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Minnesota Srare HorticvtTuraL SoOciery, 45 
throughout the New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana 
and Northern Illinois. The plants themselves, generally perished during the 
second or third seasons, from the repeated defoliations by this insect. The plants 
upon which it subsisted having thus generally died out, in the sections of the 
country mentioned, the pests were naturally “‘starved out,’’ and for some years 
have practically disappeared. Nurserymen and gardeners have taken heart again 
and begun replanting. But it will require all their vigilance and industry to 
prevent a recurrence of their losses in a few years. 
I am happy to say that the ‘‘imported currant worm” has not yet, to any great 
extent, crossed our borders, but we are in its ‘‘line of march,’’and may expect, 
sooner or later, to find its easily-read hieroglyphics on our currant leaves. 
Therefore, since being ‘‘forewarned is being forearmed,”’ I will attempt to draw, 
for the benefit of those concerned, a pen and ink pottraitof this most unwelcome 
foreizner. 
Description. 
The worm which does the damage is a ‘‘talse caterpillar,’ so called, in common 
with ali the larve of a certain family of Hymenoptera, from its resemblance to 
the larve of butterflies and moths, which are the only ‘‘true caterpillars.’’ It 
may be distinguished from the latter by the presence of seven pairs cf prolegs, 
whereas true caterpillars have sometimes Jess, but never more than five pairs of 
prolegs. When first hatched it is of a dull green color, but after the first molt 
it becomes thickly studded over with shining black spots, and has a round 
black head. It acquires a length of about three quarters of an inch, and after 
the last molt it again becomes of a plain green color. 
Habits. . 
It feeds upon the leaves of the gooseberry as well as the currant, but prefers 
the latter. It seldom gnaws the edges of the leaves, but cuts holes, at first small 
and round and afterwards large and irregular, in the blade. The first brood of 
this insect appears quite early in the spring, and devours the first leaves. About 
the middle of June the worms drop from the leaves and3burrow an inch or so 
under ground, or conceal themselves under fallen leaves, and spin around them- 
selves oval cocoons of gummy, brown silk. Within these they change to pupe 
and in about two weeks the perfect insects emerge. These are four-winged flies, 
with broad wings, soft bodies, and are rather slow andjtheavy in flight. They 
are termed ‘‘ Saw flies,’’ from the saw-like form and manner of using the oyi- 
positor. In this species the males are entirely black, while the females have a 
dull orange-colored body. The latter do not, like most other saw flies, cut slits 
in the tissue of the leaf in which to deposit their eggs, but place the latter in 
rows like strings of beads, along the mid rib and principal veins of the leaf. 
These eggs soon hatch and the second brood of worms appear simultaneously 
with the starting of the second growth of leaves. When full fed, they spin 
their cocoons and lie dormant through the :winter, changing to flies early in 
spring. Rip. 
Prevention and Remedy. 
In order to prevent the introduction of this destructive insect into our State, 
nurserymen and all others receiving plants from the east, should take great care 
to shake off and burn every particle of earth and litter from the roots, before 
