3/2 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE- 



trees and in other secure hiding places, emerge from conceal- 

 ment and seek the fruit plants upon which they feed and breed. 

 About the time the trees bloom, mating begins and as soon as 

 the young fruit enlarges the deposition of eggs begins. Apples 

 no larger than small peas often bear from i to 3 of the char- 

 acteristic crescent marks made by the curculio. These punc- 

 tures as well as those made by the adult beetle in feeding cause 

 a serious deformation of the fruit (fig. 45). The deposition of 

 eggs goes on most rapidly during the month of June, but con- 

 tinues through July and August, gradually growing less and 

 less as the beetles die. The majority of the beetles of this gen- 

 eration do not live beyond the month of July, but a few may 

 survive until September, or in rare instances until late fall. 

 During the season both males and females feed upon the same 

 fruits in which eggs are deposited, making small, usually cylin- 

 drical punctures. The eggs hatch in from 4 to 6 days and 

 the young larvae start tortuous burrows through the fruit. De- 

 velopment of the larvae causes the fruit to fall wathin a few 

 days. In about 20 days the larvae mature, cease feeding, bore 

 out of the fruit, and at once enter the ground where they com- 

 plete their transformations and in about 28 days emerge as 

 perfect beetles. (Figs. 25, 26, 27). The newly emerged beetles 

 usually remain quiet for a day or two, allowing the body wall, 

 beak and jaws to harden ; then they fly into the trees and begin 

 feeding upon the fruit. Beetles of this new generation do not 

 (except possibly in rare cases) pair and no eggs are laid during 

 this first season. The fruit is freely punctured for feeding 

 purposes and the amount of this work increases as the season 

 advances. It is this feeding of the new generation that causes 

 the greatest injury to the fruit crop. (See fig. 45). Feeding 

 continues as long as fruit remains upon the trees. Late in the 

 fall the beetles leave the trees and hide away in secure places 

 for the long winter period of hibernation. Such in brief is the 

 lile history of the plum curculio. 



Another curculio known as the Apple curculio is smoother 

 and has a longer snout. This species has not been recorded 

 from Maine. 



