72 



THE REPORT OF THE 



No. 36 



INJURIOUS INSECTS OF THE YEAR, MACDONALD COLLEGE, QUE. 



J. M. SwAiNE, Macdonald College, Que. 



Saperda Candida, and ChrysohotJiris femoraia, the Apple tree borers, have not 

 been so numerous in this region as formerly. 



Schizoneura lanigera, the Apple Woolly Aphis, has been quite common, and 

 on some young trees distinctly injurious. Many scars were formed on the smaller 

 branches. I have no record of the occurrence in Quebec of the root form of this 

 insect. 



Lepidosaphes ulmi, the Oyster Shell Scale, is very common in Quebec 

 orchards, and too often neglected entirely. The spring spray with lime-sulphur 

 holds it in check. This is, so far, our only orchard scale of importance. 



• Oherea tripunctata, the Apple-twig Oberea, has been recorded in large num- 

 bers from various parts of New Brunswick, and it may become a troublesome pest- 

 It is not yet recorded from Quebec. Its work in the apple twigs resembles that of 

 0. himaculaia in raspberry canes. 



Malacosoma americana and M. disslria, the Apple and Forest Tent Cater- 

 pillars, were extremely common this season, and injurious in unsprayed orchards. 

 Their egg masses are to be found now in great numbers. 



Fig. 31. — Round-head Apple-tree Borer — o, larva; h, pupa; c, beetle. 



There was not much injury from Bud Moth or Case-bearers in our locality; 

 and canker worms were rarely seen. 



The Pear Blister Mite has not yet troubled our Quebec orchards, though 

 possibly we shall need to control it later. 



Rhagoletis pomonella, the Apple Maggot. This insect has been recorded this 

 season from many parts of Quebec Province, and is in some districts very injurious. 

 It is very evident that the pest is becoming widely distributed, and that it should 

 be neglected no longer. 



So far as known at present the only practical method of control is the careful 

 gathering of the fallen fruit. Through the first part of the season these fallen 

 fruits should be rigidly gathered and destroyed — boiled and fed to stock — every 

 day, or every second day. 



It would be interesting to know to what extent this insect breeds in the fruit 

 of the hawthorne. It is recorded several times as breeding in haws. This season 

 we found the haws about the Macdonald College badly infested with maggots. 

 From them we bred flies that I cannot distinguish from those bred from apples. 

 The hawthorne bushes are numerous in the neighborhood of the College; but we 

 are not troubled as yet with the Apple Maggot. The subject is interesting.* 



* Since writing the above, the specimens bred from haws have been determined 

 by Prof. J. M. Aldrich as R. pomonella Walsh. 



