rt:

I t

-^s^

:o A??

•No

^c^^S'q^

\<^i^^r.civi\,/.-<;

■4 "1"^} V"'

mm

J^

"^

yA.^, _.-'-— *S*

-^

<

'^^^'S

Pamphlets.

'L

1'

Accession No ~-..2S....^3..^:.

Added L.;:S-P^:rf:J.....2.!^^ 187,'

Catalogued by

Revised by

Memoranda.

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2010 with funding from

Boston Public Library

http://www.archive.org/details/onsomeofinjuriouOOperk

f^vam tlie ^ifth Mcpoxt of the ^cvinout
gaarcl of |igriailtxvve.

ON SOME OF THE

INJURIOUS INSECTS

OF -VERMONT.

By GEO. H. PERKINS, Pii. J)..

|lrofcs5or of loologi) in tbc ^nibrrsltij of Vermont.

MONTPELIER :

& f] . M. Poland, Steam Book and Job Printkh

18 78.

Fi-om the Fifth Bepoft of the lUrmoitt

Jjoarcl of ^Qincultitvc.

ox SOME OF THE

INIURIOUS INSECTS

OF VERMONT.

By GEO. 11. PERKINS, Vu. ])..

|lrofrssor of looloqii in tbc Enibcrsitii of llcvmont.

MONTPELIER :

J. & J. M. Poland, Steam Book and Job Printers.

18 78.

0]Sr SOME OF THE INJURIOUS INSECTS OF
YERMONT.

BY GEORGE H. PERKINS, PH. D.,

Professor of Zoology in the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College.

In articles on injurious insects ni tlie Reports of the Board of
Agriculture for 1876 and 1877 I have spoken of certain general
means of prevention, of the necessity of united action, of constant
action against our insect foes, and of the advantage of knowing what
species of insects prey upon others that are injurious, that we ma}'
spare our friends as well as destroy' our foes. I have, also alluded to
the ver}' great damage which the crops of the United States annualh'
suffer on account of the depredations of insects — a damage so vast in
amount that were the data upon which estimates are based not col-
lected with great skill and care we should find it difficult to believe it
possible. But after all, I suspect that the greatest injury' is that
which is little noticed : the continual mischief which ever}' crop suf-
fers ; not very much, perhaps, here or there, but a little everywhere ;
and if all these littles could be brought together the amount would be
startling. When any particular insect (as the potato beetle) commits
great ravages, the attention of every one is directed to the source of
so great an evil, and great ingenuit}' is manifested in devising reme-
dies, but meanwhile, comparatively unnoticed, hosts of other insects
are biting, eating, boring, and destroying everything that the farmer
tries to raise. The first step towards remedying (so far as it can be
remedied) this evil is to become acquainted with the insects, and their
habits, that are doing all this mischief; and the more thoroughly we
can do this the farther are we towards the object we seek. Then,
having learned what the insect is, w'hat it does, and how it lives, we
are read}' to devise remedies which shall at least promise good results
and shall not, as has time and again been done, propose remedies
whose chief characteristic is their absurdity. Hundreds of dollars
have been expended in some of our cities in putting bands of various
sorts about trees whose foliage was being destroyed by some insect
whose habits were assumed to be like those of the canker worm be-
cause its injuries were of a similar nature, when an investigation of the
insects themselves would have shown that the females, instead of be-
ing wingless like those of the canker worm, were abundantly able and
willing to fly over what was to them no barrier. At a meeting which
was held about a year ago in London, a paper was read upon the sub-
ject wjiich we are discussing, and from an abstract of this paper pub-

4 Vermont Board of AciRicuLxuRi:.

lished in "•Nature" I wish to quote a few sentences tliat seem to me
worthy of consideration. The object of the meeting was to consider
"Insects injurious to agriculture and methods of stamping them out."

The paper, in considering remedies, mentioned as "The first, tlie
simplest, the most powerful, and the most efficient, county or district
rotation of cropping. Farmers know well enough the advantage of a
rotation of cropping (or its equivalent) on their owii farms. B3' long-
continued growth of the same crop on the same land the soil becomes
exhausted of some of the elements necessar}' for the proper develop-
ment of that kind of crop, and a change of crop brings other elements
into use. Exactly the converse of this takes place with regard to
certain insects. The great majority of vegetable-feeding insects do
not feed on all kinds of plants indiscriminately ; most of them are
restricted to one kind of plant, and if, b}' cultivation of that plant, its
numbers are enormously increased, so will naturall}' be the number of
insects that feed upon it ; while if we should cease to grow that plant
the number of insects would correspondingly diminish. Thus, for
instance, if a district is almost entirel}^ in pasture there will be very
few wheat-feeding insects in it, but if it is turned into a wheat coun-
try there will be myriads. If these numbers reach such a pitch as to
deteriorate the crops the remed}' is plain. Change the rotation and
grow some other crop instead of wheat. Most of the wheat insects
are only annuals. If they could be banished for one year they would
be banished entirely, or until reintroduced." And then the author
speaks of the need of some central authority who could secure this
change of crops when needed, over a wide extent of country, for, of
course, it would ordinarily be of no use w^hatever for a few only to
change, fields adjoining would soon suppl}' all lacking bugs, so soon
as the crops suitable for food were raised. The usefulness of birds
as insect desti'oyers I have more than once alluded to, and I would
most earnestly' ui^ge all agriculturists to stud}' carefully and thor-
oughly the habits of such birds as may live on their farms, and I am
very sure that the more the}' know of them the more they will be con-
vinced of their great value. And there is another friend of whom I
wish to say a word and that is the toad. This animal does not occur
in sufficient numbers to be very valuable on the farm, but that is the
only reason it is not useful, and in the garden it is of great value.
Toads feed entirely upon worms and insects, and a great man}- of
them do they destroy in a summer, eating every sort of insect, even
taking twenty or thirty black squash bugs a,t a sitting. I have re-
cently seen it stated that toads are sent from the continent of Europe
to England, and are bought by the gardeners to be placed in their
vegetable and flower patches ; and this is wise, for certainly the more
toads there are in a garden the better, so far as destruction of insects
is concerned.

The present season being a very early one is favorable to the
increase of many kinds of insects, and many are unusually abundant.
Very large numbers of potato beetles {Doryphora decemlineata) were
brought to the surface in plowing in many parts of the State, and so
soon as the potatoes were out of the ground they began their ravages ;
but diligent hand-picking has been successful, and from various parts
of the State I hear that there is little trouble in keeping the pest in

Injurious Insects of Vermont. 5

check. Earl_y in June a frost cut down the potato tops in many
places, and this occniring just as the beetles were laying their eggs
will help to keep them from increasing. The means of keeping
this insect in cheek are so well known, as are also its habits, that I
do not anticipate any serious damage from it during the coming-
season. As it increases its range it is met b}' new enemies, and now
a goodly array of foes of various kinds assist in overcoming it. The
most common and important of its insect enemies are several species
of the common rose beetles, or ''lad}' birds," quite a number of black
or dark colored bugs resembling, though varying in size, the common
black squash bug, several large beetles, sevei'al of the wasps, and a
number of other insects.

But the most effective parasite thus far is a fl}' very much like a
common house fly "both in color and size * * * * |)ut is read-
ily distinguished from the latter by its extremely brilliant sih-er-white
face." (Rile}'.) Some of the parasites of this beetle devour the eggs,
but others and most of them either devour the larva or lay their eggs
upon it, which hatch, and the young feed upon their host before it
reaches maturity ; and a very few attack the mature beetles.

As much has been said in various published accounts of this beetle,
of its food, most writers affirming that it feeds onlj- upon the potato
and can exist only where that is found, it is interesting to note that,
although there can be no question as to its main food, it will never-
theless live and thrive, at least for a time, upon the egg plant,
tomato, nightshade, and some other allied plants, and it has also
been found feeding upon the common thistle, which it sometimes eats
greedil}', pigweed, smartweed, red currant, thoroughwort, and quite
a number of other plants ; but it seems certain that it is not likel}- to
increase so rapidly when feeding upon any plant as the potato.

As, in the various papers which I have written, I have often
referred to the aid which comes from parasitic insects, I have thought
that, perhaps, a figure of a larva bearing egip of its parasite might be (>o co^'c^s

of assistance to a full understanding of
this most important subject, and the ac-
companyn]g engraving, fig. 1, shows a
lar\a of one of the grape-vine moths,
bearing on its back ^gss§ of an ichneu- Ooc/y^fj
Larvii witii efspBuof raiHsite. mou fly, which is sliowu in fig. 2 (up-
per figure natural size, lower enlarged). These Fig. 2.
figures are given only as examples of a great variety
of forms, still it is always best, when a caterpillar is
seen bearing such appendages as those shown in fig.
1, to let it take care of itself instead of destroying
it, for it is certain that the parasites will effectualh'
prevent it from doing an}- harm, and will, if allowed
to develop, destroy many' others of the same kind. loimeunion Fiy.

Among the most valuable and efficient allies which the farmer has
in his warfare against iujurious insects are the minute flies like that
shown in fig. 2. In more than one instance Aer}- injurious insects
have been kept in check and, perhaps, almost annihilated, by ichneu-
mon flies, or some such parasite.

Through the liberality of the Board of Agriculture, which made an

Vermont Board ok Agriculture.

appropriation from its funds for the purpose, I am able tliis year to
present illustrations of most of the more important insects which are
mentioned in the following pages. These illustrations were copied
from Prof. Riley's "Reports" as Entomologist of Missouri; Prof.
Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects ; Dr. Harris' Insects Injurious
to Vegetation; and are all very accurate. In some cases the engrav-
ing gives an enlarged view of the insect figured. When this is the
case a fine line at the side indicates its natural length. In determin-
ing what species of insects should be treated this year I have been
guided mainly by the inquiries which have come to me during the
year, selecting from the many forms of injurious insects, that are
found in our gardens, fields, and forests, those concerning which
most frequent inquiries have been made.

For a general account of the classification of insects, etc., the
reader is referred to last year's report. In the following descriptions
the division of the body of the insect into the three parts — head,
thorax and abdomen — will be readily understood by any one who
will examine the form of any insect and notice the natural division of
the body into those three pai-ts.

