66 



THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



HINTS TO FRUIT GROWERS. 



Papa- No. j. By Wm. Saunders, London. Ont. 



Figures Nos. 25, 26 and 27 represent the caterpillar, chrysalis, and 

 perfect insect of the grape-vine sphinx, Chozrocampa pampinatrix. The 

 voting larvae, varying in color from green to pale lilac or red, are now 

 (August 1st) very common, and may be easily recognised by reference to 

 the figure : for although the ground-tint of the body may vary, the dots 

 and lines remain about the same. It habit, too, of drawing its head 

 with the second arid third segments into the fourth, gives it a distended 

 appearance anteriorly which is very characteristic. When full-grown, 

 the caterpillar is some two inches in length, green, and covered with 

 many small yellow granulations. On the back is a row of seven dots. 

 varying in tint from very pale lilac to red. and on each side of these 

 there is a yellow line or stripe extending from near the head to the base 

 of the caudal horn : while the sides of the body are striped obliquely with 

 pale yellow. These caterpillars are great eaters : and did they appear in 

 swarms, as is the case with many others, they Mould cause immense 

 damage ; but as the eggs are laid by the parent moth singly, and not 

 often many on the same vine, the rapid growth of the foliage during the 

 warmer months will, on a large vine, almost make up for any defoliation 

 caused by this larva. In young vineyards or gardens where the vines 

 are small serious injury is sometimes done by these voracious creatures, 

 one of which, when nearly full-grown, will strip a young vine clean of all 

 its foliage in two or three nights. 



We know of no readier way of fighting this foe than by hand-picking. 

 When the foliage is sparse, the destruction the}- cause will lead to their 

 ready detection, and where it is dense, they may be discovered by their 

 large dark brown castings en the ground under the vines on which they 

 are feeding. 



Nature, which is seldom at fault, has provided a remedy to supplement 

 man's agency in the shape of a friend!}- parasite, a small fly, which is 



shown here both magnified and of its natural size (see 

 fig. 28), and whose progeny feed within the bodies ot 

 their victims, and finally destroy them. Before attaining 

 full growth in these instances, the larvse usually begin to 

 look sick, and there is a sluggishness apparent in .their 

 movements, when soon the body becomes covered with 

 little oval white cocoons, formed by the young grubs 



V.:>. 23. 



Color bli 



