"The creeping vermin, loathsome to the sight, Sacred to neatness and repose, th' alcove, A necessary act incurs no blame. Not so when, held within their proper bounds, Or safety, interfere, his rights and claims Else they are all-the meanest things that are-- As God was free to form them at the first, Who in His sov'reign wisdom made them all." The Task-Line 568 to line 587. BASSWOOD, OR LINDEN, INSECTS. BY ARTHUR GIBSON, EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA. The following notes on insects found feeding on basswood, Tilia Americana, are chiefly from records handed to the writer since the publication of a paper on the above subject which appeared in the 34th Annual Report of this Society, and of a further paper in the 35th Annual Report. In the first paper 94 species are listed, and in the 1904 Report further notes on some of these insects are given, as well as notes on 8 other species, which brought the list up to 102. ATTACKING THE FOLIAGE. ORDER HOMOPTERA. Mr. W. Metcalfe, of Ottawa, who has devoted considerable time to the collection and study of homoptera and hemiptera, has been good enough to give me 15 records, which I am glad to include here. All of the species found by him were on basswood. 103. The common "Buffalo-tree hopper," Ceresa bubalus, Fabr. specimens of a dark form taken, Ottawa, July 14, (Metcalfe). Five 104. Telamona reclivata, Fitch, Ottawa, July 1, (Metcalfe). Mr. Metcalfe tells me that he has taken later in July five specimens, all on basswood, of a species of Telamona, which does not seem to be reclivata. 105. Ormenis pruinosa, Say. Mr. Otto H. Swezey, in his "Preliminary Catalogue of the Described Species of the Family Fulgoridæ, of North America, North of Mexico" (Ohio Dept. Agric., Div. Nursery and Orchard Inspection, Bull. 3) mentions basswood among a great many other food plants of this homopterous insect. The insect is rare in Ontario. 106. Lamenia vulgaris, Fitch. Ottawa, July 1, (Metcalfe). 107. Bythoscopus variabilis, Fitch, var. Ottawa, June 19 to 24, (Metcalfe). This insect is a near relative to the very injurious grape vine leafhopper which is so abundant some seasons in Ontario. 108. Agallia novella, Say. Ottawa, June 24, (Metcalfe). 109. Diedrocephala coccinea, Forst. Ottawa, bred from basswood, maple and hickory, (Metcalfe). 110. Deltocephalus Sayi, Fitch. Hull; Que., July 1, (Metcalfe). 111. Empoasca flavescens, var. Birdii. Ottawa, Aug. 14, (Metcalfe). 112. Empoasca mali, LeB. Hull, Que., June 24; Britannia-on-the-Bay, Ont., Aug. 7, (Metcalfe). This insect, which is known as the apple-leaf hopper, is, according to Smith, "seriously troublesome in some years" in New Jersey, but it is not a pest of any importance in Canada. 113. Typhlocyba rosa, L., the common rose-leaf hopper. Ottawa, July 1, (Metcalfe). 114. Typhlocyba querci, Fitch, var. bifasciata, G. and B. Hull, Que., June 24; Britannia-on-the-Bay, Ont., Aug. 7, only found on basswood, (Metcalfe). ORDER HEMIPTERA. 115. Lygus invitis, Say. Hull, Que.; Ottawa; August, 60 specimens, (Metcalfe). This insect belongs to the same genus as the common well known pest of garden plants, the Tarnished Plant bug, which is very abundant in many parts of Canada. 116. Gargaphia tilie. Walsh, Ottawa, taken only on basswood, August, (Metcalfe). In Smith's List of New Jersey Insects, it is stated that this insect "ranges from New York to Virginia." 117. Tingis arcuata, Say. Hull, Que., July 1, (Metcalfe). In Packard's Forest Insects the species is mentioned as having been found on the under sides of the leaves of the White Oak. 118. Coriscus inscriptus, Kirby. Ottawa, June 19, (Metcalfe). Smith states that this insect "occurs from Canada to Virginia and California." ORDER LEPIDOPTERA. 19 of 1903 List. Ennomos alniaria, L. Although the larva of this common moth has been recorded on several occasions by other writers as feeding on basswood, it was not until the past season that the caterpillar was found on that plant in the Ottawa district. At Meach Lake, Mr. C. H. Young collected a larva which pupated on Sept. 10. 119. Smerinthus jamaicensis, Drury. In the preparation of my first list of basswood insects, I omitted to include this species, the larva of which feeds on a variety of plants, such as elm, apple, plum, willow, poplar, ash, birch, basswood, etc. In Lugger's Fourth Annual Minnesota Report, plate XV., there is a good figure of the mature larva. In Canada, the species is widespread, occurring as far west as Medicine Hat, Assa., from which place, in 1900, eggs were sent to the Division of Entomology, by Mr. T. N. Willing. The eggs hatched on June 5, and notes were taken on the larval stages. The larvae were fed on willow and poplar. 