TWENTY-NINTH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 21 



berry mined and grooved by the feeding of a small, brown beetle 

 larva. This larva may stay in or on the core or it may remain in the 

 harvested fruit. In cases of heavy infestation it is necessary to cull 

 a large percentage of the fruit, and the loss may be considerable. 

 At certain times in western Montana populations of this insect may 

 be very high and the loss of fruit in proportion. The larvae, which 

 cause this damage, are about one-fourth of an inch long when fully 

 grown. They hatch from minute eggs which are laid on the buds, 

 flowers, or stems. When they have completed their development 

 they drop to the ground, burrow into the soil, and pupate. The 

 adults emerge from the soil early in the spring, feed on the un- 

 folding leaves and flowers, depositing their eggs in or near the latter 

 for the next generation. These adults are elliptical, yellowish- 

 brown beetles, less than a quarter of an inch long. 



Control involves the destruction of the adult beetles before they 

 have had an opportunity to lay eggs, and their long period of feed- 

 ing before egg laying gives time for this. In our experience, an ap- 

 plication of a standard lead arsenate spray as the buds are forming, 

 or a thorough dusting with a one-half per cent rotenone dust at the 

 same time, and followed two weeks later with another application, 

 will reduce the damage to a negligible amount. 



sweet clover weevil.— This European weevil (Sitona cylin- 

 dricollis Fahr.) has proved itself to be highly destructive to sweet 

 clover in the eastern part of the United States and Canada. Its in- 

 jury seems to be greatest to new seedings, which sometimes have 

 to be replanted, but it is not limited at all to these small plants. The 

 obvious damage is caused by feeding on the leaves and stems and, 

 according to observations which have been made in Ontario, this 

 injury is primarily suffered by sweet clover although alsike and 

 black medic are attacked. Although this pest is found on alfalfa 

 and red clover, these two crops seem to be little injured. 



Since the first observation of the sweet clover weevil in the 

 United States in 1933, it has travelled rather rapidly toward the 

 west. It was first discovered in this country at Middlebury, Ver- 

 mont, and further surveys carried on during that season disclosed 

 its presence in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. In 

 August and September of 1935 it was noted injuring sweet clover 

 plantings in Ontario. It was reported from Manitoba in 1939, Il- 

 linois in 1940, Minnesota, eastern North Dakota, and eastern Sas- 

 katchewan in 1941, and on September 11, 1942, a good series of spec- 

 imens was received in this office from Wibaux, Montana. Besides 

 the above states it has been taken in Wisconsin, Missouri, and Iowa. 

 It is probably more widely distributed in eastern Montana than the 

 single record indicates. 



From the first reports on this new pest it appears that its in- 

 jury is quite severe to sweet clover. How injurious it will be in 

 Montana remains to be seen. If it greatly damages this crop it will 



