106 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. XXVIII. 



Fl(i. 'JOU. — i'HLa;OCIIPTE8 SI'., SIDE VIEW. 



It is iiu European species that has been imported into this country 

 in recent years. The mites form small sut)spherical galls at the l)ase 

 of the Inuls. A cluster nuvy surround the twig-. The mites hibernate 

 within the galls, leaving them in the spring to form new ones. The 

 galls are at first plump and smooth, but later l)ecome dry and wrinkled, 

 and sometimes crack. Pruning and burning the infested twigs in 

 Avinter will keep the mites in check. An application of sulphur in 

 the spring, when the mites are active, wdll, doubtless, destroy many 

 of them. 



The l)lack-currant gall mite, ErlophyeH rlhis, is very injurious to 

 the currant in England. They penetrate the buds, causing them to 

 swell, and l)a(lly infested l)uds die before oi)ening. The mites breed 



throughout the vear. They 



migrate in the spring when 



the buds are opening, and 



ma}" be destroyed at this 



time by a wash of soft soap 



and sulphur. It has been 



observed that this species can 



stand upright and even jump 



into the air and l)e carried 



some distance by the wind. 



In California \\\c J'Jr/opJiyes viti^ Landois often seriouslv injures the 



leaves of the grape. The mites produce an erineum on the under 



surface of the leaf that causes swellings on the upper surface. 



The mites pass the winter in the buds or under the bark of the vine. 

 Applications of sulphur will destroy this as well as other species of 

 ErlopJiy-cK. AA'alnut trees in California are also affected bv an Erio- 

 jjJiijcK which i)roduces blister galls and erineum on the leaves. It 

 appears to ])e the I'J. fristriotuH Nalepa, of Europe, which has similar 

 habits. 



One of our most common species is Eriophyes yuddr'qx'S Shimer, 

 which produces roundish galls on the leaves of the soft maple. The 

 galls are at first green, but later become purplish and finally l)lack. 

 There are often several hundred galls on one leaf. 



Ei'!(>j>Jiye.'< yoxxyj)!! Banks occurs injuriously upon cotton in Mont- 

 serrat and some other West Indian islands. The mites produce galls 

 which were so numerous as to cover many leaves w^ith a mass of irreg- 

 ular, roughened swellings, curled and distorted. The damage in places 

 was so severe that the cotton had l)een thrown into the sea. The galls 

 within are densely clothed with long hairs. 



Two species are very injurious to the leaves of the tea plant in India 

 and Cevlon. and no good remedies have vet been devised for them. 



