850 Pomona College Journ^vl of Entomology 



SOilE INSECT PESTS OF THE CALIFORNIA LIVE OAK 



R. W. DOANE 



Jouroiil Ecunoiiiic Entomology, August, 1912 



T\u' following were mentioned: The oak tree moth, the tussoek moth, at 

 least three speeies of leaf miners, carpenter worm, oak tree Cerocoi-cus. 



W. A. Hilton. 



THE YELLOW Cl'RKANT FLY OR GOOSEHERRY FRUIT FLY 

 (EPOCHRA CANADENSIS LOEW.) 



.1. H. PAINE 



P.syehe, Oetober. 1912. 



Observations were taken in the vicinity of Stanford University. 



The adult females go about the fruit at the time of laying with a constant 

 fluttering of the wings. As a rule the fly prefers a berry that has not been 

 stung before, but mcst of the fruit under observation had been stung twiee 

 or oftener. After puncturing the skin the hole formed remains small, but 

 later the area about the egg turns brown and makes a very conspicuous spot. 

 In the vicinity of Stanford, egg laying is continued through April to the 

 middle of May. When the presence of the larva^ causes the berry to ripen 

 and drop prematurely, it turns red with black blotches. The larvw penetrate 

 the ground to a dcptli of nn inch or so and change to pupa\ There appears 

 to be but one br(;< d. the insects remaining inactive in the ground for ten 

 months. 



Several remedies have lieen suggested: 



1. Fre(|uent burning of fallen currants. 



2. Removal of toj) soil underneath the l)ushes to a (h'ptli of two or three 

 inches. 



•S. A mulch of coarse straw or lia.v well packed about the bushes to 

 jirevent the flies from emerging. 



4. Allowing young chickens to run under the hushes at the time of the 

 ripening of tlie fruit. 



5. Pick and desti'o.y the entire cr(i|i while gi'cen. 



t). A metliod tried with success by the author was to cover the entire 

 hush with mos(|uito netting to keep the flies away from the fruit. 



W. II. 



WlllTH ANTS IN NATAL 



In the October number of the Sciutli .M'ricaii .\i;ric-ultufal -iournal. Mr. 

 Claude Fuller, the Goveriuiient eiitomolugist in Natal, gives a detailed account 

 of the white ants in that province. The most common as well as the most 

 iiarinful species is the Tcrmfii iiatahusis. which lias been taken destroying live 



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