418 Insect Pests. 



winter, and in spring they resuscitate and crawl forth into the open. 

 They then commence a fresh stage of life, entering the buds at their 

 base and feeding upon them. In most years they leave the cocoons, 

 and commence crawling about towards the end of March, and by the 

 beginning of April many have commenced their ravages of the 

 developing buds. Dr. Chapman (2), who worked out the life-history 

 of this pest, states that in 1892 the caterpillars were found in the 

 buds on the 10th of April. In 1899 I noticed them at work a week 

 earlier in Kent. 



The larva becomes pink, and as it grows it assumes a distinct 

 red colour. The head is dark and shiny, quite black in some 

 specimens, deep shiny brown in others ; the first segment lias a black 

 or deep brown thoracic shield divided into two parts by a pale median 

 line ; the anal segment also often appears darkened ; the six true 

 (jointed) legs are deep, shiny brown, the four pairs of prolegs pink, 

 and also the anal pair. 



When mature the caterpillar reaches ^ inch in length. It feeds 

 not only on the buds, but as they open it tunnels up the pith, and so 

 causes the shoots to flag. Many buds scarcely develop, others do so 

 a little and die, yet others grow out well and only flag later. In 

 any case the attacked buds and shoots, both leaf and blossom, perish 

 sooner or later. 



As soon as the caterpillar is mature, it scoops out a cavity, either 

 in the pith of the cane just below the base of the bud or shoot, or in 

 the shoot itself where it springs from the cane. 



The pupa is ^ inch long, reddish-yellow in colour, with pale pink 

 abdomen and pale wing cases ; on the back of the anal segment is a 

 spine ; the apex tapers to a fine point. The pupa lies close to the 

 surface, and when the moth is ready to emerge I have always found 

 that the pupa pushes its way out of the nest through a small hole, 

 the shell then ruptures and the moth crawls out and rests for a few 

 hours whilst its wings unfold and harden. The pupal stage lasts 

 from nineteen to twenty-three days as a rule, but during the summer 

 of 1903 some did not emerge for four weeks. The caterpillars may 

 leave the shoots prior to pupation and spin a delicate cocoon between 

 the dry leaves of the shoots they have destroyed. 



PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. 



The abolition of stakes in raspberry plantations is very essential 

 where this pest is present. The old stakes should be burned in the 

 winter, and then numbers of the hibernating larva? will be killed. 