In the proceedings of the Vermont Dairymen's Association of last
year a paper on "Internal Parasites" was published. As a partial
appendix to that paper I wish to say a few words regarding a few
external parasites, treating the subject much more oriefly than I
should, were it not for the publication of a very excellent paper on
this subject by Dr. H. A. Cutting in the Second Report of the Board
of Agriculture. It is not my intention to repeat what is there given,
but to add some further facts, beginning with the

BOT FLY OF THE SHEEP.

iEsTEUs ovis. (Lam.)

There are several parasites that infest sheep, but this is the most
troublesome of the external, and but one or two of the internal are
able to inflict as serious injur3\ In the larva state it causes what is
known as "grub in the head," "blind staggers," etc. It has been
well known for many centuries in all sheep-raising countries.

The perfect insect (fig. 3, 1
and 2) is not very unlike the
common house fly in general
appearance, though larger. It
is a brownish or ashen color
with black lines on the thorax
and black spots on the abdo-
men. On the under side the
head is white, and the abdo-
men bears a dark spot on the
middle of each ring, and it has
also straw-colored and white
markings. The eyes are pur-
ple, and on the top of the head
are three little ej'elets, or ocel-
li. The mouth parts are very ^estucs oris. (Lam.) 1-2, Aduit insect.

>■ . '' y, pupa; 4— 5. larvae.

rudimentarv, and the insect 6, young larva.

Injurious Insects of Vermont. 7

probably takes no food in the perfect state, its only function then
being to reproduce its kind, and its life is verx" short. The fly is
rather more than half an inch in length and nearly- an inch across the
expanded wings. It was formerly supposed that the eggs were
deposited b}' the females in the nostrils of the sheep, and this is
stated as a fact in most works ; but, according to Rile}' and others,
the living grubs, or larvae, not the eggs, are placed in the nose of the
sheep. The flies are most abundant during June and Jul}-, though
the}' sometimes appear later. The larva (figs. 3, 4 and 5) when first
produced is of a whitish color with two brown spots on the last
joint. It is cylindrical and taper from the last segment forward.
The last segment which bears the brown spots, which mark openings
through which the worm breathes, can be withdrawn into that just
before it. As the grub approaches its full growth, its color becomes
darker and when mature it is dark brownish on the last segments,
but gTows lighter towards the head. This is furnished with two
small hooks, and above them are two tubercles. The lower side is
flat and, when the fest joint is drawn in, the posterior end looks as if
cut squarely off. When full grown the grub is abont an inch long.
The female is very prolific, and may produce two hundred or even
three hundred young. As soon as the larva is deposited in the
nostril of the sheep it begins to creep upwards, irritating the delicate
lining membrane of the nose as it ascends. In time it reaches the
cavities in the skull just above the eyes and to the mucous lining of
these places many grubs may be attached by means of the hooks
above mentioned. Here they may remain, feeding npon the secre-
tions, or even the membrane itself. Much more rarely the larvse
penetrate the brain, working along the olfactory nerve. The larvse
remain in the head of the sheep eight or ten months and, if there are
many, they cause serious inflammation, sickness, and perhaps death.
Finally they loose their hold and drop from the nose to the ground,
into which they burrow for a short distance. They then soon con-
tract to about one half of their previous size and become covered with,
a black smooth case (fig. 3). In this condition they remain from
forty to sixty days, at the end of which time they push ofl' one end of
the pupa case and come out perfect flies and are soon ready to deposit
their yonng. The sheep recognize the fly as an enemy and seek to
escape from it if it comes near them. The usual movements of the
fly are rather sluggish, but when abont to deposit a larva they are
very quick and very persevering, if driven away returning again and
again, so that it is very diflficult to prevent her from accomplishing
her purpose. If only a few of the larvse are present their etfects may
not be noticeable, though they must always be bad, but if many are
present, the sheep loses its appetite, coughs, sneezes, has discharges
from its nose, which may be so great as to cause difficult}' in breath-
ing, the animal may not be able to stand erect, tosses its head, has
flts of rushing wildly about, its gums, back of mouth, and inside of
the nose are inflamed, and may have other symptoms of severe dis-
order. If the sheep has strength enough to withstand the evil effects
of their presence until the larvae have matured and leave the head it
will graclually recover, but will not for a long time, if badly afl^ected,
be as vigorous as before, if ever.

S Vermont Board of Agriculture.

Remedies. As would natin'all_y be expected of a trouble so long-
known, this has many remedies, all, of coui'se, intended to dislodg-e
the grub and cause its expulsion.

As there are li\e or six weeks in eveiy season during which the larvtt,
having left the sheep, are in the ground undergoing transformation, the
sheep might at this time be removed to a distant pasture so that they
would be out of the way when the flies came from the chrysalids. This
has been strongly recommended as a preventive of the trouble, but it
would, probably, be only partly efficacious in man}' cases. After the
larvte have reached the cavities connected with the nose it would
seem quite impossible to administer any substance which would dis-
lodge them that would not injure the sheep, but, if they can be taken
in hand before they have ascended far into the nostrils, much ma}' be
done. Inhalations of carbonic acid vapor would undoubtedly be use-
ful, such us were recommended for strougylus in the paper on "Inter-
nal Parasites" in the last Report.

A good method of preparing this is to obtain the carbolic acid in
crystals, and put a couple of teaspoonfuls of these into a pint of
water, or, if there is no great inflammation, the solution may be made
much stronger, and, having the animal in readiness, put one or two
heated stones or bits of iron into the solution and cause the sheep to
inhale the vapor arising, taking care not to burn the lining of the
nose by too hot vapor.

A feather dipped in oil of turpentine, or in a weak solution of carbolic
acid, or creosote, and run gently up the nostril and turned around
several times has been recommended. If the larvae have not gone
far, any substance that causes vigorous sneezing, as air-slaked lime,
might "affect their removal. The old and well known remedies of
tarring the noses of the sheep (and only the end of the nose as far up
as the openings of the nostrils needs tarring) , and that of providing a
plenty of loose earth into which the sheep can readily thrust their
noses, sometimes prove quite sufficient and are certainly simplest of
■all. Whatever remedy is used must be repeated from time to time
during June, July and August, while the fly is about.

Another parasite found on sheep is what is known as

THE SHEEP TICK.

Melophagus ovinus. (Linn.)

p.^ . This insect, though belonging to the same group

as the flies — the JDijJtera — is very unlike them in
appearance. It is a hairy insect, never furnished
with wings, having the form shown in fig. 4. Its
color is brown. It is about half an inch long, with
a veiy broad head, which is furnished with a pro-
boscis, which is thrust into the skin of the animal it
infests. This instrument is made up of two long,
narrow rods or plates, below which are three very
slender rods which can at will be drawn into a small
>[ELoi>HAGcs OVINUS. opening. These pierce the skin and the blood is
drawn up into the mouth. Two of the three piercing organs are more
slender than the third, or lower, which is grooved along its upper
side, and in this groove the other two ma}" be laid.

Injurious Insects of Vermont. 9

The thorax is a little wider than long, but narrower than the head.
The abdomen is very large and more or less globular, flattened some-
what above. The young are not hatched from eggs, but the pupa is
produced in a sort of case, as seen in the oval bod}'^ on the left of the
insect in fig. 4. This case contains but a single insect. Although
apparently not a prolific insect, the tick sometimes becomes very
abundant and troublesome, injuring especially young or sickty animals.

Remedies. Snufl^, tobacco tea, sulphur water, dilute petroleum,
naptha, benzine, carbolic acid, all have been recommended and have
all proved useful. Suds made from whale oil or carbolic soap is
good. I think carbolic acid is especiall}' good for such a purpose, as
its peculiar, and to all insects very disagreeable, odor is veiy persist-
ent. I have known it to be perceptible some months after its appli-
cation, whenever the animal was exposed to a rain and thus the skin
and its covering dampened. It is well to remember that in buying
carbolic acid it is always best to buy it in the form of crystals. It
can be bought at most drug stores, put up in pound bottles, for from
a dollar to a dollar and a half a bottle, which is much less than its
usual price by the ounce. If the bottle be immersed in warm water
the mass readily becomes liquid, and the addition of a little warm
water prevents it from again solidifying, and a pound thus prepared
will last a long time, unless it is necessary to use it for a large number of
animals. Used in this way the strength is more certain. One part
of this acid to from twenty to forty of water makes a good wash ;
the strength, of course, must vary with the age and vigor of the ani-
mal upon which it is to be used.

The cattle tick (Ixodes bovis) is a very difl^erent animal,
and belongs to the AracJmida, or the group containing spiders,
mites, etc. It has eight instead of six legs, and the bod}- is not di-
vided into three, but only two parts. It is oval in outline, flattened
above, and of a reddish brown color. The insect which causes mange
in horses is of similar nature. Mange in animals is essentially the
same in its origin and efl;ects as itch in man, Ihe trouble being caused
by the presence of minute mites which burrow in the skin. The
mange insect of the horse, Psorojytes equi, Ger., is large enough to be
seen with the naked eye, and it sometimes occurs in immense numbers.
It is a whitish mite, with reddish or horn-colored legs, which are
sparsely covered with long hairs. The body is soft, oval, flattened.
The horse tick on the other hand is a very diflerent insect ; this is a true
fly, like the bot fly. It does not spend all its time on the horse, but
flies about, coming to a horse now and then and inflicting a painful
bite, which greatlj^ irritates the horse and may render it unmanageable.
It is allied to the sheep tick, and like it produces its 3'oung alive.
When it has once settled upon a horse, usually the under side, it
remains fast for some time.

As a very excellent remed}' for lice, ticks, mange mites, and all
such pests as adhere to the skin or hair of animals, I quote the fol-
lowing from Prof. Verrill's paper in the Fourth Report of the Connec-
ticut Board of Agriculture. He says : "But perhaps one of the best
and simplest as well as safest washes to destro}^ « * * *
external parasites of man and animals is a solution of sulphuret of potas-
sium in water, two to four ounces to the gallon of water, varying the
2

10

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

strength according to the age and tenderness of the skui of the animal,
for the solution will contain some free potash, which if too strong,
might irritate a delicate skin. There is otherwise no danger from
its use, though its odor, like sulphuretted hydrogen, is disagreeable,
and should be used therefore where there is plenty of ventilation.
This is an exceedingly valuable remedy * * * The sulphuret of
potassium comes in the form of grajdsh or greenish lumps put up in
tight bottles. It is used in photography, and can usually be bought
at the principal drug stores. An equallj' useful preparation, having
the same properties, may easil}^ be made by taking fresh quicklime,
slacking it gradually with water and forming a milky solution by the
addition of more water. Into this put as much flowers of sulphur as
will dissolve by boiling for some time. This will produce a deep
yellow solution like that of the sulphuret of potassium. Sulphur may
also be boiled in potash lye to produce a similar preparation, and to
this, while boiling, tobacco is sometimes added, but the sulphur is no
doubt sufficient for all practical purposes."

