Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1890 [PAGE 241]

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244

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

improve our acquaintance with the insects of Illinois, whether economically interesting or not. The building of an insectary and separate office (the former devoted to experimental work upon the life histories of insects, their injuries to vegetation, and methods of practically controlling them.) has given us an opportun ty not before enjoyed for continuous observation and accurate experiment on some of the most difficult species. The principal subjects which we have studied are the life histories of cutworms, the contagious diseases of the chinch bug, the life history of the corn root louse and of the species of ant uniformly associated with it, the feeding habits of the plum and peach curculio with insecticide experiments for its destruction on the peach, the stages and life history of a new plum borer, the injuries to fruits by the common Thrips or strawberry "midget," the injuries and life history of a little-known corn root worm, the spring and summer history of the Hessian fly, and the life histories of the common white grubs and wireworms. Other subjects of interest studied are injuries to fruit trees by the European bark beetle, the damage to wheat, oats, and other grains by the grain Aphis, the life history of the swamp bill bug, the species, and life histories of a considerable number of gall gnats, and the breeding, identification, and description of common aquatic larvae from temporary pools in spring. Especially import a n t progress has been made in our knowledge of the history and habits of some of the commonest and most destructive insects of the farm, including the white grubs, the Hessian fly, and the corn root louse. The entomological collection has been greatly enlarged, especially in Diptera, and a large number of determinations in all orders have been made. The named collection is now contained in 160 double boxes, and numbers about 5,000 species, each being represented, as a rule, by four selected specimens. The pinned and determined duplicate insects on hand —largely in process of distribution to public schools—amount to 42,600 specimens. The alcoholic insects, including large numbers of larvae, are contained in about 10,200 bottles and vials. Seven hundred and forty-four copies of the zoological volume—the first on the ornithology of the state—have been issued up to the present time (Dec. 31, 1890), 732 of them gratuitously, 656 in Illinois and 76 outside the state, and 12 have been sold at cost ($3.50 a volume). There remain of the edition printed 256 copies, 200 of which we have reserved for future use. There have been printed since my last statement two of my reports as State Entomologist, t h a t for the years 1885 and 1886—long delayed in the hands of the printer—having finally been issued in 1889, and the report for 1887 and 1888, in 1890. Each of these reports contains seven articles: the first 103 pages, and the second 226 pages. In the Bulletin of the Laboratory six articles have been issued in the last two years, one on the animals of the Mississippi bottoms, by Prof. H. Garman; two by myself, describing new species of Vermes; two by Mr. Weed, on the " harvestmen" of Illinois: and one by Prof. Garman, on Illinois reptiles and amphibians—110 pages in all. Other articles prepared at the Laboratory during the period covered by this report, but published elsewhere, are as follows : "Note on ChinchBug Diseases,-- "Early Occurrence of the Chinch Bug in the Mississippi Valley," "Arsenical Poisons for the Plum and Peach Curculio," "Office and Laboratory Organization," "History a jd Status of Public School Science Work in Illinois," "New and Old Insects." and a "Synopsis of Recent Work with Arsenical Insecticides," by myself, and a description of a new gall-fly by Mr. John Marten. Other articles prepared by us and now in press, are as follows: "On Some Lake Superior Entomostraca," "Preliminary Report upon the Invertebrate Animals Inhabiting Lakes Geneva and Mendota, Wisconsin;" " A Summary History of the Corn-Root Aphis," " On the Life History of the White Grubs," and "Report of Progress in Economic Entomology," by myself: "Life History and Immature Stages of Wireworms," by Mr. C. A. H a r t : and "New Notes on the Life History of the Hessian Fly," by Mr. Marten.