120 Insect Pests. 



Both species occur about the same time, iu the beginning of May, 

 and continue until the end of June. 



They are very active in bright warm weather, but on dull days 

 they remain stationary on the leaves and then can readily be shaken 

 down. 



They frequently occur in very large numbers in Kent and Sussex, 

 and may be found in most other parts of Britain. One peculiarity I 

 have noticed, and that is, that in certain years they do harm, and that 

 in others, although occurring in great quantities, they seem to cause 

 no apparent damage. 



The females lay their eggs in the ground and the maggots feed 

 upon roots of various kinds of plants during the winter. The larva? 

 are white, footless and curved in form, slightly hairy and with a 

 brown horny head. In spring they change to puppe in the earth and 

 the beetles emerge in May. 



Ormerod (1) says that grafted plants in nurseries are noted as 

 especially liable to attack. This I have observed during 1908, when 

 considerable damage was done by them in this way in several parts 

 of Kent. Amongst all weevils this form of attack is of common 

 occurrence. 



PREVENTION AND REMEDIES. 



The beetles may be collected on dull days by jarring them oft' the 

 trees, and this is certainly worth doing where they occur in very 

 large numbers. It is doubtful, anyhow, with our present amount 

 of information, if any treatment for the maggots would be of any 

 avail. On the other hand, I have found that where nuts have 

 been sprayed for caterpillars with arsenate of lead that the beetles 

 were killed, just as Mr. Fred Smith found to be the case with the 

 Nut Weevil. 



When young grafted stock is affected, it has been found of use to 

 tie grease bands around them and to then jar the beetles off, numbers 

 when crawling back being caught. 



REFERENCE. 



(I) Ormerod, E. A. ' Handbook of Insects Injurious to Orchard and Bush 

 Fruits,' p. 141-145 (1898). 