Whatever wash is used will need to be repeated once, or perhaps more
than once, at intervals of about two weeks, to destroy such insects as may
havs hatched since the last was applied, for any wash that does not
injure the animal fails to destroy all the eggs of insects which may be
present. For a full account of the Bot tl}' of cattle and that of the
horse, the reader is referred to Dr. Cutting's paper, mentioned above.

At a meeting of the Board of Agriculture at South Hero last fall,
many questions were asked concerning what is there known as the
"forest worm," which sometimes fell upon an orchard in great num-
bers and, perhaps, in twenty-four hours, stripped every leaf from the
trees. This insect is allied to the Clisiocampa Americana^ or tent
caterpillar, which is described and figured on pages 585-587, figs. 7
and 8, of the Report of the Board for 1875-6. It is what is called

THE FOREST TENT CATERPILLAR.

Clisiocampa disstria. Hub.

B}" comparing the figures
above cited with figs. 5 and
6, man}' of the points of dif-
ference will be seen, though
there is not a little similarity.

The moth is rather smaller
in C. disstria^ or, as it has
heretofore been called, C.
sylvatica, than in G. Ameri-
cana. The wings expand
l^lf of an inch, and are of
a smoky brown color ; the
front pair are crossed by two
reddish, or rust-colored
bands, the third pair are of
a uniform red-brown. The
body is dusky 3-ellow. On
the front wings the space between the transverse bands is usually
darker than that outside, while in the moth of the common tent cat-

Fis. 5.

ClilSIOCAMPA DISSTRIA.

a, cluster of eggs on a twig.
6, female moth,
c, d, eggs enlarged.

Injurious 'Insects op Vermont. . 11

erpillar the corresponding space is lighter. The eggs are deposited

on a twig, and form a band pjo. q

about it as in the common tent

caterpillar, but in the forest

caterpillar the ends are cut

squarely off, while in the other

the}^ slope graduall}^, and I

think that in this the cluster is

rather smaller. The larvae of Larva of clisiocampa dis.tria.

C. disstria are somewhat smaller. They are very hardy. Eilej^ says
that sometimes they hatch before the buds of their food plants are
open: — "and though it may freeze severeh=^ afterwards, 3'et these
little creatures are wonderfully hardy, and can fast for three whole
weeks if need be, and withstand any amount of inclement weather."

As soon as the caterpillars are hatched, which is in early spring,
they begin to crawl about and spin a web. They usually live in groups ;
at this time they are black, covered with hght hairs. "In about a fort-
night from the time when they begin to feed they change their skin,
just before this the}" are light yellowish brown, rather darker at the
ends than in the middle of the body, with the little warts, which give
rise to the hairs, quite distinct, and a conspicuous dark interrupted
line along each side of the back. After the first moult they are
characterized principally b}' two pale yellowish lines just below the
back, bordering what was at first the dark line above mentioned.
After the next change of skin, which takes place in about a week after
the first, the characteristic pale spots appear on the back, the upper
pale line becomes yellow, the lower one white and the space between
them bluish ; indeed, the characters of the mature larva are from this
period apparent. Very soon th^y undergo a third moult, and after
which the colors all seem more distinct and fresh, the head and anal
plate have a soft, bluish, velvety appearance, and the hairs seem more
den,se. After undergoing a fourth moult, without material change in
appearance, they acquire their full growth in about six weeks from the
time of first feeding." (Riley, Third Report, p. 122) . The full grown
caterpillar (Fig. 6) is from 1^ inch to 2 inches long of nearl}^ equal
size throughout, the last joint being a little smaller. Along the middle
of the back is a row of long oval white spots, eleven in all. Behind
each of these larger spots is a smaller spot, and all are bordered with
black. On each side of each ring is a black tubercle from which come
several long black hairs. On tlie hinder part of each segment, behind
the spots, are three somewhat broken, reddish ^^ellow lines edged with
black. On each side of the hght spots which occupy the back, is a
light blue band, below which is a narrow band of black and then a
light 3^ellow band, below this a black stripe, next, a broader light
yellow band and again a black band. The lower side bears a black
s{)ot in the middle of each ring ; the general color of the lower side
being dark blue. The legs are black and covered with short light
hairs. The body is thickl}^ covered with 3'ellowish brown hairs, and
sprinkled with black dots. The head is bluish, broad and short.
When the larva has completed its growth, it wanders about looking-
for a suitable place for its cocoon. This is \evj much like that of the
common tent caterpi^llar. The larva spins a web of silk, but does not

12

Yermont Board of AoRicmLTURE.

make a conspicuous tent like that of its relative, the common tent
caterpillar, but forms only a small web, which is placed close under
branches, or against the trunk of a tree, where it is easily overlooked.
It may most readily be distinguished from the larva of C. Americana^
or common tent caterpillar, by the line of light spots along the back,
the larva of the latter species having a continuous light line in the
same place. It is more commonly known by the name of forest worm.
Its food varies consideralily, as it eats the leaves of the oak, elm, ash,
maple, walnut, wild cherry and other trees, but often when opportu-
nity^ offers, leaving these for the leaves of the apple. Because they
have come from adjoining groves, where they have been feeding un-
noticed, they appear very suddenly and in great numbers in apple
orchards, and in a few hours they may strip every tree of its leaves,
and then migrate to another. A band of wool about the trees is said
to be eff'ectual in preventing their ascent. Strong soap-suds, boiled
oil, or any oil kills them. In the fall all egg clusters maj' be removed
from the twigs and destroyed. If a tree on which the worms are feed-
ing be jarred, they let themselves down 'bj silken threads, and if the
ground beneath the trees is smooth and hard, they may be crushed ;
and during the last change of skin they often collect low down on the
trunk of the trees, and may be crushed in large numbers. There are
several parasitic insects that prey upon this. Several large beetles
devour these worms whenever the}' find them. A fly, much like a
house-fly, lays its eggs upon the worm when feeding, and the larva
hatching from the eggs destro}' the worm. Inchneumon flies also
attack these larvse.

THE SAW-FLY OF THE CURRANT,

Nematus ventkicosus, King,
described last year, has been exceeding!}^ abundant the present season.

In this part of the State
this insect in its larval state
is the chief enemy of the
currant. It has been known
in this country during the
past twenty 3^ears, having
been imported from Europe ;
it has spread over a wide
area during this time.

The eggs are laid chiefly
on the larger veins of the
leaves, although if many
eggs are deposited upon a
single leaf, the smaller veins
are taken after the larger are
full, and then the eggs may
be placed on the surface of
the leaf. The eggs are quite
small at first, but increase in
size after they are deposited.
According to the best author-
ities, the fly pierces the epi-

Fig. 7.

a, a, a, larva of Nematus VENTRICO.SUS, (liiiijjj,
different stages of growth, natural size.

b, portion of joint magnified, showing spots.

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

13

Nematus ventkicosus. (King.)
a, male, 6, female.
The lines at tlie side show the natural size.

dermis of the leaf with its oviposi-
tor so that the egg is brought into
connection with the juices of the
plant, and by absorbing these it is
enlarged. Perhaps the egg is some-
times placed merely upon the sur-
face of the leaf. It is attached by
a viscid substance which is depos-
ited with it. All the eggs depos-
ited hatch at the same time. The
larva of Nematus, often called '•'•the
currant worm," ver}' closely resem-
bles that of many moths. It has
twenty legs, six true and fourteen
false. At first it is of a light color,
with a large whitish head. As the
skin is changed the color becomes
more greenish, and the head grows
very dark and finally becomes
black and shining, and black spots
appear over the bodj-. These
spots, or tubercles, are of an oval shape, (Fig. 7, 6) , though varying
in size and form, and from each comes usually one, but sometimes
more, short, shin}' black bristles. These spots tend to arrange them-
selves in transverse rows. The tubercles on the sides are in two
longitudinal rows and are much larger than those on the back. The
head is covered with short, black bristles ; just above the lateral tuber-
cles is a faint white line, and just behind the head is a collar of j^ellow
and the underside is ^^ellowish ; the rest of the body is green, or
sometimes bluish gTeen. In full grown larvae the tubercles bear no
bristles. The true legs are black. When full grown, the larva is
three fourths of an inch long and quite active. They usuallj^ feed in
groups, devouring first the pulp of the leaf and small veins. When
fully grown the larva goes into the ground and forms a c^dindrical
chr^'Salis of a dark brown color covered with particles of earth. It is
.35 inch long and .17 inch in diameter and many of them may be
glued together in a cluster The pupa is at first of a delicate green
shading to yellowish at the ends. The female lays about seventy
eggs.

The perfect insect is flylike. The male (fig. 8, a), is much smaller
than the female. It is .23 inch long and .43 inch across the expanded
wings. The general color of the upper side is black, or sometimes
dark brown, and across the posterior edge of the last five or six joints
of the abdomen is a band of yellowish brown, sometimes quite indis-
tinct, sometimes ver^?^ evident, and the last joint is usually of a light
brown, or brownish yellow, and the under side is of a uniform yellow,
and this color extends up the sides and is continuous with the light
bands above mentioned. The thorax is black above. The head is
jet black- The female (fig. 8, &), is .32 inch long and .65 inch across
the expanded wings. The head and thorax are much as in the male.
The abdomen is light yellow, with sometimes a slight!}' reddish tinge.
The legs are very light next the body, but grow darker towards the

14

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

feet. The wings in both sexes are transparent and very brilliantly
iridescent with conspicuous glossy black veins, and on the front
wings there is a large black spot on the anterior border. This insect
appears in this locality at different times, according to the season.
The present season is an unusually early one, and the flies appeared by
the first of May. Dr. J. H. Worcester gives me the following as the
dates when it has appeared in his garden in this city : 1874, June 7 ;
1875, May 31 ; 1876, May 26 ; 1877, May 14 ; 1878," May 1st. Little
more need be said of remedies than was given in the last report ;
hellebore or hand-picking are either of them eflficient.

