Pip Fruits: Apples 



Apple Sucker (Psylla mall). This insect (fig. 347) is found in most 

 Apple orchards in Great Britain and Ireland, and is frequently the cause 

 of much damage. It is one of the sucking-mouthed insects belonging to 

 the Hemiptera. The adult is a small green insect r V to in. long, with 

 four transparent wings. Both sexes are winged; the males become more 

 brightly coloured in autumn. They can be told by their skipping move- 

 ments and clear wings. The females lay eggs from September to 

 November; they are small yellowish bodies, yet discernible by the naked 

 eye, and are placed along the leaf -scar ridges, amongst the fine hair 

 on the shoots, and even in crevices in bark; the eggs have fine tail-like 

 processes. They remain on the 

 trees all the winter, and hatch out 

 just as the buds are swelling and 

 are ready to burst; the small flat 

 louse -like young soon enter the 

 buds and commence to suck away 

 the juices. Later, they become green 

 flat nymphs with wing buds, and 

 these hatch out into the adult 

 suckers in June. Both larvae and 

 nymphs pass out long pale-blue or 

 white threads from their bodies, 

 and attached to these little 

 threads are opaque oily globules. 

 These, if we see them at the 

 bases of the blossom trusses, 

 where the larvae feed on the 

 stalks of the blossoms, or on the 

 leaves, where we more usually 

 find the nymphs, are sure signs 

 of Psylla attack. The attacked 

 trusses of blossom turn brown and remain on some time even into the 

 winter. 



TREATMENT consists of (1) spraying with lime-and-salt wash, made as 

 follows: 1| cwt. fresh slaked white lime, 20 Ib. salt, 100 gall, of water. 

 This should be done as late in February as possible, or the first week in 

 March. Many eggs are thus prevented from hatching out. (2) Spraying 

 as soon as the trusses are opening out with (a) nicotine wash at rate of 

 1 oz. 98 per cent nicotine to 10 gall, of water, or (6) quassia-and-soft- 

 soap wash at rate of 8 to 10 Ib. of quassia, 6 to 8 Ib. of soft soap, to 

 100 gall, of water. [F. v. T.] 



It is only comparatively recently that this little insect has got itself 

 into notoriety. Either its ravages were put down to some other cause 

 perhaps that broad-backed bearer of so much imputed guilt, the east wind 

 or else it had not propagated its species to such an extent as to cause 

 noticeable damage. Now, however, it is able to create a serious disturb- 



2.a. 



Fig. 347. Apple Sucker (Psylla mali) 

 1 and la, Pupa. 2 and Za, Imago (nat. siz: and magnified). 



