Insects Affecting the Strawberry. 69 



there is no sufficient security that it may not become injurious wherever 

 introduced. 



It has been known as one of the worst enemies of the strawberry for more 

 than fifteen years, but its life history has only been very lately completed. 

 The first published notice of its injuries of which I am aware occurs in Prof. 

 Rdey's third report as State Entomologist of Missouri, published in 1871. 

 " This insect," he says, " has done considerable damage to the strawberry 

 crop in the southern portion of Illinois, especially along the line of the Illi- 

 nois Central Railroad; and I have seen evidence of its work in St. Louis 

 county, Missouri. At the meeting of the Southern Ilhnois Fruit-Growers' 



Fig. 13. Pupa of crown-borer. H. (iannan. 



Association, held at South Pass, in November, 1867, several complaints were 

 made by parties from Anna and Makanda, of a white Avorm which worked 

 in the roots of their strawberries, and in 1868 the greater portion of the 

 plants of a ten-acre field at Anna, beloiaging to Mr. Parker Earle, was de- 

 stroyed by it." 



This insect, in the form in which it does its injury, is the grub or larva of 

 one of the snout beetles, belonging, in fact, to the same family as the peach 

 curculio. It was first described by Prof. Riley, in the report already cited, 

 and his description of the beetle is herewith given. The larva and pupa 

 are described from fresh material obtained last fall from strawberry fields 

 in Southern Illinois. 



"Tyloderma fragariae. — Imago.— Co\oy deep chestnut-brown, sub-polished, 

 the elytra somewhat lighter. Head and rostrum dark, finely and densely 

 punctate and with short, coarse, fulvous hairs, longest at tip of ros- 

 trum; antennae rather lighter toAvards base, ten-jointed, the scape much 

 thickened at apex, joint 2 longest and robust, 3 moderately long, 4-7 short, 

 8-10 connate and forming a stout club. Thorax dark, cylindrical, slightly 

 swollen across the middle and uniformly covered with large thimble-like 

 punctures, and with a few short, coarse fulvous hairs, usually arranged in 

 three more or less distinct longitudinal lines; pectoral groove ending be- 

 tween front legs. Abdomen with small, remote punctures and hairs, which 

 are denser towards apex. Legs of equal stoutness, and with shallow, dilated 



