OX THE
INJURIOUS INSECTS
AND OTHER
ANIMALS
OBSERVED IN THE MIDLAND COUNTIES DURING 1904.
BY
WALTER E. COLLINGE, M.Sc.,
LECTURER ON ZOOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM ; HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC BIOLOGISTS.
ILLUSTRATED.
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1905.
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NORFOLK
« ) SUFFOLK
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SUSSEX
DEVON
DORSET
MAP OF ENGLAND.
WITH MIDLAND COUNTIES SHADED.
REPORT
ON THE
INJURIOUS INSECTS
AND OTHER
ANIMALS
OBSERVED IN THE MIDLAND COUNTIES DURING 1904.
BY
WALTER E. COLLINGE, M.Sc.,
LECTURER ON ZOOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM; HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC BIOLOGISTS.
ILLUSTRATED.
BIRMINGHAM I
CORNISH BROS., LTD.
1905.
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.]
y V
ain
preface.
Ix issuing a second Report dealing with those Injurious Insects and other animals, which have been forwarded to me by various correspondents in the Midland counties of England during 1904, I am pleased to learn that' my efforts on behalf of agri- culturists f fruit growers, etc., are appreciated.
My hearty thanks are here tendered to the County Council of Worcestershire for a Grant of £10 aiding the publica- tion of this Report ; and to the Council of the Birmingham Natural History and Philosophical Society, for a Grant to assist my work in Economic Zoology.
I have pleasure in acknowledging the kind assistance given to me as regards the figures illustrating this work : to the Controller of His Majesty's Stationery Office and the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture I am indebted for their courtesy in supplying me with electros of figures I, V, VII VIII, XVII, XVIII, XXII, XXIII, and XXV, all of which are from illustrations which have appeared in the Board's leaflets, numbers 4, n, 15, 16, 30, 49, 53, and 75 ; to Messrs. Blackie and Son, Limited, of Glasgow, for a similar favour in respect to figures X, XI, and XIX; and to the Editor of the " Journal of Horticulture," for the loan of figure IV.
For the photographs of figures II, XIII-XVI, XX, XXIII, XXVI,-XXIX, I have to thank two of my Voluntary Observers, Messrs. Herbert Thompson and F. H. Brownhill.
Finally my thanks are due to Mr. E. C. Cope for the care he has expended upon the frontispiece and figure VI.
WALTER E. COLLINGE.
THE UNIVERSITY,
BIRMINGHAM,
January, 1905.
130712
Content*.
PAGE
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
The Root-knot Eelworm. Heterodera radicicola. (Illustrated. 3
Woodlice. Porcellio scaber, Linn., and Oniscus asellus. Linn. 6
The Black-Currant Gall-Mite. Eriophyes ribis (Nalepa). . . 6
The Birch Gall-Mite. Eriophyes rudis (Canest.). (Illustrated.) 8
A Supposed New Apple Mite. Eriophyes, sp. (Illustrated.)., n
The Pear-Leaf Blister Mite. Eriophyes piri (Pagenst.), Nalepa. n
The Hazel-Bud Mite. Eriophyes avellaena (Nalepa). . . n Tyroglyphus, sp. on Mushrooms. . . . . . . ..12
Millipedes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Silver-Fish Insect. Lepisma saccharina, Linn. . . . . 13
The Froth Fly. Tettigonia spumaria, Linn. . . . . . . 13
The Apple Sucker. Psylla mali, Forster. (Illustrated.) . . 14
The Woolly Aphis, Schizoneura lanigera, Hausm. . . . . 16
The Hop Aphis. Phorodon humuli, Schrank. . . . . . . 16
The Apple Aphis. Aphis mali, Fabr. . . . . . . 16
The Rose Aphis. Siphonophora rosae, Reaumur. . . . . 16
The Camellia Scale. Aspidiotus camelliae, Sign. . . . . 17
The Rose Scaled nlacas. pis (Diaspis) rosae (Bouche). . . 17
IV. CONTENTS.
PAGE
The Mussel Scale. Mytilaspispomorum,Bouch6. (Illustrated.) 17
The Colorado Beetle. Doryphora decemlineata, Say. . . . . 19
The Turnip Flea-Beetle. Phyllotreta nemorum, Linn. . . 19
Wireworms. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The Apple Blossom Weevil. Anthonomus pomorum, Linn.
(Illustrated.) 21
The Cabbage-Gall Weevil. Ceuthorhynchus sulcicollis, Gyll. 23
The Plum Bark Beetle. Scolytus rugulosus, Ratze. (Illustrated.) 24
Cabbage Butterflies. Pieris brassicae, Linn., and P. rapae, Linn.
(Illustrated.) 25
The Currant Clearwing Moth. Sesia tipuliformis, Linn. (Il- lustrated.) .. .. .. .. .. ..27
The Gold Tail Moth. Porthesia auriflua (Fabr.). . . . . 29
The Goat Moth. Cossus ligniperda, Fabr. (Illustrated.) . . 29
The Magpie Moth. Abraxas grossulariata, Steph, ,, ,. 32
The Winter Moth. Cheimatobia brumata, Linn. (Illustrated.) 32
The Buff-tip Moth. Pygaera bucephala, Steph. . . . . 34
The Cabbage Moth. Mamestra brassicae, Linn. . . . . 35
The Dot Moth. Mamestra persicariae, Linn. . . . . . . 36
The Great Yellow Underwing Moth. Triphaena pronuba
(Linn.). (Illustrated.) 37
The Silver-Y Moth. Plusia gamma, Linn. . . . . . . 38
The Codling Moth. Carpocapsa pomonella, Linn. (Illustrated.) 39
The Lilac Leaf Miner. Gracilaria syringella, Fabr. . . . . 42
The Pear Midge. Diplosis pyrivora, Riley. (Illustrated.) . . 42
Crane Flies. Tipula oleracea, Linn., and Pachyrhina maculosa,
Meigen. (Illustrated.) .. .. .. • • 49
Larvae of Hovering Flies. Syrphidae. . . . . . . . . 50
The Sheep Nasal Fly. Oestrus ovis, Linn. . . . . . . 52
CONTENTS. V.
PAGE
The Beet or Mangold Fly. Pegomyia betae, Curtis. . . • • 53 The Carrot Rust Fly. Psila rosa (Fabr.) . . .-54
The Gooseberry Sawfly. Nematus nbesii, Scop. (Illustrated.) 54
The Cellar Slug. Limax variegatus, Drap. . . . . 56
The Common Field Slug. Agriolimax agrestis, Linn. . . . . 56
The Garden Slug. Arion hqrtensis, Fer. .. .. • • 57
The Strawberry Snail. Hygromia rufescens (Pennant). . . 57
Carnivorous Slugs. Testacellidae. . . . . . . • - 57
General Notes on Other Injurious Insects, etc. . . . 58
Parasitic Diseases of Animals. . . . . . . . . . . 60
Appendix A. 62
Appendix B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Xist of 3Uu0tratfon$.
|
Map of England, |
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Fig. |
I. |
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Fig. |
II. |
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Fig. |
III. |
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Fig. |
IV. |
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Fig. |
V. |
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Fig. |
VI. |
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Fig. |
VII. |
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Fig. |
VIII. |
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Fig. |
IX. |
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Fig. |
X. |
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Fig. |
XI. |
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Fig. |
XII. |
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Fig. |
XIII. |
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Fig. |
XI V. |
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Fig. |
XV. |
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Fig. |
XVI. |
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Fig. |
XVII. |
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Fig. |
XVIII. |
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Fig. |
XIX. |
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Fig. |
XX. |
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Fig. |
XXI. |
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Fig. |
XXII. |
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Fig. |
XXIII. |
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Fig. |
XXIV. |
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Fig. |
XXV. |
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XXVI. ) |
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Figs. |
XXVII. |
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XXVIII. 1 |
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Fig. |
XXIX. |
PAGE
with Midland Counties shaded. Frontispiece .
Roots attacked by Root-knot Eelworm. . . 4
Large Witches Broom formed by Eriophyes
rudis. . . . . . . . . . . 8
Silver Birch at King's Heath, with Witches
Brooms. . . . . . . . . . . 9
Shoot of Cox's Pomona Apple with mites in
the buds. . . . . . . . . 10
The Apple Sucker (Psylla mail). . . . . 14
The Mussel Scale (Mytilaspis pomonmi). . . 18
The Apple Blossom Weevil (Anthonomus
pomorum). . . . . . . 22
The Plum Bark Beetle (Scolytus rugulosus). . . 24
Branch of Plum Tree, showing damage to
wood by Plum Bark Beetle. . . . . 25
Large White Cabbage Butterfly. . . . . 26
Small White Cabbage Butterfly 26
The Currant Clearwing Moth. . . . . 27
Ash tree recently attacked by Goat Moth. . . 28
Portion of Ash tree attacked by Goat Moth . . 29
Lower portion of the same tree (enlarged). . . 30
Portion of Ash tree with larva in situ. . . 31
The Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata}. . . 33
The Great Winter Moth (Hibernia defoliariu) 33
The Great Yellow Underwing Moth. . . 37
Larvae in roots. . . . . . . 37
Larvae of Great Yellow Underwing Moth. . . 38
The Codling Moth (Carpocapsa pomonella). . . 40
The Pear Midge (Diplosis pyrivora}. . . 45
„ „ „ „ •• 47
The Common Crane Fly (Tipula olcracca]. . . 50
Eggs of the Gooseberry Sawfly. . . • • 55
UNIVERSITY
OF
REPORT
ON THE
INJURIOUS INSECTS AND OTHER ANIMALS
OBSERVED IN THE MIDLAND COUNTIES DURING 1904.
" // is of course recognised that no valuable practical work can be carried on unless based on sound scientific principles. Hence the necessity for maintaining the proper relationship between care- ful scientific research and the practical application of such research"
B. T. GALLOWAY.
(Ann. Kpt. Bureau Plant Indus, U.S. Dept. Agric., 1902. p. 49.)
INTRODUCTION-
During the year, three hundred and twenty-five inquiries have been received requesting information on Upwards of ninety- three different animals : some of these not being of a particularly injurious nature, no account of them is given in this report.
Two hundred and twenty-six written replies have been sent out, mostly pertaining to the identification of specimens and remedial treatment recommended.
For kindly examining and identifying specimens unknown to me or for other information, I am much indebted to the following workers : Messrs. A. D. Imms, B.Sc., A. H. Martineau, F.E.S., Robert Newstead, A.L.S., Dr. D. Sharp, F.R.S., and Mr. Fred. V. Theobald, M.A.
During the year the following publication has been issued : Reports on Economic Zoology. No. i. — Some Recent Investiga- tions on the Black-Currant Gall-Mite, Eriophyes ribis (Nalepa).
When sending specimens correspondents are requested not to place them loose in an envelope, but to enclose them in tin or wooden boxes, together, in the case of insects or mites, with a portion of the food plant, and not to punch holes in the box, as larvae, small beetles, etc., often escape thereby.
2 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
It often happens after a series of mild winters and an ab- sence of sharp frosts in the spring, that we have a series of two or three years following, during which insects and other allied animals are exceedingly plentiful. The year 1904 seems to have been the first of such a series, and there are few whose crops have not suffered.
Amongst the more noticeable features of the year, may be mentioned the great increase and spread of the Apple Sucker, Apple Aphis, Woolly Aphis (American Blight), Mussel Scale, and Pear Midge.
Early in the year, Mr. H. Dunkin, of Warwick, reported the occurrence of a mite in apple-tree buds at Knowle, War- wickshire, doing considerable damage. Fortunately for apple growers it was cut down and burnt, and no fresh attack has been noticed.
Fruit trees of almost every description suffered severely from the larvae of the Magpie Moth, which were never more plentiful, while in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcester- shire, the larvae of the Gooseberry Sawfly were very destructive. Wheat and Barley have suffered considerably from the larvae of a species of Crane Fly. Hedge-rows, with their accompany- ing weeds and coarse grass, offer all that is required for en- couraging such pests.
In some parts of Shropshire, Wireworms have become a very serious pest.
In Herefordshire, the Winter Moth and Plum Bark Beetle are certainly on the increase, as also the Apple Blossom Weevil in Worcestershire.
It is many years since the Hop Aphis did such damage as during 1904, and in spite of the introduction of certain foreign species of Ladybird Beetles.
The occurrence of the Root-knot Eelworm in Staffordshire has unfortunately to be recorded, but the prompt steps taken have, I believe, stamped it out.
Voluntary Observers.
The agricultural interests of the Midland Counties are of a varied nature, and each year great losses are suffered by the depre- dations of insects and other animals. The large area under observation makes it quite impossible for one individual to keep in touch with the various outbreaks, or to learn of such in time to warn agriculturists and others of threatened attacks.
In order to make my work on Economic Zoology of greater practical value and to bring the same into closer relations with those whom it primarily concerns, I desire to enlist the sympathies and services of a few more voluntary observers in different parts of the Midlands, who would be willing to send in short weekly reports from March to June, and later less fre- quently. Such reports would be of great value collectively,
THE ROOT-KNOT EELWORM. 3
as indicating the abundance of any particular insect or insects, the extent of their depredations, the plants affected, means of distribution, and causes facilitating the spread of insect and other pests.
It is specially desired to obtain the services, observations, and experiences of those practically acquainted with insects and other agricultural pests.
Each worker will receive due credit for all observations, etc., and a copy of all future Reports ; further, all inquiries for information will be willingly answered. Appropriate stationery and stamped and addressed envelopes will be supplied to those selected.
NEMATODA.
THE ROOT KNOT EELWORM.
Heterodera radicicola.
The Root-knot Eelworm was first reported in this country in 1892 by the late Miss Ormerod, from Kent, infesting the roots of tomato and cucumber plants. At that time it was hoped that the climatic conditions in this country would prove uncongenial to this worm as a pest to farm-crops, and to within a couple of years ago it seemed likely that these hopes would be realised. In October, 1902, however, Mr. Cecil Warburt on (l )" received from Kent specimens of swede plants undoubtedly suffering from root-knot disease, and containing large numbers of the characteristic worms."
The importance of this discovery is of the greatest moment to agriculturists — for, as Mr. Warburton pointed out : " It would appear as though the only condition hitherto wanting were the chance conveyance of the worm to crops grown in tha open, and now that this has come about the consequences may be very far-reaching. Infested cucumber and tomato beds acquire very much greater importance as the possible centres from which disastrous attacks on farm crops may be spread, and a disease which has aroused no great interest in this country, except amongst market gardeners and nurserymen, becomes a danger with which the farmer will have to reckon."
I have quoted Mr. Warburton at length, as the case I have to record fully bears out his view as to the method of conveyance to outdoor crops.
A Staffordshire correspondent invited me to inspect some vegetable marrows, which, " in spite of every care and attention, were gradually going from bad to worse."
The first examination revealed nothing beyond the fact that the leaves were shrivelling and turning yellow, and generally the plants looked very sickly. In mentioning what he .had done to improve the ground, my correspondent informed me
i. Journ. Roy. Agr. Soc., 1902, vol. 63, p. 299.
4 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
that the soil was very rich, and was largely from a tomato house, the plants in which the previous year had all died from some unknown cause. Mr. Warburton's report at once came to my mind; and upon taking up a plant, we found plenty of the
FlG. I. — ROOTS ATTACKED BY ROOT-KNOT EELWORM.
a. — Roots of Cucumber, b. — Roots of Tomato.
THE ROOT-KNOT EELWORM. 5
characteristic knots on the roots, a later microscopic exami- nation of which showed that these contained numerous eelworms.
Beyond the marrows, cucumbers were affected in a similar manner.
The measures adopted in this case were as follows : — The plants were all taken up, saturated with paraffin, and burnt on the ground, which was then liberally treated with gas lime.
In other countries species of Heterodera are known to infest wheat, barley, beet, cabbage, radish, and turnip crops : while there are few plants which allied species will not attack.
It would seem that the knots are not always present, for Mr. \Ynrburton mentions in the case of the swedes examined by him, that " the root was small and ill-formed, but the most striking characteristic was the remarkable out-growth of side roots, which presented a dense mass of fibres. These were not knotted or swollen, but were found on microscopic examination to be crowded with the worms."
LIFE-HISTORY.
Heterodera belongs to a group of minute worms, which are mostly very small, and usually free-living, being found in decaying vegetable matter in water, or in living plants. A familiar example of this group is The Stem Eelworm (7 'ylenchus devastatrix, Knhn).
The larva by means of a needle-like process bores into the deli- cate rootlets of the plant, and after burying itself in the tissues becomes stationary. If a male, it then commences to swell, shrink- ing within its skin, at the same time the rootlets become irregular in shape and the so-called knots form (Fig. I, A and B). Ultimately a much longer worm is formed within the old skin, which is now little more than a protective sac, the worm then pierces the sac and bores its way through the tissues of the root and becomes free.
The female does not undergo any like change in the root, but after a time ilso leaves it and becomes attached to the surface of the root, here it is fertilised by the male, and then undergoes considerable degeneration. Ultimately it becomes a brood pouch full of ova and larvae. Most of the ova hatch out into larvae within the body of the parent, which then drops off the root and dies. Three hundred to three hundred and fifty eggs are produced at a time, and there are six or seven generations in a year.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Great care should be taken in seeing that all diseased tomato or cucumber plants are burnt, and the soil in which they grew should be liberally treated with gas lime.
Saturating the soil three times at intervals of a fortnight, with one part of carbolic acid in twenty parts of water, is also said to be effective.
