278 Strawberry-Growing 



two or three days. They hide beneath the mulch during the day 

 and emerge at night. At first they feed on the seeds, later on the 

 pulp and sometimes on the green berries. No satisfactory method 

 of control is known, except the remote possibility of finding their 

 breeding area and destroying it. The injury is always local and 

 temporary. 



Crown moth (Sesia rutilans). 



On the Pacific coast, strawberries suffer from a crown borer, the 

 larva of a moth. The caterpillar is three-fourths of an inch long, 

 dirty white, with a browTi head. Plow under the old beds promptly 

 and practice a short rotation. 



Flea beetle {Haltica ignita). 



In all parts of the continent, particularly in Florida and the Gulf 

 states, this insect occasionally damages the strawberry crop. It is 

 an active, oblong, shining green or blue beetle, about one-sixth of an 

 inch long. Tiny larvse are seen on the underside of the leaves, which 

 become riddled with small holes. Bordeaux, or dusting with arsenate 

 of lead, will drive the beetles away. Burn weeds near the field, 

 especially the evening primrose. 



Tarnished plant bug {Lygus pratemis). 



This is an inconspicuous, brownish sucking insect, about one-fifth 

 of an inch long. It is found in all parts of the continent, and attacks 

 many kinds of plants. It punctures the young fruits of the straw- 

 berry and they remain small and deformed. Many of the ' ' buttons ' ' 

 which are attributed to frost injury are caused by this insect. Since 

 it lives on so many wild weeds, including goldenrod, wild carrot, 

 mullein and aster, it is difficult to control. Keep the outskirts of the 

 field clean of weeds. 



Thrips (Euthrips tritici). 



The adult thrips are one-twentieth of an inch long, brownish yellow. 

 They appear in early spring as soon as the buds open, and suck the 

 sap, causing the blossoms to \\dther. Injury from thrips is most 

 serious during a drouth ; rains destroy them. Spraying with nicotine 

 sulfate, one part to one thousand, controls them fairly well, 

 especially if two pounds of soap are added to each fifty gallons. 



