182 



Bracon anthonomi Aslim. A single specimen wus found in its web 

 in a strawberry bud in the Held June 3, from wbicli the imago issued 

 June 20. 



Catolaccus anthonomi Ashm, Two specimens, male and female, were 

 reared from strawberry buds June 8 and 9. 



Gatolaccm incertns Ashm. was nearly as abundant as (Utlyptus tlbiatot\ 

 Adults issued June 7 to 12. 



All of these parasites were bred from buds gathered late in the sea- 

 son. A single example of Galyptns tihiator was obtained from a bud 

 taken in June. The two commoner species breed indifferently in Straw- 

 berry and Blackberry, both cultivated and wild. All are primary par- 

 asites and normally solitary, only a single iiulividual infesting the host 

 insect. 



Xo insects, birds, uv other animals have been observed preying upon 

 Anthonomus in the held, but it is probable that a few species do so to 

 a limited extent. Oidy two species of predaceous insects were even 

 seen on infested plants, both occurring on Wild Blackberry. These were 

 a pair of Pliymata icoljii, a Heteropteron well known as an enemy to 

 Lepidoptera and to bees, and two examples of Cleridip. The former 

 species was probably in search of larger game, but the Clerids, Cleru» 

 rosmarns, might have been engaged in devouring the strawberry wee- 

 vils. This species is known to live upon other small beetles, and our 

 captures readily devoured the strawberry weevils in confinement. 



REMEDIES. 



A number of remedies have been suggested, a few have been experi- 

 mented with, but none, so far as I know, have been actually tested. 



Of insecticides, the arsenites are of doubtful value, and there is pos- 

 sible danger of poisoning the fruit. As already pointed out in Dr. 

 Eiley's article on this subject, the kerosene emulsion, or pyrethrum 

 dusted on the plants, would doubtless prove etfective against the adult 

 insect while at Mork, and gas-lime, or saw-dust impregnated with crude 

 carbolic acid, or some other repellant, might be tried. 



Now that the life history of the insect is known, a number of other 

 remedies suggest themselves. 



In the first place, where staminate berries are extensively grown for 

 the market, all wild plants and old strawberry beds that might serve 

 as breeding places for this and other pests should be burned and cleaned 

 away. There can be little doubt that the species under consideration, 

 Anthononiufisignatus, is derived from the Wild Blackberry, and unless 

 the strawberry beds are completely covered over as described later on, 

 all these wild bushes in the neighborhood of the strawberry beds 

 should be destroyed. 



Another remedy would be to collect the injured buds and place them 

 in a box or barrel covered with cloth or wire-netting with meshes just 

 large enough to permit the escape of the parasites, which are consid- 



