212 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF VITICULTURE 



Character and Extent of Injury. 



By the adult. Feeding is confined largely to the blossoms of the various 

 plants attacked so that a rather small amount of feeding causes much loss 

 to the crop of fruit (Fig.). It is true that the foliage of many plants is eaten 

 but this loss is insignificant. In fact, the adult seldom injures plants in such a 

 manner as to interfere with their growth. The destruction of the fruit in 

 such a wholesale manner, especia'ly when myriads of these insects emerge, 

 and also the marring of blossoms for florists constitute the chief form of 

 injury by this pest. 



In a vineyard of four acres we have seen 90 per cent of the crop de- 

 stroyed and on two acres of these grapes about 99 per cent of the fruit was 

 taken by these insects feeding on the blossoms. It will be seen that the 

 possibilities for injury which these chafers possess are enormous but in the 

 Chautauqua and Erie grape belt only several rather small areas are infested. 



By the larva. So far as that writer has learned, there is no account of 

 injury to cultivated crops by the larvae. The fact that they feed in hay 

 fields and pasture land wouM indicate that a certain amount of injury would 

 result but generally the larvae are too few to the square yard to cause a loss 

 that could be noted. If these grubs were very numerous per given area (say 

 a square yard) it would be possible for them to cause injury to hay and 

 pasture similar to that produced by the white grub. 



Description. 



Egg. The eggs of the rose chafer (Fig.) are small, oval bodies having a 

 glossy, white appearance. They average 1.2 m.m. (.047 inch) in length and 

 7 m.m. (.028 inch) in diameter. 



Larva. The larva resembles the common white grub except that when 

 each is full grown, the latter is larger (Fig.). They are of a grayish-white 

 color except the posterior portion which usually is dark owing to the remains 

 of food which are seen through the body wall. When full grown these larvae 

 are about 20 mm. (.8 inch) in length. The head is a light brown and bears 

 antennae which are short and consist of four segments. The head and 

 body are rather thickly covered with bristle-like hairs. The feet are dark 

 and have prominent setae. 



Pupa. The pupa (Fig.) is of a yellow color and about 15 m.m. (.6 inch) in 

 length. The shrivelled skins are frequently found clinging to the posterior 

 segment. The developing legs and wings are prominent. 



Adult. The adult is about 12.5 m.m. (.5 inch) in length and has a general 

 appearance of yellowish-brown (Fig.). The insect in very awkward because 

 of its long legs, or, to be more exact, its long feet. The legs are of a reddish- 

 brown color and the feet are black. The antennae bear a prominent club-like 

 arrangement at the tips which consist of three thin plates. These may be 

 appressed or separated by the insect and, doubtless serve in the capacity of 

 olfactory organs. 