6 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
In either case the soil so treated should be allowed to remain for six or seven weeks before being used again.
CRUSTACEA
WO OBLIGE.
Porcellio scaber, Linn., and Oniscus asellus, Linn.
Various species of woodlice have proved troublesome in gardens, conservatories, etc., during the past year, but none more so than; these two species. One correspondent reports that they eat thetdeveloping fronds of ferns, another complains of them biting the new branches of Stonecrop and Selaginella. They are particularly fond of such plants as the Stonecrop (Sedium acre), as it affords them shelter and at the same time moisture, which latter is very important.
Although in the popular mind these animals are generally regarded as insects, they are structurally very distinct from them, and belong to a Class of animals — the Crustacea — which includes the crab, crayfish, and shrimp.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Trapping is one of the most successful measures I know of, and for this purpose little heaps of wet grass or leaves, wet wooden boards 12 by 6 inches, or plant pots filled with wet grass, should be left on the floor of the conservatory or potting house over night and examined next morning.
THE BLACK-CURRANT GALL-MITE.
Eriophyes ribis (Nalepa).
During the past year a Report (0 has been issued suggesting new remedial measures for this insidious pest, from which the following is an extract :—
Spray fluids, — The only time sprayfluids can be used to any purpose is during the season of migration. The extensive ex- periments carried out at Woburn <2) with petroleum, calcium sulphide, carbolic acid, antinonnin, etc., where 30 bushels in a double row were treated once a month for each experiment, proved ineffective, as did also undiluted methylated spirits, naptha, a saturated solution of naphthalene in naptha, a 2 per cent., 0.5 and o.i solution of formalin, turpentine, undiluted petroleum, petroleum emulsion : i part of petroleum, 5 parts of water, and 2 of soft soap,, applied once a month with a brush.
I have made experiments with various arsenical fluids, bruised hellebore, lime, sulphur and lime, &c., &c., and while many have considerably reduced the numbers of the mites, I have to confess that their practical value is very small.
1. Rpts. on Economic Zool., No. i, 1904.
2. Second Rpt. Woburn Exp. Fruit Farm, 1900, pp. 13-20.
THE BLACK-CURRANT GALL-MITE. 7
In 1901 some small bushes which were very badly infested were treated with the following sprayfluid twice a week during the migration season : Sulphur, 2 Ibs. ; soft soap, 25 Ibs. ; water, 50 gallons, made as follows : Mix the sulphur to a gruel with water, the soft soap should be mixed with 5 gallons of boiling water ; then add the two mixtures together and mix well, after which add slowly sufficient water to make 50 gallons.
The results obtained from the use of this sprayfluid are very encouraging. The new buds which came out in 1901, were very carefully examined until nearly the end of ths year, and on only one bush were mites found in them, and only very few, the actual numbers in the different buds examined in August, 1901, were : 12, 3, 7, 5, 3, 3, 12,3,7,7,6,5,3,12. In 1902 these same bushes were under constant observation, but no mites were seen or any indications of them. As these bushes were growing not far from some infested bushes, they were sprayed during the migration season as in the previous year. In 1903 they still remained free from mites, and an examination of almost every bud on one particular tree at the beginning of 1904, failed to discover either mites or eggs, and all the trees were free of abnormal buds.
I had hoped to be able to repeat these experiments upon a larger scale before completing this Report, but the opportunity has not presented itself ; I shall, however, do so later, in the meantime I shall be very pleased to learn what success attends anyone who may use the above fluid.
Natural Enemies. — In addition to those already mentioned reference must be made to the larva of the Ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunc'.ata, L.
During 1902 and 1903 I had a series of badly infested cuttings under observation, and these were practically all cured by keeping them artificially supplied with this beetle. The 1902 cuttings exhibited very few, and only slightly, abnormal buds in the autumn, while in 1903, they seemed entirely free. Unfortunately this species of Ladybird does not seem par- ticularly fond of the Black Currant, but in my own mind, I have little doubt but that a species could be found which, if bred in sufficient numbers, would materially lessen and keep in check this disease, and possibly might exterminate it.
In conclusion, I am of opinion that, in spite of the success which has so far attended the use of the soap and sulphur spray- fluid, for a permanent remedy we must look to natural enemies rather than artificial ones. There is no doubt that much may be done by the fruit-grower himself, by burning present infested stock and replacing it by guaranteed healthy stock. It must be borne in mind that healthy cuttings are the exception, they are difficult to obtain, and very conclusive evidence should be demanded before purchasing. Once having obtained such, an ever-wratchful eye should be kept for the first signs of disease, and the bushes so attacked should be taken up, saturated with paraffin and burnt at once.
REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904
Many growers have taken up and burnt infested stock and planted clean, which, perhaps in the long run will prove the most effective and the least expensive treatment.
Further experiments on spraying and dusting with sulphur are being carried out, the results of which will be given in a future Report.
THE BIRCH GALL MITE.
Eriopliyes rudis (Canest.).
Many examples of twigs of the Silver Birch infested with this mite have been received. The so-called witches brooms can be seen in mafiy plantations which a year or two ago were quite free from them. In one case two fine trees had been practical!} killed by this mite. A worse case than this I have not seen.
FIG. II. — LARGE WITCHES BROOM FORMED BY Eriophyes rudis. From right to left the brcom measured just over a yard.
My experience favours the view that this species is not one that spreads rapidly, and if the clumps of aborted branches are cut away and burnt as soon as observed, but very few mites will be left behind, certainly not in sufficient numbers to do any serious damage for some years.
Dr. Buller informs me that according to Sadebeck there are two fungi called Exoascus turgidus and E. bctulinus respectively, which cause witches brooms on the Birch. Further Dr. W. G. Smith!1) has examined the brooms on the Birches in Scotland
i. Tubeuf. Diseases of Plants. English ed., p. 160, Editor's Note. See also Dr. Fisher, Zeitschrf. Pflanzenkr. 1901, Vol. xi. p. 321.
THE BIRCH GALL-MITE. 9
and states that he has " never failed to find the asci of an Exoas- cus " on the leaves. , It would appear, therefore, that the brooms on the Birch, at any rate in certain districts in Scotland, are caused by a fungus. Dr. Buller says that he has often examined the brooms on the Birches, in the Midlands, e.g. those in Sutton Park, Lightwoods Park, and at King's Heath, but has never succeeded in detecting any trace of an Exoascus on the leaves. On the other hand, whenever he has examined the
FIG. III.— SILVER BIRCH AT KING'S HEATH WITH WITCHES BROOMS.
buds with the aid of the microscope, he has always found this particular mite. My own observations fully confirm Dr. Bullers, and I think that there can be little doubt but that the-e are the sole cause of the formation of the brooms in the Midlands.
Figure II is taken from a photograph of one of three brooms on a Silver Birch in the garden of J. B. Finnemore, Esq., Edgbaston. For the photograph of Figure III I am indebted to the kindness of my colleague Dr. Buller.
REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
FIG. IV.— SHOOT OF Cox's POMONA APPLE WITH MITES IN THE BUDS.
A. Portion of shoot ; a, lower part where sound in bark, wood and pith ; b, bud swollen and tissue slightly excrescenced around and below ; c, buds quite small and dead-looking, but tissues slightly excrescenced below the joint ; d, bud small and dead, but tissue around swollen and slightly shrunken on sur- face ; e, bud quite indistinct and slightly swollen ; /, shrunken tissue around sunken bud ; g, upper part of shoot where evidently pruned to, sound.
B. Portion of shoot A , above and below bud d, showing — h 6- k, bark healthy; i, wood sound ; /, pith clear at upper part ; /, wood sound ; m, pith clear ; n, small openings in tissue beneath bark ; o, vertical section of bud ; p, perfor- ations in tissue of bud and entire obliteration of central axis of growing point.
C. Section through bud A,b ; q, outer bark slightly corrugated ; r, inner bark or cellular tissue in place of bud scales ; s, interior of bud composed of cellular tissue ; /, apertures in cellular tissue with hairs issuing, x 3. D. Mite, evident cause of diseased buds, x 200. E. . Bit of tissue from gall C at t ; it, rellular tissue ; v, erineum or hairs; a;', mite, x 100. F. Eelworms Jr_om dead, shrunken and decayed bud, A f ; x, male ; y, female ; z, young, x 100.
A SUPPOSED NEW APPLE MITE. I I
A SUPPOSED NEW APPLE MITE.
-Eriophyes, sp.
Early in the year Mr. H. Dunkin, of Warwick, had some Apple shoots brought to him from Knowle, Warwickshire, in- fested with a species of mite belonging to the genus Eriophyes. Unfortunately, for my purpose, the tree was burnt before Mr. Dunkin could obtain further diseased shoots, so at present the species remains a matter of doubt.
The mites seem to attack the buds only, the whole of the tissues between them being normal. The buds are more or less swollen, though occasionally shrunken, and the developing leaves small, dead, and undeveloped, in consequence of which, no growth takes place. Mr. Dunkin states that the upper buds in a shoot are the first to be attacked.
In addition to the mites, in some buds there were a number of Eelworms, which a contributor to the pages of the Journal of Horticulture has referred to the genus Aphelenchus.
It seems clear from the nature of the injury that this is not the work of Eriophyes mail (Nalepa), but until more specimens are obtained nothing further can be said about it.
THE PEAR-LEAF BLISTER MITE.
Eriophyes piri (Pagenst.), Nalepa.
A number of inquiries have reached me during the year con- cerning the galled patches formed by this mite on the leaves of the Pear.
So far as my observations go this mite does very little serious damage. Unlike many species of this genus, it spreads very slowly, often a single tree remaining attacked for years without it spreading to others. It is not at all uncommon to find the leaves of one side of a tree or even one or two branches infected while the rest of the tree is free.
At the end of June, or early in July, the galled leaves should be hand-picked and burnt, or, if badly attacked the branches should be cut off and burnt. During April and May the trees should be sprayed with the spray fluid mentioned on page 7.
THE HAZEL BUD MITE.
Eriophyes avellaena (Nalepa).
A correspondent forwarded in April twigs of Hazel from Earlswood, Solihull, and Henley, infected with this mite, in- quiring the cause of the distorted buds and if any remedial mea- sures were known.
E. avellaena behaves in a very similar manner to E. ribis, the Black Currant Gall-Mite, although I have never found it, in any of the Hazel buds which I have examined, anything like as numerous as E. ribis in Black Currant buds.
12 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
Handpicking the abortive buds and burning them very often proves effective. The sprayfluid mentioned under the Black Currant Gall-Mite was also recommended, i
TYROGLYPHUS, SP. ON MUSHROOMS.
In Worcestershire a mite belonging to the genus Tyroglyphus has proved a most serious pest, exceedingly destructive and present in countless numbers. Not only were they found clustered around and feeding upon the mycelium underground, ultimately destroying the plants, but they also attacked the fruit bodies. In some cases they were found thickly clustered on the gills or lamel- lae, which were partly destroyed, giving the mushrooms an unsightly appearance, while in other cases the pileus was riddled with holes or excavated on the dorsal side.
Numerous experiments were made hoping to find a remedy but none proved effective. Amongst the various experiments tried may be mentioned : —
a. Covering the beds with flower of sulphur.
b. Fumigating with sulphur, also with bisulphide of carbon.
c. Scattering tobacco dust over the beds.
d. Dusting with pyrethrum powder.
e. Spraying with paraffin.
/. Soaking the beds with boiling water. g. Keeping the beds very damp.
Experiments a, b, c, and d, were little, if any, good. e. Spraying with. paraffin killed large numbers of the mites, but in- jured the plants also ; /. Keeping the beds very damp proved to be the most satisfactory measure, for whilst keeping down the number of mites it allowed the plants to make very fair progress. Soaking the beds with boiling water soon killed the mites, but killed the mycelium also.
Finally all the teds were drenched with boiling water, re- moved, and deeply buried. The place was then well swilled and brushed out, and for some weeks chickens were allowed to have the run of it. It was then re-stocked, and when last inspected no mites were to be found.
MYRIAPODA.
MILLIPEDES.
Quite a large number of species of millipedes, all of which are more or less injurious, have been received during the year from various correspondents.
The two commonest species met with are Polydesmus complanatus, Linn., which has been reported attacking Vegetable Marrows, Potatoes and Beans, and Blaniulus guttulatus, Bosc, a serious pest to strawberry growers. The snake millipedes (lulus terrestris, Linn., /. pulchellus, Koch, and /. niger, Linn.)
THE SILVER-FISH INSECT AND FROTH FLY. 13
have also been plentiful, and frequently sent in as wire- worms. In • addition I have received examples of lulus pilosus, Newport, Atractosoma polydesmoides, Leach, and Brachy- desmus superus, Latzel.
In all cases reported the specimens have occurred in gardens and shrubberies, and not much difficulty has been experienced in materially reducing their numbers. Pieces of mangold or potato dipped in a strong solution of Paris green (Blunders), and covered over night with a cabbage leaf, proved very effective.
INSECTA.
THE SILVER-FISH INSECT.
Lepisma saccharina, Linn.
Specimens of this primitive insect were reported as occurring in a dwelling house at Digbeth, Birmingham, where they were present in such large numbers as to become a serious pest. Nearly every proprietary insecticide had been tried, but with little effect. Fumigation with bisulphide of carbon was recom- mended. (See p. 62.)
Although more or less common in the kitchens of most houses, it is seldom that these insects are so numerous as to become a pest. This is the first case I have heard of in this country where ordinary measures have failed.
Pyrethrum powder may be used wherever practicable, to which the insects readily succumb.
THE FROTH FLY (CUCKOO SPIT).
Tetiigonia spumaria, Linn.
The larvae of this fly have done considerable damage to numerous garden plants. It is many years since it was so plen- tiful as in the past year. Amcngst the plants sent in or inspected, infected by this insect were Sunflowers, Roses, Hollyhocks, Stocks, Asters, Fuchsias, Pinks, Wallflowers, Pelargoniums, Daffodils, Dahlias, Canterbury Bells, and Carnations.
Sunflowers and Carnations particularly, and Roses in a few cases, were very badly attacked. The first specimens of Sun- flowers were received early in May, the leaves were much curled or '• cockled " and generally the plants, which were about a foot in height, looked sickly. Five to ten larvae were found on diffe- rent leaves. Early in June plants from the same garden were examined, and as many as a hundred larvae were taken off a single plant, now measuring about two feet high. At the end of July these plants in former years have been about five feet high, whereas the majority now were about three and a half feet, and many not more than eighteen inches high, while a few had died down.
Carnations suffered severely, and thousands of flower-buds never fully expanded.
OF THE
UNIVERSITY
OF
14 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
Roses were attacked early in June, and trees full of buds never flowered, or only here and there a bud developed.
The Froth Fly, known also as Cuckoo-Spit, Frog-Spit, Frog Hopper, etc., belongs to that order of Insects known as Hemip- tera. Very erroneous ideas have been published as to its life- history, and very ridiculous measures suggested for its exter- mination.
Experiments were made with a number of sprayfluids of which the following gave the best results : 5 Ibs. of soft soap, 5 gallons of water, and J- Ib. of tobacco, the whole to be well boiled together, and when applied, add three gallons of water to every gallon of the mixture.
THE APPLE SUCKER.
Psylla mah\ Forster.
Numerous inquiries were received early in May concerning this pest, which during the past year has proved very trouble- some in the Midland Counties.
to. -
FIG. V. — THE APPLE SUCKER (Psylla mail}.
i. — Larva, natural size. \a. — Larva after third moult, much magrified. 2. — Perfect insect, natural size. 2*7. — The same, much magnified.
Very often growers are not aware of its presence in their orchards, I find, the damage being put down to the action of fungi, etc. In nearly all the cases I have seen the leaves were wrinkled and curly, pale in colour, and had a white frosty appear- ance. The blossom buds were more severely attacked than the leaves, and never fully^ expanded. The pupae were found
THE APPLE SUCKER. 1.5
to be most numerous in the blossom buds or in folded leaves close to them, and wereiirst noted on May I4th.
LIFE-HISTORY.
Briefly the life-history is as follows : The adult insects (Fig. V, 2) appear early in June (first noticed on June 4th, 1904), and are plentiful all through the summer. About the middle of September they commence to lay their eggs, and continue until nearly the end of October. The eggs are somewhat pear-shaped with the small end produced into a fine thread-like process. Though usually found in rows, they may occur singly, and are particularly nume- rous in crevices of the bark, but may be found on the roughened outer portions, in fact, generally over the stem. In these posi- tions they remain until the following April, when they hatch out into minute, flat, yellowish-brown larvae with red eyes. In about eight or nine days they undergo a moult and one or more bluish threads are seen passing out of the posterior end of the body, while attached to each of these threads is a small oily-looking globule. After another ten or twelve days a second moult takes place, the larvae now being of a yellowish-green colour, and usually covered with fine, bluish-white threads. The final moult is undergone about eight or ten days later, the larvae pupating after another seven or eight days.
The pupae are variable in colour, though generally of a vivid green, flatish, with prominent dark eyes and conspicuous wing-buds.
REMEDIAL MEASURES.
When first noticed, that is to say, about the middle of April, a sprayfluid consisting of one pound of soft soap to every three gallons of water should at once be applied.
Wherever the insect has been noticed in the spring, an autumnal sprayfluid should be used to kill the adults. A paraffin emulsion made as follows, has proved very effective. Dissolve two pounds of soft soap in one gallon of boil ing water, and whilst boiling add two gallons of paraffin, and beat up into a creamy liquid. Then pump with force through a fine spray nozzle into another vessel. To make a sprayfluid add ten gallons of water.
