The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-27
=, 1873. ]
miscellaneous.
Plant Lice.

~ for a few months past, l will
.rv and send YOU a few notes on
.nrI insects as are proving most
,roublesome or most interesting.
IpLiIes or Piont-lice.- have
hen giving considerable attention
5rr-ng the past three years to the
INDY Of these insects. In the tenth
,,ruIne Of the transactions of the
>,gte Horticultural Society" | gave
summary Of what was then known
IN reference to the species found in
the United States. Since then |
nave published an article contain
mo descriptions of several new
-.a..rs I'm Prof. Forbes Bulletin.
ILa,e prepared for my next report
more complete account Of them
Than has yet been given in this
caau,rv. but find now that | viii
have to withhold It, as al the space
can properly ask from the Agri-
r%nftural board Will be taken up by
the Corn Insects" and the second
n,It Of "Economic Entomology |
cannot say that | regret this, for |
prefer to study the species more
thoroughly before publishing my
paper on them !; fortunately for that
rurposc. but unfortunately for our
farmers and horticulturists, this
season is proving one of the best
We have had for this object in Il
number of years. They are more
abundant in numbers and species
than they have been in ten years
ncyious. This | think is in a large
deyrce owing to the mild winter
W. have had, and the warm but
moist spring following.
The wheat or grain plant-leuse
iNiphoR0phora aren@-Fab.l which
had been present in the extreme
southern part of the state for the
past two wears in limited numbers,
doubtless continued to multiply
and perhaps ven spread among the
winter wheat during the warmer
portions of the win er months. At
any rate, when the wheat began to
make Il vigorous growth curing
early warm spring, many farmers
wers surprised to find their fields
infested by Il little dark-colored fly
which they ut first supposed was
the lIessian fly. Several specimens
OF infested wheat we're sent to me
from the southern part of the state
TO examine. To allay fears, and by
request, | sent to the Farmer and
Emit Gr0Wer an article describing
The species, stating that if we should
have Il few cold rains little or nc
damage would result from them.
Fortunately the cold rains soon
came and the result was as ! pre-
dIcted.
As Il general rule this species
does not prove seriously injurious.
but if very umerou and not des-
troycd by climatic influences OF
parasites, it will prevent grain
from properly filling out and cause
it to be light and inferior in quail
~, and may even render it worth.
less. The specimens sent mt
showed clearly that the little by.
mcnopterous parasites we're busy al
work upon them, and wen without
climatic influenced would have ma.
terially lessened their numbers; il
Is therefore probable that they vii
not be numerous III this section
next year.
The parasite which proves such ;
valuable aid in their destruction, il
Il little wasp-llke fly not quite a.
large as the winged specimens o.
the plant lice. 1t punctures the
body of the louise with a little sting
like oyipositor at the end of the
abdomen, and deposits an egg. This
egg soon matches into a little worm
which lives upon the louise, and be
fore coming forth as a fly destroys
the lie Of its host. The parasi
tIzed individuals may be recog.
nized by their enlarged and almost
Slobular form, and by their uni.
form pale brown or buff color. The
number Of lice one of these little
iehneumons will destroy is I'm
known, but it is evident that i
equals the number of eggs they
produce. Watching n at work
the other day upon the grape plant
louise, | was led to believe that one
parasite would destroy more than
hundred plant lice.
in addition to this species, | 10
tee this season the veritable pc;
plant louise of England at worh
upon the pea vines; and, what /
new to me, II species also at worl
upon the tomatoes. These hav,
not yet become sufficiently numer
V0s TO do any serious injury.
The young and even old plum
trees have hnon Caronolv ottnaEnl