Insects Injurious to the Apple. 



105 



Lead (3) states that they " fly and crawl " to the branches. Curtis (4) 

 .avers that " the females will not readily fly," but that " the males 

 are seen on sunny mornings flying among the trees in search of the 

 females, who generally are crawling over the branches." Mr. White- 

 head (5) again in his pamphlet states that " the female by flying or 

 crawling finds its way to the blossom buds." The males are often 

 taken on the wing, but seldom females, although the orchards are 

 teeming with this beetle. The adults are extremely timid and fall 

 at the least vibration. Of those fallen upon the ground, very few 

 crawl up the trunk so as to regain the branches. Xow what becomes 



-of the others unless they fly back 



to the tree or to other trees ? 

 Although the females do not readily 

 take wing, yet they undoubtedly 

 do fly from the ground into the 

 branches, especially on warm, 

 .sunny days. I am sure that the 

 females fly more than we imagine. 

 In any case the recommended 

 grease - banding will not catch 

 them, which it might do if they 

 orawled up the trunks of the trees 

 as has been averred by some 

 people, not naturalists. Copula- 

 tion undoubtedly takes place upon 

 the branches. The female deposits 

 her eggs in the blossom buds before 

 they open. As soon as the blossom 

 commences to expand she leaves 

 -off ovipositing, as the larvae could 

 not live in an open blossom. Thus 



it will be seen that cold, damp weather, in spring, especially 

 nights with frost, keeping back the buds, extends over a greater 

 length of time the egg-laying period of the female. A single ovum 

 is deposited in each blossom, but several possibly in a blossom bud. 



The act of oviposition takes some time, usually at least three- 

 quarters of an hour, so that a single female cannot lay very many 

 eggs if the blossom buds expand rapidly, as they do in fine, warm 

 weather. Oviposition continues for two weeks, about fifty eggs being 

 laid. Mr. Whitehead says 15 to 20 eggs. I have often taken 

 females which by dissection have shown 50 and even 60 ova in 

 them. If we watch a female we shall see her wandering about upon 



[Horace Knight. 



FIG. 90. APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL 

 (A nthonomus pomorum). 



