182 [ DISEASES OF THE POMEGRANATE 



Considerable damage both to the tender foliage 

 and to the flowers is frequently caused by a dark green 

 Aphis, which usually makes its appearance in April or 

 early in May, and persists during all the time that the 

 tree is in active growth, as well as on the growing fruit. 

 Spraying the tree with lime-wash, twice or thrice in 

 winter at intervals of fifteen days has given very good 

 results against this insect. A species of Lachnus is 

 commonly found in countless numbers on the stem and 

 large branches in close localities, but with no ill results. 

 One of the Acari, probably a species of Tetraglyphus, 

 is common on the twigs as well as on the growing fruit. 

 Its attacks are followed by a suberification of the rind 

 which becomes at first glistening whitish green and 

 afterwards brownish, but the quality of the fruit is not 

 affected. The large yellow black-spotted larva of the 

 borer moth, Zeuzera pirina, is found tunnelling in the 

 stem and branches, and is often very troublesome. Small 

 branches break off as a result of this attack, and the 

 fully developed larva, or its chrysalis, is found in the 

 part broken off, awaiting to complete its metamorphosis, 

 before issuing forth as a winged insect. The thick rind 

 of the fruit is a bar to the attacks of the fruit-fly, but 

 whenever the fruits split in autumn, this fly is seen 

 sucking the sweet juices of the pips or kernels, and 

 frequently deposits its eggs in them. The ravages 

 caused by rats are far more important. These rodents 

 gnaw off a round hole on one side of the fruit and eat 

 the juicy kernels, returning night after night until the 

 whole interior is eaten clean. As stated at page 65, 

 under Citrus trees, a pinch of white arsenic thrown into 

 the interior of the damaged fruit will be found useful to 

 keep down these ravages. 



