Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 6

Anisoplia Austriaca at Taganrog.—

Anisoplia Austriaca at Taganrog.—

Copies of correspondence page 27 were received from the Foreign Office relative to the ravages of this beetle upon growing corn in Southern Russia, where it appears to have effected very great mischief. At our suggestion the matter was referred to the Entomological Society. A sub-committee was appointed by this body, and a very full report submitted to the Board of Trade by Mr. M'Lachlan, F.R.S., and Mr. C. O. Waterhouse. From this it appears that the Anisoplia is allied to the common cockchafer, but is much smaller. The larvæ feed upon the roots of corn and grasses, and form a cocoon probably at the end of the second year. In the following spring the perfect insect makes its appearance, and then becomes mischievous by feeding upon the green corn in the ear. In 1867 there was a visitation of this insect in Hungary, and enormous numbers were caught by stretching a long cord over a field and drawing it along by a horse at either end, so as to dislodge the insects: these flew away and were afterwards collected by hand and destroyed. The sub-committee attached great importance to the collection and destruction of the greatest possible numbers of the perfect insects, and also to the protection of insectivorous birds. They thought that there was no reason to apprehend the recurrence year after year of such multitudes of beetles. Their extraordinary abundance in particular seasons was due to causes imperfectly understood, but which, it might be taken as certain, were not of constant operation.