INSECTS INJURIOUS TO STRAWBERRIES. 



103 



tlial bear them up, are ritldled by infinite borers, or sapped by sucking bugs, 

 and the leaves and roots that nourished them are sivinned, torn, and eaten by 

 Bcores of slugs, lice, grubs, and caterpillars; the peerless strawberry seems little 

 disturbed by the thousand ills which her sister fruits are heir to. From quite 

 a large correspondence, reaching to nearly all seel ions of the State, I learn 

 that our favorite fruit is as yet almost wholly free from insect destroyers. To 

 be sure there come unanimous coraplainrs of the " AVhite Grub," but even these 

 are not very loud. It would seem then, Mr, President, that with me, " Othello's 

 occupation's gone," But other localities not distant from us, are not so favored, 

 but are subject to insect visitations; and as these same insect pests are just 

 coming among us, it will not be amiss to describe them just now; that we 

 being forewarned, may be as truly forearmed. 



THE WHITE GRUB. 



Lachnosterna fusca, FroM. — Sub-order Colcoptera. Family Scardbeidm. 



Few insects are more frequently 

 seen by the plowman than that fat, 

 sleek, old gormand, the white grub 

 [see 2 fig-)' Turned summarily from 

 its earthen bed, it curls slowly up as 

 s^^^^^if to meditate upon the best course 

 to pursue, in view of so undignified 

 a disturbance. Quite as familiar to 

 all of us is the imago of this grub, 

 the May-beetle {see 3 and J^ in fig,). 

 All are acquainted with its loud hum, 

 as it comes lumbering lazily into our 

 rooms during the warm evenings of 

 May and June. This supposed 

 bravery has given it the name of 

 Dor-beetle, and the heedless manner 



♦MayBeefle.-l,Papa: 2, Larva; 8 and 4,''imagines. with which It thumpS againSt Wall 



and lamp, and even our faces, gives rise to the poimlar phrases, " Blind as a 

 beetle," and " Beetle headed," 



The Lachnosterna fusca belongs to the same family of beetles, and is closely 

 related, in both structure and habits, to the rose chafer, which was described in 

 a report read before the society at the last December meeting, and published in 

 the Report of 1872, 



The May beetle {see 3 and Jf in fig.), comes forth in May and June. It is of 

 a deep chestnut brown color, heavy and robust in form, and nearly one inch 

 long. Above it is covered with punctures, and on each elytra, a technical 

 term denoting the upper wings, are two or three raised longitudinal lines. 

 Beneath it is thickly covered with yellow hair. The antennae are lamellate, 

 that is the last three joints are prolonged and may be shut close together like 

 the leaves of a book. This peculiarity, as also the form, gives quick determin- 

 ation to the members of this family. 



The beetles feed in the evening on the leaves of oak, apple, and cherry trees. 

 In 1868, they were so numerous at the Agricultural College, that their hum in 



* The ciitp Iti thif" article are all from electrotype?, procured from Prof. C. "V. Riley, State Entomologist 

 of Misfoiiri, by whoai the drawings weru made. All the Eatomologlcal cuts In the Kcport for 1873 were 

 from the same source. 