For winter use soda and potash wash is recommended, viz. : —
Caustic Soda (70%) . . . . . . i Ib.
Carbonate of Potash (80%) . . . . i Ib.
Soft Soap . . . . \ Ib.
Water . . . . . . . . . . 10 galls.
The autumnal spraying is exceedingly important. As this pest is undoubtedly well distributed in the Midlands, infected trees should not be neglected.
1 6 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
THE WOOLLY APHIS (AMERICAN BLIGHT).
Schizoneura lanigera, Hausm.
There is a marked increase of this insect in all the Midland Counties, infection being spread, to a large extent, by the apathy of certain individuals and their utter neglect of old infested trees. It is exceedingly discouraging to those who do endeavour to keep their orchards clean, that such a state of things should be allowable. Often the presence of a single, badly infested tree, is a source of danger and loss to a whole district.
THE HOP APHIS.
Phorodon humuli, Schrank.
Hops in Worcestershire have rarely, if ever, been attacked with such virulency by this pest as during 1904. On all hands growers complain that this aphid has occasioned such serious damage, that the yield this year will be less than any years since 1882.
At the end of July various correspondents reported the crops in a wretched condition, and the severe attacks of this pest and continued washing had left the bine in an exhausted condition.
THE APPLE APHIS.
Aphis mali, Fabr.
This insect has decidedly gained ground during the past year, very largely due to neglect or spraying too late to be of much service.
Spraying with so ft soap and water alone is very serviceable, but a mixture consisting of 2-J- Ibs. of soft soap, 3^ gallons of water, and 3 gills of paraffin, is recommended. The paraffin should be added whilst the soft soap and water are still boiling. Before using add I2j gallons of soft water.
THE ROSE APHIS.
Siphonophora rosae, Reaumur.
The Rose Aphis has proved a source of considerable annoy- ance to rose growers throughout the Midlands during 1904.
Early in the year a short report was sent out, recommending growers to give their plants a weekly spray with soft-soap and water, or where badly attacked, with soft-soap and quassia chips, and from replies received it is satisfactory to learn, that wherever this treatment has been systematically carried out, clean plants have, with few exceptions, been maintained.
Lady-bird larvae and the adult beetles should be encouraged, as well as the larvae of the Lacewing Flies (Chrysopidae) and Hovering Flies (Syrfhidae), all ot which feed upon these pests.
THE CAMELLIA AND ROSE SCALES. 17
THE CAMELLIA SCALE.
Aspidiotus camelliae, Sign.
Early in the year a correspondent forwarded leaf-buds of the Camellia with the following note, " I notice that all the new buds are dead and falling off. I cannot find any insect or grub inside them or on any other part of the plant. Can you inform me what is the cause and suggest a remedy ? "
The trees were inspected and the buds were found to be attacked by a scale insect, which Mr. Robert Newstead, the chief authority on these insects in this country, has kindly identified as the female of Aspidiotus camelliae, Sign.
All the buds were picked off and burnt, and the trees were well sprayed with soda and potash ; no scales have since been observed.
THE ROSE SCALE.
Aulacaspis (Diaspis) rosae (Bouche).
Many correspondents complain of the abundance of this pest during 1904.
The following account of the life-history, I take the liberty of quoting from Mr. Robert Newstead's Monograph.
" Egg-laying commences in August, and the larvae appear soon afterwards, but are most abundant in the middle of Septem- ber, and may then be found in a more or less active condition. Before winter sets in, the male larvae effect their first moult, and a small portion of the puparium is formed ; but the female larvae do not moult until the following spring, and may be found throughout the winter either permanently fixed or active even during severe frosts. In early spring the male puparium is completed ; subsequently pupation takes place, and the perfect males may be looked for from the middle to the end of May, the time of appearance varying according to the season. * * The final moult of the female is effected either immediately prior to or after fecundation, at which stage the puparium is small. * By the end of summer it is completed, and will
then be found to contain its imprisoned female, together with her batch of pale crimson eggs ; later, in winter, her dead shrivelled body and the white, effete egg skins, with an occasional larva."
REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Spraying with paraffin emulsion about the middle of Septem- ber, three or four times, at intervals of two or three days, arid again in the spring, is the most effective remedy that I know of.
THE MUSSEL SCALE.
Mytilaspis pomorum, Bouche.
Many inquiries have been received respecting the treatment of this scale, and some of the apple twigs sent in have been the worst I have seen.
1 8
REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
It is a common species, occurring all over the world, and exceedingly destructive.. It is known under a variety of popular names, such as the apple tree bark louse, oyster shell bark louse, oyster scale, mussel scale, etc.
The adult female scale is about one-eighth ofjanjinch in length, usually it exhibits a slight curve and widens from before backwards. At the anterior or pointed end is a small yellowish pellicle with a scale attached, in addition there is a larger pellicle to which is attached the remainder of the brownish or greyish-brown scale, marked with numerous fine transverse curved lines. Beneath this covering scale is the female insect, which occupies the anterior portion (Fig. VI, i — 3).
The male scale is much smaller than the female scale.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The life-cycle is completed jn a year, though in some coun- tries two generations are produced each year. During August the female deposits from fifty to one hundred oval, whitish eggs,
i 3 2
FIG. VI. — THE MUSSEL SCALE (Mytilaspis pomorum).
i. — Upper surface of female scale. 2. — Lower surface of same. 3. — Eggs. All greatly enlarged.
which remain beneath the protecting scale during the winter, hatching out from May to early June into small, active, six- legged larvae, which now proceed to creep from beneath the parent scale. These soon settle down and commence sucking nourishment from the underlying tissues. After about two days, long, white, waxy filaments may be seen forming on the back of each, and this, after a time, with the cast skin of the young, becomes the scale-like covering. A second moult then occurs, and to the cast skin a still larger scale becomes attached. During this period the larvae have lost their six legs, and now take the form of small, yellowish, fleshy grubs. In the case of the females they remain beneath the scales, and after depositing their eggs, die. Reproduction in most cases is asexual.
THE MUSSEL SCALE AND THE COLORADO BEETLE. 19
Male scales are rare, and the larvae pass through a so-called pupal stage, which ultimately gives place to a small insect possessing wings.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Wherever the scale is noticed the trunks and main branches should be well washed with soda and potash (caustic alkali), and early in June sprayed with paraffin emulsion, this should be done three or four times, at intervals of two or three days.
All young stock should be fumigated with hydrocyanic acid gas before being planted.
THE COLORADO BEETLE.
Doryphora decemlineata, Say.
Early in July a report appeared in the public press stating that living specimens of this beetle had been brought to the Hereford Museum for identification. This statement naturally gave rise to some alarm amongst Midland agriculturists, and specimens of the American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and the common Cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris) were forwarded to me from the Birmingham Wholesale Fruit Market, under the impression that they were examples of this dreaded pest.
The Board of Agriculture were promptly advised of the occurrence, and subsequently it was found that a lady from Rhode Island, New York, U.S.A., had brought over five living specimens as curiosities. Three died, and the remaining two which were left at the Hereford Museum, were promptly killed.
To the best of my knowledge, at the present time, there is no infestation of this beetle in Europe.
THE TURNIP FLEA-BEETLE.
Phyllotreta nemorum, Linn.
Probably owing to the wet season experienced in 1903, this beetle, although reported from all the Midland counties, did little damage. During 1904, however, it has proved a troublesome pest to growers of turnips, cabbage, etc.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
As regards mechanical contrivances, a board coated with tar, which must be renewed at frequent intervals, drawn over the ground, will catch large numbers.
Keeping the soil in as fine a tilth as possible will expose the beetles to the rain.
Of the various insecticides recommended few have proved of any great value.
Spraying the young plants wittf paraffin has proved success- ful, and I have seen good results from dusting with equal parts of
20 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
sulphur and soot, which should be applied in the early morning when the dew is on the leaf.
All cruciferous weeds, such "as" Charlock, Shepherd's Purse, etc., should be destroyed, for on such the beetles breed and feed before the young turnips appear.
WIREWORMS.
One of the most insidious pests infesting field crops, are the larvae of certain beetles commonly termed wireworms. The term wireworm, has, unfortunately, been misapplied to certain other animals, the millipedes. The true wireworms are the larvae of certain beetles popularly known as Click Beetles or Skip Jacks. They may readily be distinguished from the milli- pedes by the presence of three pairs of legs, one pair to each of the first three segments behind the head, in addition to these they have an anal foot on the ventral surface of the tail.
The eggs are deposited in the earth or on the plant close to the earth, from these the larvae hatch out in about four weeks. They remain in the larval condition three or more years, seeking the deeper layers of soil during the winter. When full-fed they descend into the soil and construct a small oval cocoon, changing into the pupae during July or August. In about three weeks time the beetles emerge, and often remain in the ground until the following spring.
Many complaints have b^en received of really serious damage done by these larvae. A Shropshire correspondent writes "they were never more numerous, in certain fields there must be millions." In this particular case I found on making inquiries, that mustard and rape cake had been largely used in previous years. This does considerably more harm than good. It no doubt attracts the larvae, which feed upon it, and so allows the plants to grow, but with a liberal supply of such food the wireworms flourish, and the condition the following year is still worse.
No effective remedy is yet known of treating these pests on large areas. (0- Professors J. H. ComstockandM. V. Slingerland in 1891 published the results of three years experimentation (2)> and the latter re-issued the same in 1896 in a condensed form, bringing the information up to date. These experiments may be considered under three heads, viz., i. Protection of Seeds ; ii. Destruction of the Larvae ; and iii. Destruction of Pupae and Adults.
i. Protection of Seeds. — Coating the seed with Paris green and flour, and also with tar were tried ; soaking the seed in a saturated salt solution, in a solution of copperas (sulphate of iron), in chloride of lime and copperas solution, in kerosene oil, in spirits of turpen-
i Mr. G. F. Strawson informs me that he used " Vaporite " with complete success for wireworms, slugs, etc.
2. Cornell Cniv. Agric. Exp. Station, Entomol. Div., Bull. No. 33, Nov., 1891 and Bull. No. 107, Jan., 1896.
WIREWORMS AND APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL. 21
tine, in a strong solution of strychnine, etc., etc., In all cases it was found impossible to protect the seed, and often the treat- ment retarded or prevented the germination of the seed.
ii. Destruction of the Larvae. — Starvation by clean fallow, by the growth of buckwheat, mustard and rape ; by the use of insecticides such as kerosene, pure and as an emulsion, crude petroleum, pure and as an emulsion, and poisoned dough, proved useless. Bisulphide of carbon in quantities sufficient to kill proved too costly. Various fertilisers were also tried ; muriate of potash proved too expensive and like salt, chloride of lime and gas lime, have to be used in such large quantities to kill, that they would also be very destructive to vegetation.
iii. Destruction of Pupae and Adults. — Fall ploughing, under this head Professor Slingerland writes " experience clearly indi- cates that if infested fields are ploughed after July 2Oth, and thoroughly pulverised and kept stirred up, many of the little earthern cells [cocoons] may be broken and the tender pupae or beetles within destroyed. ... In connection with this fall ploughing and cultivation we earnestly recommend the method of short rotation of crops to farmers having land badly infested with wireworms. Do not keep fields in sod for more than a year or two at a time. No doubt it will require several, at least three years by this method, to render the soil comparatively free from the pests as only the pupae and adults are killed each fall, while most of the one and two-year old wireworms will escape injury."
Trapping with poisoned clover baits destroyed large quan- tities of the beetles.
One point not taken into consideration in the above men- tioned experiments is the effect of natural enemies, and under this head I cannot too strongly emphasise the importance of offer- ing every encouragement to Plovers, Rooks, and Starlings in the fields. The ruthless destruction of Plover's eggs during recent years, undoubtedly has much to do with the great increase of wireworms. The remedy lies very much in the farmer's own hands, so long as Plovers' eggs are collected and sold in the numbers they are to-day, so long will wireworms, and many other pests flourish.
THE APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL.
Anthonomus pomorum, Linn.
In Worcestershire this very destructive beetle has re-appeared in large numbers, after a period of comparatively lean years. All who have any experience of this insect know only too well of the serious damage it does. I am, therefore, giving some account of its life-history, and of the various tried and suggested reme- dies.
LIFE-HISTORY.
Early in the spring the beetles leave their winter quarters and make their way to the apple trees. Considerable difference
22 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
of opinion exists as to how the females reach the buds, some holding that they seldom use their wings and so must crawl up the stem and branches of the tree, while others state that they fly from branch to branch. However, on reaching the tree, and after being fertilised by the male, the female deposits her eggs in the unopened blossom buds. By means of her long snout like rostrum a hole is made into which an egg is deposited, this is pushed down into the centre of the bud by the rostrum, and the opening closed with a secretion. This is again and again repeated in separate flower buds, until anything between twenty and fifty eggs have been deposited.
In six or eight days the eggs hatch out into minute, whitish, legless, maggots, with blackish-brown heads, later they become creamy-white, with the skin very wrinkled and hairy (Fig, VII,
FIG. VII. — THE APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL (Anthonomus pomonun).
a and b. — Beetle, natural size and much magnified, c and d. — Larva, natural size and much magnified, e and /. — Pupa, natural size and much magnified. g. — Larva in blossom bud.
c and d). Throughout the larval period they lie in the bud in a curved position. Gradually the blossom bud withers and dies. When full-fed, viz., in from one to three weeks, the time depending very largely upon the weather, the larvae cast their skins and change into pupae (Fig. VII, e and f).
The pupa, which is nearly a quarter of an inch long, is a pale yellowish-brown in colour. The pupal stage occupies from a week to ten days, the beetle then boring its way through the bud lives upon the tree until late in September, when it hybernates beneath the bark or under stones, rubbish, etc., around the tree.
THE APPLE BLOSSOM AND CABBAGE-GALL WEEVILS. 23
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Spraying with a soda and potash wash early in February, will destroy all lichens and mosses, beneath which the weevils hybernate.
All rubbish, leaves, long grass, etc., beneath the trees should be cleared away and burnt.
Spraying the trees before the blossom buds burst with paraffin emulsion, tends to prevent the insects laying their eggs.
Jarring the trees so as to shake off the dead blossoms before the larval or pupal stages are over, will rid the trees of nearly all the pests. An old rick-cloth should first be placed beneath the tree, and after a vigorous jarring,the blossoms and beetles should be swept up, collected and burnt.
THE CABBAGE-GALL WEEVIL.
Ceuthorhynchus sulcicollis, Gyll.
The larvae and beetles of this species have been very much in evidence in the Evesham district, and generally throughout South Worcestershire and Warwickshire. But little attention has been paid to preventive and remedial measures in these dis- tricts, though much has been done in the wray of encouraging the pest, as a result this beetle is undoubtedly increasing in numbers and spreading itself over a wider area.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The female deposits her eggs either on the roots of Cabbages and Turnips, or with her proboscis excavates small holes, into each of which she places usually a single egg. In about ten days the larvae hatch out, as short, thick, legless, yellowish- white maggots, and around each a small swelling arises knovvn as a gall. Within this the larvae passes the winter, and when full- fed it leaves the gall, and in the earth makes a cocoon consisting of an internal gummy-like substance, surrounded by particles of earth. It remains in the pupal stage for about eight weeks.
In the early part of the year this life-cycle takes place on such cruciferous plants as Charlock, and later on the cabbage and turnip.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Charlock and all cruciferous weeds should be destroyed.
All infected cabbage stalks should be burnt. The lackadaisical method of throwing them into heaps to rot, or burying them in the ground (unless deeply buried) is typical of British farming methods. The larvae make their way from the galls into the earth, pupate, and later the beetles appear ready for the cab- bage crop.
24 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
THE PLUM BARK BEETLE.
Scolytus rugulosus, Ratze.
Branches of plum trees were forwarded by a correspondent at Harvington, near Evesham, very badly attacked by this beetle. Similar branches were later received from near Evesham.
I have examined numerous trees infested with this beetle, and in every case I have been satisfied that the tree was a diseased or sickly one. I personally know of no case yet where vigorous healthy trees have been attacked.
In Warwickshire and Worcestershire, I have seen it only on Plum trees, but it is known to attack apple, pear, cherry, peach, etc., in other parts of the country.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The beetles (Fig. VIII. i) make their appearance towards the end of April, or early in May, and the female commences to bore holes in the bark of the tree and so forms what are known as "mother
3
FIG. VIII. — THE PLUM BARK BEETLE (Scolytus rugulosus).
i. — Beetle magnified, line showing natural length. 2. — -Larva, natural size, and much magnified. 3. — Piece of apple branch, showing holes in bark made by the beetle, and channels made in the wood.
galleries," upon the sides of which she deposits her eggs. The larvae hatch out in a few days, they are whitish, legless grubs scarcely one-tenth of an inch in length, and lie in a curved position (Fig. VIII, 2). The head is yellowish or cream coloured. These now commence to feed on the inner bark of the tree, forming " larval galleries " at almost right angles to the " mother galleries." At the end of these secondary channels small cavities are formed in which pupation takes place. It sometimes happens that the larvae eat their way into the solid wood, as shown in Fig. IX. Early in July the beetles hatch out and bore their way through the bark and escape. This generation then reproduces itself, the larvae remaining in the tree through the winter.
THE PLUM BARK BEETLE AND CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES. 25
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
All branches, etc., which are noticed to be infested should be cut off and burned early in June. Old worthless trees should be cut down and burned in the middle of June.
