386 BULLKIIN 148. 



out the winter in a little earthen cell, as described in discussing its 

 winter quarters. 



Natural Enemies. 



We have found no record of any natural enemy attacking this 

 quince curculio in any of its stages. However, such an enemy is at 

 work upon the curculios in New York. Among the grubs sent us in 

 April, 1897, was one which behaved unnaturally, not burrowing back 

 into the soil when disturbed as did the others. A few days later, the 

 cause of this was revealed, when, in the place of the grub, we found a 

 neat little cocoon lying beside the head and skin of the grub. This 

 was on April 26, and eighteen days later, there emerged from this 

 cocoon a pretty little hymenopterous fly, which bears the scientific 

 name of Siga/phns canaiknsis. This little friend occurs in widely 

 separated portions of America, and has been bred from other curculios 

 or weevils. In Iowa, where it is parasitic upon the plum gouger, it is 

 thought that the little fly sticks its egg through the flesh of the plum 

 into the cavity where the grub is at work, and the grub succumbs 

 before it leaves the fruit. We have no data as to how the parasitism 

 is accomplished in the case of the quince curculio in New York; 

 evidently, however, the grub sometimes gets into the ground before 

 succumbing. Probably, at present, this parasite exercises but little 

 influence in controlling the numbers of the curculio in New York. 



How TO Combat the Quince Curculio. 



It will require much intelligent and well-directed effort on the part 

 of the quince- grower to circumvent this curculio, but it can be done, 

 as some of our fruit-growers are demonstrating. While we have con- 

 ducted no experiments against the insect personally, we have had the 

 direction of the warfare in some of the larger quince orchards, and 

 have been fortunate in having the experience of successful growers 

 placed at our disposal. 



The fact that the eggs are laid in pits in the flesh beneath the skin 

 of the fruit (figure 193) renders it practically impossible to reach the 

 insect in this stage with any insecticide, or by any other practicable 

 method. Also, when the eggs hatch, the young grubs are inside the 

 fruit, practically as fully out of the reach of insecticidal measures as 



