THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



191 



cylindrical ; white with reddish-brown head, black legs and mandibles ; 

 covered with brownish hair and slightly over one half inch long. The 

 pupffi are formed in brownish cocoons, the chrysalids being reddish 

 brown with several rows of dark spines across the back and. sides. 

 They are about one half inch long and are usually found within the 

 old burrows. 



Life History.— The adult moths begin to issue about April, continu- 

 ing until the latter part of July. The eggs are laid soon after the adults 

 appear and the young larvge apparently hatch and work during the 

 winter and spring, most of the damage being done in the spring, about 

 February, soon after which pupation begins so that adults may begin to 

 issue in April. The broods overlap considerably as pup^ may be 

 found as late as June. 



Distribution. — Throughout the central and southern parts of the 

 State, though specimens may occur quite far north in the Sacramento- 

 Valley. 



Food Plants. — The larvae work within the stems near the base or in 

 the roots near the crown of the host plants. They are exceedingly 

 destructive to strawberry plants, working within the crowns and roots. 

 They also feed within the roots and canes of raspberry and blackberry 

 plants. Their presence usually means the complete destruction of the 

 plants unless control measures are promptly adopted. 



Control. — Submersion, when possible, is a quick and thorough means. 

 of exterminating the pest but of course this is limited to irrigated dis- 

 tricts. The fields should be flooded soon after the crop is harvested 

 and the water left standing over the vines for four or five days. The 

 destruction of weakened and infested plants is also recommended to 

 prevent the spread of the moth. Valuable plants can be protected 

 with screens or netting to prevent the moths depositing their eggs upon 

 them. 



THE IMPORTED CURRANT BORER. 



Sesia tipuliformis (Clerck) (Family Sesiidae). 



{Mgeria tipuliformis Clerck.) 



(Figs. 178, 179.) 



General Appearance. — The adult females are clear-winged moths 

 with delicate, slender bodies about three eighths of an inch long and a 

 wing expanse of from five eighths to three fourths of an inch. The 

 general color is jet black with deep blue iridescence. There is a yellow 

 band around the base of the head; three distinct and two indistinct 

 yellow bands around the abdomen and two oblique longitudinal yellow 

 stripes on the thorax. Because of sunshine these lines and bands are 

 misleading in the photograph (Fig. 178) excepting the last two abdom- 

 inal rings in the left-hand specimen. The areas on the thorax just 

 below the wings are also yellow. The fore wings are opaque along 

 the borders, with a small band enclosing a clear area near the opaque 



