The Raspberry Beetle. (Byturus tomentosus.) 



(PLATE VI., Fig. 1.) 



The attacks of this beetle upon raspberry canes are becoming 

 more frequent and serious, and are more generally distributed in 

 fruit-growing districts. It was to be found last season in almost 

 every raspberry plantation, and it was seen in June in nearly 

 every garden in the flowers of the raspberry, feeding upon the 

 pollen and the juicy stamens, and hindering fructification and 

 the proper development of fruit. Later on its larvse were 

 noticed within the receptacles, the white fleshy cones upon which 

 the fruit is formed. The larvae bore into and eat away the 

 receptacles, and by their action cause the fruit to decay. It is 

 affirmed that the larvae feed upon the fruit, but there is no 

 direct evidence of this. After watching infested raspberry canes 

 closely during the time the fruit was ripening, the conclusion 

 was arrived at that the centre of attraction for the larvae was 

 not the fruit, but the receptacle. They appeared to make for 

 this directly they came from the eggs. Upon pulling out the 

 receptacle of an infested raspberry, the larva was invariably 

 within its soft fleshy part, and the fruity parts showed no signs 

 of having been eaten away, though decay was present caused by 

 the injury to the receptacle. It was quite exceptional to find 

 more than one larva in each raspberry, and that one in any 

 other part than the receptacle. 



DESCRIPTION AND LIFE HISTORY. 



The Byturus tomentosus, as may be seen from the figure, 

 is yellowish brown in colour, with a thick down, or 

 pubescence, upon it, from which it is called tomentosus. The 

 male is rather smaller than the female, and differs slightly in 

 colour, having 'a shade of green. The legs are yellowish, with 

 a red tinge, and the antennae are of the same colour, terminating 

 in a club with three joints. It has large wings, but when 

 disturbed upon the raspberry canes it prefers to lie still, and 

 sometimes to curl up and feign death, rather than fly, both on 

 sunny and cloudy days. 



Early in June the beetles are to be seen on and in the flowers 

 of raspberry canes, as well as on blackberry bushes, wild and 

 cultivated, feeding upon the pollen and the succulent filaments of 

 the stamens. They pair in the flowers generally, and their eggs 

 are placed singly among the stamens close to the receptacle. 

 To effect this, and to get the egg between the stamens, the 

 female uses her extremely long ovipositor, which is a most 

 elaborate instrument. The process of egg laying takes some 

 time, and is most interesting to witness. Constant searehings 