120. Mineola indigenella, Zell. var. nebulella, Riley? In 1904 we reared from apple some specimens of a small moth which seems indistinguishable from this apple feeding species. The habits and appearance of our larvae, however, are different from those of indiginella as published by Riley and Saunders, and Dr. Fletcher thinks that it cannot be the same. On Sept. 20, 1905, the writer found on basswood three of the larvae, all on the upper side of the leaf. In each case the larva was resting under a slender tent of silk, which was about half an inch in width and nearly an inch in length. The three leaves were all put in the same breeding jar, but two days after collection I was surprised to see only one larva in the jar. On looking closely, however, I found portions of each of the other two, and there was no doubt that a serious tragedy had taken place. The remaining specimen spun a cocoon in a fold of a leaf on Sept. 23. When mature the caterpillar is fiveeights of an inch long, body pale green, the black noticeably washed with yellow. Head rounded, green, marked with numerous small reddish-brown dots and large blotch-like spots, the small dots being particularly on upper portion of head. On each side of the body there is a dark brown stripe, broken in places, and touching these two stripes crossing the back is a series of conspicuous wide bands of the same colour. These and the side stripes have a very ladder-like appearance. The spiracles are black and very small, as are also the tubercles. From each of the latter there is a single pale hair. The feet are concolorous with the ventral surface of the body. 61 of 1903 List. Apatela morula, Grt. On several occasions recently the larva of this noctuid has been beaten from the foliage of basswood at Ottawa. The writer found the caterpillar on July 30 last, and Mr. C. H. Young collected mature specimens on Sept. 2 and 5. Other food plants are elm and apple. When full grown the larva is about two inches in length and is of a light olive grey colour. The head is black, and down the centre of the dorsum there is a wide, uneven, dark gray band, yellowish centrally. On body segments 4, 7 and 11 there is a conspicuous dorsal enlargement, which is bordered on the sides with black. Along the sides of the body are a series of V-shaped blackish marks, with the round black spiracle at the base. The hairs from the tubercles on the body are thin, whitish and rather inconspicuous. In March, 1901, Mr. Young found the cocoon of this moth under the bark of an elm tree, about four feet from the ground, and since that date in confinement, he tells me that two larvae entered soft dead wood to the depth of fully an inch and there pupated. OCCURRING ON THE BARK. ORDER HOMOPTERA. 121. Eulecanium cerasifex, Fitch. On July 18, I collected some scales on basswood and elm. These were on the lower branches of some old trees growing near the Arboretum of the Central Experimental Farm. Through the courtesy of Dr. Howard, they were identified as the above species by Mr. Sanders. The scales were fairly abundant on both kinds of trees. In Mrs. Fernald's Catalogue of the Coccidæ of the World, the following food plants are given :-cherry, plum, peach, apple, pear, maple, oak, ash. BORING INTO THE WOOD. ORDER COLEOPTERA. 122. The Cherry Flat-headed Borer, Dicerca divaricatu, Say. Specimens of this insect were found in basswood on July 9 last by Mr. Frank Morris, of Port Hope, Ont., on the shore of Rideau Lake, near the Narrows Locks, Ontario. This insect, which is well known as being destructive to cherry and peach trees, is common in Ontario, and always injuriously abundant on maple and beech, as also sometimes on pine, birch, hickory and other trees. The mature insect is a brownish, or blackish bronzy beetle, of rather stout build, from three-quarters to almost an inch long. 84 of 1903 List. Parandra brunnea, Fabr. From the same wood as the specimens of Dicerca divaricata, Say, were taken. Mr. Morris also collected 30 specimens of P. brunnea, Fabr. This insect, while it is sometimes found in numbers as occurred at Rideau Lake in July last, is an uncommon species. It is widespread in distribution. The grubs live in the wood of stumps and old trunks of various deciduous and coniferous trees, the beetles being found under the loose bark. BY DR. JAMES FLETCHER, DOMINION ENTOMOLOGIST, OTTAWA. The weather conditions in Ontario during 1906 were very variable. In eastern Ontario the summer was exceptionally dry with two or three periods of excessive heat. The precipitation, however, for the whole province notwithstanding the shortage in the east was slightly above the average, and in western Ontario for the month of October was abnormally large. Crops were on the whole good in nearly all districts, both in quality and quantity. GRAIN CROPS were little injured by insects. Spring wheat was particularly free from insect attacks of all kinds and little was heard of rust. Fall wheat was decidedly above the average, and the Hessian Fly seems almost to have disappeared. Not a single report of Joint-worm in Ontario crops was received. Barley was one of the best crops which has been harvested for many years. Oats in the western counties were heavy, and there was some difficulty in harvesting, owing to the crop being lodged by rain storms. In the eastern counties, the quality was high for the most part, although a few crops were light for lack of timely rains. Grasshoppers in a few localities reduced the yield by cutting off the grains just before ripening. Peas were a good crop and the Pea Weevil was hardly mentioned. The area being sown to this important crop is again gradually increasing. The corn crop throughout the province was exceptionally good, both for the silo and for grain. ROOTS in the western counties were good, but in the east were rather small and dry for lack of fall rains. There was very little injury this year to turnips by the Turnip Aphis, the only reports of serious injury coming from the counties of Victoria, Durham and Northumberland. Potatoes in the east were small but of high quality. There was little complaint of loss from Potato Rot, largely due to the fact that farmers are spraying much more systematically than hitherto to control this destructive disease. The standard remedy, Poisoned Bordeaux