THE CURRANT BORER.

^GEKIA TIPULIFOEMIS.

a, pupa enlarged,
larva enlarged.

b, motb, natural size.

./Egekia TIPULIFOEMIS. Linn.

This has not been as common this year as heretofore, but it alwa^'S is
injurious in this part of the Stale.
Its range is very unequal ; for, in
some parts of Burlington, it is very
abundant, while it rarely or never
appears in other parts. As the de-
scription of this insect given last
year was rather brief, a more com-
plete account may be given here,
especially as I have nowhere seen
any description that mentioned the
differences between the male and
female, although, as will be seen,
such exist. A description of either
sex alone is not a full description
of the species, although Harris and
other authors make no distinction of sex in their descriptions.

Figure 9, 6, shows the perfect moth with its delicate, transparent
wings, long, slender legs and graceful form. The upper wings, as
shown in the cut, are long, narrow, and widest at the end farthest
from the body ; the hind wings are more triangular, being shorter
and broader than the anterior pair. As these moths are very active
in their movements, the}' are easily mistaken for flies b}' those not
acquainted with entomology. In both sexes the general color of the
body and of the upper surface of the lai'ge veins of the wings is a
ver}^ dark blue, or blue-black, with a satin-like gloss, and in a good
light the surface is iridescent. Upon this dark ground are various
markings of a golden, or sometimes sulphur j^ellow. The head is dark
above, but in front mostl}' yellow, with a vertical white line on each
side, running from between the base of the antenna and eye to the
base of the labial palpus. The palpi are dark blue above and yellow
below. The forehead is dark brown, or black, covered with punc-
tures, and bears two ocelli. On the thorax, just behind the head, is a
collar of yellow, and near the base of the wings on each side is a
narrow longitudinal line of the same color. As has been stated, the
veins on the upper side are of the general color of the bod}', but are
thickly sprinkled with yellow dots. Across the outer edge of each

Injurious Insects of Vermont. 15

wing is an opaque transverse band of steel blue,, and below tliis is a
wide band of deep golden j-ellow, which sometimes becomes orange
or copper color. Above and l)elow this band is a dark line. Both
pairs of wings are beautifnll}' fringed with fine, silky haii's of a
smoky shade. The underside of the wings is more thickl}' sprinkled
with yellow than the upper, so that the 3^ellow predominates over the
blue. The legs are dark bine banded with yellow. The abdomen is
banded with narrow 3'ellow bands, it is cylindrical, slightl}' swollen in
the middle, and terminates in a tuft of silk}' hairs. The antenna? are
small at the base, many jointed, and gradualljMncrease in size until
near the tip, which is suddenly contracted, and turned slightl}- out-
ward and ends with a small tuft of hairs. As the base of each joint
is somewhat narrower than the end of that behind it, the antennae
appear serrate in a good light. They are covered with very fine,
sparsely set hairs, which can be seen onl}- when magnified twenty or
more diameters. They are blue-black above and yellow below. The
male varies in size, but is always smaller than the female, sometimes
very much so. The smallest male that I have seen measured .25
inch in length and .57 inch across the spread wings ; the largest
measured .4 inch in length and .74 inch across the wings. In average
specimens the antennae are .2 inch long and on each side bear a
closely set fringe of delicate, short hairs, the outer being longer than
the inner. These can not be seen without the aid of a lens. The
abdomen in the male is more slender than in the female, and the 3'el-
low bands encircling it are less distinct and often of a lighter shade.
They var}' in number in different individuals ; in some there are three,
in others four, and more rarely a fifth is more or less distinctly seen.
In a majority of specimens there are three.

Tho. fennale varies less in size in different specimens than the male,
and is, in an average specimen, .4 inch long from head to tip of abdo-
men, and .76 inch across the spread wings. The antenna? are .2 inch
long and are much like those of the male, but are not fringed. The
yellow bands of the abdomen are ver}^ rarely more than three, though
I have seen a rudimentary fourth band on the first segment. These
bands are wider and of a deeper color than in the male, and the tuft
at the end of the abdomen is usuall}- thicker and larger.

The iEgerias do not appear here usuall}' until the middle of June.
Dr. Worcester furnishes me with the following dates of their appear-
ance in his garden : 1871, June 9 ; 1872, June 14 ; 1873, June 22 ;
1874, June 22 ; 1875, June 15 ; 1876, June 15 ; 1877, June 8 ; 1878,
May 31. There is a very interesting fact in the history of the larva of
this insect. After its growth is completed and it is about to enter
the pupa state, it cuts away the wood between itself and the outside
with the strong jaws which it possesses, leaving onl}^ a thin skin over
the outside, so that when the moth emerges from the chrysalis it has
only to push itself through this thin and easily broken skin. Usually,
not the moth, but the pupa, forces itself half out of this opening, and
remains thus for some hours, at the end of which the moth escapes.
Were it not for this preparation of the way it would not be possible
for the moth to escape, as neither pupa nor perfect insect have any
jaws. No new remedies lor this insect have appeared. Infested
twigs must be removed and all moths that can be caught destroy- ed ;

16

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

but sometimes the}^ destroy the bushes, even if most persistently
watched, and all means for the destruction of the pest made use of.
Dr. Worcester has covered his bushes with mosquito netting ; and if
any one wished to take this trouble, and would watch for such -Silgeria
moths as might come from the bushes after the}^ were protected and
destroy them, this means would be effectual. I have seen the small
downy woodpecker digging the larvae of ^geria, probably from cur-
rant bushes, and undoubtedly this bird is able to be of great service
in tills wav.

THE COMMON MEASURINO WORM OF THE CURRANT.

EUFITCHIA KIBEAKIA. Pack.

Fig. 10.

EDfitchia ribeaiua. Pack.

a, larva full grown.

6, larva spinning a thread of silk.

c, clirysalis.

Eufitcliia ribearia, (Pack), was so fully described in last year's Re-
port, that I shall only allude to it here. Fig. 10 shows the larva in
different positions. It has not been very common during the past
year. It appeared, as did all insects, very early this year, being found

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

17

soon after the first of Ma}^ tliongli it does not usually appear here
until towards the last of that month.

Besides the insects mentioned last year, a species of aphis, which I
presume to be ApTiis ribesii, though I can find no description of that
species and hence am unable to identify my specimens, has been abun-
dant on currant leaves. It is of a honey yellow, with white, trans-
lucent antennas and legs. The abdomen is ovoid. The}' occur in
groups on the underside of the leaf and cause the whole leaf to swell
and turn reddish purple. If this pest should prove troublesome, the
same mode of fumigation which is recommended in the case of Ery-
throneura farther on would be effectual in destroying it. S^'ringing
with whale oil or carbolic soap-suds would be useful, or tobacco tea,
though it would be diflScult to reach the under surface of the leaves
with these remedies. I have also found during the whole season large
numbers of the common striped squash-bug on currant bushes, but
whether the}' ate the leaves, or simply lives among them, I could not
determine.

A verj^ common and noticeable butterfl}^ in Vermont is

VANESSA ANTIOPA. Linn.
The perfect insect, (fig. 11, natural size,) is a large and elegantly

Fig. 11.

Vanessa antiopa.

colored butterflj' . The upper surface of the wings, shown on the left
side of the figure, is of a purplish brown color, bordered on the outer
edge with a nankeen yellow band, which is almost white in some
specimens. Over this band are numerous minute black dots scattered
more or less thickly. Inside of this border is a velvet}^ black band
nearly a fourth of an inch wide and irregularly scalloped on the edges.
On this band is a row of spots, in the cut white, but on the insect of
a dark blue. The form and arrangement of these is shown in the
figure. The upper margin of the front wings is mottled with black,
gray and buff, and bears two dashes of buff, one just touching the
black band above mentioned, the other a little inside of this. The
3

18 Vermont Board of Agriculture .

upper border of the hind wings is smok}^ brown, as is also the lower
border next the body. The remainder of the hind wings is colored
like the front pair. The lower surface of the wings, shown on the
right side of the figure, is ver^^ dark, black and dark brown being the
main colors, with dashes and spots of buff, white and gray. The buff
border of the upper surface is seen on the lower surface also, but it is more
abundantly sprinkled with dark dots, so that it is often of an ashen
hue. The whole under surface is finely corrugated so that it presents
the appearance of crape. The antennae are slender, simple and
thickened at the tip. The spread wings are three inches or more
across. This species appears first of all butterflies in the spring and
last of all in the fall.

The larva (Fig. 12,) is a rough looking cater- pjg 12.

pillar, nearly two inches long when full grown,
black, with numerous small white dots scattered
over the body, and along the back a row of
eight dark red spots. The head is black and
roughened with spines. On each joint except
the first, are six or seven long, stiff, branched
spines which give to this larva a rather formi-
dable appearance, although it is perfectly harm-
less. The chrysalis is dark brown, angular,
with two rows of spines along the ventral re-
gion. It has large, 3'ellowish brown spots on
the back. It hangs suspended b}^ a band of
silk from stones, boards, &c. It is about one

, , ,,^,1 n ^ ii n J? Larva of Vanessa antiopa.

inch long. The larva feed on the leaves 01

various shade trees as elm, willow, poplar, &c. They feed in large
companies and sometimes completely cover a tree. Harris says that
he has seen branches of elms and willows so loaded with these cater-
pillars that the}^ bent under their weight. Of course, when existing
in such numbers, the damage done would be \evy great. The butter-
fl_y appears here about the 1st of April, its history is as follows : un-
like most moths and butterflies, it spends the winter in the perfect
state, remaining hidden in crevices and other sheltered places during
cold weather in a dormant condition. Tlie eggs are laid soon after it
appears in the spring in clusters on the limbs of those trees upon the
leaves of which the larvai feed. They hatch in June, reach their full
growth by the last of July, and about the middle of August the per-
fect insect comes from the chrysalis, and soon the females lay the eggs
of a second brood, which develops into perfect insects before winter.
With us the larvae seem to prefer the leaves of the elm to those of
other trees. When about to change from larvae to pupse, the cater-
pillars leave the trees and seek a suitable place for the attachment of
a fine silk thread in a loop by which they hang themselves, head down.
Soon after this is done the neck is bent, and in about twenty-four
hours a slit appears in the .skin of the back of the head, and through
this the head is pushed and the skin moved upwards until it is wholly
thrown off. This skin is entirely whole with the exception of the slit
above mentioned, and at first it is not easy to see how the larva is
able to remove the skin and yet remain suspended. It is accomplished
in the followino- manner : Soon after the slit in the skin of the head