FIG. IX. — BRANCH OF PLUM TREE, SHOWING DAMAGE TO WOOD BY PLUM
BARK BEETLE.
These beetles have a natural enemy, the woodpeckers, which have been known to strip off the bark and splinter the surface of the wood in their efforts to get at the pupae.
CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES.
Pieris brassicae, Linn., and P. rapae, Linn.
The larvae of these two species, popularly known as the Large and Small White Cabbage Butterflies, have proved very troublesome in different parts of Warwickshire, Worcester- shire and Staffordshire, more particularly in gardens and plots than in open fields.
As usual they have attacked a variety of plants. The follow- ing have been reported : Cabbage, turnip, beet, and cauliflower.
26
REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
The caterpillars, chrysalids, and butterflies are so well- known, no description is necessary (Figs. X and XI).
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
In gardens much good may be done by hand-picking the caterpillars, further a careful search should be made for the chrysalids, these may be found under the copings of walls, eaves,
FIG. X. — LARGE WHITE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY.
T. — Female butterfly. 2. — Eggs. 3. — Larva. 4. — Pupa. 5 and 6. — Parasitic Ichneumon -fly (Pteromalus brassicae], natural size and magnified.
:
FIG. XI. — SMALL WHITE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY. i. — Female butterfly. 2. — Larva. 3. — Pupa.
and palings. In outhouses they are specially numerous, and it is well to brush the walls and give all such places a thorough good clean out in the winter.
Two or three days rain will kill thousands of the cater- pillars, in its absence a good drenching of water with a garden hose will do much good.
THE CURRANT CLEARWIXG MOTH.
27
Dusting the plants, in the evening, with soot, soot and sulphur, wood-ashes, etc., will also prove beneficial.
THE CURRANT CLEARWING MOTH.
Sesia tipultformis, Linn.
The larvae of this moth have been forwarded in both currant and gooseberry stems, and are responsible for much damage to these plants in South and South East Staffordshire, South Derby- shire, North Warwickshire, and East Leicestershire.
The first larvae this year were noticed on May 8th. They are a pale yellowish-white, smooth, shiny, dorsal line slightly
'
a c b
FIG. XII. — THE CURRANT CLEARWING MOTK.
a. — Portion of injured stem with moth emerging, b. — Portion of stem damaged
by larva, c. — The moth.
darker ; head, brownish with a triangular mark on the face ; the second segment has a pale yellowish-brown horny plate. Distributed over the whole of the body are numerous slightly raised spots, from each of which proceeds a short, dark, bristly hair.
The female moth lays her eggs close to the leaf buds, and on hatching out the larvae commence to eat their way into the internal portion of the shoots where they feed upon the pith, travelling downwards.
28
REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
The pupae are reddish-brown, and are placed head upwards within the stem.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Whenever the leaves of a currant or gooseberry tree com- mence to wither and the shoots to die, for no apparent reason, the larvae of this moth are in all probability present, and if found, the tree should be closely pruned and all the cuttings burnt.
FIG. XIII. — ASH TREE RECENTLY ATTACKED BY GOAT MOTH.
Cuttings should always be carefully examined for any signs of the moth before planting.
I am informed that if the trees are well dusted with soot and lime in equal parts, in May and June, the moths will not lay their eggs on such.
Some trees which I have under observation and upon which a number of experiments have been made, I hope to report upon in a later Report.
THE GOLD TAIL AND GOAT MOTHS. 29
THE GOLD TAIL MOTH.
Porthesia aurifiua (Fabr.).
Examples of the very pretty larvae of this moth were received in May from a correspondent at Bromsgrove, who reported them damaging plum trees.
This is the first time I have learnt of the larvae of this moth being sufficiently numerous to call for any remedial measures. Spraying with Paris green (BhmdelFs), one ounce to ten gallons
FIG. XIV. — PORTION OF ASH TREE ATTACKED BY GOAT MOTH.
of water, was recommended and proved effectual. Arsenate of lead in the same proportions had also a similar effect.
THE GOAT MOTH.
Cossus ligniperda, Fabr.
The larvae of this moth and pieces of wood from Willow, Ash, Elm, Beech, and Oak trees have been received from various sources. The accompanying illustrations are from photographs taken by Messrs. Thompson & Brownhill, who report damage to Ash, Willow and Poplar trees near Banbury.
30 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The eggs of this moth are deposited about July in cracks and crevices in the bark and generally near to the ground, in nearly all the cases I have seen, the eggs have been between one foot and four feet from the surface. They are stated by certain observers to number as many as a thousand, though females kept in con- finement only deposited about three hundred and fifty each. The caterpillar at first is a fleshy pink colour, later changing to a yellow-ochre with a blackish head and two blackish-brown
FIG. XV. — LOWER PORTION OF THE SAME TREE (enlarged).
markings on the first segment ; the centre of the back is a deep mahogany red. They remain in the larval condition for three years, measuring three to three and a half inches in length when full grown. During this period they gradually make their way from the bark into the solid wood, perforating it in all directions with their tunnels. At times they leave the tree, and in May are often found straying about. Pupation takes place in the spring of the third year. The silken cocoons are covered with bits of wood and lie just within the entrance of the tunnels. The moth emerges about a month after pupation.
THE GOAT- MOTH. 3T
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIALT MEASURES. On emerging from, the pupal condition^the moths are often seen resting on the trees, and during May the caterpillars are also often found on the bark, in both cases they should be des- troyed. The pupae maybe hooked out of the entrances of the tunnels in June or July with a piece of strong wire, bent at one end.
FIG. XVI. — PORTION OF ASH TREE WITH LARVA in situ.
For preventing the moth depositing her eggs in the crevices of the bark, Mr. Theobald ( ) recommends smearing the trunks over in May with a mixture of clay and paraffin and soft soap, made into a thick paint and smeared thickly around the base, and all over the trunk up to eight feet. This mixture is said to answer much better than the clay and cow-dung generally used.
For killing the caterpillars, paraffin, paraffin 'emulsion, tobacco-water, etc., squirted into the tunnels have been recom- mended ; also the fumes of sulphur and tobacco blown into the
I. Second Rpt. Econ. Zool. 1904, p. 83.
32 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
tunnels. The most certain remedy, however, is to place pieces of stick cyanide into the entrances of the tunnels, plugging them up well with clay and smearing the trunk over with clay also. Timber badly infested is best destroyed.
THE MAGPIE MOTH.
Abraxas grossulariata, Steph.
In my report for 1903 I stated that the caterpillars of this moth had not been particularly injurious, excepting to currant bushes grown against walls, but during 1904 they have done considerable damage. On currant, gooseberry and plum trees I have never seen them more numerous.
A correspondent near Bromsgrove describes his plum trees as " covered with them, thousands have been picked off and destroyed, but they seem more numerous than ever . . . they are rapidly stripping the trees." Another correspondent in Stafford mentions that they " are in greater profusion than I ever remember .... from one small gooseberry bush I picked off and killed over two thousand."
Fortunately the heavy showers at the end of May killed large quantities, but many had pupated before this. Unless growers who have been plagued with them during the past year have acted upon the remedial measures given in my last report, and here again repeated, the larvae of "this moth are likely to prove very serious in the spring of 1905.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Early in the spring and again in the autumn the bushes should be sprayed with Paris green (Blundell's), in the proportion of one pound to two hundred and fifty gallons of water, and two pounds of lime, the whole, to be well mixed. This must not be used on ripe or ripening fruit, it may, however, be safely used four or five weeks before the fruit is gathered, if necessary.
Hand-picking, especially in the case of wall bushes, should be adopted in the spring, and the ground around the bushes hoed and dressed with quicklime.
Where, in the autumn, there are evidences of a bad attack, the bushes should be pruned and the cuttings burnt. The ground beneath should be treated with quicklime and early in the winter dug in deeply.
THE WINTER MOTH.
Cheimatobia brumata, Linn.
The eggs and larvae of his moth have been forwarded by numerous correspondents in the Evesham district, where it again seems to be on the increase.
It is now nearly sixteen years since it appeared in any great numbers, and it then did great damage. The late Miss
THE WINTER MOTH.
33
Ormerod, who acted as consulting entomologist to the Evesham Fruit Growers' Association, has given a detailed account of the various remedies then tried I1)- Since that date, spraying with Paris green and the systematic use of grease bands, have proved the most effective remedies.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The moths make their appearance about the middle or towrards the end of October," and the wingless females commence to creep up the trees to lay their eggs. These are small and cylindrical in shape, at first a greenish-white colour, but they soon change to orange and later a reddish-brown. They are deposited in
FIG. XVII. — THE WINTER" MOTH (Cheimatobia brumata). i. — Male moth. 2. — So-called wingless female. Natural size.
FIG. XVIII. — THE GREAT WINTER MOTH (Hibernia defoliaria).
i. — Male moth. 2. — So-called wingless female. 3. — Larva. All
natural size.
little groups between the wood and the bark, on cut shoots and in crevices in the bark, where they are fastened with a sticky secretion.
Early in the spring (on March 25th the first larvae were received from near Evesham this year) the larvae appear, small greyish or greenish-grey caterpillars with dark heads. Later they change to a yellowish-green with white longitudinal stripes. When full-fed, which they usually become from about the middle to the end of May, they are about three-quarters of an inch in length, and they now let themselves down from the trees by silken threads and pupate in the ground beneath. Most of the moths come up in the autumn, but some remain in the pupal stage until the following spring.
i. Manual Inj. Insects, 2nd ed., London," 1890, pp. 338-360.
UN,. -SJTY
OF
34 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
The Great Winter Moth (Fig. XVII) has been received only once.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
It is very important that the grease bands should be put on the trees at the beginning of October, and kept in a soft and sticky condition.
Before banding, all rough or loose bark should be removed. Then take strips of stout paper about six inches wide (stout paper is much better than the thin grease-proof paper used by provision merchants), and tie with strong wet twine an inch below the top of the band and an inch above the bottom, then coat with cart grease.
Miss Ormerod (x) mentions a correspondent who obtained excellent results from the use of cart grease and soft-soap, mixed to the required consistency with train oil and applied once a week. This, in my opinion, is more effective than the grease alone.
With reference to spraying, hitherto Paris green has proved the most valuable, but from experiments made in America by Professor Webster and by Mr. Fred V. Theobald in this country, arsenate of lead has proved to be much superior. It is not so easily washed off by rain, it has little, if any, burning action on the leaves and its killing power is fully equal to, if not greater than Paris green. On the other hand, the Department of Agri- culture of Victoria, from experiments made, recommend Paris green, stating that it is more lasting and less dangerous to the foliage.
THE BUFF TIP MOTH.
Pygaera bucephala, Steph.
Correspondents in Leicestershire, South Derbyshire, North- amptonshire and Warwickshire report considerable damage to elm, beech, oak and hazel trees,1 due to the larvae of this moth.
It is a common species, plentifully distributed throughout Great Britain, and in dry seasons, like that of the past year, it often proves troublesome to both foliage and fruit trees.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The moth makes its appearance about the middle of June, and the female deposits her eggs on the underside of the leaves in groups varying in number from twenty to sixty. Owing to their large size they are somewhat conspicuous. When looked at from above they are seen to be rounded and pearly white, while towards the base they are greenish and flat beneath.
In ten: or twelve days they hatch out, and undergo the first moult about ten days later. In early life the larvae are gre-
i. Op. cit., p. 346.
THE BUFF-TIP AND CABBAGE MOTHS. 35
garious, after a time they separate, but throughout this stage they are always met with in groups. From the middle to the end of September they usually become full-fed when they com- mence to descend the trees, either by falling or crawling. They pupate immediately beneath the tree usually in the soil, but may often be found beneath fallen leaves, and remain in this stage until the following June.
The pupa is a deep mahogany-brown, smooth, glossy, about an inch long and provided with two spines at the apical or pointed end. It is not enclosed in a cocoon.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Shaking or jarring the infested boughs has been recom- mended (Ormerod), but except in their young state they are difficult to dislodge. In September I found it almost impos- sible to move them. Before jarring, tarred bands of hay should be placed around the trunks so as to prevent the larvae ascending again.
A good plan is to spread a few spadefuls of gas lime around the trees at the end of September, when they commence to descend the trees prior to pupating. Fowls turned on to the land about this time will also destroy both larvae and pupae.
The large size and bright colouring of the larvae render them very conspicuous, and on small trees hand picking is very effective.
For fruit trees, spraying with arsenate of lead should be carried out.
THE CABBAGE MOTH.
Mamestra brassicae, Linn.
Correspondents in all the seven Midland counties, have complained of the unusual prevalence of the destructive larvae of this moth. In addition to damaging cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli, lettuce and dahlias seem to have suffered some- what severely. They are general feeders and will attack most of the plants in kitchen gardens, and when plentiful, as in 1904, they cause considerable loss.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The first brood of moths appear from early in May to the end of July, and the female lays her eggs on the leaves of different plants, but preferably cabbage. In about a week the larvae hatch out as small greenish caterpillars and very soon change colour. They are subject to great variation in colour, partly due to the food-plant. All shades of greenish-grey or yellowish- brown with more or less distinct longitudinal dorsal stripes, being met with. In a month to six weeks time they become full- fed, and pupation takes place either in the ground or beneath
36 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
stones, clods of earth, etc. The pupa is a deep chestnut brown colour, and is sometimes found in an earthern cell. The second brood of moths appear in August. Most of the larvae pupate in the autumn, but some may not do so until the following spring.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
On small areas much good may be done by hand picking early in the year.
Wherever an attack has been observed, the ground should be well turned over in the winter and poultry turned on to the land.
Dusting with gas lime, which has been exp>osed to the air for three or four months, is often recommended, but is far from satisfactory, often spoiling such plants as cabbages for culinary purposes. Watering with liquid farmyard manure, one part to three parts of water has proved very beneficial .
THE DOT MOTH.
Mamestra persicariae, Linn.
Some larvae sent by a correspondent in Warwickshire, that were attacking ferns, were those of the well-known Dot Moth. In this case they had eaten almost all the fern leaves and were moving to large beds of Nasturtiums. When present in large numbers they can do much damage, particularly so in flower gardens, vegetables and fruit trees are also often attacked.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The moths made their appearance in June or July. The female deposits from thirty to forty eggs on the food-plants during July and August, the larvae from which , become full-fed in four or five weeks and then measure about an inch and a half in length. They are exceedingly variable in colour, such being partly due to the food and partly protective. It is no uncommon thing to find grey-coloured larvae on grey parts of a plant, brown ones on brown parts and others of a deep green colour on deep green leaves.
The mature larvae fall to the ground, changing to deep brown pupae in the earth beneath the food-plant, where they remain until the following year.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Where they are not spread over a large area hand-picking soon reduces their numbers. In vegetable gardens I have found that large numbers may be destroyed by watering with a hose and a good force of water.
In the autumn, ground known to be infested with the pupae should be lightly forked, and ducks or fowls allowed to run over.
THE GREAT YELLOW UNDERWING MOTH.
37
THE GREAT YELLOW UNDER WING MOTH.
Trifihaena fronuba (Linn.).
The larvae of this moth have committed considerable damage in nursery and other gardens. One correspondent writes com- plaining of the damage done to Carnations and Pinks, another has had large beds of Canterbury Bells ruined, a third reports their
FIG. XIX. — THE GREAT YELLOW UNDERWING MOTH. i. — Larva. 2. — Pupa. 3. — Moth.
FIG. XX. — LARVAE IN ROOTS.
ravages in the roots of Aralis alpina, whilst in other cases Pansies, Lettuce, etc., were badly attacked.
The female deposits her eggs in July and August at the roots of different plants, the larvae hatching out in about fourteen
38 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
days. They are nocturnal feeders, and lie hidden in the surface soil or beneath the roots of their food-plants during the day. Through the winter months they seem to lie dormant, but on the return of spring or mild weather, they commence to feed again. Most of them become full-fed towards the end of April or early in May, when they bury themselves and turn to pupae, the moths emerging towards the end of June or early in July.
REMEDIAL MEASURES.
In gardens, stirring the surface frequently during the winter and spring destroys some of the larvae, and exposes others to
FIG. XXI. — LARVAE OF GREAT YELLOW UNDERWING MOTH.
the attack of birds. Starlings are particularly fond of them. Handpicking the larvae is still more effective. I have entirely cleared them out of my own garden in this way.
Fresh gas lime well worked into the land in the autumn has been tried with some amount of success.
THE SILVER Y MOTH.
Plusia gamma, Linn.
Although this moth rarely commits any serious damage, I am giving a short notice of it, as it has been forwarded by so many correspondents.
On the European Continent it has occasionally been known to appear in vast numbers, and do great damage to Sugar Beet crops.
THE SILVER- Y AND CODLING MOTHS. 39
LIFE-HISTORY.
The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves of such plants as Cabbage, Beet, Pea, Bean, etc. The larvae hatch out in about fourteen days and commence feeding upon the leaves. When full-fed they are a delicate green, with short almost colourless hairs, and have six white wavy lines running down the back. At each side of the body is a yellowish and more conspicuous stripe, with an indistinct, broken line below it. Pupation takes place in the plant. After about a month from hatching the larvae spins a cocoon in a leaf or on the stem, and changes to a deep black-coloured pupa. The moth appears twelve or fourteen days later. There are two or more broods annually.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
In gardens and small plots, handpicking will prove effective. Fowls greedily devour the larvae.
