H 



THE APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL. 



(Anthonomus pomorum, L.) 



a, Weevil, nat. size; b, magnified, c, Larva, nat. size; d, magnified. 

 e, Pupa, nat. size; /, magnified, g, Larva in blossom bud. 



The Apple Blossom Weevil occurs in most counties in 

 England and Wales, and is recorded from Scotland and Ire- 

 land. It is specially prevalent from the midlands southward, 

 being a serious pest in the Evesham district, in Cambridge- 

 shire, Kent, and in the southern and south-western counties. 

 Abroad the insect is well known in most European countries, 

 in some of which as, for instance, France it has proved 

 even more -destructive than in the British Isles, and indeed 

 has caused such damage that growers have been forced to take 

 co-operative action for its destruction. 



The Apple Blossom Weevil is notoriously difficult to con- 

 trol owing to the fact that it is little amenable to treatment 

 by spraying, but there are certain general measures which 

 serve to check its numbers to some extent. 



Nature of Injury. If an apple orchard be examined at 

 the close of the blooming period it will often be noticed that 

 certain of the blossoms have failed to expand, the petals hav- 

 ing died and become brown in colour without falling off. Such 

 blossoms are usually known as " capped blossom," and a 

 further examination will show that underneath the brown 

 petals is a small yellowish grub (or later a pupa), which has 

 eaten away the base of the flower and so prevented all further 

 growth. Blossoms so attacked ultimately die and fall off. In 

 bad cases a high proportion of the flowers in an orchard may 



