^6 MELON CULTURE 



ing very greatly in holding these pests in check. 

 Occasionally, however, we find an exception to the 

 rule, and so we find the above species feeding upon 

 the melon, cucumber, etc., and often becoming quite 

 injurious, especially in the eastern states along the 

 Atlantic coast. In many parts of the West it is not 

 known as a melon insect. The species belonging to 

 this genus are quite large, of the characteristic hem- 

 ispherical form, yellowish in color, with black spots. 



The larvae are also yellow and covered with 

 spines. Both adult and larva feed upon the melon 

 leaves by first marking out a circular space, within 

 which it feeds until all .of the edible portion has 

 been devoured, when it moves to another position 

 and repeats the process. As the larvae usually feed 

 on the lower surface of the leaf, they are more diffi- 

 cult to reach with poisonous sprays than are the 

 adults. However, as they chew their food instead 

 of sucking, as does the melon aphis, it is only neces- 

 sary to place the poison where they will get it dur- 

 ing the process of eating. The adult hibernates un- 

 der various kinds of rubbish ; hence, in localities 

 where it is commonly found, it may be destroyed by 

 cleaning up and burning the dead plants and other 

 rubbish. By using the dome screen, which is men- 

 tioned under the striped cucumber \,eet\e, the early 

 attacks of this beetle can be avoided. 



The Pickle Worm (Diaphania nitidalis. Cram.). — 

 The adult of this species is a beautifully colored, 

 brown and yellow moth, sometimes called the 

 " pickle moth," because the larva has a habit of 

 feeding on the cucumber, both vine and fruit. It 

 rarely does much injury in the more northern states, 

 although it is sometimes found as far north as 



