■2{J-2 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



iittt'iiiptiiijr to (U'j)osit its cjrjrs on Die Itfrtlc. ) On knocking' down one of these beetles, 

 we will lind it to be ii little more than iiall an imli bju;^ antl yeliowi.sli-brown in loloi-. 

 .spotted with black, and liaving eoppcry relleetions. Fig. 14. The beetles disappear 

 .shortly after layinj.' their ejrps and are not seen until the followin},' fall, when they 

 a^'ain a|)pear, usually in f^reater nninbers. and attack ;,Meen corn, ripenin;? frnit, etc.. 

 in fact anythinj: liavinjf a sweet sa]). They soiiietinies cluster in numbers on fresh 

 wounds of trees and used to be a nuisance when fruit and corn were dried in the old 

 way, by spreading it out in Hie sun. They not infrequently penetrate clear to the pit 

 of a ripening ]>each and entirely destroy the fruit. Often they get into the ears of 

 sweet corn and render (piantities unfit for the market. 



Fig. 14. Bumble Flower-beetle, A''/7>/(w;-/(/ hid<i. (Original.) 



During the past season, very many complaints have been made to the discredit of 

 this beetle. The very nature and condition of the fruit on which these insects are 

 found, renders it impossible to use poisons. 



The only manner of fighting them consists in collecting the insects when clustered 

 on fruit or wounds of trees, and tliis usually is not practical unless the fruit is grown 

 on a very small scale. It is a comfort to know, liowever, that this insect does not 

 very often occur in sufTicient numbers to do iinich damage. 



KEU KA«1'BKRRY SAW-FLY. 



{ffelandria ruhi, Hairis.) 



The red raspberry saw-tly is an old otlender from whom we expect to hear periodi- 

 cally. Last year it made its appearance known in the southwestern part of the State. 

 and became very bad in restricted localities. At Benton Harbor, quite a destrict 

 was infested, and, in certain fields visited, the damage was very serious indeed. The 

 false-caterpillar that does the damage is a delicate green "worm" about three-quarters 

 of an inch long and covered with pretty, green spines. They occur in great armies 

 and sometimes, as in the case cited, almost cover the canes, eating holes in the leaves 

 until they resemble loose sieves. 



The life history of the insect is substantially as follows: The eggs are laid under 

 the skin of the leaf, not far from some of the large ribs, during the latter half of May. 

 The larvae that come from them are at first wliite, but afterward become the color 

 of the leaf. They are covered with transverse rows of divided spines. The color of the 

 head is yellowish -green with a dark spot on each side. The "worms" are not easily 

 seen until their work becomes apj)arent : they eat the soft parts from between the ribs, 

 leaving sometimes a mere skeleton. 



When the larvae become full grown, which takes about a month from the laying 

 of the eggs, they descend and burrow into the ground and spin a firm cocoon com- 

 posed of silk and bits of earth : in this they change to pupae and emerge the following 

 spring as adult saw-flies. 



