EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



319 



any time, being already in Ohio and Illinois. It has shown itself capable of 

 inflicting great injury, especially in neglected vineyards. The beetle is al)Out 

 one-fourth of an inch long, brown in color, and with a rather dense covering of 

 whitish hairs. 



The damage is done by both adults and larvte. — the beetles working on the 

 foliage, and the larvfe on the roots. The adults eat holes in the leaves in July 

 and August, laying their eggs under the loose bark of the vines. The eggs hatch, 

 fall to the ground, and the grubs find their way to the roots, where they remain 

 until the following June, when they change to pupae, making cells in the soil by 

 packing hard the sides of the spaces in which #they lie. In June and July, the 

 pupae change to adults, which commence eating holes in the leaves. 



REMEDIES. 



Many experiments have been tried in hopes of finding some method whereby 

 the pests could be cheaply and effectively combated, and while they do respond 

 to treatment it is not an easy matter to keep them under control when once 

 they get a start. The following methods are said to be useful: 



Jarring. — Jarring the insects into pans or canvass frames made for the pur- 

 pose and then shaking them into kerosene. This method is more or less expen- 

 sive at present, but quite effective. 



Spraying. — Paris-green should kill the adults, and if applied as soon as the 

 beetles appear, and before the eggs are laid, should be of great value. 



Deep rooting. — The beetles prefer to work near the surface and deep rooting 

 is said to be of benefit. 



Resistant stocks. — The use of stocks more or less distasteful to the beetles 

 should yield good results. Experiments are being at present carried on by 

 the Cornell Experiment Station to determine the value of various native stocks. 



Cultivation — Professor Slingerland recommends persistent cultivation during 

 the period of pupation. The little creatures are easily destroyed by breaking 

 open their cells, and many of them are either buried deeply or exposed on the 

 surface to the ravages of birds, shrews, etc. The cultivation for this purpose 

 should be done from June 15th to the 25th, according to Professor Slingerland, 

 in New York. Probably the same dates will apply here. It is hoped that speci- 

 mens of this insect will be forwarded to the entomologist as soon as found, 

 in order to follow its spread and to provide for experiments for its control. 



The Giant, Grape Root-borer. {Prionis laticoUis.) 



The figure represents a large, soft larva, which goes by the name of the 

 giant, grape root-borer. This footless creature is the larval form of a stout, 



Fig. 40. — The Giant, Grape Root-borer, from Riley, Second Rep. State Entomologist of Mo. 



black beetle, belonging to the family of long horned wood-borers. The larva is 

 white in color, with a brown and black head, and with a row of oval, brown 

 spots running down each side of the body. It bores into the roots of many trees 

 and shrubs, seeming to prefer those of grape whenever accessible. One readily 

 can imagine that when a hole is bored through a grape root by an insect of 

 this size, some injury is apt to result. Fortunately it is only occasionally that 

 one hears of its depredations. The only remedy known is to dig down and cut 

 out the larva whenever the vines show its presence. 



