'244 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society 



The Strawberry Millipede (Cambala annidata, Say). 

 Class Myriapoda. Order Diplopoda. 



In May, ISSo, I received from Mr. C. W. Butler, of Anna. Illinois, a single 

 slender, cylindrical millipede (thousand legs), said to have been taken from 

 the interior of a ripe strawberry. It was about an inch and a half in length, 

 and had entered the berry by a small hole about one sixteenth of an inch in 

 diameter. When found it was coiled within the berry, entirely concealed in 

 a cavity about the size of a Lima bean. Later in the season considerable 

 numbers of these myriapods were found in the largest and ripest berries. 



A European species of lulidse has long been known to burrow the fruit of 

 the strawberry in a manner precisely similar to that here reported. In his 

 " Entomologie Horticole," Boi-sduval says that this European strawberry 

 milliix'de, Bbiniidus gtdtulatus, " is usually found under the straw in straw- 

 berry beds; it introduces itself into the fruit at the time of maturity, devours 

 the pulp, and remains coiled up in the interior like a small snake. The hole 

 by which it penetrates is not always very large ; thus it often happens that 

 strawberries arc picked which undoubtedly conUiin luli. We only know it 

 when eating them by their cracking between our teeth. This small myria- 

 pod prefers the larger species of strawberry, but the small ones which grow 

 on Fragaria vesea are not exempt." 



The Iuli(Uo are chiefly nocturnal animals, remaining concealed by day and 

 wandering freely about at night. The only mode of destroying them which 

 has hitherto proved useful is that of entrapping them by slices of potato 

 turnij), apple, or masses of other attractive food scattered through the field 

 and covere<l with pieces of board, under which the myrinpods will collect 

 during the night in considerable numbers. If these lures are then visited 

 late in the evening and very early in the morning, before the worms have 

 scattered to their hiding places, they may often be captured by scores and 

 hundred.^*, and killed in hot water or kerosene. 



Dr. Sturtevant trapped them successfully in a garden where they were 

 injuring Sweet Williams, by exposing small lumps of mingled Hour and 

 molasses, tiiking a.s many as thirty-five worms at a time, under a lump the 

 size of a silver dollar; but attempts to poison them with Paris green were 

 total failures, this substance having no apjiiircnt injurious ellect on them. 



Wire Wor.ms {Elatcrkln) 



Kitj. C. Willi: WnitM. 



Fig. 7. Ci.icK Bekti.k (iiiiaKo of wire vvonn.) 



