THE GRAPE ROOT-WORM OR GRAPE-VINE FIDIA, 



Fidia riticida Walsli. 

 Order Coleopteka ; fainilv Chrys<)^[elid.e. 



All insect pest new to Xew York grape-growers has recently 

 appeared in injurious numbers in some of the vineyards in the great 

 Chautauqua grape region. Early in September we were informed 

 that the vines on several acres of a large vineyard near Ripley, 

 N. Y., were unhealthy, dwarfed, and some had died. A small portion 

 of the affected area is shown in ligure 3, as we saw it a few days 

 later. The vines had been set seven or eight vears, and shoula 

 have covered the wires with a continuous mass of o-reen foliao-e, as 

 did other healthy vines in neighboring vineyards. The vines looked 

 stunted and dwarfed, and what little fruit they l)ore was ver}^ small ; 

 see ligure 4 for a comparison of the fruit with that from a healthy 

 vine. The vineyard liad apparently had good care and the soil was 

 fertile; about 10 oi* 12 acres were affected. In another vineyard a 

 few rods distant we found vines dying over a small circular area on 

 one side. The vines had made a good gi'owth this season and pro- 

 duced a fairly good crop of fruit, but by September lotli the leaves 

 were falling, some of the fruit was shriveling on the branches, and 

 a few vines were dying. This vineyard was in tine condition and 

 it was a sad sight to see it thus invaded by an enemy. 



An examination of the leaves of the alfected vines gave us a cliu^ 

 to the depredator. Irregular, narrow^ chain-like holes had been 

 eaten in the leaves i^see frontispiece and figure o). It was evidently 

 the work of the beetle of the grape root-worm, and an examination 

 of and around the roots of the alfected vines soon revealed plenty 

 of the small white o-rubs at work on the roots. It was so late in 

 the season that we did not succeed in finding any of the beetles. 

 Mr. Fred Johnson rendered us valuable assistance in our investiga- 



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