458 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol.9 



THE FRUIT-TREE LEAF SYNETA, SPRAYING DATA AND 

 BIOLOGICAL NOTESi 



By G. F. MozNETTE 



During the past spring the prune and cherry growers of the Willam- 

 ette Valley in Oregon had considerable loss due to the ravages of the 

 Fruit -Tree Leaf Syneta, Syneta albida Lee. The species is a member 

 of the family Chrysomelidrc and is primarily a leaf feeder. However, 

 at the time this species is particularly abundant, the young developing 

 fruit of the cherry and prune is severely attacked. The injury which 

 consists of a pitting to the fruit causes it to be scarred or blemished so 

 ))adly that it is rendered unmarketable, and it may also ripen pre- 

 maturely and fall (PI. 31, fig. 1). In many cases the stems are also badly 

 nibbled (PI. 32, fig. 2) . In the case of the cherry and prune particularly^ 

 the beetles seem to prefer the tender fruit to the leaves and petals 

 (PI. 33, fig. 3) ; these, however, are often eaten severely and cause con- 

 siderable alarm. Fortunately the species in puncturing the petals, an 

 injury which is often very conspicuous, does not injure the fruit- 

 forming parts of the flower (PI. 33, figs. 3, 4). Considerable injury is 

 also caused to the foliage of young trees, and often means the death 

 of the grafts when the individuals are abundant. 

 • Investigation into the distribution of this species shows it to be 

 confined to the Pacific Coast. The species is found from Western 

 British Columbia south to Alameda county on San Francisco Bay. 

 Upon examination of specimens in the writer's collection individuals 

 are recorded as collected from Contra Costa County, Oakland and 

 Nashmine in California by Dr. E. C. Van Dyke. Other specimens were 

 taken at Seattle, Port Angeles and Monroe in Washington. It is 

 fairly well distributed over the entire Willamette Valley, Oregon, 

 particularly in the northern part. Specimens collected in British 

 Columbia were taken at Vernon. The species was not known to 

 exist east of the Cascade Mountains but recentlj^ a report was noticed 

 in which Mr. M. A. Yothers^ reports it as being a serious pest to apple 

 at Walla Walla, Washington. He also reports it from Payallup, 

 Washington, near Seattle. 



Upon examination the species was found to be exceedingly variable 

 in coloration, apparently according to its typographical distribution. 

 The male possesses subacute angulations at the sides of the thorax 

 without denticulations. The costse in this species are very variable 



1 Contribution from the Entomology Department of the Oregon Agricultm-al College. 



2 Bui. No. 124, Bud Weevils and Other Bud-eating Insects of Washington, by M. A. 

 Yothers, Pullman, Wash. 