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

19

appears, the head is thrust through it. Then follows a series of un-
dulating movements of the bod}^ by which means the skin is rapidly
thrown upward away from the head towards the suspended posterior part
part of the body. When the skin has been pushed within a verj' short dis-
tance, perhaps one eighth inch of the place where the bod}' is attached, the
undulating upward motion stops and the posterior portion of the larva
is drawn down until it is separated from the skin and extends upward
on the outside of the skin, so that at this time the larva is attached
to the skin only at the posterior extremitj', and the skin is attached
to the support. Then, to remove the skin and 3'et not fall, the larva
begins a series of convulsive movements, during which it raises its
bod}^ till the last segment reaches and clings to the point of the sup-
port. It now begins a whirling motion, which soon separates the old
skin from the support, and then by a writhing movement the skin is
finall}' separated from the body and falls away. The whole process
requires about fifteen minutes. In about two weeks from the forma-
tion of the chrysalis the perfect insect comes out. Remedies are not
easily applied in the case of such insects as this, which live in large
trees, but something may be done to check the mischief which they
do, by destroying all that can be captured, and fortunately man}- of
these insects are kept in check by parasites ; this is true of Vanessa,
which is attacked b}' at least one parasite, a small hymenopterous insect
.that lays its eggs on the caterpillars, and these hatch after the former
have gone into the pupa'state and devour their host.

Fig. 13.

BACON-BEETLE, OR LARDER-BEETLE.

Dermestes lakdaeius Linn.

This is a very generally distributed and troublesome insect. It eats
everything of an animal nature ; it bores through corks or other barriers
to its food. It is an importation from Europe, but has become like so
many other imported insects, thoroughly nat-
uralized. The beetle, (Fig. 13, c,) is about one-
fourth of an inch long, of a dingy black color
with a wide band of reddish brown just behind
the thorax. The eggs are laid on some sub-
stance which can afford food for the larva,
where they soon hatch. When fully grown the
larva (Fig. 13, a) is rather more than a fourth
of an inch long, of a russet brown above, but
lighter below. It is largest near the head and
tapers toward the other end. The bodj' is
covered with long barbed hairs, (Fig. 13, b.)
The beetle is very prolific, and if a number of
them once establish themselves the}' very soon
become troublesome. It is chiefly in the larval
state that the insect is injurious. It injures
6, one of the hairs of larva ham, dried bccf, chcesc aud such substances,
magnified. ^^^^^ ^^-^ collcctious of stuffed auimals it is often

" " a great pest. The beetles and larvae are easity

captured, or where they occur in large numbers they maybe destroyed
by pouring scalding water or benzine over them. In this connection

Dermestes lardarius.
a, larva.

20

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

I would call attention to another beetle wMch is injurous to ham or
bacon. This is a smaller beetle than Dermestes, and is known as the

CORYNETES RUFIPES. (Fabr.)

a, larva; 6, pupa; c, cocoon; rf, beetle enlarged; e,
same, natural size; /, leg of beetle, g, maudible; A, labi-
um; i, maxilary palpi; j, antenna.

RED-LEGGED HAM BEETLE.

COKYNETES RUFIPES. Fabl.

The larvae (fig. 14, a) are well known to dealers in ham and bacon,
and from the cocoon, which

,1 Fiff. 14.

IS papery, they are some-
times called paper worms.
The beetle, (fig. 14,dande,)
is of a steel-blue color, with
reddish legs, and under a
lens is seen to be covered
with short hairs. Prof. Ri-
ley, who has carefully stud-
ied the habits of this insect,
and from whom the accom-
pan^'ing cut is borrowed,
says, after speaking of the eggs, which are laid upon any exposed bit
of ham or bacon, — "In a ver}' few days there hatch from the eggs
minute white larvae, with brown heads, a black spot on the first and
last joints, and two small hooks or tubercles at the tip of the body.
These grow apace, burrowing in the fatty matter next the rind, and
especially congregating in the hollow of the bone at the butt end of
the hara. With age the larva becomes darker, and when full grown
is grayish white, with a series of brown patches superiorly. When
about to transform the larva gnaws its way into the more fibrous parts of
the meat, or into more solid substances, as wood, etc., and makes for
itself a cocoon of a glistening paper-like substance, not spun from a spin-
neret as with most insects, but disgorged, or spit out, in little glob-
ules from the mouth. The insect attacks more particularly such
hams as have been injured b}^ o\'erheating in the curing room, or by
exposure to sun and rain. It is also attracted by the slime which
appears on the outside of such hams as have been left too long to lie
in a pile." It always seems to place its eggs not on the ham itself,
but on the covering, if there be any, and hence it seeks for cracks in
the cloth covering, and if a ham is pei'fectly covered with canvass it
is not subject to the ravages of the beetle, and this precaution would
seem sufficient to prevent any serious ravages from the beetle.

An insect which has committed great depredations in this region,
as well as elsewhere, is the

Injurious Insects of Vermont. 21

PLUM CURCULIO.

CONOTKACHELUS NENUPHAR, Herbst.

As fruit growers only too well know, this is a very insignificant
looking insect. It has been known and its habits discussed more
than fifty years, and no very good remed.y has ever been discovered.
It is too well known to demand extended consideration here, but a
few words respecting it may not be valueless. It is one of the small
beetles or weevils. The perfect insect is a rough, thick insect of a
ver}' dark brown or black color. On the back are spots of white, yel-
low and black. The wing covers are ridged, and on the back are two
very evident elevations or humps, and behind these humps there is a
band of yellow. On the lower side of the thighs is a pair of little
tooth-like processes. The curculios appear quite early in the season,
not far from the first of April, and remain until about the middle of
June. As soon as the fruit is set the}' attack it, the female first cut-
ting a small crescent shaped or semi-circular channel in the fruit, and
in this cut she places, usuall}^ one egg, and deposits no more on that
plum, but goes from one to another until the supply of eggs is ex-
hausted. The egg soon hatches into a very small white larva with a
brown head and no feet. As soon as it hatches it begins to burrow
into the plum until it reaches the stone. The injur}- to the fruit caused
by this process is such that gum exudes over the outside of the fruit
and finally it drops to the ground prematurely and perishes. As the
fruit reaches the ground, the grul), having by this time completed its
growth, burrows below the surface. This may occur at any time
between the middle of June, and the first, or middle of August. In
about three weeks after the larva leaves the fruit, the beetle comes
from the ground and lives through the winter. It not only attacks
the plum, but also the apple, pear, quince, cherry, peach and prob-
ably some other trees. The beetle is sluggish, usually, but some-
times it is active enough and may fl}' if occasion demands. Accord-
ing to Riley, it occasionally does not go into the ground, but passes
the pupa stage in the fruit, and this is usually the case in cherries.
A part, Riley says, remain all winter in the ground, coming out in the
spring. He also states that the female lays from 50 to 500 eggs, at
the rate of from 5 to 10 a da}^, the number varying with the tempera-
ture. " The period of egg depositing extend over two months. The
perfect curculio, when in the ground, is soft and of a uniform red
color, and in this state it remains an indefinite period, the time depend-
ent upon the weather, usually preferring to issue after a warm rain.
In a stiff cla}?- soil a severe drought will kill many of them while in
this condition, and larva in stone fruits that fall u[K)n naked ploughed
ground, where the sun can strike them generalh' die." The curculio
has several insect foes which help to keep it in check. The insect is
more active b}' night than by da}'. Hundreds, probably, of remedies
have been proposed to prevent the mischief which this insect is sure
to do if left to itself, but most of them have proved worthless. None
seem better than, if as good as, the old method of jari'ing the beetles
from the trees upon sheets spread on the ground beneath.

Another weevil somewhat resembling the plum curculio is that
commonly known as

22

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

THE PEA BUG.

Fie. 15.

d n-y

BiiccHDS Pisi. (Linn.)
6, beetle enlarprod, (lower flgcnre natural size).

c, larva enlargi'd, (upper figures natural size).

d, pupa enlarged.

Beuchus pisi. Linn.

This beetle (Fig. 15,
6) is a little oval insect,
about one tenth inch
long, clingy black, with a
white spot on the back
of the thorax, and four
or five white spots on
the back part of the
wing covers, and on the
abdomen, as the end
proj ects beyond the
wing covers, is a white
~j~ shaped mark. The
beetle lays its eggs,
which are of a deep 3^el-
low color, about .03
inch long and very nar-
row, upon the pod, and they are attached to it b}' a fluid which is de-
' posited with the egg and which becomes white as it dries. The}' do
not seem to be deposited on any particular part of the pod, but any-
where. When these eggs hatch, which tliey do while the peas are
quite small, the larvae bore their way through the pod, and each locates
itself in a pea. At this time the larvae are small, yellow worms with
black heads. The hole by which the larva enters the pea soon nearly
closes. The larva feeds and grows, buiTOwing in the pea and usually
avoids the embryo, for which reason peas infested will often grow.
When fulh' grown the larva is a thick, short, yellowish grub .15 to .17
inch long, and half as thick. As it is about to become a pupa, it
eats a hole on one side of the pea leaving only the skin untouched.
After eating this hole it draws itself back into the pea and ' ' lines its
cell with a thin and smootli layer of paste, pushing aside and entirely
excluding all excrement." In this cell it passes the pupa state, and
comes forth as a perfect beetle, having only to make its way through
the thin skin covering the hole. Usually the peas are gathered with
this beetle still hidden in them, though if the season should be un-
usually long or warm, many will come out, but as a rule most remain
in the peas through the winter and come out at planting time, and at
this time the peas should be examined and all containing the weevil
be placed in scalding water, or even warm water, when the beetles,
most of them, will rise to the top and may be removed. The custom
which some pea-growers follow, of keeping peas over one season be-
fore planting is a very good one. Late peas are less likety to be in-
fested than earl}' ones.

