286 



JOURNAL OF AGRICTLTrKE OF P. R. 



of damage to celery by feeding ou the tender stalks and leaves. 



The fevnale moth deposits several hundreds of greenish-eolored 

 eggs in a single mass. These hatch in about a v,eek and the young 

 larv« swarm over the surrounding foliage. Needless to say such 

 large numbers of these caterpillars do a great deal of damage before 

 they finally pupate and turn into moths some two months later. 



The adult moths are large, handsome creatures, with wliite wings 

 marked with numerous small, dark rings, and with the abdomen 

 orange colored, marked with a few black spots. 



Control. — This pest may be controlled by spraying the plants 

 with arsenate cf lead, three pounds in fifty gallons of water. 



MEALY BUG (Pseudococcus citri). 

 The roots of celery often times become infested with this mealy 



Fig. 40. — Wooly-Bear Caterpillar {lujxiiilherid eridanu.s). Larva. 



bug. So numerous do they become at times that the plants are 

 stunted and growth is almost entirely checked. 



These mealy looking insects (Fig. 41) cause damage by sucking 

 the plant juices through their slender needle-like probosces. They 

 multiply very i-apidly. the females giving hii-tli to hundreds of Uy- 

 ing young. 



Control. — It is very difficult to control tliis pest, but some relief 

 may be obtained by soakiug the soil around tlic [)lants with kerosene 

 emulsion, diluted at the rate of one part of stock to ten parts of water. 

 Directions for making the emulsion are given on page 268. 



OTHER CELERY PESTS. 



Xilomeges sunia (see Chard, page 287) ; aphids (see Cabbage, 



