510 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



as injurious in Ohio and West Virginia, and from the records 

 seems to be generally distributed over the Eastern States, but is 

 by no means a serious pest. 



Life History. The adult beetles appear in May and are gone by 

 early July. They feed sparingly on the vine, making little pits in 

 the tendrils, in the buds or bark of new canes or in the midribs on 

 the under side of the leaves. The females soon lay their eggs and 

 make the egg scars. These cause the galls and constitute practically 

 the only injury to the vine. The eggs are laid just above a joint and 

 beyond the outermost fruit, so that the injury does not interfere 

 with the crop. A female eats^ out a small hole with her snout, 

 in it lays a small yellowish-white egg, and fills up the hole with 

 fibers scraped off from the surface of the cane. She then makes 

 another hole immediately above this, but merely places a drop of 

 liquid in it and then fills it up with fibers in the same manner. 

 Eight to a dozen holes are thus made in a row and filled. Very 

 soon this wound causes a swelling of the vine, but the gall does 

 not reach full size for six or eight weeks. On vines producing 

 dark-colored fruit, the wood about the wound takes on a purplish 

 color. The galls seem to have but little effect on the growth and 

 vigor of the vine, except that the canes are more readily broken 

 by the wind or in pruning. The larva is a little yellowish-white, 

 footless grub about two-fifths inch long, which feeds about the 

 egg-chamber and then burrows in the pith. It becomes full 

 grown in eight to ten weeks, when it pupates within the burrow; 

 the beetle emerges in late August, and hibernates over winter. 



As the scar in the side of the gall where the eggs were deposited 

 remains open, a very large proportion of the larvae are sub- 

 sequently parasitized Jay various chalcis, and tachina-flies, which 

 will probably prevent the insect ever becoming much of a pest. 



Control. The galls may be cut out and burned during July 

 or August without any injury to the crop, as they occur beyond 

 the fruit, and at that time will contain the larvae or pupae. As the 

 beetles feed on the foliage and new growth it is probable that 

 but little damage will result in vineyards well sprayed with arsen- 

 icals for other pests. 



