TREE CRICKETS INJURIOUS TO ORCHARD AND 



GARDEN FRUITS.* 



P. J. PARROTT and B. B. FULTON. 



SUMMARY. 



The more common and injurious species of tree crickets in plant- 

 ings of garden and tree fruits in the State of New York are the 

 snowy tree cricket (CEcanthus niveus De Geer), the narrow- 

 winged tree cricket (CE. angustipennis Fitch) and the striped 

 tree cricket (CE. nigricornis Walker). These display great simi- 

 larity in external appearance but show marked differences in 

 habits and economic status. In common with insects of their 

 kind, during their early nymphal existence they possess pronounced 

 predaceous habits. As they approach maturity they exhibit phyto- 

 phagous and mycophagous tendencies, subsisting on floral organs, 

 foliage, fruit and minute fungi. The crickets have five nymphal 

 instars. Eggs are deposited during the latter part of August and 

 throughout September. Hatching occurs during early June and 

 the adults make their appearance in August. 



The snowy tree cricket oviposits in a great variety of plants. 

 In the region about Geneva eggs are most abundant in apple, plum 

 and cherry, and they are somewhat common in raspberry and 

 walnut. The eggs occur singly in soft, fleshy bark. They are 

 distributed promiscuously and are not arranged in a series in a row. 

 On raspberry, oviposition takes place in the fleshy area at the 

 side of the bud in the axils of the leaves, and usually there is not 

 more than one egg on each side of a bud. This species subsists 

 on a rather wide assortment of foods of animal and vegetable origin. 

 In addition to other species of insects, microscopical examinations 

 of crop contents have shown that the San Jose scale may, under 

 certain conditions, form a large part of the diet of this cricket. It 

 has also been observed to eat holes in raspberry and apple leaves, 

 and is reputed to attack ripening fruits. This species derives its 

 reputation as an orchard pest chiefly from the occurrence of diseased 



Reprint of Bulletin No. 388, May; for Popular Edition see p. 040. 



[452 J 



