INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



31 



THE CALIFORNIA TREE-CRICKET 



(Ecanthus californicus Walker 

 (Figs. 26, 27) 



Description.— The adults are slightly more than £ inch long and 

 are light yellow or very pale-green in color. The antennae are long 

 and hair-like, and the legs are very slender. The females appear nar- 

 row, because the wings are folded roof-like over the back, while the 

 males appear broad, because the 

 wings are spread flat on the 

 back. They average from § to 

 1 inch in length. 



The eggs are pearly white, 

 slender, curved and about £ inch 

 long. They are inserted singly 

 or in small scattered groups in 

 the tissues of the host plant. 

 The young are light green and 

 appear like the adults, except 

 that they are entirely wingless 

 or have only wing pads. 



Life History.— The eggs are 

 inserted singly or in small loose 

 clusters into the canes or twigs 

 in the fall and remain dormant 

 during the winter. The first 

 warm spring days cause them to hatch, and the young, wingless, green 

 crickets begin feeding on plant lice or other soft-bodied insects. 



Throughout its entire life, 

 from the time it leaves the 

 egg until egg-laying com- 

 mences in the fall, the insect 

 is working for the benefit of 

 the farmer. By autumn all 

 forms are mature and egg- 

 laying begins, the adults 

 disappearing soon after- 

 wards. 



Distribution.— This is the 

 common tree-cricket and 

 occurs throughout the en- 

 tire State. 



Nature of Work and 

 Hosts. — The damage done 

 by the California tree- 

 cricket is due almost en- 

 tirely to its method of punc- 

 turing the small stems and canes of plants in egg-laying. It often 

 happens that enough eggs are placed in the twigs to cause consider- 

 able loss. Raspberries, blackberries and loganberries receive the most 

 injury, though young deciduous nursery stock is also often severely 



Fig. 26. — Eggs of the California tree- 

 cricket, CEcanthus californicus Walk. In 

 loganberry cane. Natural size. (Photo by 

 Leroy Childs) 



Fig. 27. — Adult male and nymph of the Cali- 

 fornia tree-cricket. CEcanthus californicus 

 Walk. Slightly enlarged. (Original) 



