Insects Injurious to the Raspberry. 425 



THE RASPBERRY WEEVIL. 

 (Otiorhynchus picipes. Curds.) 



Three weevils of the genus Otiorliynchus are enemies of the 

 raspberry grower. This genus of beetles is peculiar in that the 

 species have no wings, and thus are more in our power than most 

 coleoptera. Other features of interest in their economy are that 

 they are mainly nocturnal feeders, and that they all have the habit 

 of feigning death like many other weevils and fall from the trees 

 or plants, upon which they are feeding, at the least shock. All 

 these habits are points we must remember when dealing with the 

 eradication of these very harmful beetles. 



They are not only destructive in the adult condition, but the 

 footless larvre are very harmful to the roots of plants. By far the 

 most important species attacking raspberries is the Easpberry 

 Weevil (0. picipes). Various fruit bushes are attacked, and all 

 manner of other plants besides the raspberry. It has occurred 

 damaging hops (1), root crops and pot plants at various times. As 

 a raspberry pest it has been known for many years. Curtis (1836) 

 speaks of its damage to this plant and calls it the " Pitchy-Legged 

 Weevil " ; it is also known as the " Night-Feeding Weevil," a name 

 which we may equally well apply to the other two species mentioned 

 here (0. tenebricosus and 0. sulcatus). 



The most serious damage done by it has been in Cornwall where, 

 in 1878 (2), many hundred pounds worth of loss took place in the 

 fruit gardens of Madron and Gulval alone. Kent is frequently 

 visited by this pest, especially upon light soil (3). It also often 

 occurs in destructive hordes in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and 

 most fruit-growing districts (4). Light, shattery soil seems especially 

 favourable to it, but I have known of many attacks on clay land 

 and on chalk. One important thing has frequently been noticed, 

 namely, that if it occurs in numbers one year it is sure to do so 

 the next, and unless steps are taken may continue from year to year. 

 The damage it does is very varied, by far the worst form of attack 

 is when the beetles eat the fruit blossoms and embryonic fruit buds. 

 At other times they gnaw the rind of the tender shoots, and even 

 nip them right through and eat off the bark of the canes low down. 

 Beetles also eat holes in the leaves, and sometimes completely strip 

 the upper foliage. The early stages of damage to foliage are usually 

 noticed by the leaves being eaten away in small holes. They 

 puncture the tender shoots with their snout, and the punctures let 

 the sap run out for some time; the result is the canes are ruined. 



