60 



INSECTS AFFECTING THE PLUM. 



INJURING THE FRUIT. 



The Plum Curculio. 



Conotrachelus nenuphar. 

 This insect, the worst foe of the plum grower, is 

 the cause of the " worminess " and premature drop- 

 ping of the fruit that so many orchardists are famil- 

 iar with. Besides plums, it breeds in peaches, nec- 

 tarines, apricots, cherries, pears and apples. 



The adult insect (Fig. 26, c) appears in spring- 

 about the time of blossoming, and feeds upon the 



foliage and flowers until 

 the fruit is well 'set.' It 

 then attacks the young 

 plums, gnawing at them 

 t( i satisfy its hunger, and 

 cutting crescent shaped 

 marks in the skin to de- 

 posit its eggs ((/). In a 

 short time these eggs 

 hatch into little grubs 

 that feed upon the pulp 

 of the fruit, gradually working toward the pit. In a 

 few weeks they become full grown (appearing when 

 magnified like a, Fig. 26), by which time the infested 

 plums have generally fallen to the ground. The 

 larvae then leave the fruit, and entering the soil a 

 short distance change to pupae (b). A few weeks 

 later they again change, and come forth as perfect 



Fig. 26. Plum Curculio : a, larva ; 

 b, pupa ; c, beetle— magnified ; d, 

 plum showing crescent mark. 



