146 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE PEAR. 



FIG. 161. 



the sweets, and by their busy bustle draw attention to the 

 mischief progressing. With a magnifying lens the authors 

 of the injury may be observed immersed in the sap about the 

 axils of the leaves. 



This insect is known as the Pear-tree Psylla, a small, yellow, 

 jumping creature, flattened in form, and provided with short 

 legs, a broad' head, and sharp beak. With the beak are made 

 the punctures from which the sap exudes. In rare instances 



they occur in immense 

 numbers, when almost 

 every leaf on a tree will 

 seem to be affected ; all 

 growth is at once arrested, 

 and frequently the tree loses 

 a considerable portion of 

 its leaves. When in the 

 pupa state with the wings 

 developing, they present the appearance shown in Fig. 151 ; 

 a represents the under side, b the upper side ; the perfect 

 winged insect is shown in Fig. 152, all highly magnified. 



The color of the pupa is 

 - 152 - deep orange-red, the thorax 



striped with black, and the 

 abdomen blackish brown. 

 Towards the end of the 

 summer they attain matu- 

 rity, when they are fur- 

 nished with transparent 

 wings ; the head is deeply 

 notched in front; color orange-yellow, with the abdomen 

 greenish. Length one-tenth of an inch. 



Remedies. Paint the twigs with a strong solution of soft- 

 soap, as recommended for No. 2, or syringe the trees with 

 strong soapsuds. 



