EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 345 



less blended. There are twenty-two legs; six true, jointed legs, and sixteen false 

 legs, distinguishing this larva from the caterpillars of moths, none of which 

 living on strawberry have so many. 



Early in June, the eggs are laid in small slits in the leaf stems. The young 

 descend into the ground as soon as full grown, and spin frail cocoons, change to 

 pupae, and emerge as adults about the last of July or the first of August. In the 

 case of the second brood, the process is repeated, up to the spinning of the cocoon, 

 before cold weater sets in. 



There is another species of saw-fly (Monostegia ignota), that closely resembles 

 the species in question, but the heads of the larvae lack the brown spots already 

 described. The two species, however, are so alike in habits that the same treat- 

 ment will apply to both. 



REMEDIES. 



When the fruit is set and only partially grown, use hellebore. It is likely 

 that dry-slaked lime sifted on the worms, will kill them as it is effectual against 

 many of its close relatives. The skin of the larva being sticky and tender, the 

 lime clings to it and acts as a caustic. 



After the fruit is gone, use paris-green or one of the arsenites. 



The Strawberry Leaf-roller. (Plioxopteris coviptana.) 



The following is taken from the author's bulletin 175 of this station. "As the 

 name implies, the leaf-roller is to be found in the curled foliage. The cater- 

 pillars are small, yellowish or greenish "worms" which feed on the leaves and 

 cause them to curl up tightly into little clumps, which are bound together with 

 silken webs. Often the enclosed spaces are lined with the same material making 

 nests. The caterpillars or larvae may be found by pulling apart the nests; when 

 full-grown they are about three-fourths of an inch in length, slender and gently 

 tapering. The adult, winged form, not seen so often, is a very small and delicate 

 moth, reddish-brown and dusky in color, with black and white markings and 

 about one-fourth of an inch in length, while the extended wings measure a little 

 less than half an inch. 



Fig. 70. — Strawberry Leaf-roller, enlarged. Author's illustration. 



This dainty little moth comes forth early in the spring and lays its eggs for 

 the first brood on the young strawberry leaves. These eggs hatch and the 

 "worms" or caterpillars appear in June. If numerous, they devastate the straw- 

 berry beds and then, becoming adults, lay more eggs in September. These eggs 

 hatch and the young "worms" have just about time enough to become full-grown 

 and go into the ground for the winter. 



REMEDIES. 



After the first year of course no poison should be used on the plants before 

 the berries are gathered, but directly after gathering the berries, or during 

 the first year before the plants bear, the plants should be cut off close with a 

 mowing machine and burned. The field may then be sprayed with paris-green 

 and lime, which will serve to kill numbers of the full-grown worms in the 

 leaves and also to poison what young larvae may come from the eggs already laid. 

 The spray, of course, should be repeated as long as any caterpillars remain. This 

 method should prove of great benefit and the regular rotation of crops will also 

 be found useful. In some instances the fields have been burned over, with good 



44 