Another disagreeable and sometimes very troublesome insect is the

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

23

PEAR SLUG.

Selandkia cekasi. Peck.

Fig. 16. The eggs of this insect are laid on the leaves

6 in semicircular incisions, usually but not always

on the lower side, and in two or three weeks the
deposition of the eggs is completed. They
hatch in a couple of weeks into white larvae, or
slugs, which soon become slimy and of a green-
ish color, Fig. 16,0.. The}" have six true and four-
teen false legs ; are rather less than one half inch
long, the head is brown, and from the first joint
the body tapers towards the last. They eat the
green parts of the leaf. According to Harris,
when the skin is last shed the slimy coat is lost,
and the larva is covered with " a clean yellow
skin." In a few hours after the last change of
skin the}^ creep, or fall to the ground, into which
the}' burrow two to four inches, and then each
larva moves round and round until it has formed
a smooth, oblong cell, which is covered inside
with smooth varnish. In these cells the insects
remain sixteen da3-s, and in Jul}' or August
come forth as perfect flies, which soon lay a
second brood of eggs, which hatch and complete
the larva state before fall, when they go into the
ground and remain there as pupae during the
winter, coming out as flies the next spring.
Harris says, however, that all the brood do not come from the chrys-
alis at the same time, but remain over one year and come forth the
following spring. The perfect insect (Fig. 16, 6,) is a transparent,
glossy winged fly, nearly a fourth of an inch long in the female, less
In the male. The body is black and the first two pairs of legs are
dingy 3-ellow, with black thighs. The wings, as is usuall}- the case
with saw-flies, are crumpled and iridescent and have a smok}- tinge.
According to Mr. Saunders some varieties of pears are exempt from
the attacks of the insect, others are only slightly injured, while others
are greatl}' injured. The best remedy is one which he has tried, and
which is substantially as follows : "A raised platform was rigged up
on a one-horse cart, in which was placed a barrel of water in which a
pound of hellebore had been mixed, and from the elevated stand this
mixture was showered on the trees from a watering pot. It was
astonishing to see how quickly the trees were cleaned ; scarcely one
was found on a tree the morning after the application was made.

The remainder of this paper I shall occupy with an account of the
principal

INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE,

found in Vermont. Attacking the roots of grape vines we have a
moth — an ^geria — much like the currant borer, but much larger. It
is not common with us, and has never committed such ravages as it
has in the Western and Southern States. It is the

Selandkia ceeasi. (Peck.)
a, larva enlarsed.
i, perfect insect.

24

Vermont Board op Agriculture.

GRAPE ROOT BORER.

^GBBIA POLISTIFOKMIS. HamS.

Fig. 17.

jEgeria POLISTIFOKMIS. (Harris.)
a, male. 6, female.

The larvaa live in tlie roots of grape vines, burrowing extensively,
and of course injuring, or destroying them. The general appearance
of this moth is seen in Fig. 17, a, male, 6, female. As the figure
shows, the female is much larger than the male and differs from him
in maii}^ respects. From the character of its attacks this insect is
very difficult to deal with, and it is to be hoped that it will never be
abundant with us.

PRIONUS LATICOLLIS. Drury.

Fig. 18.

Larva of Peionus laticollis, (Drury,)'natural size.

This is, in the larval state, a borer, and sometimes does much mis-
chief to grape roots. The larva, (Fig. 18,) is a very large, white, or
light yellow worm, with a dark brown head and black jaws. It is
translucent along the back and in some other parts of the body.
The length is three inches. The legs are quite imperfectly developed,
the false legs being mere tubercles. The bod^' is, as the cut shows,
widest at the first joint and tapers backward from there to the last.
The bod}' also becomes thinner, as well as narrower, towards the pos-
terior end. The upper side of each segment is flattened. The larva
lives under ground, burrowing in the roots of the apple, pear, grape
and other trees, and even in dead wood, as I had a specimen brought

Injurious Insects of Vermont

25

me last summer which had excavated a long gallery in a two inch
sprnce plank that formed part of a cistern wall and was several feet
below the surface. In this it was living and apparentl}' thriving. In
the west and south this insect has done considerable damage to grape
vines. Its great size, though enabling it to do much mischief in a
short time, also makes it eas}" to find it and destroj' it. It sometimes
bites off a vine near the surface and then burrows down in the main
root. In course of time, Riley thinks three 3'ears, the larva becomes
a pupa. The pupa state is passed in the earth in confinement, but

Prof. Rile}' thinks that it naturally
transforms in the root, and in about
three weeks the perfect beetle, (Fig.
19, female,) comes forth. It is of
the form shown in the cut. The color
is a dark chestnut brown. It is about If
inches long and .65 inch broad. In his
second report, Prof. Rile}' has described
another species of Prionus, P. imbricor-
nis, (Linn), which resembles that figured
and which, in the larval state bores into
grape roots. As I do not know that this
species is found in Vermont, I do not
give space to a full account of it. By
far the largest number of insects that
injure the grape attack the leaves. Man}^
moths belong to this class. First we
ma}' mention

I'KIONUS LATICOLLIS. (Drury.)

YELLOW BEAR CATERPILLAR.

Spilocoma vikginica. Fabr.
Fis. 20.

6— rs^^.

/^^

.\

Spilocoma virginica.
a, larva ; b, pupa ; c, moth.

This is a very common moth, of a pure white color on the wings,
with a black dot on the center of the front wings and two, sometimes
4

26

Vermont Board of Agriculture

more, on the hind wings. The thorax is clothed with long, hairlike
scales, the abdomen is bright orange, with a row of black spots along
the middle of the back and along each side. The wings expand 1^
2 inches. The antennae are simple jointed rods. The general form
may be seen in fig. 20, c.

The larva, or caterpillar, (fig. 20, a,) is often seen — a rough hairy
worm of a yellow, or j^ellowish brown color, variegated in diff'erent
specimens. Along each side is a black line and a less conspicuous
line of the same color between each two joints. The under side of
the body is alwa3^s dark, but the ends of the feet are light j^ellow as
is the head. The length is about two inches. The}' occur all sum-
mer— from June till the last of September or October. It is a general
nuisance, as it feeds on almost all kinds of vegetable or fiowering
plants and greedilj^ devours grape leaves. The eggs are laid on the
leaves in clusters and the caterpillar is most often seen on the under
side. It is easily seen, and may be kept in check b}^ hand-picking.
It is also kept in check hj numerous parasites.

Another caterpillar found devouring the leaves of grape vines is

AMPHYPYRA PYRAMIDOIDES. Guen.

Fig. 21.

Amphipyra pyramadoides. (Guen.)

The moth (fig. 21) is about the
size of. the foregoing, but of quite
different appearance. The front
wings are of a brown color, with
spots and markings of purple,
gra}', yellowish and white. The
hind wings are of a copper}' hue.
The under surface is lighter than
the upper. The lower edge of the
hind wings is slightly scalloped,
and finely fringed. The bod}' is
yellowish brown on the thorax and
darker on the abdomen. The wings expand If inches. The larva is
1^ inches long, largest behind. The general color of the body is light
green, or bluish green on the sides. There is a light line along the
middle of the back and a narrow yellow line along each side of the
back. Along each side of the body is a bright yellow hue which is
interrupted by the breathing holes, at which points it becomes white.
The last joint is much higher than the rest, and the elevated upper
surface forms a sort of pyramidal prominence which slopes rapidly
downward behind. This species has not appeared in the East in any
considerable numbers but it is occasionally found. A little yellow
caterpillar about three fourths of an inch long is, in many places,
injurious to grape vines. This is the larva of a delicate moth —

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

27

PTEROPHORUS PERISCELIDACTYLUS. Fitch.

The perfect insect is a little moth with narrow wings, which when
spread, are less than an inch across. The thorax is yellowish brown ;
the abdomen is dark and becomes black at the end. On each of the
first three joints there is a white spot, and on the third two white Unes ;
the fourth joint is dark without lines or spots while the rest have two
parallel light lines. The under side of the abdomen is white with two

yellow stripes. The legs are striped
with white and brownish yellow. Like
other species of the family to which it
belongs, this moth owes much of its
beaut}' to the division of the wings into
several parts. The front wings are di-
vided into two parts about half of their
length, and the hind wings are divided
into three parts, each division being
beautifully fringed, so that the entire
wing is an exceedingly elegant and
beautiful object. Tlie general color of
the front wings is dark brown marked
with white, while the hind wings are
like burnished copper. The legs, as the .
cut (Fig. 22) shows, are long and slender
and the moth is ver}- quick in its move-
ments. The larvae, (Fig. 22, a,) are.
when mature, about one half inch long,
pale green, with fourteen rings. Along
the back are two rows of white spots, and
one row along each side, and between
these spots are smaller white spots. All
of these are raised above the general
surface, and from them come bunches of
hairs or bristles, in all four rows above
the breathing holes and six below them,
and some of these clusters of hairs are shown in fig. 22, e. The head
is 3'ellow, as are the legs. The worms devour the leaves of the grape
and by fastening the edges of the leaves together in a more or less
globular form, the}' make a sort of hiding place in which they spend
most of the day. The}^ feed for about three weeks and then form
chrysalids, which are usually of a dark color, irregular, covered with
projections and prominences so that each one looks like a bit of broken
twig, Fig. 22, h. These are not uniform in color, and we find here an
interesting example of mimicry to which Prof. Riley has called atten-
tion. Alluding to the fact that the chrysalids vary in color from
light green to darker green, he quotes from Mr. M. C. Read, of Hud-
son, Ohio, as follows : " Of a large number raised in jars by me, there
were two well defined colors, one a reddish brown resembling closely
the bark of ripe grape wood, the other a light green, or exactly the
color of the leaves and 3'oung wood. Without an exception the green
ones were attached to green leaves and green wood, or to the glass of
the jar of a similar color ; while all the brown ones were attached to

PTEROPHOEUS PERISCELIDACTYLUS.

a, larva feeding.
6, pupa.

c, one of the horns ot pupa enlarged.

d, moth, natural size.

e, part of a joint of larv.t enlarged.

28

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

the stems of ripened wood." Riley says that his own observations
accord with those just quoted, and because of this mode of conceal-
ment there may be large numbers in a vineyard and yet all escape
observation. As a remed}'' against this moth, hand-picking would
seem to be sufficient, and is the less difficult from the habit referred
to of rolling up the leaves and thus making its presence known.

