73S Journal of A gricidture, Victoria. [10 Dec, 1918. 



THE RUTHERGLEN BUG 



(Nysius vinitor.) 

 A Destructive Pest to Potatoes, Tomatoes, Grapes, Peaches, &c. 



By C. French, Junr., Govenvinent Entomologist. 



The small insect called tlie Rutherglen bug, or Rutherglen fiy, which, 

 is a true plant bug, is one of the worst pests that orchardists, vignerons, 

 and growers of vegetables have to contend with. In orchards and vine- 

 yards, the bugs damage the fruit in all stages of development, causing it 

 to become shrivelled and fall off. The punctures made by the bugs cause 

 small brownish markings, somewhat resembling bitter pit in apples, to 

 appear under the skin of the fruit. In J^few South Wales it has been 

 recorded as a wheat pest, but the authorities there state that it has not 

 become a serious trouble in their western areas. This, is probably due to 

 the fact that wheat ripens early in those districts, and consequently is too 

 hard to be attacked when the bugs begin to appear. 



The insect is of a dirty-brown colour, measuring about two lines in 

 length ; the body is at first of a light greyish-brown, but later becomjes 

 almost black in colour. They sometimes appear in countless numbers 

 during October, November, December, and January, and have caused 

 considerable losses to growers of fruit, especially peaches, apricots, and 

 tomatoes. 



Rutherglen bugs have also beeai responsible for the falling oif in the 

 honey production in Victoria, owing to its swarming in the Eucalyptus 

 and other flowers, and abstracting the nectar. Mr. Beuhne, the Go- 

 vernment Bee Expert, has made careful observations regarding their 

 attack on some of the best honey flora, and I fully agree with him when 

 he says that these insects caused ai)iarists severe losses last season. For- 

 tunately, the bugs appear only in such vast numbers as those of last 

 year once or twice every few years, the previous heavy devastations by 

 them having been seven years before. 



Like all other plant bugs, this insect is furnished with a kind of 

 beak, with which it pierces the flowers and fruits. It then ci)mmences 

 to suck the sap ; flowers turn dark-coloured, and fruit shrivels up. 



The eggs of the bug are deposited in clusters amongst rubbish and 

 weeds, or under the soil, at the end of the summer. From ths time the 

 bug leaves the Qg^, it goes through various moulting stages, casting the 

 skin at regular intervals, until it reaches the final moult, when it 

 emerges as a fully-winged insect. 



This insect can be kept in check by the use of benzole emulsion (1 lb. 

 of benzole emulsion to 5 gallons of water), kerosene, or tobacco sprays. 

 The recent smudge fire exj^eriments have been very successful in Vic- 

 toria and elsewhere. When a gentle breeze is blowing, smudge fires 

 are started at intervals along the trees, and a little sulphur is sprinkled 

 on them. The fires should not be placed too near the trees. 



The phenyle spray was used against Rutherglen bugs with good 

 results in the Goulburn Valley last season by Mr. Fletcher, Orchard 

 Supervisor. The formula adopted was : — 



1 quart phenyle, 1 bar yellow soap (2 lbs.). 



3 lb. washing soda, 40 gallons of water. 



