INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE GRAPE 447 



and constitute practically the only injury to the vine. The eggs are 

 laid just above a joint and beyond the outermost fruit, so that the 

 injury does not interfere with the crop. A female eats out a 

 small hole with her snout, in it lays a small yellowish-white egg, 

 and fills up the hole with fibers scraped off from the surface of 

 the^cane. She then makes another hole immediately above this, 

 but merely places a, drop of liquid in it and then fills it up with 

 fibers in the same manner. Eight to a dozen holes are thus made 

 in a row and filled. Very soon this wound causes a swelling of 

 the vine, but the gall does not reach full size for six or eight weeks. 

 On vines producing dark-colored fruit, the wood about the wound 

 takes on a purplish color. The galls seem to have but little effect 

 on the growth and vigor of the vine, except that the canes are 

 more readily broken by the wind or in pruning. The larva is a 

 little yellowish-white, footless grub about two-fifths inch long, 

 which feeds about the egg-chamber and then burrows in the pith. 

 It becomes full grown in eight to ten weeks, when it pupates 

 within the burrow; the beetle emerges in late August, and 

 hibernates over winter. 



As the scar in the side of the gall where the eggs were deposited 

 remains open, a very large proportion of the larvae are subse- 

 quently parasitized by various chalcis, and tachina-flies, which 

 will probably prevent the insect ever becoming much of a pest. 



Control. The galls may be cut out and burned during July 

 or August without any injury to the crop, as they occur beyond 

 the fruit, and at that time will contain the larvae or pupae. As 

 the beetles feed on the foliage and new growth it is probable 

 that but little damage will result in vineyards well sprayed with 

 arsenicals for other pests. 



The Grapecane Girdler * 



This beetle is very similar to the last except that it is black 

 in color. Its native food-plant is the Virginia creeper, which 

 it has deserted in West Virginia, and occasionally elsewhere, 

 to attack grape. The species seems to occur generally through 

 the Central and Eastern States. 



* Ampeloglypter ater Lee. Family CurcuLionidce. See Fred E. Brooks, 

 Bulletin 119, W. Va. Agr. Exp. Sta. 