A rather common moth, described in the last Report as one of the
insects attacking the Strawberry, is also injurious to the grape. This
moth,

ACRONYCTA OBLINITA, Sm.,

Fig 23.

ACRONYCTA OBLINITA. SlD.

a, larva; 6, cocoon; c, moth.

does not often do ver}- great damage to the grape, and is easily seen
and can be picked off. It has several insect foes that diminish its
numbers. The caterpillar (Fig. 23, a) is of a dark color, black along
the back with two rows of bright yellow spots, and along each side a
yellow band. Numerous light dots are sprinkled over the body, and
on each segment is a row of tubercles, which bear tufts of bristly hairs
reddish on the back, 3'ellowish on the sides. The surface is velvety
and the general appearance attractive. The moth (Fig. 23, c,) is
less handsome. The front wings are gray, with a few black dots, and
the hind wings are white. The cocoon (Fig. 23, h) is white or yel-
lowish. The larva is quite a general feeder, eating leaves of several
kinds of trees and plants.

A very common moth in some parts of the West, though less com-
mon in New England, is

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

29

ALYPIA OCTOMACULATA. Fabr.

Fig. 24. The moth (Fig. 24, c) is very

easil}' recognized by the two light
spots on each wing. The general
color of the wings is ver}- dark, and
on each of the front wings are two
large 3'ellow spots and on the hind
wings white, as seen in the engrav-
ing ; the}^ are 1^ inches across when
spread. The moths appear early in
June. The larva (Fig. 24, a) is a
whitish worm with eight black trans-
verse lines on each joint, four on
each side of a median band, which
is broad and of a reddish 3'ellow
color ; each joint also bears black
spots. These characters are shown
in Fig. 24, b. It is 1^ inches or less
in length, and eats the leaves of grape vines. A much more common
moth with us and one of the most elegantly marked species that we
have is the

a, larva.

6, joint of larva magnified.

c, moth, natural size.

BEAUTIFUL WOOD NYMPH.

Ym. 25.

EuDRYAs GRATA. Fabr.

This moth is very striking in its appearance. The front wings are
pure white, with the outer border bordered by a wide maroon band
edged with a white line and on the
inside is a line of olive green.
Near the bod}' are long spots of
maroon, the position being shown
in the engraving. The hind wings
are deep yellow with a purplish

brown band below. The under f^^^^:ivMSS^,\^"Z'^^~i>.

surface of both pairs of wings is
yellow with two black spots on
each front wing and one on each
hind wing. The thorax is white
with a black band through the center. The abdomen is 3'ellow with
black spots. The head is black. The wings, when spread, are 1^-
If inches across. The moth does not make its appearance until
midsummer. The larva feeds upon the grape, hop and woodbine.
It is 1^ inches long, of a bluish color with six black, transverse lines
on each joint and a number of dark haiiy spots. The head is 3'ellow,
spotted with black.

Another similar, though less showih' colored species, Eudryas
unio, Hub, is veiy much like the preceding in the lar^-al state, and
is said to feed upon the grape. There is one of the leaf-rollers which
attacks the grape, a ver3' prett3' little moth about an inch across the
spread wings. This is

Endryas grata, rabr.

30

Vermont Board of Agriculture.

DESMIA MACULALIS. West.
The wings are black, with two large oval white spots on each front

Fig. 26.

DeSMIA MACULALIS. West.
1, larva in leaf; 2, anterior part of larva enlarged; 3, chrysalis; 4, male moth; 5, female moth.

wing, and in the female on each hind wing, but the male has usually
but one on each hind wing. The female has two white bands across
the abdomen. The bod}' is black. The larva folds together the
edges of leaves of the grape and fastens them with silken threads,
(fig. 26, 1.) It is an active, green worm, and sometimes proves
very destructive. The chrysalis is made of the folded part of the
leaf, and may be picked off and destroyed in the fall before the leaA^es
drop. As in the case of all the leaf-rollers, the presence of the larva
is made evident by the crumpled leaves, and these should, whenever
seen, be removed, but as most of these larvae are active, some care
must be taken lest they escape. Rile}' says that a species of beetle,
Colasjjis Jiavida^ to be mentioned hereafter, is almost always found
with this leaf-roller or, as he more aptly calls it, leaf-folder, and that
it lives in the retreat formed by it. "On finding it so invariably in
this fold, I at first supposed that it merely took advantage of the
position for shelter, little suspecting that it would feed upon the
worm, since the family to which it belongs is essentially herbivorous,
and the leaf-folder is so very active ; but from having found numbers
of the shrunken and half-dead worms, I was led to conjecture that it
does actually prey upon them." (Third Report, p. 82.) As Desmia
is a southern insect it is not likely to occur in Vermont in large
numbers.

A large moth, which is very common in some parts of the country,
in vineyards, occurs in Vermont, though not in great abundance.
This is what is known as

CHAEROCAMPA PAMPINATRIX. S. and A.

The larva (Fig. 27) is a large worm of a pea-green color. The
head, first and second joints are very small, but the third and fourth
are much enlarged, especially in width. The remaining joints are of
almost equal size. The body is covered with light yellow dots.
Along each side is a light line, and along each side of the back is a
similar light line which runs up into the horn-like prominence of the
last joint. Along the back are five or six light triangular spots, in

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

31

Fig. 27.

Larva of Chaerocampa pampinatrix, (S. and A.), natural size.

Fig. 28.

each of which is a smaller lilac spot, as shown in the figure. The
breathing holes are reddish brown. Rile}' says of this worm, that
when about to transform it " changes to a pinkish brown, the darker
parts being of a beautiful mixture of crimson and brown." It feeds
upon the grape leaves until read_y to become a pupa, when it goes to
the ground, but does not burrow below the surface. The moth
(Fig. 28) is 2J to 3 inches across Ihe wings. The thorax is olive
green, the abdomen the same color, but more yellowish. The front

wings are gray, with
a little reddish tinge,
and across the ends a
broad, somewhat
broken band of olive
green and another
next the body. The
hind wings are deep
reddish brown. The
larva eats voraciously'
and is able to inflict
much damage upon
grape vines if allowed
to remain long. It is
easily kept in check by hand-picking, and is attacked by ichneumon
flies, as I have alread}' mentioned in the first part of this paper, and
Fig. 1 shows a larva of this moth bearing cocoons of one of these para-
sites. A much larger, and, fortunately, rarer moth, also attacks the
leaves of the grape vine. This is known as

PHILAMPELUS ACHEMON. Drury.

This is a ver^?- beautiful moth and like the preceding one of the hawk
moths, or SpliUnges. It is three or four inches across the expanded wings.

Chaekocampa pampinatrix. (S. and A.)

32

VekMont Board of Agriculture.

Fig. 29.

Philampelus achemon. Drury.

The front wings are dark ashen, shading into lighter gra}^, with dark
brown or nearly black spots, and dark, irregular, transverse lines.
The hind wings are rose-pink next the body ; beyond this is a dark
band, and the outer edge is gniy. The head and thorax are about
the color of the front wings ; the latter with a triangular dark patch
on each side. The arrangement of these colors is well shown in the
engraving (Fig. 29). The larva (fig. 30) is a large, clumsy worm,

Fig. 30.

Larva of Philampelds, natural size.

three inches or more long when mature. It is of a light green color,
usually, though it is sometimes brown. Along each side is a light
yellow line, and below this six or seven long, oval, cream-colored
spots, placed obliquely, one on each side of each ring. The whole
surface of the body is' more or less dotted with dark green spots as it
occurs here. Riley says that when about to pupate the color "is
often of a most Ijeautiful pink or crimson." In the young larva
there is, on top of the last joint, a long horn which curves over the
back but, as the larva grows older and changes its skin, this horn is
lost, and at last its position is marked only by a pohshed tubercle, of
a yellow color with a black center. The head and first two joints can

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

33

be drawn into the thiixl, which is much larger than the rest. So large
a larva is able to devour great quantities of grape leaves, but it is
also easily seen and picked off. It feeds upon the leaves of the Vir-
ginia creeper as well as upon those of the grape. When mature,
which with us is about the last of August, the larva entei's the ground
and remains there in the chrysalis until the following summer, the moths
appearing about the first of July. A closely allied species somewhat
larger than the preceding and quite rare in this region is

PHILAMPELUS SATELLITIA. Linn.

This also lives on the leaves of the grape vine and Virginia creeper.
The moth (fig. 31) is four or five inches across the expanded wings ; its

Fig. 31.

PlIIL.AMPELUS ?ATELLITIA. Linn.

general color is grajish like that of P. achemon with similar dark
blotches, spots and lines, the position and forms of which are shown
5

34

Vermont Board of Agriculture,

well in the engraving. It is lighter than the foregoing species and
the hind wings are not pink, but are colored like the front wings. The
larva is, when fully grown, four inches long ; of a dark, reddish-brown
color, with five broadly oval yellow spots along each side, and above
them a light j^ellow line.

The last moth which I shall mention as injurious to the grape is a
smaller species than those just described though still a large moth.
This is what it is called

ABBOT'S SPHINX.

Thyretts Abbotii. Swain.
Fig. 32.

Thyeeus Abboti:. Swain.
Larva and moth natural size.

The wings of this moth (Fig. 32) are somewhat scalloped at the
ends, 2^ to 2f inches across when spread, the front pair of a grayish
brown, lighter near the middle, marked with lines and streaks of a
darker color. The hind wings are light 3'ellow, with a wide border of
dark brown. The body is compressed and tufted at the end. The
larva (Fig. 32) varies considerably in appearance, being sometimes
reddish brown with patches of light green, an interrupted dark brown
line along the back, and five transverse lines. Other specimens are
dirty yellow, without any green. In all the head is dark colored. It
is not at all common here.

Among the beetles there are several that seriously damage grape
vines by eating the leaves. One of the worst pests that the grape
grower meets with in this State is a little flea-beetle, which sometimes
occurs in yevj great numbers, completely riddling the leaves. This
is the

GRAPE-VINE FLEA-BEETLE.

Haltica chalybea. 111.

The perfect insect (fig, 33 d) is too familiar to require much descrip-
tion. Its color varies greatly, as Harris well remarks, "specimens
being often seen on the same vine of a dark purple, violet, Prussian

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

35

Fig. 33.