All grass-grown or weedy spots in or near to gardens should be cleared, especially nettles and thistles.
Watering with liquid manure I found answer very well, where the larvae were very plentiful on cabbages.
Dusting the plants with equal parts of lime and soot as soon as the larvae are noticed is also serviceable.
THE CODLING MOTH.
Carpocapsa pomonella, Linn.
The Codling Moth is one of those injurious insects which we in this country have yet scarcely realised the importance of, partly from the fact that we have never experienced scourges like those known in America, Canada, Tasmania, etc., and partly from our general apathy as regards animals injurious to crops.
EARLY HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF.
References to the Codling Moth are to be found in some of the earliest writings on Agriculture, the literature on its life-history, habits, etc., are voluminous, while the references to preventive and remedial measures are legion.
In our own country the first important account was given by " Rusticus " in the Entomological Magazine (r) in 1833, and Westwood (2) gave an admirable account of the pest in 1838, but it is to American investigations that we owe the most complete accounts. Amongst such, those written by Walsh and Riley, Forbes, Gillette, Washburn, and Slingerland, are perhaps the most important.
The original home of the insect was doubtless South-eastern Europe, but it is now kno\vn almost the whole world over.
1. Vol. i, pp. 144-146.
2. Gardiner's Mag
azine, vol. xiv, pp. 234-239.
40 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
The annual loss from its ravages is estimated at from 25 to 75 per cent, of the crop of Apples. In many States in America the loss is still 50 per cent.
Though known by a variety of names such as apple worm, fruit worm, fruit moth, etc., it is best known by the name of Codling moth, given to it by Wilkes, an English writer, in 1747.
LIFE-HISTORY AND HABITS.
The moths appear about the end of May, and the eggs are deposited singly upon apples just after the petals of the blossoms have fallen. The number varies between 50 and 100. In seven or eight days the minute larvae appear, scarcely one sixteenth of an inch in length, and of a greyish white colour, with a glossy black head. After creeping over the young apple for some little time, the larva, it will be noticed, in most cases enters the apple at the blossom end or calyx cavity, and commences to tunnel its way
FIG. XXII. — THE CODLING MOTH (Carpocapsa pomonella).
I. — Larva. 2. — Pupa. 3. — Moth. All natural size. 4. — Section of apple injured by larva.
to the core. Usually only a single larva enters each fruit, but two, three, and even four have been found. According to Professor Slingerland, seventy-five per cent, of the young larvae enter the fruit at the calyx end, and from observation he is of opinion that they spend several days feeding around in the calyx cavity. In its progress to the core of the apple the larva thrusts out portions of the pulp and excrement, and these masses of little brown particles are the first sign that it has commenced its injurious work. In about seven days time it reaches the core, and there commences to feed upon the pips or seeds and upon the surrounding pulp. Whilst within the apple, it is said to shed its skin four times.
THE CODLING MOTH. 4!
After remaining in the fruit for from twenty to thirty days, the larva becomes full-fed and now measures nearly three- quarters of an inch in length, having a brownish head and pinkish body. The pips and pulp around the core having already been eaten, it commences to tunnel its way, usually towards the opposite or stalk end, to the surface. For a time the entrance is closed by a plug of excremental matter, etc., but when ready to leave the fruit this is pushed away. If the fruit has fallen oft the tree the larva proceeds to find a suitable place for its cocoon. Many make their way to the trunk of the tree and creep into crevices or beneath loose bark. Cracks in fences, under loose boards or in old stumps are also likely places. When the larvae are barreled with the fruit they spin their cocoons in the crevices and angles of the barrels, and are so distributed.
In the cocoon the larva remains until the following spring, when it changes into a brown pupa, which latter hatches out in May.
Normally there is only a single brood in a season in this country, but two and even three are known in other countries.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Judging from the extensive experiments which have been made, it seems, very doubtful if this pest can be successfully attacked in the egg stage.
Spraying with Paris green seems to be the most effective remedy known. In 1885 and 1886 Forbes and Goff showed that by such a remedy 70 per cent, of the loss commonly suffered could be prevented. Wickson's Calif ornian experiments in 1887 gave similar results. As Professor Slingerland very pertinently states (\) " Not only has the practicability and effectiveness of the poison spray been demonstrated ... by the most carefully- conducted experiments at nearly every experiment station in the United States, but the thousands of practical fruit-growers who have thoroughly tried it are unanimous in their testimony that irom 50 to even 90 per cent, in some cases, of the fruit that would otherwise be ruined by the insect can be saved at a comparatively slight expense."
Paris green (Blundeirs) should be used at the rate of one potmd to every 160 to 200 gallons of water, and two pounds of freshly slaked lime.
The trees should be sprayed as soon as the blossoms com- mence to fall, or within a week from that date, for this reason, if a developing apple be examined just after the blossom has fallen, the calyx lobes will be found wide open, forming a cavity, a week later it will be found that the calyx lobes have commenced to close and that it is too late to spray. If the tree is sprayed while the calyx kcavity is open, the poison lodges therein and
i. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Staticn, Entomol. Div., Bull. 142, 1898, p. 51.
42 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
remains there, then the calyx lobes close, still leaving the poison ready for the young larva when it makes its way here, as previously described, a week or so later.
Two applications are usually enough, unless rain intervenes and washes the poison away, one just when the blossoms have fallen and again in a week. For this purpose a coarse spray has been found more effective than a fine one.
Banding the trees with old sacks, strips of felt or paper, hay ropes, etc., is undoubtedly useful in reducing the numbers of succeeding generations. The rough bark must first be scraped away, and then the band applied early in the summer. They should be f requently examined and the larvae found in the bands destroyed.
" Windfalls " should not be allowed to remain on the ground, if unsaleable they should be utilised as pig-food or burnt.
All rubbish, stones, dead wood, old boards, etc., should be removed from beneath or near the trees.
Barrels in which apples have come from abroad should be burnt, as they are a source of constant infection. In the angles and cracks larvae or pupae are to be found, from which moths will later emerge.
THE LILAC LEAF MINER.
Gracilaria syringella, Fabr.
In Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire, various correspondents have written for informa- tion about this destructive moth, and the means of preventing the destruction of Lilac trees by the larvae.
In 1904 the larvae were first noticed towards the end of May, the pupae on June 28th, from which the moths emerged on July 3rd and 4th.
At the end of June two or three trees were entirely stripped of their leaves, all of which were burnt, but the new leaves were full of larvae again on August 28th.
As yet, I do not know of any effective remedy for this pest.
THE PEAR MIDGE
Diplosis pyrivora, Riley.
During the past ten or twelve years the Pear Midge has slowly but surely spread itself throughout the pear orchards of this country, and each succeeding year marks a distinct increase in its numbers, and over a still wider area. It is very certain that there never was a time when it was more plentiful in the South-Western and Midland Counties than to-day, and seeing the serious loss this insect has already caused, and the still more serious loss which must accompany its further increase, I have been asked by certain growers if I would publish a short account of its life- history, together with the known and tried methods of dealing with this pest.
THE PEAR MIDGE. 43
While disclaiming any originality for the following account, I may point out that large numbers of specimens and infested fruit have been sent to me from all parts of England during the last few years, and the life-history has been repeatedly worked through.
EARLY HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF.
The exact date of the introduction of the Pear Midge into this country is very uncertain. It was introduced into the United States of America in 1877, or thereabouts, and it is not at all unlikely that it arrived in this country shortly before that date, (J) however that may be, the last few years have seen a rapid increase in its numbers, which have spread themselves over an annually increasing area, and unless prompt and stringent remedial measures are taken to stamp out or keep in check an insect so destructive, and whose depredations are accom- panied by such considerable loss, we are threatened in the very near future with the abandonment almost of the culture of English pears.
During 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904, whole orchards proved practically fruitless, where in previous years heavy crops had been gathered.
A correspondent writing from Withington, near Hereford, states that it made its appearance in his orchards about 1894, and since that date it has been almost useless trying to grow pears in the open, scarcely a sound pear can be found. It also attacks some kinds of Perry pears, trees which used to produce a ton of fruit each, now hardly have a pear on. Strange to say, it does not seem to attack the pears on the walls, although bush trees within a stone's throw have hardly a sound fruit on (2).
In this particular case there are 200 Perry pear trees, and the crop is valued at from £2 to £5 per ton. The same corres- pondent has also about 5oo~Busrfand Standard trees of dessert pears, which should produce from los. to 155. worth of fruit each ; for some years there has practically been no crop, although the trees blossom and set their fruit well.
A Worcestershire correspondent writes, " for the last five or six years our crop has decreased each year, last year (1903) it was practically nil, and this year it will be the same.* . . We have nearly two hundred trees. . . The midge first made its appearance in our orchards about seven or eight years ago, and has increased and spread each year."
Other correspondents from all parts of the Midlands write similar letters.
1. Meade records it as occurring in this country in 1874 (Entomologist, 1888, vol. xxL p. 12) and Miss Ormerod makes mention of it in her Report for 1884.
2. Possibly the reason that this wall fruit was not attacked may be, that being more sheltered it blossomed before the pear midge appeared ; other correspondents inform me that their wall trees are just as badly attacked as those in the open.
44 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
Writing in 1885, Dr. Riley expressed some doubt as to whether this species was the same as Diplosis nigra (Meigen), the habits of which are very similar, and were first described by vSchmidberger in 1831. According to Dr. Jos. Mik, nigra is practically a lost species. Writing to Dr. Riley in March, 1885, this dipterologist says, "If you will allow me to advise, you should describe your species from fresh and dry specimens as new, and could add the above names (nigra, Meigen, and pyricola, Nordlinger.) as doubtful synonyms. I believe that no error would be committed by adopting this course." Dr. Riley took this course and described the insect under the name of Diplosis pyrivora, by which it is now generally knowrn.
LIFE-HISTORY AND HABITS.
The fly, which is nearly one-tenth of an inch in length, usually makes its appearance early in April, but the exact time varies, according to locality and the condition of the season. The eggs are deposited in both the unopened flower buds and expanded blossoms, being introduced by the long ovipositor of the female midge. In the former condition the petals are pierced and the eggs are found in a little heap lying upon the anthers, but when an expanded blossom is attacked the pistil or ovary is pierced. Schmidberger ([) thus describes the process of depositing the egg in D. nigra, " In the spring of 1832, my first business was to look all round the garden for these midges. When the blossom buds of the pear tree were so far developed that in the single blossoms a petal showed itself between the segments of the calyx, I found the first midge in the act of laying its eggs in the blossom, this was on the I2th of April. It had fixed itself almost perpendicularly in the middle of a single blossom and having pierced the petal through with its long ovipositor, it laid its egg on the anther of the still closed blossom. The female was about seven and a-half minutes laying her egg. When she had flown away, I cut the pierced bud in two and found the eggs lying in a heap one upon another on the anthers. They were white, longish, on one side pointed and transparent and from ten to twelve in number. I after- wards found several midges engaged in laying their eggs as late as the i8th of April, from which day they ceased to appear in the garden."
The number of eggs varies, but from a large number of fruits examined, thirty-eight maybe taken as the average, some- times only ten or twelve are deposited, while in other cases as many as fifty are present. The eggs hatch out in from four to six days and the larvae — a series of tiny yellowish-white maggots — make their way into the fruitlets, which after about a fort- night commence to^ swell and assume an irregular distorted
i. In Kollar's Treatise on Insects Injurious to Gardeners, &c. English trans. 1850, p. 293.
THE PEAR MIDGE. 45
appearance (Fig. XXIII, I — 3), at the same time they grow more rapidly than the uninfested fruitlets.
The larvae gradually eat their way into the core of the fruitlet, tunnelling the fleshy pulp in all directions. If one of these fruitlets is now cut open it will be found to contain fifteen to twenty small white or yellowish-white maggots, surrounded by a mass of soft pulp and excremental pellets (Fig. XXIII, 3). If one is cut open a little later it will be found that nearly all the interior of the fruit has been consumed and that the larvae are now full grown, measuring about one-sixth of an inch in length (4 to 4.5 millim.).
Early in June they commence to leave the fruit. This usually takes place while the pears are on the trees, but in some cases they fall to the ground and the larvae then leave them. In either case they leave the fruit by some crack or decayed portion, preferably during or immediately after rain, possibly they are driven out by the rain making its way into the fruit. Messrs. Coe, whose orchards were the first ones attacked in
2 I
1
FIG. XXIII.— THE PEAR MIDGE (Diplosis pytiuora). i and 2. — Distorted pears containing larvae. 3. — Section showing larvae within.
America, state, in writing to Dr. Riley (T), "Our men had gone over the orchard once, picking all that they could find and were going over it a second time when a violent rain storm obliged them to quit for an hour or two. Returning after the rain they observed that a basket that had been left out in the storm with two or three quarts of the worty pears was alive with the larvae, hopping about like so many fleas. They had all left the fruit and were trying to escape from the basket. Upon examination, we found that the infested fruit on the trees had no larvae. So the work was not so thoroughly done as we had intended."
Like other species of the same genus, the larvae progress by skipping or jumping, which movements are effected by curving the posterior part of the body downwards until it reaches the first thoracic joint, at the same time the anterior end of the
I. Ann. Rpt. [U.S.] Comms. Agric. for 1885, Washington 1886. Rpt. of the Entomologist, p. 284.
46 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
body is curved in a similar manner. When the body is suddenly straightened the whole body is lifted or thrown from one to two inches in distance.
The larvae which leave the fruits while the latter are still on the tree, fall to the ground and at once commence to burrow beneath the surface, sometimes, however, they remain within the fruit, which ultimately falls to the ground and may so continue weeks after the others have gone below the surface. Generally speaking, the larvae remain about an inch and a-half below the surface, but the actual depth depends very much on the' nature of the soil, sometimes being found quite two and a-half inches deep. Here they may remain as naked larvae for some con- siderable time, before commencing to form their cocoons. Many after being in the ground for a fortnight or so have formed small, thin, tough, silky cocoons, yellowish-white in colour and oval in form, which are more or less covered with fine adhering par- ticles of earth.
Some of the larvae may remain for a further period in these cocoons before changing to pupae.
The pupae, which are rather smaller than the larvae, measur- ing a little over an eighth of an inch in length (3 to 3.5 millim.), remain in the ground until the following spring, when towards the end of March or early in April , they break through their cocoons and commence to work their way to the surface ; after pushing the whole of the body excepting the posterior end, well above the surface, the skin in the thoracic region makes a longitudinal slit, through which the adult fly escapes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ADULT FLY.
This and the following descriptions of the larva and pupa are taken from Dr. Riley's excellent work (op. cit.), which is not generally accessible.
"Male. — Average length 2.5 millim.; expanse about 5.7 millim. General colour dark grey or black. Head with the eyes deep velvety black ; face dark grey, almost black, a fringe of long yellowish hairs, which curve over the eyes, on the edge of the occiput. Antennae 26-] ointed (2 + 24) pedicillate-monili- form, and normally clothed ; one-fifth longer than the whole of the body, black, with peduncles whitish ; the two basal joints shortest and stoutest ; all others globular, decreasing slightly in size from 3 to 26, the peduncles cylindrical and gradually increasing in length, apical nipple almost as long as apical joint. Palpi faintly dusky, 4-j ointed, joint 4 about as long as 2 and 3 together and somewhat curved. Thorax very dark, dul grey or black, with two anteriorly diverging, rather indistinct grey stripes, beset with long yellowish hairs ; an oblique row of such hairs runs from near the head and extends along the side of the thorax to near the anterior margin of the scutellum ; a semi-circle of similar hairs on the scutellum, the lateral ones
THE PEAR MIDGE.
47
longest ; wings faintly fuliginous, with slight reflections, covered sparsely with a very delicate blackish pubescence ; veins some- what darker ; fringes blackish ; halteres pale yellowish ; legs dusky, with a more or less yellowish tinge ; tibial palest, femora almost black outside hi some of the fully-mature specimens, covered inside with pale yellow, glistening pubescence, the hairs along the inner surface whitish. Abdomen dark grey, almost black dorsally, where it is sparsely beset with minute, fine, pale hairs, and with a fringe of long, fine, pale-yellowish hairs along the posterior border of each joint ; venter more brownish, inclining to black, each joint with a transverse quad- rate spot, obsolete in the darker specimens, more closely beset with long and somewhat wavy, pale hairs ; genitalia pale- yellowish or dusky, consisting of a pair of prominent, 2-jointed claspers or forceps, which, when protruded, are recurved dorsally ; the basal] joint swollen, ^ellipsiodal, with a few stiff hairs and
1 2
FIG. XXIV.— THE PEAR MIDGE (Diplosis pyrivora}.
i. — Pear stunted and malformed by the larvae within it. 2. — Section of pear showing larvae within. 3. — Larva, much magnified. 4. — Female fly, much magnified. Lines show natural length of fly and larva.
very faintly striate transversely ; the terminal joint consisting of a hood, evidently movable and usually bent inward and backward ; just above these prominent claspers is the style or intromittent organ proper, a jointed process, reaching, when at rest, not quite to half the length of the swollen basal joint of claspers and broadening basally ; a suprapenal piece is crescent-shaped, the ears of the crescent reaching about as far as the tip of the style and its base broadening. Still above this is a V-shaped palpigerous piece, broad terminally, with a well-marked V-shaped medial slit, and with a simple palpus and a stiff hair on either side. The whole mechanism plays on an elastic and membranous sheath, which is retractile within the anal joint of the abdomen. Before use it is closely folded back so as to be with difficulty analysed.
