436 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE CURRANT BORER. 



^geria tipuUformis, Linn. Family JEgereidcz. Order Lepidoptera. 



This imported JEgerian or currant borer is becoming very common and 

 destructive in Michigan. Like all of this Lepidopterous family of borers, this 

 moth is a quick-winged, beautiful, wasp-like insect. It is thirteen mm. 

 (3-16 of an inch) long, and expands 18 mm. (11-16 of an inch). The wings 

 are transparent, with an opaque brown border, which is narrow on the pos- 

 terior wings but quite wide on the tip of the primaries. Within this brown 

 tip is a transparent cross line nearly as wide as the brown tip, and still nearer 

 the base is a second brown cross line, less than half as wide as the other. The 

 body, antennae, and parts of the legs, are blue black, while the mouth parts, 

 collar, four cross-bands on the abdomen, and portions of the legs, are golden 

 yellow. Like all JEgerians, its abdomen is tipp.ed with a brush. The larva 

 is white, with brown head and legs. The chrysalis is brown, rather slim, and 

 is always found in the hollow stem. Each segment is armed posteriorly with 

 teeth. 



HABITS. 



The moth appears early in June, flying in the hot sunshine. The eggs are 

 laid near a bud. The larva as soon as hatched bores or eats its way to the 

 center of the stem and eats till the next May, tunneling the stem for some 

 inches. Late in May and early in June the larvae and pupas will both be 

 found in the hollow stems of the currant. Before pupating, the larva 

 eats a hole through the stem to serve as a door of egress for the prospective 

 moth state. Before the moth issues, the chrysalis wriggles its way out through 

 the small hole cut by the larva, which it is enabled to do the moi'e readily 

 because of the saw-teeth like projections on the segments. As the moth flies 

 forth, she leaves the pupa skin or case still sticking in the hole through which 

 the pupa passed from the hollow in the stem. 



EEMEDIES. 



From this borer we have bred several specimens of an Ichneumon parasite, 

 which Mr. E. T. Cresson informs me are the Phceogems ater Cress., the male 

 of which he says is undescribed. I think this is the first mention of this 

 parasite on the currant borer. 



The female of P. ater Cresson, is described in Proceedings of American 

 Entomological Society, vol. 3d, p. 138, as follows: Black; antenna with a 

 white annulus ; wings subhyaline ; central area of metathorax large, 

 subquadrate. 



Female — Black, subopaque; head with white-pointed orbits, not reaching 

 the clypeus, which is shining, and having a rather deep rounded fovea on 

 each side; antennae short, flattened towards the tip and slightly involute, the 

 Sth and 14tli joints white. Thorax finely punctured, subopaque; a minute 

 white spot on each side in front of the tegulte; scuttelum flat, triangular, 

 polished, distinctly punctured; metathorax finely scabrous, the elevated lines 

 tolerably well defined and shining, the central area large subquadrate, rather 

 smooth. Wings subhyaline, faintly tinged with fulginous; nervures blackish, 

 stigma piceous; areolet five angular, almost triangular. Legs black, the anterior 

 tibiae in front pale. Abdomen elongate, subopaque, very finely and densely 

 punctured ; first segment rather broad, bi-lineated, and finely aciculate, basal 