mixture, made with six pounds of copper sulphate, four pounds of unslaked lime, and eight ounces of Paris green in 40 gallons of water, has given very satisfactory results wherever tried. The experiments carried on at Ottawa regularly every year by the Horticulturist of the Central Experimental Farm have proved conclusively that three sprayings of the fields, the first one being applied in the middle of July, and the subsequent ones two weeks apart afterwards, give very paying returns. A fourth spraying gives better results, but it seems difficult to get farmers to make this extra application. Cutworms, although little complained of, were abundant and destructive in some places. Whereever tried, the poisoned bran remedy surprised those who used it with its effectiveness. Even in an exceptional and widespread outbreak in the grain and sugar beet fields of the West, this same remedy proved so remarkably successful, that many letters were written to newspapers and agricultural journals, giving the results of trials by those who had benefited from it. FODDER CROPS. Clover was attacked to some extent by the Clover-seed Midge, but on the whole, the crop of seed was above the average for quality. In the eastern counties, clover fields were remarkably thinned, owing to the mild winter with little snow, which was very severe on all meadows. The Black Army-worm, Noctua fennica, and the Clover Cutworm, both levied heavy toll on the very much reduced stand of clover. Rape, which is now being much more grown than formerly, was severely injured in several places by the caterpillars of the Small White Cabbage Butterfly, which appeared in vast numbers during the months of September and October. [81] An interesting observation was made on the Experimental Farm, where a field of late turnips was practically cleared of swarms of these caterpillars by the English Sparrow. The observation was made by Mr. B. Nothnagel, who watched them for several days, and by driving the birds away suddenly, induced them to drop their prey so that he might examine it. It is pleasing to have a good word to say for these very troublesome and destructive birds. VEGETABLES. Carrots in gardens were attacked in a few places in the Ottawa district by the Carrot Maggot, or Carrot Rust Fly. This injury was not widespread nor quite so severe as in 1905. The remedies which gave the best results, were spraying the rows of plants immediately after they were thinned out, with a carbolic acid and soap wash, or with kerosene emulsion. Dusting the plants with hellebore was also apparently effective, but even in untreated beds, the insect disappeared about the beginning of July, and late sown carrots were entirely free of attack. The Onion and Cabbage maggots were conspicuously less destructive in many parts of the province than has been the case for some years This report, however, was not applicable in all parts, as was evidenced by the large numbers of enquiries for a practical remedy. Such, however, it must still be acknowledged has not so far been discovered. Good results on small areas were secured by dusting the plants from the beginning of the season once a week with a light dressing of powdered white hellebore, either pure or mixed with three times its weight of land plaster. A remedy which has often been recommended in newspapers is to brush away the soil from the bulbs as soon as these begin to form. In experimenting with this remedy, it was found rather difficult to apply in certain soils, but on the whole gave good results, particularly where the treatment was supplemented by dusting with the hellebore powder. The Asparagus Beetle was a rather serious pest to the growers of this highly esteemed vegetable, and extended its eastern range in the province considerably during the past season. It was a troublesome pest as far east as Toronto, and specimens of the larvae were found by the writer during September on a small bed of asparagus on the Experimental Farm at Ottawa. The mature beetles were reared later, and the species proved to be Crioceris asparagi. The remedies which have given the best results are dusting the plants when the larvæ occur, with a mixture of freshly slaked lime and Paris green. This is more effective if it can be done when there is dew on the plants, or when they are wet either from rain or after being sprayed. Both the beetles and the larvæ may be beaten from the plants into nets or into open pans containing water with a little coal oil on the top. Poultry of all kinds when available are useful in eating the beetles when they first appear in spring. Potatoes in gardens were seriously attacked and very much reduced in yield by the Potato Leaf Aphis, Nectarophora solanifolii, Ashm. This was in the east of the province, and the injury was much aggravated by the exceptional drought. The Colorado Potato Beetle was noticeably less injurious than usual in the early part of the season, but it made up for any early absence by the excessive abundance in autumn. FRUIT CROPS. The apple crop of the province for 1906 may be described as rather short in quantity, but of excellent quality in the eastern counties. In western Ontario, the ravages of the Codling Moth were severe. and throughout the province more injury was done by the Plum Curculio to apples than in any previous year of which we have statistics. This, to some measure, may have been due to the poor plum crop, which was a character of the season, and which is accounted for in various ways by differ |