APPLE APHIS. 285 



the backs of the thick fleshy leaves, which pricking causes 

 them to curve backwards from their points ; and in this 

 manner safe retreats are formed, and shelter from the effects 

 of rain and hot sun." 



" The winged insects abound most in July, when they spread 

 their colonies so much that sometimes the vast orchards of 

 Devonshire are wholly robbed of their fruit through shrivelling 

 of the leaves. The bark of the trees sometimes is blackened 

 by the glutinous secretion voided by these Aphides." 



This species of Apple Aphis is stated to be very variable 

 both in form and colour. Of the females that produce Uving 

 young, the ivingless ones (hatched from the egg first in the 

 season, which may be called the mother-Aphides of the suc- 

 cessive generations of the year) are globose and soft, larger 

 than those born from these Aphides afterwards, of a dark slaty 

 grey colour, mottled with green, with short dark grey horns 

 and legs. The latter viviparous broods are variable in colour, 

 as green, yellowish, rusty red, &c. The ivinged female bearing 

 living young {vivijMrous) has the head, horns, and body between 

 the wings black ; abdomen green, with dots on each side ; 

 legs yellowish, with black knees and feet. The wings are 

 long, and pale green at the base. The wingless egg-laying 

 female is almost globose, of a brownish green colour, with a 

 rusty stain on the head and part of the thorax. The tail and 

 rings next to it are very hairy. 



In the case of this plant-louse, there are wingless males ; 

 whether there are winged ones also, appears not to be certain. 

 The wingless kind is described as "exceedingly minute, per- 

 haps one-eighth the size of the female " (of which the greatest 

 length given is about the tenth of an inch) ; legs long ; horns 

 longer than the body, and sucker almost equal to it in length. 



The early stages of this species of plant-louse much 

 resemble each other in form ; the pupa, however, has reddish 

 wing-cases ; also, it is usually of a paler yellow in colour than 

 the larva, and has three green stripes on the abdomen. — 

 {' Mon. of Brit. Aphides,' vol. ii.) 



I have not a figure of this Aphis, but that of the winged 

 viviparous female of the Hop Aphis at p. 119 may be taken as 

 a fair general idea of the appearance of the winged viviparous 

 female of the Apple Aphis described above, and the number 

 and amount of forking of the wing veins is similar. — (Ed.) 



Peevention and Eemedies. — The soft-soap and other 

 washes, customarily serviceable for Aphis prevention, for which 

 see " Hop Aphis " and references in Index. 



In the case of this Aphis, which blackens the bark and gives 

 the tree a sickly smell from its excretions, thorough and 



