THE CHERRY FRUIT-FLY. 



Rhagoletis cingiilata f Loew. 



Order Diptera ; sub-family Trypetin^. 



The growing of cherries is ah-eadj an important phase of the 

 frnit industry of New York and neighboring states. And ciierry 

 orchards now frequently supplement the few cherry trees often 

 seen in door-yards, in gardens, or along 

 lanes and roadsides. Everyone who eats 

 this luscious fruit when fresh is familiar 

 with the fact that cherries are often 

 '^ wormy." M<)st cherry growers now un- 

 derstand that the cause of " wormy " cher- 

 ries is that arch enemy of the plum — the 9.— The plum curcuUo, en- 

 plum curculio, shown enlarged in figure 9. larged. The insect which 



The crescent cut or " sting: " of this little y ^ .7 7 



" crescent cut on the cherry, 



beetle is a very discouraging factor to the andis responsible for most 

 cherry grower; and the resulting white *' wormy" cherries. 

 and footless grub, with a brownish horny 



head, which revels in the juicy fruit, is a familiar and distracting 

 object to most housewives. In view of these discouraging facts, we 

 are somewhat loath to announce to cherry growers, through the 

 medium of this bulletin, that another, and possibly even a more seri- 

 ous insect enemy, has recently appeared in at least one Massachu- 

 setts and in several !New York cherry orchards. This new cherry 

 pest works in the fruit, as does tlie plum curculio, and while it is 

 capable of being equally as destructive, it also works in a much 

 more inconspicuous manner. One can usually readily determine 

 when a cheriy is " wormy " from the attacks of the plum curculio, 

 but this new pest gets in its work in such a way that the fruit it 

 infests might easily be classed among the fairest and best on the tree, 

 or in the dish on our breakfast table. 



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