48 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
Female. — Average length, exclusive of ovipositor, about 3.4 millim., the ovipositor, when extended, being longer than the rest of the body ; expanse about 7 millim. Antennae normal 14-jointed (2 by 12), slightly longer than the head and thorax together, the two basal joints as in male ; joint 3 longest, almost as long as 4 and 5 together ; the rest of about equal length, cylin- drical, slightly thickest anteriorly, with rounded tips and some- what truncated bases ; the pedicels of joints 4 to 7 somewhat shorter than the others ; apical nipple shorter than the apical joint In genera], somewhat lighter in colour than the male ; the ex- tended ovipositor lighter than remainder of the abdomen.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA.
" Length, 4 to 4.5 millim. Colour, pale yellow. Surface polished and very faintly reticulated. Breastbone pale brownish, its apex broadly bilobed. Body (13 joints and subjoint) 14- jointed, exclusive of the head. Antennae 2-jointed. Anal sub- joint much narrower laterally than the penultimate, slightly concave, the concavity beset with 6 (3 each side) small fleshy tubercles, of which the second one on each side is stoutest, those on the external angles bearing each a short spine. Spiracles nor- mally placed and mounted on tubercles."
DESCRIPTION OF PUPA.
" Average length about 3 millim. Head, thorax, legs and wing-cases blackish, abdomen yellow. Head and thorax together about as long as the two basal joints of the abdomen. Front of head conical, acute, having each side, close to the eye, a stout spine and two fine hairs dorsally. Another, somewhat curved stout spine arises from the upper angle of the wing-cases which reach to the third abdominal joint. Abdomen quite strongly curved, the sutures rather deep, and containing dorsally a some- what semi-circular, scale-like piece, covered with minute retrouse spines ; tip unarmed and bluntly rounded. Exuvium without special significance, the antennal sheaths remaining very much in the normal position."
PARASITES AND ENEMIES.
Although I have reared many broods, I have never found any parasitic species, nor do I know of any natural enemies.
Schmidberger (!) records finding "several gold shining Hymenopterous insects " which were parasitic on the Pear Midge, to which he gave the name of Diplolipis cecidomyiae. Dr. Riley (2) also states that in a breeding jar containing infested pears, he found three specimens of an undetermined species of
1. In Kollar, p. 300.
2. Op. cit., p. 285.
THE PEAR MIDGE AND CRAXE FLIES. 49
the genus Platygaster, which had evidently been parasitic upon the larvae. Meade (i) also records that in those he bred, two female Platygastridae made their appearance.
REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Once the trees in an orchard are known to be infected, there should be no hesitation to strip the whole of the fruit and destroy it by burning, after covering with paraffin.
Drenching the ground well with paraffin emulsion beneath the trees, early in April and again about the time th? larvae com- mence to fall, has been recommended.
Treating the ground with kainit has also been tried in this and other countries, and it has often proved very beneficial.
Finally, so far as my experience goes, the most successful remedy is to deeply trench the ground beneath the trees in the winter and then roll it early in the spring. By this means the pupae are deeply buried, while the rolling hardens and cakes the surface, thereby preventing any few which may have been left near the surface from making their way through. In not a few cases the rolling alone has proved very effective, but wherever possible the soil beneath and around the trees should be deeply turned over and later rolled.
A correspondent in June last forwarded to me specimens of pears gathered from trees growing wild, which were all badly infected. Such trees should, of course, be burnt.
CRANE FLIES.
Tipula oleracea, Linn.
The larvae of this and other species of Crane Flies, or Daddy Longlegs, as they are popularly termed, often damaga root crops to a serious extent, and unfortunately there is no known remedy for them, but much can be done to minimise the amount of damage, and also in destroying them.
In June a correspondent near Worcester forwarded larvae (Leather- Jackets) of this fly which were exceedingly plentiful in, and had practically ruined, a four acre Feld of wheat.
Quite recently, Mr. Fred. V. Theobold (2), than whom no one is more capable, has given a detailed account of the " Injurious Tipulidae of Great Britain," and points out that rolling with a heavy ring-roller is especially advantageous in the case of attacks to barley or wheat.
As preventive measures, all rough herbage should be kept down during the autumn, the flies often utilising it for depositing their eggs on ; heavily rolling pasture land when the flies are noticed, kills large numbers ; attention to drainage, Crane Flies
1. Entomologist, 1888, vol. xxi, p. 123.
2. First Rpt. Ecoa. Zool., 1903, pp. 94-104, figs. i-n.
5o REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
preferring damp land. Sand, saturated with paraffin scattered along hedgerows, etc., will act as a deterrent to egg laying. As remedial measures, harrowing and rolling kills the larvae and exposes them to the attack of birds. Rooks and starlings are espe- cially fond of them ; top-dressing with forcing manures.
FIG. XXV. — THE COMMON CRANE FLY (Tlpula oleracea).
i. — Adult male. 2. — Adult female. 3. — Eggs. 4. — Larva. 5. — Pupa. (All natural size, except the eggs, which are slightly magnified.)
Pachyrhina maculosa, Meigen.
The larvae, and later the adult flies of this species, the Spotted Crane Fly, were collected by a correspondent, in his garden, who complained of the damage done to his lawn and various kinds of garden plants, at the roots of which he found the larvae at the end of May.
LARVAE OF HOVERING FLIES.
Syrphidae.
Many inquiries have been made and specimens received of the leech-like larvae of different species of Hovering Flies. Very numerous were the specimens of Catabomba pyrastri, Linn., found feeding on the Elm Gall Aphis, and Elm Leaf Aphis, they have also been sent in on Apple leaves infected with the Apple Aphis. Still more numerous have been the specimens of Platychirus scuta- tits (Meig.), on Roses infected with the Rose Aphis.
FIGS. XXVI.-XXVIIL— THE COMMON CRANE FLY.
Fig. XXVI. shows the flies emerging from their pupal cases. Fig. XXVII. — The flies just emerged. Fig. XXVIII.— The flies a little later.
52 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
Neither the flies or the larvae of the Syrphidne should be des- troyed, as being Aphis feeders they do much towards keeping these harmful pests in check.
THE SHEEP NASAL FLY.
Oestrus ovis, Linn.
In Worcestershire this fly has proved very troublesome, a correspondent at Aston Fields and another at Bromsgrove having suffered severely.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The flies make their appearance during June and July and are extremely active during the hot days. On cold damp days they are just as inactive, and may be found on reeds and fences. Certain writers have stated that during the imago stage they take no food. Osborn (i) states " It [the fly] has no mouth and cannot, therefore, take any nourishment," on the other hand, Theobald (2) has " more than once seen them settled on the flowers of the rush and reed, and on Compositae, evidently ab- sorbing the nectar."
The eggs are usually deposited two or three days after copu- lation. If a longer period intervenes living larvae are deposited. With reference to the deposition of eggs or larvae very divergent accounts have been given by different writers. Mr. Theobald, to whose account I have already referred, states (p. 71) " I have been fortunate by chance to see two of these flies settle on sheep, and in the most lazy way, without causing any annoyance to the future host of their progeny, deposit as many as fifteen eggs around the sheep's nostrils. One cannot mistake these curved ova, and moreover the eggs were not quite mature. On two occasions I have seen these characteristic ' nits ' on the nostrils of sheep . It is not right to say they always deposit young viviparously. I very much doubt if they do so at all in this country. At least we have no authentic records of such having been done. On the other hand, we have Riley's statement, and this must carry great weight. That they only deposit young is not right, thev may do so on the other hand." My own experience leaves no doubt but that both methods take place, and I venture to offer the following explanation that these two should obtain.
After copulation, if the weather continues hot and dry one invariably finds in two or three days the 12-18 characteristic curved ova on the sheep's nostrils, but when the female is unable to deposit her eggs, as often happens owing to a sudden change in the weather, development proceeds within the body of the parent, then on the return of sunshine, she deposits 5-7 larvae on the nostrils of the sheep.
1. Insects Affecting Domestic Animals, 1896, p. 104.
2. Journ. S. E. Agric. Coll. Wye, 1903, p. 71.
THE SHEEP NASAL AND BEET OR MANGOLD FLIES 53
On hatching from the egg, or on deposition, the larvae com- mence to make their way up the nasal cavities, using the " mouth hooks," the anal papillae, and ventral spines. At first the larvae are a dirty white colour and about one millimetre in length, later they change to a lightish-brown with brownish trans- verse bands.
Most of the larvae remain in the nasal fossae, but cases are on record of their having been found in the nasal sinus, maxillary sinus, cores of the horns, and even in the cranial cavity. When mature, the larvae in the nasal fossae by causing violent fits of sneezing are got rid of by the sheep. Falling to the ground they pupate under clods of earth or in the ground, the flies making their appearance in from 25 to 35 days.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
During June, July and August, sheep should not be allowed in meadows known to be subject to the fly, but during these months removed to pastures where considerable shelter from the sun is to be had. The flies avoid the shade always, preferring the bright, hot sunshine.
The treatment of the nose of the sheepjis the next most important point, in order to deter the fly from depositing her eggs or larvae there. This can most conveniently and inexpen- sively be carried out, by placing in the field wooden boxes with the sides and lids perforated by holes and containing lumps of rock salt ; the whole of the boxes to be externally thickly smeared with tar. In their endeavours to obtain the salt the sheep tar their noses.
All infected sheep should be placed in pens and isolated, in order that the larvae, when expelled, may be killed.
THE BEET OR MANGOLD FLY.
Pegomyia betae, Curtis.
From all parts of Staffordshire complaints have been received of the damage done by the larvae of this fly. In many cases the growth was considerably checked and the yield much under the average.
LIFE-HISTORY.
The flies appear towards the end of March or early in April, and the female deposits her eggs late in May or early in June in small patches on the under-side of the leaves. The larvae hatch out in about a week, and bore their way into the leaf, destroying the tissues between the upper and under epidermis. Very often when young plants are attacked the leaves quickly take on a mottled appearance and soon wither and die. The larvae are about one-third of an inch long, legless, with a bluntly-ending tail and tapering head, the latter being provided with two black mouth-hooks. In colour they are whitish, but often appear
54 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
greenish owing to the green food contents of the intestine, which are visible through the thin skin.
Early in July the larvae leave the leaves and burrowing into the ground to a depth of about three inches, they change to the brown pupae, the flies appearing in from ten to fourteen days.
Two or even three broods appear in the year. The pupae of the last brood remain in the soil until the following spring, occasionally, however, they develop and hybernate.
PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES.
Spraying with i gallon of paraffin and ^-lb. of soft-soap, well mixed in 10 gallons of water, towards the end of May, has in some cases proved effective in preventing the flies laying their eggs on the plants.
Top-dressing with nitrate of soda and common salt has also proved valuable in forcing on the plants. The quantities per acre are from i to i£ cwt. of nitrate of soda and 2 to 3 cwt. of salt.
Any fertilising substance which favours rapid and healthy growth is valuable.
THE CARROT RUST FLY.
Psila rosa (Fabr.).
As a result of the determined efforts of many growers whose crops were attacked by this fly in 1902 and 1903, it has been considerably reduced, although it is still far too plentiful.
Most correspondents emphasise the importance of thinning early, before the plants are more than two inches high, and the beneficial results obtained by watering, after thinning, with paraffin and water, one gill of the former to one gallon of the latter. A dressing of gas lime, where tried, has resulted in excel- lent crops.
THE GOOSEBERRY SAWFLY.
Nematus ribesii, Scop.
In the Pershore district of Worcester, in North Warwickshire and in the South of Staffordshire, this fly still continues to commit serious damage.
*
LIFE-HISTORY.
Generally speaking, the flies make their first appearance about the middle of April (April 2oth, 1903 ; 24th, 1904), followed by two later broods during the summer. The female deposits her eggs, which are white in colour and glistening, in long chains, each one being deposited separately and placed in a slight cut in the leaf. They vary in number, usually 15 to 40 on a leaf, but 60 to 70 are not uncommon, and are hatched out in about ten days, this period, however, depends very largely on the climatic
THE GOOSEBERRY SAWFLY. 55
conditions ; thus of some specimens kept indoors 25 developed in five days, 40 in seven days, 70 in nine days, and the remainder, about 150, in ten days. On hatching out, the larvae are small, almost white, speckled with black anteriorly ; head black, and the first and last two segments a faint orange yellow. There are four moults, and after the first one the caterpillars are greener in colour, a dull, dirty green, and the black spots are more numerous. When full-fed the larvae are about 18 millim. long, and consist of a head and twelve segments. There are three pairs of jointed thoracic legs and seven pairs of false legs or pseudopods.
Soon after hatching, the larvae commence to bite small round holes through the leaves, and as they grow older they grow more and more ravenous, so that by the time they are full-fed —
FIG. XXIX. — LEAF OF GOOSEBERRY SHOWING THE EGGS OF THE GOOSEBERRY SAWFLY, LAID ALONG THE LEAF VEINS.
towards the end of May or early in June — it is not at all uncom- mon to find the trees entirely stripped of their leaves. I have even seen the bark hanging in long strips.
The larvae, when full-fed, usually fall to the ground and make their way into the earth about an inch and a half below the surface, and there spin dark brownish-coloured, oval cocoons. Others may be found in the pupal condition in cocoons attached to leaves and broken twigs which have fallen to the ground, and occasionally the cocoons are found upon the bushes themselves. From these cocoons the flies appear in from fourteen to twenty- one days (i).
Usually there are three broods, the first appearing during
i. Larvae, which in confinement, pupated on June zsrd, developed into flies on July 5th.
56 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
April, the second during June, and the third during July ; a fourth brood has occasionally been observed in August.
The larvae of the last brood remain in the cocoons during the winter, pupating in the spring.
A correspondent who has made some experiments writes me that the larvae are unpalatable to birds, while frogs and toads will reject them in disgust after a trial and refuse to touch them again. Another correspondent, however, informs me that he knows of no greater enemy of this sawfly than the Cuckoo.
Fortunately there are a number of insects parasitic on this sawfly. Cameron (r) records no less than sixteen species.
REMEDIAL MEASURES.
In addition to those remedial measures mentioned in last year's Report (p. 15), a number of growers early in the year, tried rolling the ground, and this has proved of considerable value. Wherever the land had been rolled, only very few of the pupae were able to make their way to the surface. On heavy soils, such as in the Pershore district, this is a cheap and often effectual remedy- Wherever the fly appears, the soil beneath the bushes should be well turned over, so as to bury the surface soil, and then rolled.
MOLLUSCA. THE CELLAR SLUG.
Limax variegatus, Drap.
Numerous examples of this large slug have been received, mostly from cellars and pantries, but in a few cases from gardens. In one case quite a large number had migrated from a cellar into a conservatory above, and for some time did great damage.
THE COMMON FIELD SLUG.
Agriolimax agrestis, Linn.
As in 1903, this slug has proved exceedingly destructive. Early in the year it was reported damaging field crops, and later garden plants such as Violets, Pansies, Carnations, Dahlias, etc., also Peas and Beans.
Where sand saturated with paraffin had been used last year, the numbers had been considerably lessened.
As I have previously pointed out (Report for 1903, p. 16), Starlings will clear more specimens in an early morning than any amount of hand-picking, or any other remedial measure. Un- fortunately the Starlings, Thrushes and Blackbirds are constantly being thinned out by Midland farmers and fruit growers, owing to their depredations on bush and wall fruit. It would, I am sure, be much wiser to adopt other simple methods for preserving the fruit, and otherwise to leave these useful birds alone.
I. Brit. Phytop. Hymen., 1884 vol. ii, p. 170.
THE GARDEN SLUG AND STRAWBERRY SNAIL. 57
THE GARDEN SLUG.
Anon hortensis, Fer.
This species has been reported as damaging Violets, Pansies, and other garden plants to a considerable extent, especially where grown on borders.
Ordinary paling boards were laid over night along the sides'of the beds, and next morning turned over and the slugs picked off. For some days up\vards of a thousand specimens were found each morning, after a week or more there were only a few hun- dred, later the number became less and less, the boards, however, were used until the number of slugs found each morning was too small to do any serious mischief.*
THE STRAWBERRY SNAIL.
Hygromia rufesce/is (Pennant).
A correspondent writes from near Leamington, " I am plagued with numerous specimens of a small snail, which is doing consider- able damage to my strawberries." Upon examination these proved to be the well-known Strawberry Snail, which fortunately is anything but common in the Midland Counties.
After a shower of rain the snails may easily be picked off the plants, or traps in the form of cabbage' or lettuce leaves placed amongst the strawberry plants, will be found, if collected in the evening to have attracted large numbers.
CARNIVOROUS SLUGS.
Many inquiries have reached me during the year requesting live examples of any of the three species of Testacella found in this country, viz. : T. haliotidea Drap., T. scutulum Sowb., and T. maugei Fer. Living specimens of all three species have been introduced into greenhouses and nursery gardens with very beneficial results, I regret, however, that my supply has not been equal to the demand.
These slugs may easily be distinguished from others by the presence of an external shell overlying the tail region. During the day they remain beneath the surface, coming forth at night. Their food consists of earthworms, threadworms, slugs, snails, millipedes, etc.
Of the three species above mentioned T. haliolidea is by far the commonest in the Midland Counties.
Three specimens kept in confinement, deposited in April, ten, twelve, and fifteen eggs respectively. The eggs are oblong-oval in shape, covered by opaque, creamy-white calcareous shells. The first young hatched out in fourteen days, and others ^appeared on the sixteenth and seventeenth days.
