop fully one-third.

Graphops marcassitus and Typophorus (Paria) canellus were found on strawberries at Lake Shore May 1. Much injury had been done to the leaves by the adult beetles, and the plants were in bad condition. Regarding the former species Mr. F. H. Chittenden, who kindly examined my specimens, says: "Graphops nebulosus is said to be the strawberry root-borer in the West, but your specimens found on strawberry are evidently not that species but marcassitus."

The most prominent orchard pest with us this season has been the plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar). The peach crop of the Eastern Shore of Maryland is almost an entire failure on account of the attacks of this insect. Last year many small peaches and cullings containing larvæ were left in the orchards, and as a consequence the pest appeared this spring in unusual numbers. It also stung pears and apples, as well as plums and peaches.

The pear midge (Diplosis pyrivora) has been reported to me from one locality in Kent County, and has done considerable damage.

The San Jose scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus) is still present in alarming numbers in the orchards of our State. It has been destroyed in several places by the destruction of the trees; but beyond this, we have found nothing to eradicate it in old orchards. August 3 I discovered this pestiferous insect in the heart of the largest peach orchard (planted fall of 1890 and spring of 1891) in the State of Maryland. The orchard contains 28,311 trees, 13,000 of which are now dead or dying. This entire orchard, covering nearly 300 acres, will be uprooted immediately and burned. New localities where the scale has gained a foothold are coming to light every week. Under the present conditions it is doubtful if we can ever exterminate this the prince of orchard pests in our State.

In the course of my investigations, I have discovered a new food plant for the San Jose scale. I have found it thickly colonized and in all stages of development upon the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), which was growing between two badly infested peach trees about 20 feet apart and surrounded by ragweeds. This was the only milkweed in the vicinity so far as I could ascertain. It was about 3 feet high and consisted of five stalks, all of which were thickly spotted with the scales. Many young were crawling. The mature females were most abundant at the base of the plant. The attack produced the characteristic purplish tinge of the bark around the scales. The tinge, however, was a little darker than that usually found on apple and pear. From these observations it is clear that this scale can breed continuously throughout one season on the milkweed; but it is hardly likely that it would remain alive on that plant over winter.

Last fall I found partially matured insects of the same scale thickly clustered on crab grass (Panicum sanguinale) under a badly infested peach tree in Carroll County.

NOTES ON SOME LITTLE-KNOWN INSECTS OF ECONOMIC

IMPORTANCE.

By WILLIS G. JOHNSON, College Park, Md.

I present herewith some notes on seven little-known injurious insects that have come under my observation during the past year.

Hydræcia marginidens.-The first is a moth belonging to the littleunderstood genus Hydræcia (Gortyna). Dr. J. B. Smith, who kindly examined my specimen, says: "I have never had sufficient material to make me feel satisfied as to the limitation of species. It is one of those genera in which the species vary, not only in ground color, but in the presence or absence of white spots. It may be mouse gray with white spots, or it may be either of the ground colors without any white spots, and yet be the same species. Just what range of variation there is in the lines we do not know. It would be a desirable thing to breed a large lot of specimens from some one plant in order to get the range of variation, if possible. As material goes, your species is marginidens, or, as it used to be called, limpida."

I found the larva boring into the main stems and larger branches of Cosmos plants (Cosmos bipinnatus) at the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. Two larvæ were obtained from the heart of the main stem of a plant August 22, 1896. All the branches had been burrowed out, so weakening them that they were easily broken off. In fact, a slight wind readily broke the plants, and it was this condition that first attracted my attention. The two larvæ were placed in a breeding cage, where one of them pupated August 25. The other one died August 27, and was removed. The adult insect emerged September 30, 1896. The Cosmos plants have been attacked by the same insect this season, but not to such an extent as last year. The hollowing out of the stems and branches does not seem to injure the plants, so far as growth and blooming is concerned, the difficulty arising from the weakening effect indicated above.

Pyrausta ferrugalis.-I found the larva of this beautiful little moth injuring the young, tender, lower leaves of tobacco in a hotbed here at the station. The larvae were abundant from July 1, feeding usually on the underside of the leaves, cutting them full of irregular holes. When full-grown, many larvæ would cut two slits in the side of a leaf, fold it over, and pupate within, while others would transform between the leaves that happened to be close together. The moths emerged in my breeding cages from July 6 to July 13, the greatest number having appeared July 9. They were most abundant on plants in the beds. July 13. They hide on the underside of the leaves and are easily disturbed, flying quickly when approached, and running rapidly to the underside of the leaf when alighting.

