374 



varieties of peaches and those ripening after 1st August are subject 

 to severe injury, the larvae entering close to the stem and going 

 direct to the seed. 



Injury to pomaceous fruits, though it may not be severe in a 

 commercial sense, is yet of economic importance, as the problem of 

 control is complicated by the fact of a favoured food supply existing 

 for the pest in the autumn after its normal host-fruits have disappeared. 



Insects likely to be confused with C. molesta, either because of a 

 close resemblance in the larval stage, or of a similarity in the injuries 

 that they cause are : — Cydia {Laspeyresia) jpomonella,, L. (codling 

 moth), Enarmonia (L.) prunivora, Walsh (lesser apple worm), Anarsia 

 Uneatella, Z. (peach. tmg borer) and Enarmonia {L.) pyricolana, 

 Murtfeldt. 



Eight species of Hymenopterous parasites of C. molesta have been 

 reared, six being primary, and two secondary parasites. One Dipterous 

 parasite, Hypostena variabilis, Coq., was also reared from larvae 

 collected in the orchard. Macrocentrus sp. was the most abundant 

 of the six primary Hymenopterous parasites, attacking the larvae 

 -* of C. molesta and spinning its cocoon within that of the host. 

 It is also a parasite of C pomonella. Second in abundance was 

 PJiaeogenes sp., which probably attacks C. molesta in the prepupal 

 or pu'pal stage. Ascogaster carpocapsae, Vier., oviposits in the egg of 

 the host and kills the insect in the larval stage after it has spun its 

 cocoon. Of the remaining parasites, Spilocryptus sp. attacks the larva 

 after it has spun its cocoon, while Mesostenus sp. and Glypta vulgaris, 

 Cress., attack the. feeding larva and kill it before pupnVion. The two 

 secondar;;^' parasites, Dibrachys boucheanus, Ratz., and Cerambycobins 

 sp., were both found in cocoons of Macrocentrus sp. 



Since the larva feeds within the twigs and fruit, it cannot be controlled 

 on peaches by the use of poison-sprays. Lead arsenate, though applied 

 just before the eggs were due to hatch, did not prevent the larvae 

 from entering the twigs afid fruit, and was quite ineffective. 

 Negative results were also obtained with the same spray applied at 

 other times, also with 40 per cent, nicotine sulphate solution diluted 

 to 1 part in 400 part^ water, and with a combination spray of lead 

 arsenate and nicotine sulphate. Other attempted remedial measures 

 were : — banding the trees with burlap ; clipping and destroying 

 infested twigs and fruit ; immersing the cocoons containing hibernating 

 larvae in miscible oils and nicotine sulphate ; and fumigating hibernating 

 larvae with hydrocyanic-acid gas. But from the results obtained it 

 appears imj)r)ssible to free infested nursery stock from this insect 

 by the last two methods, while the first two gave only negative results 

 in the orchard.. 



Parasitism of the insect in the autumn undoubtedly is a factor 

 in lessening the number of moths emerging' in the spring, but the 

 percentage of parasitism cannot yet be definitely stated. 



War Vegetable Gardening and the Home Storage of Vegetables. — 



National War Garden Commission, Maryland Building, Washington, 

 B.C., 1918, 31 pp., 29 figs. [Received 21st Jitne 1918.] 



A section of this circular deals with disease and insect prevention, 

 the usual fungicides and insecticides being recommended, and directions 

 for their preparation being given. 



