INSECT AND FUNGOUS ENEMIES OF THE APPLE. 11 
These three treatments, if properly apphed, should be sufficient to 
control the insect effectively in any region; but in a territory where 
bitter rot and apple blotch are prevalent, and where later fungicidal 
treatments are necessary, it will be advisable to add an arsenical for 
further insurance against the codling moth, as stated under the 
caption “ Spraying schedule,” pages 43-44. 
THE PLUM CURCULIO. 
The plum cureulio (Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst), over a great 
deal of its range, is easily second in importance as an apple pest to 
the codling moth. It occurs quite generally from Canada south to 
Florida and west to 
about the one-hun- 
dredth meridian. 
The insect is a 
small snout beetle, 
of the family Cur- 
culionide, and 
many of its near 
relatives, as the 
cotton-boll weevil, 
strawberry weevil, 
plum gouger, al- 
falfa weevil, etc., 
are very serious 
enemies of  culti- 
rated crops. The 
species attacks most 
cultivated pome and 
stone fruits, as ap- 
ple, pear, peach, Wie. 4.—Egg scars of the plum curculio (Conotrachelus 
nenuphar) on young apples. 
plum. cherry, .etc., 
and it is especially troublesome to the peach.t In the present con- 
nection the insect is considered in reference to its injuries to apple. 
CHARACTER OF INJURY. 
The overwintering beetles attack the young apples in the spring, 
shortly after these are well set. Both sexes puncture the fruit with 
their snout-like proboscis for feeding, and the females also in egg 
laying. Feeding and egg laying continue for several weeks or 
months in the case of the hardier individuals. Much of the fruit, 
punctured while small, falls to the ground, but after it has become 
about the size of a large marble or larger (see fig. 4), it may remain 
1See Farmers’ Bulletin 440, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Spraying Peaches for 
the Control of Brown-rot, Scab, and Curculio. 
492 