Haltica chalybea. Illiger.
a, leaf with larvae feeding; 6. larva enlarged;
c, pupa cell; d, beetle enlarged.

blue, greenish blue, and deep green color." The upper and under
sides usuall}' differ in color, the former being most often greenish
blue and the latter dark green. The beetles are about three twen-
tieths of an inch long and a little more than half as wide. The}' appear
early in the spring and attack the buds as soon as they begin to swell
and may injure them so seriousl}' as to prevent their development and
alwa3's damage them so much that the leaves are small and weak. After
the leaves unfold the beetles may wholly disappear, but presentl}- — in
June or the latter part of May — the larvje (fig. 33, a, b,) will be found
eating the leaves. They continue their devastations through most of
June. When mature they leave the vine and go into the ground and
change into chrysalids, without any cocoon, but form a cell (fig. 33, c,)
in which they transform, and appear as perfect beetles about the mid-
dle of Jul3^ They pair about the first of Ma}', and the females lay
their eggs, which are ellipsoidal, of a sulphur yellow color, about one-
twentieth of an inch long, on the buds and joints and in crevices of the bark,
where the}' hatch in about three weeks into dusky yellow larvae one six-
teenth of an inch long, which during the next month grow until they are
about one-third of an inch long and nearly black. The head is shining
black and behind it are eleven rings. On each ring are two rows of
black glossy spots, twelve in each row, and from each spot comes a
short hair. The chrysalids are about one sixth of an inch long, of a dull
yellow, covered with black bristles arranged in transverse rows, one
row on each joint. As remedies a great many substances have been
IDroposed. The small size of both larvae and beetles makes hand-pick-
ing very dif33cult. The beetles spend the winter under chips or stones

36

Vermont Board of Agriculturb.

or any such shelter, and if, in September or October, bits of board,
large chips and the like be placed about the vines many of the beetles
will, on the approach of cold weather, take refuge under them, and
as the}^ become torpid as the weathei- becomes cold, they may be caught
and destro3'ed. Drj- lime blown over the leaves, or hellebore water
sprinkled over them would probably be efficacious. Whale oil or car-
bolic soap suds would also be useful.

Another somewhat larger and more scarce insect, which was men-
tioned in the last Report as sometimes injuring strawberries, is chief}'
mischievous to grape vines. This is

COLASPIS FLAVIDA. Say.

It is about one fifth of an inch long, of a light 3-ellow color. The
larva as described by Riley is of a dingy yellow color and is covered
sparsely with stiff yellowish hairs. The head is yellow. It is about
one fourth of an inch long. This beetle is not, so far as I know, common
in Vermont, but in New York it has done great damage to the vines
and there seems to be no reason why it should not appear here at any
time in sufficient numbers to do great harm. It seems that in the
larval state it devours the leaves of the strawberry and from them
goes to any grape vines that may be near at hand.

There is a large beetle of much the shape of the common Ma}' -bug
which sometimes eats the leaves of grape vines. This is

PELIDNOTA PUNCTATA. Linn.

Fig. 34. It is light grayish-yel-

low or clay color with
sometimes a greenish
tinge. On each wing
cover are three ver}' dis-
tinct black dots. The
thorax is darker than the
wing covers and has one
black spot on each side.
The legs and under side
of the body are dark
bronze-yellow. The size
and form are shown in
the cut. The larva (fig.
34. b) is a large white
grub, with shining brown
head and of the form and
size shown in the figure.
It lives in decayed wood.
The beetles are found in
July and August. They
fl}' usually by day.

One of the rose beetles is sometimes very troublesome in vineyards.
This is

Velidnota punctata.
a larva full grown.
b pupa, c beetle.
d posterior end of larva,
e antenna. /;eg of larva.

(Linn.)

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

37

MACRODACTYLUS SUBSPINOSUS. Fabr.

It is a small beetle about one fourth of an inch long, of yellowish color,
which is due, however, to a thick coat of gra3'ish yellow down. The
legs are slender and of a dark red color. According to Harris, of whose
account the following is an abstract, the female lays about thirty
eggs, which she deposits from one to four inches below the surface of
the ground. They are nearty globular, whitish, about one thirtieth of an
inch in diameter, and hatch in about twenty da^^s after they are laid.
The 3'omig larvae feed on such tender roots as are within their reach.
They reach their full size in the autumn, at which time the}' are nearlj^
three fourths of an inch long. Thej' are yellowish white with a tinge of
blue towards the posterior end, which is thick and obtuse or rounded. A
few short hairs are scattered over the bod}'. In October they descend
below the reach of frost and pass the winter in a torpid state. In
the spring they approach the surface, and each forms a little oval
cell by turning around and around so as to compress the earth
and form a hard cavity. In the cell thus formed the larva passes the
pupa state, and in June of the following year the perfect beetle comes
out and lives for thirty or forty days, and then, having laid the eggs
dies. From this account of the larval life of this beetle it is evident
that at this time they are largely out of the reach of man and must be
attacked mainly in the perfect state, when they can be found on the
vines and brushed into a dish of scalding water, kerosene, or any
destructive liquid, or picked off and burned. The beetle attacks rose
bushes and sometimes apple trees, q^s well as grape vines. According
to some writers this insect prefers the Clinton grape to any other, and
on this account, if in a collection of vines there should be now and
then a Clinton, the insects would collect on these and might be the
more easily destroyed.

Another beetle injurious to grape vines is

SINOXYLON BASILARE. Say.

Fig. 35. It is not very common in this

State, but wherever it occurs,
even in small numbers, it is very
mischievous . The larva bores into
the shellbark walnut, apple, peach,
and perhaps some other trees.
The beetle is about one fifth of an
inch long, black, with a large red
spot on the base of each wing cover,
SINOXYLON BASILARE. Say. whcucc It Is called red shouldered

a, larva; 6, pupa; c, beetle, all enlarged. siuOXyloU. The Upper SUrfaCC is

covered with punctures. The general form may be seen from the cut.
The larva (Fig. 35, a) is a yellowish grub with six bristly legs, a small
head of a light horn color with black jaws. It is about one fifth of an inch
long. As is true with all borers, this is a difficult insect to find when
it is at work doing its mischief, and the only way to exterminate it
would be to cut off and burn all infested twigs ; but it is not possible
always to know which are the infested twigs until too late.

38 Vermokt Board of Agriculture.

One of the most troublesome insects to vine growers in this region
is a little Hemipterous insect which often occurs in immense numbers,
devouring and destroying the leaves. This is the

ERYTHRONEURA VITIS. Harris.

It is only aboxit one tenth of an inch long. The color varies ; some
are pale yellow with faint markings, in others the wing covers are
barred with broad scarlet bands, while the tips are black ; the thorax
is scarlet behind, the wings are ^^ellow, the body light brown. The
insects appear here about the first of June, or sometimes not until the
middle of June, as larvae. These are not unlike the perfect insect, but
the}^ do not reach maturity until the middle of August. They are fur-
nished with sucking mouths by means of which, having thrust the beak
into the leaf, they suck up -pj^ gg

its juices. They leap very
briskly if disturbed. As they
grow the skin is cast off to
make place for a new one,
and these thrown-off skins
may be seen in large num-
bers scattered over an in-
fested leaf. They are white
or whitish. The adults are

very lively little creatures, erythkoneura vitis, Harris, enlarged.

leaping or flying with great

agility. At first they eat only the epidermis of the leaf, but they eat
deeper and deeper into its tissues, until it is riddled with small holes
and turns whitish or brownish, and ultimatel}' destro^'ed, and in this
way every leaf on a vine ma}^ be ruined. In the fall the Enythro-
neura leaves the vines to conceal itself under fallen leaves, sticks,
stones, or any rubbish which may be about the vines.

In the spring it comes from its hiding place, lays its eggs and dies.
It is not an easily controlled insect b}' an}' of the ordinar}^ methods
if it has once become abundant. Various washes, as lye water, soap
suds, tobacco water, etc. have been recommended and are undoubt-
edly useful, but I think the most satisfactory remed}' where it can be
applied is that which Harris advises, viz : fumigation, and this if well
done would destroy all insects that would be likely to be on the vines.
The best mode of fumigating vines is to make a tent of coarse cloth
and cover the infested vine with it as complete^ as possible. Then
take a mass of tobacco stems — experience will soon teach how large
a mass ; it of course will vary with the size of the space to be filled
with smoke — and, having dampened them thoroughly by a moment
or two of immersion in water or a little sprinkling, put them in a dish
of live coals, and the whole under the covering. If coals are not at
hand a handful of shavings will do very well in their place. In this
way the vine may be enveloped in a dense smoke, and it should be
left in this condition for several hours. If done in the evening the
covers may remain until the next morning. If convenient to do so
it is very well to ghe the leaves a good showering after the fumiga-
tion is completed. The Erytlironeura is sometimes attacked by a

Injurious Insects of Vermont.

39

parasite, as Dr. Worcester has found one into which a small insect
had thrust its proboscis. This latter was unfortunately crushed in
preparing it for the microscope and could not be identified.

THE TREE CRICKET,

CEcanthus niveus, Say.

mentioned in the last Report as injurious to the
Raspberry, is also injurious to the grape. The
general color of the insect (fig. 37) is light gi'een-
ish with gauzy wings. The female deposits her
eggs on the twigs of the vine and also on the canes
of raspberry, blackberry, peach, willow, etc., mak-
ing a hole for each, and thus quite a row of holes is
formed, one beneath the other. The twigs thus
pierced die. The CEcanthus niveus seems to dam-
age the grape more than it does anything else, and
besides puncturing the vine it also cuts the stems
of grapes or of whole bunches so that the}' fall oflT.
Should this insect become very numerous it would
be no easy task to keep it in check, but, fortunately, it has not
hitherto been verj^ abundant. The only remed}' apparent is the
cutting off and destro3nng all infested twigs. Grape growers in Ver-
mont have not so many enemies to contend with as in more southern
localities. The greatest of all troubles to grape growers in Europe
and the West, the Phylloxera, has not 3'et made its appearance in
Vermont, and man}- of the species described in the foregoing pages
are far more abundant and destructive in other localities than with us.
The Haltica chalybea and Erytlironeura vitis are most troublesome
here.

CEcanthus niveus.
(Say)