216 



Insect Pests. 



clothed with long and narrow, yellowish-green or golden scales ; the 

 wing cases long, much broader at the base than the thorax, with fine 

 punctured striae ; antennie red, fuscous at the apex ; legs red, with 

 dark tarsi and femora. The best treatment would be jarring the 

 beetles off on to tarred boards. 



REFERENCES. 



(1) Warburton, C. Annual Report for 1894 of the Zoologist Jourii. Roy. Agri. 



Soc. of England, vol. V., 3rd se., pt. 4 (1894). 



(2) Fowler, Canon. 'The Coleoptera of the British Isles,' vol. V., p. 204 



(1891). 



CURRANT APHIDES. 



(Rhopalosiphum ril>ix, Linn., and 'Myzns ribis, Linn.) 



All three varieties of currants are often attacked by Aphides 

 or Plant Lice. At least two species are culprits. 



During 1901 currant bushes were considerably damaged by 



them. In some districts the 

 bushes were quite ruined, the 

 leaves turned brown and 

 shrivelled up, and the fruit 

 fell off, the bunches " shank- 

 ing " in consequence of the 

 abnormal presence of these 

 pests. The rapid increase of 

 the " Plant Lice " was due to 

 a long spell of dry, warm 

 weather, so favourable to the 

 development of these insects, 

 so detrimental to the develop- 

 ment of the fruit and health 

 of the bushes. Aphides are 



[A. V. D. Rintoul. 



SHELTERING 



FIG. 165. CURRANT LEAF WITH BLISTEI 

 APHIS (R. ribis). 



usually more or less preva- 

 lent on currants, and are 

 always liable under certain 

 climatic conditions, such as existed during June 1901, to increase to 

 an injurious extent. 



The two currant species mentioned work in a slightly different 

 way. One, A', ribis, was at one time thought to produce reddish, 

 reddish-brown, or yellow blister-like galls on the surface of the leaves, 

 whilst Myzus ribis often causes the leaves to curl up, especially on 

 the top shoots. Both species are equally difficult to destroy after 