* A writer in the U.S.A. Exp. Stn. Record, 1901, vol. xii, p. 1,063, records that after many experi- ments with various insecticides, it was proved that white hydro-oxide of calcium in a i to 2 per cent, solution in water was the most destructive agent. The most satisfactory time for applying this remedy was found to be between eight and nine o'clock p.m.
58 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
GENERAL NOTES ON OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS, ETC.
GALLS ON ELM LEAVES. — A correspondent forwarded leaves of Elm from Whitchurch, near Strat ford-on- A von, with the well- known galls of Tetraneura ulmi, De Geer, or the Elm Gall Aphis, stating " our young Elms are attacked rather badly, at least half the leaves are affected."
Young trees should be gone over carefully before the galls open, and picked off and burnt. Spraying with paraffin emulsion in the spring and as soon as the winged forms appear, is the only other remedy I know of.
GALLS ON LIME TREES. — From Whitchurch the correspond- dent referred to above, forwarded twigs of Lime with galls not unlike those on the Elm leaves, but in this case they were on the leaf stalks. The insect forming these is, however, very different to that which produces galls on the Elm leaves. It is a Dipterous fly known as Cecidomyia tiliae, Schrk.
RED " SPIDER " ON GOOSEBERRY BUSHES. — In March a correspondent at Evesham reported that this mite (Tctranychus telarius, Linn.), was proving troublesome on Gooseberry bushes. Spraying with a fairly strong solution of soft-soap was recom- mended.
THE ELM LEAF APHIS. — Leaves of Ulmus campestris were received, filled with the winged viviparous females of Schizoneura ulmi, Linn. The presence of this insect may generally be determined by the curling of the leaves from above downwards so as to form a roll of a sickly yellowish-green colour. Spraying with paraffin emulsion in the spring and again when the winged forms appear, is the best remedy I know of. After the fall of the leaves the bark should be well sprayed with soda and potash to destroy the eggs.
WILLOW LEAF GALL SAWFLY. — The galls of Nematus galli- cola (Westwood), have been received from numerous corres- pondents throughout the Midlands. An examination of a large number of leaves gave an average of eight galls per leaf, the minimum being one and the maximum twenty- two. Cameron (t) states that the greatest number observed by him on a leaf as thirteen. He also states that the galls '' are always placed on the edges of the leaf," but from observation I find this is not invari-
i. Brit. Phytop. Hymen., 1885, vol. ii, p. 203.
GENERAL NOTES ON OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS, ETC. 59
ably the case. I have seen numerous specimens with three or four galls crowded into the mid-rib of the leaf, and not always pro- jecting on both sides of the leaf. The galls very often are more numerous on the leaves of the lower branches.
LARVAE OF THE CLOUDED DRAB MOTH IN ROSE BUDS. — In July I received a series of very fine Rose Buds from a Warwick- shire correspondent, who complained that they were all falling oif the trees before opening. Upon examination, there was found in the centre of each flower-bud a larva of Taeniocampa instabilis. The larva of this moth is common on the poplar ; but I do not know of it ever having been found attacking roses before. In this case, however, I learnt later that the roses were growing close to a row of poplars, and many larvae were found on these also. Spraying the poplars with Paris green (Blundeirs), i oz. to 10 gallons of water, soon killed the larvae.
WEEVILS DAMAGING ORCHIDS. — Two specimens of the Clay- coloured Weevil (Otiorhynchus picipes, Fabr.) were forwarded by a correspondent in April, who complained that they were doing considerable damage to orchids in his conservatory, and requested information respecting this species and the best pre- ventive measures to be adopted.
0. picipes is one of the commonest Weevils in this country, and where present in large numbers often does much damage, especially to raspberry plants and wall fruits, etc. ; and is difficult to get rid of. In conservatories the following plan acts well : — Place a well-tarred wooden tray on the ground after dark, and while one person holds the plant over the tray another provided with a lantern should smartly tap the stem, and the beetles will fall on to the tray. This operation carried out for a few nights will materially lessen the number of beetles. The plants should also be transferred to fresh soil some time between September and March. When this is being carried out the roots should be carefully examined for the larvae ; the old soil should also be examined.
THE PLUM APHIS. — From Leamington a correspondent forwarded plum leaves covered with the Plum Aphis (Hyalopterus pruni (Fabr.). This is a difficult aphid to get rid of ; in this case, however, repeated spraying with a strong solution of soft soap proved successful.
THE FURNITURE BEETLE (Anobium domesticum, Foure.). — A number of inquiries have been received with reference to this destructive Beetle. Wicker dress baskets and wicker chairs
60 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
have in some cases been completely ruined. Small articles such as these are best fumigated, if the damage has not gone too far.
THE LARDER OR BACON BEETLE (Dermestes lardarius, Linn.). — A large firm of provision merchants reported the larvae of this Beetle attacking hams. In another case they were found on skins in a furrier's stockroom. In both cases fumigating with bisulphide of carbon was recommended.
WEEVILS DAMAGING LAUREL TREES. — Dead or dying branches of Laurel were forwarded by a correspondent with an inquiry as to the cause. Specimens of a small Beetle (Rhino simus planirostris, F.) were found mining the bark and wood ; also examples of a Beetle larva. Cutting away the dead branches and burning them is likely to prove the most effective.
MAGGOTS IN MUSHROOMS. — Numerous cases, particularly from the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, have been reported of Mushrooms as infested with the small white larvae of a Dipterous fly.
The first specimens were received on October 2nd, and were gathered in the open fields ; between the lamellae of these were numerous, tiny, pearly-white maggots ; while on the edge of certain lamellae, and close to the pileus, were groups of eggs. From four specimens, none of which measured more than two inches across the pileus, over two hundred larvae were obtained.
Attempts to breed out the larvae proved unsuccessful.
Not only has the pest committed great damage, but it has prejudiced many people against eating mushrooms.
THE SPRUCE FIR SCALE (Physokermes abietis, Geoff.). — In many parts of Worcestershire and Warwickshire this scale is abundant and spreading.
PARASITIC DISEASES OF ANIMALS.
Amongst the various parasitic diseases of animals reported during the year the following may be mentioned :-—
GAPES IN FOWLS. — This disease, due to the presence of Round-worms (Syngamus trachealis, Siebold) in the wind-pipe and air passages of the Lungs, has been fairly common, attacking old birds as well as young.
PARASITIC DISEASES OF ANIMALS. 6 1
Diseased birds should be isolated, and any which may die should be burnt. Drinking vessels should be scalded with boiling water. Camphor and chalk blown into a fumigating box, in which several birds are placed, will loosen the worms, and these will be got rid of during the violent fits of coughing brought on by the camphor and chalk. The old remedy of giving each bird a small piece of camphor about the size of a pea is usually effective.
SCALY LEG ix FOWLS. — A few cases of this troublesome disease have been reported. The Mite (Sar copies mutans, Rob.) to which the disease is due , lives beneath the epidermal scales of the 'egs and feet. Irritation is set up, and the scales become raised owing to the formation of accumulations of a chalk-like excretion ; later this takes the form of rough lime or chalk-like crusts, beneath which may be found the mites — larvae, nymphae, ripe females, and a few males. Arthrites often appears. If the diseased birds are not attended to their general health becomes affected, they cease to lay, the appetite fails, other diseases appear, and the fowls die.
Affected birds should be isolated. The chalky lumps should be removed in so far as possible without causing the legs or feet to bleed. They may be softened with tepid water first. Then bathe the legs and feet in warm water, dry with a piece of cotton lint or rag, which should be burnt after once using, and rub in an ointment consisting of equal parts of flower of sulphur and vaseline. After three or four days the legs and feet should be well washed with soft-soap and warm water.
THE PIG LOUSE (Haematopinus urius, Nitzsch). — From Knowle, Warwickshire, a correspondent forwards examples of this parasite ; also pieces of the pig's skin showing the small red papules.
This species is one of the largest of the family, full grown specimens measuring over a quarter of an inch in length. Denny (i) states that it is rare in England, but common in Ireland.
The pest is not difficult to get rid of ; two or three dressings of creolin, 10 to 15 per cent, in water, will soon effect a cure.
i. Monog. Anop. Brit., 1842, p. 35.
62 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
APPENDIX A.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING HYDROCYANIC ACID GAS.
This, the most powerful and dangerous poison used in com- bating insect pests, should on no account be used by uninstructed or careless people.
The materials required are a 2 Ib. pot jam-jar, in which place 7 ozs. of water, to which add 4 ozs. of sulphuric acid ; and, as directed below, 2 ozs. of 98 per cent, cyanide of potassium for every 1,000 cubic feet of space.
First make the room to be fumigated as air-tight as possible, leaving one window to open from the outside. Then wrap up the pieces of cyanide in blotting-paper. Having placed in the jam-jar the water and acid, place the jar just within the room to be fumigated, draw the door nearly to, and with the arm reach in and drop the wrapped-up cyanide into the jar, and close the door immediately. Strips of paper well sized should then at once be placed over the crevices.
The room should remain closed for from two to three hours ; then open the window from the outside, and leave until thoroughly well ventilated. Remember the fumes and the cyanide are deadly poison. Care should be taken that no one remains outside the door of the room as in a passage, as some of the fumes might escape.
In conservatories, greenhouses, &c., proceed as follows : — Add the 4 ozs. of sulphuric acid to the 7 ozs. of water in a jar ; then take the cyanide, which should be wrapped up in blotting paper, and by means of a stick or piece of string drop it into the water from the outside of the greenhouse. The window or door should then be shut, and the house should remain closed for three-quarters of an hour at least, after which time they can be opened to ventilate, but it should be remembered that it is unsafe to enter the house until an hour or more after the windows and doors have been opened. The best results have been obtained at a temperature of 50° F., about one hour after sunset, when the foliage is dry. (i)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING BISULPHIDE OF CARBON.
The fumes of this chemical, in addition to being deadly poison to all animal life are also highly inflammable. No light, such for instance, as a lighted cigar or pipe should be brought near it, nor should it be used where there are electric wires.
i Since the above was written Mr. G. F. Strawson informs me that he has obtained better results by pouring the diluted acid upon the cyanide of potassium, using no blotting paper. He has also devised and successfully used in conservatories &c., a series of fans, consisting of boards suspended by two cords with a string at each side. The strings to the right and left are worked through a hole in the doors, or other woodwork.
APPENDIX. 63
For fumigating stores it is best used in a large air-tight tin, into which the goods are placed, and then pour the bi-sulphide into a saucer placed upon the goods in the proportion of one pound (i Ib.) to every thousand (1,000) cubic feet of space. The liquid should be poured out quickly in order not to inhale the fumes, there is no danger in inhaling a small quantity, and the bin closed and kept shut for at least five hours, after which time it should be well ventilated as also the fumigated goods.
APPENDIX B.
For the benefit of those possessing no special knowledge of Entomology, it may be well to point out, that with a few excep- tions, all insects are hatched from eggs. From the eggs the larvae or caterpillars hatch out, and alter a time these change into pupae or chrysalides, each ultimately developing into an imago.
The Eggs. — These are exceedingly variable in shape, size, and colour. They may be laid singly or in groups. Sometimes they are protected by a gummy secretion, whilst others are fast- ened by a short thread. The food of the young in nearly all cases determines the place where the eggs are deposited, such for instance as on leaves, close to or in roots, in blossom buds, beneath the bark of trees, on cattle, meat or decaying animal or vegetable matter. The number of eggs laid by a single insect may be very few or many thousands, fifty to a hundred, however, may be taken as an average. The period of hatching, generally speaking, is not of long duration, though there are cases where they remain unhatched for a considerable length of time.
The Larva. — In a few cases this is produced alive, but usually it is hatched from an egg. The larvae of Butterflies, Moths, and Sawflies are commonly spoken of as caterpillars, those of Beetles as grubs, while those of Flies are known as maggots.
If a larva possesses legs, the first three segments behind the head each carry a pair, which are jointed and known as thoracic or true legs. Legs may also be present on the posterior seg- ments, but these are never jointed ; they are known as pseudo- pods or prolegs.
It is often very difficult to say exactly to what particular order a larva belongs, but speaking in general terms we may say that the larvae of Butterflies and Moths exhibit the following characters : a well-defined head provided with biting jaws, a pair of jointed limbs on each of the first three segments behind the head, a pair of pseudopods on the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth segments, and sometimes a pair of larger anal feet on the twelfth segment, making a total of sixteen. The"Looper" caterpillars have pseudopods on the ninth and twelfth segments
64 REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS FOR 1904.
only, making a total of ten. The caterpillars of a few moths are footless.
The larvae of Beetles possess a well-defined head and biting jaws, and a pair of jointed legs on the first three segments behind the head (Rose Chafer) or legs are entirely absent (Garden Weevil).
The larvae of Flies (Diptera) are generally legless and usually the head is merged into the thorax, some, however, possess pseudopods and a head.
* Those of the Hymenoptera (e.g., sawflies, wood wasps, etc.) have six, eighteen or twenty-two appendages, and in sawfly larvae the second abdominal segment always has a pair of pseudo- pods, in some cases (wood wasps) the limbs are vestigial, while in other cases they are absent.
The larval stage is usually the one in which the insect does the greatest amount of damage ; they feed voraciously, the daily consumption of food often exceeding many times the weight of the larva. With a plentiful supply of food they rapidly increase in size, and as the chitinous skin is only capable of a limited expansion it ultimately splits, and the larva comes out with a new, and sometimes differently-coloured skin. This process known as moulting usually takes place five times, but the number is variable 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, n, 12, and even 10, 25 and 30 moults are known in different insects. The larva is now said to be full-fed and it changes to a pupa or chrysalis.
The duration of the larval period is subject to much variation, sometimes it is only a few days, while in other cases it may last for months or even years.
The Pupa. — The full-fed larva generally either buries itself in the ground (Rose Chafer) forming a cell of earthy particles, or spins a silky cocoon (Codling Moth) in which it changes to the pupal condition. After a time the pupal case containing the insect cracks or splits, and the perfect insect or imago creeps out.
The Imago. — This is the fully-formed insect and may be described as an animal consisting of thirteen segments, breathing by tracheal tubes, with a single pair of feelers, and having the body divided up into three distinct regions, head, thorax, and abdomen, the three segments of the thorax each carrying a pair of jointed legs.
On reaching the imago stage, the pairing of the sexes is soon effected, the female then lays her eggs and shortly afterwards dies, the generation or life-cycle being thus completed. In some cases the perfect insect only lives a few hours or days, but in others they hybernate during the winter, and lay their eggs in the following spring.
Before the depredations of any particular species of insect can be effectively dealt with, it is important that all the stages and variations of the life-cycle should be clearly and thoroughly understood.
\ 8 R A
OFTHK
UNIVERSITY
OF
APPENDIX. 65
CLASSIFICATION.
Insects are by far the most numerous of animals living upon the land, and many different views have been, and are, held as to their classification, we may, however, recognise fourteen Orders, viz. : —
Order i. COLLEMBOLA. — Springtails. (Isotoma palustris).
Order ii. THYSAXURA. — Bristletails. (The Silver-fish,
Lepisma saccharina.
Order iii. ORTHOPTERA. — Cockroaches, Earwigs, Leaf- insects, Grasshoppers, and Crickets.
Order iv. PLATYPTERA. — Biting-lice, Termites, Book-lice,
and Stone-flies.
Order v. THYSAXOPTERA. — Thrips.
Order vi. HEMIPTERA. — Bugs, Lice, Cicads, Green-flies
and Scale insects.
Order vii. PLECTOPTERA. — Mayflies. Order viii. ODOXATA. — Dragonflies.
Order ix. NEUROPTERA. — Lacewing-flies, Golden-eye flies,
and Scorpion-flies.
Order x. COLEOPTERA. — Beetles.
Order xi. TRICHOPTERA. — Caddis-flies.
Order xii. LEPIDOPTERA. — Butterflies and Moths.
Order xiii. DIPTERA. — Flies and Fleas.
