approach of cold weather, when they leave the trees and seek winter 

 quarters. In orchards where sod and other conditions permit the 

 accumulation of leaves and rubbish directly beneath the trees many 

 beetles simply go to the ground, work beneath the leaves, and there 

 pass the winter, and are thus near at hand to attack the fruit when 

 it develops the following spring. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



The natural food plant of the plum curculio is undoubtedly the 

 native wild plum. The curculio also feeds upon and breeds in wild 

 crabapples, wild cherries, and haws, and is reported to breed in the 

 persimmon. It has also been bred from a common fungous growth of 

 plums and cherries called "black-knot" {Ploionghtia morhosa 

 Sacc), though this is evidently an abnormal habit. Of the culti- 

 vated pome and stone fruits, nearly all are attacked for feeding' and 

 egg-laying purposes, including jDlums, peaches, cherries, nectarines, 

 apricots, apples, and pears, but of those listed the smooth-skinned 

 sorts, notably plums, are preferred. The beetle feeds also upon the 



blossoms and foliage of its various food 

 plants, but to a much more limited 

 extent. 



CIIAKACTEU OF INJURY. 



The plum curculio is injurious in both 

 the larval and adult stages, though it is 

 in the adult stage that it is most harm- 

 ful. The young fruit becomes badly 

 scarred by the more or less crescent ic 

 f^gg punctures and pit-like feeding 

 |)unctures. and in late summer and fall 

 fruit is injured by the feeding of beetles 

 plum curculio in a ripe peach, show- of the uew generation. The [)resence of 



iiig injury to the interior of the fruit. ,11 • ' ,1 j- • 1 11 



Somewhat reduced(originai). tile larva HI the youug fruit generally 



causes it to fall, and in cherries and 

 nearly ripe peaches and plums in which it may develop the fruit is 

 spoiled. (See figure 3, showing injury of this character to a v\\w 

 peach.) The character of injury varies somewhat according to the 

 kind of fruit, and for this reason is l^est discussed under separate 

 headings. 



Plum. — The plum is undoubtedly the favorite food of this insect 

 and accordingly sullei-s severe injury when the curculio is abundant. 

 Eggs are deposited in llie young fruit, and (his may soon fall to the 

 ground, a result of injury caused by the young larva'. In seasons of 

 short crops vei-y little fruit may remain to ri])en. With varieties 

 which are inclined to overbear in seasons of very heavy crops, how- 

 ever, this kind of work may result in much good l)y (liinning the 

 [Cir. 7:m 



Fkj. 3.— Nearly full-grown larva of the 



