1911 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 95 



The Canker worms, A. pom,etaria, and vernata, trouble us but little at Ste. 

 ADne's. In parts of Quebec, however, they are of local importance, and in the 

 Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia are among the worst of the apple pests. Under 

 ordinary circumstances we recommend lead arsenate, applied as needed, and 

 ivhen the caterpillars are small. Carefully applied, and carefully watched bands 

 of tree-tanglefoot are perhaps profitable in the districts worst affected. The males 

 and females of A. pometaria have been common here this fall and were abundant 

 until late in November; but we find most about the maple trees. 



Small Fruits. 



The Currant Span-worm, C. ribearia, has become a pest with us. Its spotted 

 looping caterpillars feed voraciously, and seem harder to kill than the comlmon 

 saw-fly larvae. Paris green is always effective, and plenty of hellebore will do the 

 work. The caterpillars are very common early in June, and pupate the last of the 

 month. The first moths appeared in our cages on July 4th, but were found out- 

 doors on June 29th. The egg-laying period extends over several weeks. 



The Currant Borer, Sesia tipuliformis, has nearly ruined a currant patch 

 in this neighbourhood. Last year, on July 9th, we noticed a number of dying canes, 

 which proved to have been killed by larvae of this species. The larvae had escaped 

 and only two parasitized pupae were found. There was nothing to be done then, 

 of course, as the moths were all out and egg-laying partly over. This season by 

 April 14th the larvae were working in the canes in which they had wintered. While 

 small they keep to the pith and may be found in all parts of the cane. Their work 

 leaves a black tunnel through the centre of the cane, and the species may be recog- 

 nized by this character of their tunnels. "When full grown the larva spins a 

 cocoon within the cane near an exit hole through the side previously cut by it. 

 Shortly after the cocoon is spun the larva pupates. Often these pupae wriggle 

 from the cocoon and project, head foremost, from the opening, after the fashion of 

 other Lepidopterons wood-boring species, thus enabling the moth to emerge with- 

 out touching the wood. In many instances, however, the pupa-cases remain within 

 the cocoons. In the laboratory cages the later stages are passed rapidly, and give 

 little indication of the condition in the field. Larvae pupated in the cages on the 

 Ist of May, and emerged seven days later; but on this date. May 8th, the cater- 

 pillars outdoors were still feeding, and only a few even spinning cocoons. The first 

 pupa was found outdoors on May 11th, and the greater number of the adults were 

 flying during the third week in June. Mating and egg-laying take place at this 

 time. The moths are extremely active, darting back and forth over the patch dur- 

 ing the sunshine, but disappearing in cloudy weather. The eggs are laid on the 

 canes, and the larvse enter the canes and feed for the rest of the season, becoming 

 perhaps two-thirds grown by winter time. 



The injury to the canes appears in June, or late in May, usually about the 

 time of pupation. The leaves ^vilt, turn yellow and fall, and the cane rapidly dies. 

 Occasionally the canes survive the attack and bear fruit the following season. In 

 these cases the old exit hole can be found in the side of the cane. 



This insect is a very injurious pest, and quite capable of completely destroy- 

 ing a large plantation in a few years. The only method of control consists in 

 rigidly destroying, hurning, the diseased canes, as soon as they can be distinguished. 

 Usually they are noticeable after, or even before, pupation, and can always be 

 detected after pupation by the exit holes. 