Order xiv. HYMEXOPTERA. — Sawflies, Gallflies, Ichneumon- flies, Ants, Wasps, and Bees
A supposed new apple mite, 1 1
Abraxas grossulariata, 32,
Agriolimav agrestis, 56
Anobium domesticum, 59
Anthonomus pomorum, 21
Aphelenchus, in apple buds, n
Aphides, on apple trees, 16 ; on elm trees, 58 ; on plum trees, 59 ; on rose trees, 16 ; larvae of Chvysopi- dae feeding on, 16 ; larvae of Hovering flies feeding on, 16, 50
Aphis mali, 16
Apple Aphis, 16
Apple Blossom Weevil, 21 ; life- history, 21 ; preventive and remedial measures, 23
Apple Mite, 1 1
Apple Scale, 17
Apple SucKer, 14 ; life-history, 15; remedial measures, i 5
Aralis alpina, damaged by larvae of the Gieat Yellow Un:lerwing Moth, 37
Avion hortensis, 57
Ash, larvae of Goat Moth damag- ing, 29
Aspidiotus camelliae, 17
Asters, Froth Fly on, 13
Atractosoma polydesmoides, 13
Atilacaspis (Diaspis) rosae, 17
B
Bacon Beetle, 60
Barley, damaged by larvae of Crane Flies, 49
Bsans attacked by Millipsdes, 12
Beech attacked by larvae of Buff Tip Moth, 31 ; Goat Moth, 29
Beet Fly, 53 ; life-histoiy, 53 ; pre- ventive and remedial measures, 54
Birch Gall-Mite, 8
Bisulphide of Carbon, Instructions for using, 62
Black-Currant Gall-Mite, 6 ; new remedial measures, 6
Dlaniulus guttulatus, 1 2
Prachydesmus superus, i 3
Broccoli, attacked by larvae of Cab- bage Moth, 35
Bud Mites i.i Black-CuxTant, 6
Buff-tip Moth, 34 ; life-history, 34 ; preventive and remedial measures, 35
Buller, Dr. A. H. R., on Witches Brooms, 9
Cabbage Butterflies, 25
Cabbage Gall Weevil, 23
Cabbage Moth, 35 ; life-history, 35 ; preventive and remedial measures, 36
Camellia Scale, 17
Cameron, Peter, citeri, 56, 58
Canterbury Bills, Froth Fly on, 13
Carnations, Froth Fly on, 13; larvae of Gt. Yellow Underwing Moth, 37
Carpocapsa pomonella, 39
Carrot Rust Fly, 54
Catabomba pyrastri, 50
Cauliflowers, attacked by caterpil- lars, 25, 35
Cecidomyiatiliae, 58
Cellar Slug, 56
Ceuthorhynchus sulcicollis, 23
Cheimatobia brumata, 32
Chtysophidae, Larvae of . . feeding on aphides, 50
Clouded Drab Moth. Larvae of . . in Rose buds, 59
Codling Moth, 39 ; early histoiy and importance of, 39 ; life-history and habits, 40 ; preventive and remedial measures, 41
Ciocinclla septempunctata, 7
Colorado Beetle/ 19
Comstock, Prof. J. H. cited, 20
Cossus Ugniperda, 29
Crane Flies, 49
Cuckoo, 56
Cuckoo-Spit, 13
Cucumbe's, attacked by Root-Knot Eelworm, 3
Currant Clear wing Moth, 27 ; preven- tive and remedial measures, 28
Daddy-Long Legs, 49
Daffodils, Froth Flv on, 13
Dahlias, Froth Fly on, 13 ; larvae of Cabbage Moth, 35
Dennestes iardarius, 60
Diplosis pyrivora, 42
Doryphora decsmlincata, 19
Dot Moth, 36 ; life-history, 36 ; pre- ventive and remedial measures, 36
INDEX.
67
Dunkin, H. citedj 1 1
i
E
Eelworms, 3, 1 1
Elm, attacked by larvae of Buff-Tip
Moth, 34 ; Goat Moth, 29 Elm Gall Aphis, 58 Elm Leaf Aphis, 58 Eriophyes, sp. on Apple trees, 1 1 Eriophyes avellaena, 1 1 Eriophyes piri, 1 1 Eriophyes ribis, 6 Eriophyes rudis, 8 Exoascus, Species of . . causing
witches brooms, 8
Ferns damaged by larvae of Dot
Moth, 36 ; Woodlice, 6 Fowls. Diseases of, 60 Froth Fly, 1 3 Fruit pests, 6, n, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21,
24, 27, 29, 32, 36, 39, 42, 54, 58,
-;9
Fuchsias, Froth Fly on, 1 3
Fumigating with bisulphide of car- bon, 62
Fumigating with hydrocyanic acid gas, 62
Furniture Beetle, 59
Galls on Birch, 8 ; Black Currant, 6 ; Cabbage, 23 ; Elm, 58 ; Hazel, ii ; Lime, 58 ; Pear, ii ; Willow, 58
Gapes in Fowls, 60
Garden Slug, 57
Gracilaria syringella, 42
Goat Moth, 29 ; life-history, 30 ; preventive and remedial meas- ures, 31
Gold Tail Moth, Larvae of . . on Plum trees, 29
Gooseberry Sawfly, 54 ; life-history, 54 ; preventive and remedial measures, 56
Great Yellow Under wing Moth, 37 ; life-history, 37 ; remedial meas- ures, 38
H
Haematopinus urius, 61
Hazel. Larvae of Buff-tip Moth on,
34 ; Mites on, 1 1 Hazel Bud Mite, 1 1 Hibernia defoliaria, 33 Hollyhocks, Froth Fly on, 1 3
Hop Aphis, 1 6
Household pests, 13, 56, 59, 60
Hovering Flies, 50
Hy alopter us pruni, 59
Hydrocyanic Acid Gas. Instructions
for using, 62 Hygromia rufescens, 57
Introduction, i lulus niger, 12 lulus pilosus, T 3 lulus pulchellus, 12 lulus terrestris, 12
Lacewing Flies, 16, 65
Ladybird larvae, 7
Laurel attacked by Weevils, 6c
Leather-jacket Grubs, 49
Lepisma saccharina, 13
Lettuce, attacked by larvae of Cabbage
Moth, 35 ; Gt. "Yellow Underwing
Moth, 37
Lilac Leaf Miner Moth, 42 Limax variegatus, 56 Lime, Galls on, 58
M
Magpie Moth, 32 ; preventive and remedial measures, 32
Mamestra brassicae, 35
Mamestra persicariae, 36
Mangold Fly, 53 ; life-history, 53 ; preventive and remedial mea- sures, 54
Meade, R.H. cited, 49
Millipedes, 12
Mites on apple, 1 1 ; birch, 8 ; black- currant, 6; gooseberry, 58; hazel, 1 1 ; mushrooms, 1 2 ; pear, 1 1
Mushrooms, maggots on, 60 ; mites destroying, 12
Mussel Scale, 1 7 ; life-history, 1 8 ; preventive and remedial mea- sures, 19
Mytilaspis pomorum, 17
N
Nematus gallicola, 58
Nematus ribesii, 54
Newstead, Robert, cited, 17 ; quoted, 17
Oak, damaged by larvae of Buff-tip Moth, 34 ; Goat Moth, 29
68
I-NDEX.
Oestrus oins, 52
Oniscus asellus, 6
Orchids, damaged by Weevils, 59
Ormerocl, Miss, cited, 33
Osborn, Prof. H, quoted, 52
Otiorhynchus picipes, 59
Pachyrhina maculosa, 50
Pansies attacked by larvae of Gt. Yellow Underwing Moth, 37
Parasitic diseases of Animals, 60
Pear attacked by Mites, n ; Pear Midge, 42
Pear-Leaf Blister Mite, 1 1
Pear Midge, 42 ; description of adult fly, 46 ; description of larva, 48 ; description of pupa, 48 ; im- portance and early history of, 43 ; life-history and habits, 44 ; para- sites and enemies, 48 ; remedial measures, 49
Pelargoniums, Froth Fly on, 13
Pegomyia betae, 53
Phorodon humuli, 16
Phyllotreta nemorum, 19
Physokermes abietis, 60
Pieris brassicae, 26
Pieris rapae, 26
Pig Louse, 61
Pinks, Froth Fly on, 13 ; larvae of Great Yellow Underwing Moth, 37
Platychirus scutatus, 50
Plovers as destroyers of wireworms, 21
Plum trees attacked by Aphides, 59 ; Beetles, 24 ; larvae of Gold Tail Moth, 29 ; Magpie Moth, 32
Plum Aphis, 59
Plum Bark Beetle, 24 ; life-history, 24 ; preventive and remedial measures, 25
Plusia gamma, 38
Polydesmus complanatus, 1 2
Poplar attacked by larvae of Goat Moth, 29
Porcellio scaber, 6
Porthesia auriflua, 29
Potatoes attacked by Millipedes, 12
Psila rosa, 54
Psylla mali, 14
Pygaera bucephala, 34
Red " Spider " on Gooseberry bushes,
. 58
Rhinosimus planirostris, 60 Riley, Dr., quoted, 45, 46 Rooks as destroyers of crane flies, 50 ;
wireworms, 21 Rose Aphis, 16 Rose Scale, 17
Roses attacked by Aphides, 16 ; Froth Fly, 1 3 ; larvae of Clouded Drab Moth, 59 ; Scale, 17
s
Sadebeck, Dr., cited, 8
Sarcoptes mwtans, 61
Sawfly on Gooseberry bushes, 54 ; Willow trees, 58
Scale Insects. Camellia, 17; Mussel, 17
Scaly Leg in Fowls, 61
Schizoneura lanigera, 16
Schizoneura ulmi, 58
Schmidberger, J., quoted, 44
Scolytus rugulosus, 24
Selaginella attacked by Woodlice, 6
Sesia tipuliiormis, 27
Sheep Nasal Fly, 52 ; life-history, 52; preventive measures, 53
Silver Fish Insect, 1 3
Silver-Y Moth, 38 ; life-history, 39 ; preventive and remedial mea- sures, 39
Siphonophora rosae, 16
Slingerland, Prof. M. V. cited, 20, 41
Slugs, 56 ; Carnivorous, 57 ; Cellar slug, 56 ; Common field slug, 56 ; Gar- den slug, 57 ; remedial mea- sures, 57
Smith, Dr. W. G. cited, 8
Snail, Strawberry, 57
Snake Millipedes, 12
Soap and sulphur sprayfluid, 7
Spotted Crane Fly, 50
Sprayfluids, 7, 14, 15, 1 6, 32, 34, 41, 57
Spruce Fir Scale, 60
Starlings as destroyers of crane flies, 50; slugs, 56; wireworms, 21
Stocks, Froth Fly on, 13
Stonecrop, attacked by Woodlice, 6
Strawberry Snail, 57
Strawson, G. F. cited, 20, 62
Sunflowers attacked by Froth Fly, 13
Syngamus trachealis, 60
Syrphidae, Larvae of . . feeding on aphides, 50
Taeniocampa instabilis, 59
Testacellidae, 57
Testacella haltotidea, 57
Testacella maugei, 57
Testacella scutulum, 57
Tettigonia spumaria, 13
Tetraneura ulmi, 5 8
Tetranychus telarius, 58
Theobald, Fred. V. cited, 31, 44,49; quoted, 52
Tipula oleracea, 49
Trapping for Woodlice, 6 ; Milli- pedes, 13
INDEX.
Triphaena pronuba, 37
Turnips attacked by flea-beetles, 19 ; larvae of cabbage butterflies, 25
Turnip Flea-Beetle, 19 ; preventive and remedial measures, 19
Tyroglyphus, sp. attacking mush- rooms, 12
Vegetable Marrows attacked by Root- knot eel worm, 3; Millipedes, 12 Violets, 57 Voluntary Observers, 2
w
Wallflowers, Froth Fly on, 13
Washes for Fruit Trees, 7, 14, 15, 16,
32, 34, 41, 57 Webster, Prof, cited, 34 Weevils, Apple Blossom, 21 ; Cabbage,
23 ; Clay-Coloured, 59 ; in
Laurel, 60
Wheat. Leather Jackets damaging, 49 Willow. Goat Moth attacking, 29 ;
Leaf Gall Sawfly, 58 Winter Moth, 52 ; life-history, 33 ;
preventive and remedial mea- sures, 34
Winter Moth. The Great, 34 Wireworms. Destruction of the Adults,
21; destruction of the larvae, 21 ;
destruction of the pupae, 21 ;
protection of seeds against, 20 Witches Brooms, 8 Woodlice attacking ferns, 6 ; Selag-
inella, 6 ; stonecrop, 6 Woolly Aphis, 16
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Price 8s. 6d.
No. 7.
Sutton's Composite Collection of Useful and Useless Grasses in Japanned Vasculum, with brass handle and fittings, containing 30 varieties of Grasses, giving popular and botanical names, soils and localities where usually found, with analyses by Dr. Voeicker of the Useful Grasses, both in the dry and green state ; also 24 screw- capped glass bottles of Grass Seeds. Price 10s 6d.
SUTTON & SONS prepare a complete series of these Cabinets, etc., and will gladly forward Price List on application.
PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES.
By MARTIN J. SUTTON, F.L.S.
The "Times" says:— "The general arrangement of the volume is tlie same as heretofore, and the book remains, and is likely to long continue to be our standard authority upon the cultivation of grass land."
Sixth Edition,
Price 5s. Bound in cloth-
Illustrated with 23 beautiful plates of Natural Grasses, Clorers ' &c., and containing 46 Analyses of Grasses, Clovers, &c., prepared
( expressly for this work by Dr. J. Augustus Voeicker.
Popular Edition f Including all the Chapters contained in the Sixth Edition, but Price Is. Paper cover. \ omitting the Illustrations, Analyses, and Index.
SUTTON & SONS,
THE KINO'S SEEDSMEN,
READING.
WIREWORM,
SLUGS, GRUBS, EEL-WORMS,
PHYLLOXERA VASTERTRIX, JULUS
WORMS,
And all Soil Insects can be destroyed by using
VAPORITE.
NO SPECIAL TOOLS
SMALL COST.
Price 1O - per cwt.; 2/- per tin (7 Ibs).
n Immense Scientific & Commercial Success.
STRAWSON'S
Sprayers
FOR ALL CROPS.
Antipest, 36/6.
Oil Resisting Valves. Holds 3 yallong. Single or Double Nozzle.
Sold all
over the World.
Cart Sprayer, £9 15 0 ASK FOR PRICE LIST 19B.
STRAWSON'S,
. . DEPT. 17, . .
71a, Queen Victoria Street, LONDON,
SPECIAL NOTICE,
IF YOU WANT
REALLY GOOD SEEDS AND BULBS
AT MODERATE PRICES,
SEND TO
MR. ROBERT SYDENHAM,
TENBY STREET, BIRMINGHAM,
No one will serve you better.
HIS UNIQUE LISTS
Are acknowledged by all to be the Best, Cheapest, and most Reliable ever published. They contain only the Best
VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, AND BULBS
WORTH GROWING.
Being the Selections of the Largest Seed Growers, Market Gardeners, and the moat celebrated Professional Gardeners and Amateurs in the Kingdom.
They also contain very useful cultural instructions.
Mr. SYDEN HAM'S Bulbs and Seeds were represented and gained First Prizes at London, Birmingham, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Shrewsbury, Edin- burgh, Hanley, Taunton, Cardiff, Wolverhampton, and many other Exhibitions all over the Kingdom, for the last twelve years.
SWEET PEAS A SPECIALITY.
No flowers give so much cut bloom at so little cost and trouble if treated as
instructions sent with each Collection. His Sweet Peas have gained more Prizes
than those from any two or three firms put together.
12 useful varieties, 50 seeds of each, Is. 6d. ; 12 good varieties, 50 seeds of each, Is. 9d. ; or the Two Collections for 2s. 6d. ; a Third Collection of the 12 best varieties for Exhibition, 2s. 6d. ; or the Three Collections, 4s. 6d., post free, with a Packet of each of the four best striped varieties and 100 seeds of Countess Spencer Giant Seedling, free of charge ;
Generally sold at much higher prices.
THE BEST TOMATOES, 3d. per packet of 2OO Seeds. THE BEST CUCUMBERS, 6d. per packet of 1O Seeds. THE BEST ONIONS, "AILSA CRAIG" and "EXCELSIOR." 6d. per packet of about 3OOO Seeds.
ALL OTHER SEEDS EQUALLY CHEAP AND GOOD.
FULL LISTS POST FREE ON APPLICATION.
I
GENERAL LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY
RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED
This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the
date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall.
EN
OMOLOGY LIBRARY
5S
LD 21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476
doz. ; entire series, 71/0. Paper Making. 36 Slides, i/= per slide ;
entire series, 33/6.
&c &c
We supply Romeyn B. Hough's cards of American Timbers in sets 01*25 cards (any selection), 19/6 per box ; Three or more sets, 18/6 ; Single Cards, i/- each.
Our staff is specially trained, and all work is carried out under the personal supervision of the principals.
Send us a list of j-our requirements, and we shall be pleased to quote you.
NATURE STUDY REQUISITES, J Microscopes and Accessories
^ / Mounting Media, Stains, Slips^Covers, &c
Special Cabinets and Boxes for Lantern Slides, &c. ,
Note the Address:
FLATTERS & GARNETT, Ltd.,
48, DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER.
Laboratories : 16 and 18, Church Road, Longsight, Manchester.
BLUNDELL'S PARIS GREEN.
HIS article has been used for years in very large quantities in the United States of America, and Canada, as an insecticide, and with very great success.
The experience so gained h^ gen advantageously applied at- home and each year increasing •/ « are used, both in this country and on the continent.
Owing to the extremely properties of the pure article,
especially when finely ground in i^ has to be mixed with such
large quantities of water that it rae* also the cheapest in~
secticide thp an be used.
Tn the rlr :.Ms article cannot be carelessly handled without
loss and, : ^> its poisonous nature, without some danger.
We therefo; "n. the damp state, and packed in glass jars,
as this pack nomical, and very convenient.
We quote for our Pure Quality, finely ground, in the Paste or Damp state, packed in Glass Jars of 4 Ib. and 7 Ib. each: —
For Orders of not less than 4 Ib. ... 1 6 per Ib.j
Do. over 4 Ib. up to 14 Ib. ... 1/3 ,, I Jars free.
Do. above 14 Ib. ... I/- „ j
• In the Dry Powder, packed in 1 Ib. Paper Parcels : —
For Orders of not less than 4 Ib. ... 16 per Ib.)
Do. over 4 lb- up to 14 Ib. 1/3 ,. Pape^arcel
Do above 14 lb. ... I/- „ }
Terms, carriage paid, cash with order. Manufactured only by
BLUNDELL, SPENCE & Co. Ltd.,
and 9, Upper Thames Street, London.
ESTABLISHED i8n.
r?ajr?