Uranotes melinus.-While examining some lima beans July 13, 1897, growing at the experiment station, I discovered two somewhat slug like larvæ cutting holes into the pods and feeding upon the beans. One

was of a greenish tinge, while the other was decidedly pinkish above and greenish below. Many pods were found that had been perforated and the beans excavated, but no other larvæ were seen. The larvæ are very sluggish and not easily disturbed. The greenish one pupated July 16, and the adult butterfly emerged July 29. Two other larvæ were found feeding on beans July 28, in the same plot from which the others had been taken. Both were pale green and apparently fullgrown, being five-eighths of an inch in length. From one of these a number of parasitic grubs emerged July 31. Small snow-white cocoons were spun to the side of the cage, almost completely embedding the larva. The parasites emerged August 7.

In an illustrated article in Insect Life (Vol. VII, pp. 354, 355) Dr. Howard gives a résumé of what is known of this beautiful little butterfly.

Referring to injury to beans, Dr. Howard says that the Department received a larva of this insect from a correspondent in New Jersey in August, 1886, who wrote that it was feeding upon lima beans. It is stated also that Mr. Coquillett and Mr. Pergande had made similar observations, the former having found the larva feeding on beans at Los Angeles, Cal., September 5, 1889, and the latter observed it on beans near Washington, D. C., July 6 and October 18, 1892.

Dr. Howard is of the opinion that this insect is not likely to become a serious enemy to the bean crop, but calls attention to the fact that in Harris's time some farmers are said to have been obliged to abandon hop cultivation on account of the work of these larvæ.

Cerotoma trifurcata.-This insect, better known, perhaps, as the bean-leaf beetle, C. caminea, was observed by me May 19, 1897, in a patch of wax and lima beans near the station. My attention was attracted to the ragged appearance of the leaves, and upon examination I found this insect in great abundance on the plants. The wax were more severely injured than the lima beans, nothing but the midrib and the larger veins being left on some leaves. The insect is easily disturbed, and drops quickly to the ground and hides when approached. The attack in this patch was local, as no beetles were found in other bean patches in the vicinity. The garden patch where the outbreak occurred was surrounded last fall by cowpeas, and it seems quite possible that the beetles bred there in considerable numbers, appearing this spring and concentrating upon the beans near by. Beetles, presumably of the second brood, have been common on plants in the garden since July 16. The beetles vary greatly in markings and color.

Crambus caliginosellus.-This insect has been very destructive to young corn this season in Prince George, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne, and Dorchester counties. July 20 I examined a large cornfield, belonging to Mr. F. H. Eldridge, near Cecilton, Cecil County, and found that about 25 acres had been completely ruined by this pest, even after the fourth planting. The young corn was perforated and eaten

just below the surface of the ground, and in many instances was cut entirely off. At the time of my visit the larvæ had completed their growth and were pupating. They were usually found in the ground about 1 inch below the surface and from 4 to 6 inches from the stalk. Two pupa were found and several hundred larvæ taken that were just trausforming. Nine larvæ were collected from around one stalk, which had been almost entirely eaten off. The first adult moth emerged in my breeding cage August 7, and others continued to emerge until August 16. August 12 I removed thirteen hymenopterous parasites (not yet determined) from one of my cages. This pest is known in some sections of this State as the "corn-bud worm," from the fact that it cuts the young corn so that the terminal shoot or bud can be lifted out.

Tribolium madens -This insect has been sent to me recently in mill products from the State of Washington. Previous to this I have had it in flour from Montana and Utah. It is quite likely that it breeds in mill products, and to distinguish it from the flour weevils, T. confusum and T. ferrugineum, I have proposed to call it the "black flour weevil." Aspidiotus forbesi.—I have this season found this scale quite abundant on 2-year-old apple, pear, and cherry trees in this State. I reported it at the meeting of this association at Buffalo last year (U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., Bul. 6, n. s., pp. 74, 75), stating that it was a dangerous species on account of its wide range of food plants and the nature of its attack. At that time it was known only from Illinois, where I discovered it on cherry in December, 1894. Professor Cockerell has recently found it on apple trees at Mesilla, N. Mex. (U. S. Dept. Agr., Div. Ent., tech. ser. 6, p. 5). It is, therefore, a widely distributed species, and, no doubt, will be found in many other places. At first glance it is not easy to distinguish this species, popularly known as the cherry scale, from the San Jose scale. The purplish tinge of the bark is also quite conspicuous on some varieties of apple and pear where the cherry scale has established itself. The general appearance of the last segment of the female very closely resembles that of the San Jose scale; but it can readily be distinguished from that species by the presence of the spinerets.