438 



FRUIT INSECTS 



a similar injury to 

 grapes in Europe. 

 Its presence in a 

 vineyard is first in- 

 dicated by abnor- 

 mally enlarged, yel- 

 lowish or dark 

 reddish blossom 

 buds (Fig. 378) 

 which fail to open 

 and drop off about 

 the normal time for 

 blossoming. Open- 

 , . , ing one of these 



Fig. 378. — Enlarged blossom buds infested with j u j 



midge larvse, normal blossom buds at the right. enlarged. DUClS, it 



will be found to 

 contain a number of small whitish or yellowish maggots from 

 T6 to yV inch in length (Fig. 379). From 10 to 60 per cent of 

 the buds are some- 

 times destroyed, 

 giving the clusters 

 a very thin and 

 ragged api^earance, 

 and thus decreas- 

 ing considerably the 

 market value of the 

 crop. 



The parent insect 

 is a delicate two- 

 winged midge with 

 a yellowish body 

 and straw colored 

 legs (Fig. 380). The 

 female is about jg 



Fig. 379. 



- Grape blossom buds opened to show 

 larvse inside, enlarged. 



