26 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



folded along- the sides and over the backs, while in the males they are 

 spread out flatly on the back. The black-tipped ovipositor also helps 

 to distinguish the female. The eggs are about one eighth of an inch 

 long, slender, slightly curved and white. They are inserted in the 

 stems of the host. 



Life History. — The eggs are placed singly in tlic canes or twigs in 

 tlie autumn and remain dormant during the winter. The first warm 

 spring days cause them to hatch and the young, wingless, green 

 crickets begin feeding upon i)lant lice or other soft-bodied insects. 



Throughout its entire life, from the time it leaves 

 the egg until egg-laying commences in the fall the 

 insect is working for the benefit of the farmer, 

 l^y autumn all forms are mature and egg-laying 

 l)egins, the adults disappearing soon afterwards. 



Cistributicn. — Throughout the entire State. 



Food and Host Plants. — The damage done by 

 the snowy tree-cricket is due almost entirely to its 

 method of puncturing the small stems and canes in 

 ( 'U-laying. It often happens that so many eggs 



are placed in the canes as 

 to cause considerable loss. 

 Raspberries and blackber- 

 ries receive the most in- 

 jury, though young decid- 

 uous fruit nursery stock is 

 also often severely injured. 

 The feeding habits of 

 this species places it among 

 the beneficial insects and 

 partially offset the damage 

 done in depositing the 

 eggs. The young and old 

 alike feed upon soft-bodied 

 insects, principally plant 

 lice, and due to their ravenous appetites they are able to consume great 

 numbers of other injurious pests. 



Control. — The method of eliminating subseciuent broods and attacks 

 consists in cutting out all canes showing the characteristic signs of 

 having been punctured for egg-laying (Fig. 24a). It has been said by 

 inany reliable authorities that the good done by the snowy tree-cricket 

 in destroying injurious plant lice and other soft-bodied insects more 

 than recompenses the farmer for the harm done and that only in rare 

 cases should the eggs be destroyed, even after the injured canes or 

 branches have been removed. 



Fjg. -4. — Left, esiis uf (lU-diitluix sp. «. t\vif> show- 

 ing punctures ; h. twig split open to show eggs : 

 c, egg; (1. cap of egg. Enlarged. (After Kiley. ) 

 ITpper right, female of (JJcinitlnix iiircus DeGeer. 

 l.,ower right, male of (Kctnitliiis f<i.<ici(/fiis Fitch, 

 which greatl.v resembles male of snow.r tree- 

 cricket. (After Lugger.) 



