Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-22
studies the Maine
Leaf Hoppers, or
Crop Destroyers.

blowing came from Director Woods
the University of Maine:
The insects known as leaf hoppers
elong TO the same order of insects
5 tdc aphids or plantlce and like
en- feed by piercing the plant It's
Ne With a sharp bcak and sucking the
AZ. As their name implies, however,
hey are not stationary like the apllids
ut hop actively from place To place
o that often Tire damage done by them
hard to trace to it's source. Es-
.acialiy is this the case when as often
appcns fungus troubles find entrance
3to the pant tissue at the wounds
Fused by the insects.
Closely allied 70 the leaf happers and
Moulded with them to a certain extent
= this aCcouut are the frog hoppers'
"spttlc Insects known by the bobs
I f froth, common in meadows and on
tees. ia whi2h the young live.
Nest of the species are Very incon-
picuous beth on account of their
mall size and their close color recem-
lance 10 the objects around them,
hey Jump 50 quickly when disturbed
nat they are caught with difficulty
xcept by sweeping with net, and
hen on the wing they are easily mis-
AIKEN for other insects except by a
sorsGn especially trained to recognize
Aeln For these reasons the leaf hep
lcrs themselves though Astounding
early everywhere are almost Til
nown to the ordinary observer,
housh thcir cast skins are frequently
ound in the wake Of their injuries
nd arc more familiar objects than
nc live insects which discarded them
Tho principal economic importance
asts an their attacks upon such farm
rops as oats. timothy. wheat and the
rieHa other cereal ard Forage crops,
a fruits of different kinds and upon
eres. and shade trees. their occur
ence in tlis connection being very
enelal indeed.
No cGmrrehensive study Of the
Taino species Of this group having
rc;iously been made and the situa-
'en IN regard To them evidently need
tie attention of a specialist, the
fainn Agricultural Experiment sta
ON invited Prof. Herbert Osborn, head
The department of Zoology and En-
omoIoey at the Ohio state University,
q undertake this important work Tor
10 AS Professor Osborn is the best
American authority on these insects
md has studied them in various parts
If the United States as special agent
# the Bureau of Entomology, II need
not be stated that he was prepared
q give us the most valuable informa-
ION as 4 result of his summers lnNes-
ratinns in this State.
Renortfng very briefly some OF the
esults of the seasons work on the
eaf hoppers of Maine it may be salu
hat Professor Osborn's collections
how in general the species TO DE
,a,7nd l., the state and for many OF
hem considerable amount OF daet
~ to distribution over the State ana
through the season.
+ At uighmoor Farm some of the spe-
les were found To being very
,pparent damage on oats, one spe-
lies was found working on
ba.,ns and two or three partie-
.Iarl,. on the potatoes. The q
5auia s4notata was abundant ON oats
nd grasses at Orono. North Hafps-
veil, Portland, Highmoor. Honltoh'
Tort Fairfield and Fort Kent. Empo-
4sca mali was found on apple ana was
tIso plentiful on beans ana notatoes
IT Highmeor and Houlton. Several OF
he grass feeding species were aputiu-
mt in the meadows and pastures anu
= few notably numerous in the SAT-
marsh grasses near Portland. In l9o6
Aphtophora paralella attacked the
Jew growth pine shoots in the south
srn part of the State to such an eH-
ent that the sap dripped down from
he wounded tips like rain drops from
branches after Il shower.
The leaf hoppers affecting the cereal
nd forage crops constitute very con-
.tant factor and the extent of the
rain on such crops is doubtless very
nuch greater than is generally appre-
lated In some estimates made by
Professor Osborn in other parts OF the
.ountrv these Insects were taken IN
yrass land at the rate ct one and one
aalf TO two millions To the acre and in
nanv instances grain fields have been
cry badly injured (See- Bulletin los |
BUR. E1t t.. :. Dept. Agr). 1t may be
itated that no such serious devasta-
ions were found this season in Maine,
9ut meadows and Grass lands have
;hevn the presence in large numbers
# oertain species which are injurious
10 IN extent that makes them an &C.
5nomic factor of Importance.
lii all approximately $50 Maine spe-
cies were studied by Professor Osborn
which will be discussed in a forthcom-
ing report on the Investigations for the
season with especial attention to such
as are most Important from the eva
nomic standpoint.
CHINA.