92 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



practice of dusting with hellebore will ordinarily prove sufficient 

 if the hellebore be fresh. After the fruit has been picked, arsen- 

 ites may be used to advantage. See directions for using paris-green. 



The Native Currant Saw-fly. Another species of currant- 

 worm which is a native of America is sometimes met, especially 

 in the North. It occurs somewhat later than the imported species 

 and the larvae are green. The same remedies as those used against 

 the imported species will apply. 



The Currant Aphis. Green lice on the under side of currant 

 leaves, causing the leaves to turn reddish in color and to have an 

 irregular surface. Spray with kerosene emulsion or whale-oil soap 

 solution. This spray kills only by coming in contact with the 

 lice, therefore direct it against the under side of the leaves. (Bui. 

 24 Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta.; Bui. 51 Mont. Agr. Exp. Sta.) 



Imported Currant-borer. The currant and gooseberry are 

 of ten attacked by a borer that works in the center of the branch, 

 tunneling down quite a distance and interfering seriously with the 

 development both of the foliage and of the fruit, and eventually 

 bringing about the death of such tunneled wood. Stems contain- 

 ing borers show the presence of the invader by wilted and stunted 

 foliage early in the season. The larvae after feeding on the pith 

 and central part of the stem until autumn, pass the winter in the 

 tunnel. In the spring when the plant starts to grow the larvae 

 are awakened to new activity and quickly complete their growth. 

 Before changing to pupae they eat their way almost through to 

 the outside, plug up the hole Loosely and retire. The pupal stage 

 is entered upon and in June the adult moths come out to the open 

 air. In this stage the insect is very beautiful, being a little less 

 than half an inch long, slender, and brilliant black and yellow in 

 color. The wings are only partially covered with scales, the uncov- 

 ered part being transparent. For this and other reasons they are 

 placed among the group of moths known as clear-wings. They so 

 closely resemble wasps that one hesitates to handle them without 

 careful examination. The larva possesses feet like those of most 

 moths. 



When the foliage commences to expand, the mutilated stems 

 can be distinguished by the sickly appearance of the leaves. Cut 

 out all tunneled stems below the lowest part of the tunnel, and burn 

 them. If this practice be constantly followed up, the bushes can 

 be kept fairly free from this borer. 



The Native Currant Borer. Curiously enough, we have two 

 borers working in the currant, one belonging to the clear-winged 

 moths, imported from Europe, and the other a native insect belong- 

 ing to the beetles. The adult beetle is from three-sixteenths to one- 

 fourth of an inch long, brown in color, with the posterior half of 

 the wing-covers darker than the rest of the body, and with two 

 whitish spots on each wing-cover. The larvae or grubs of this beetle 

 are footless, and work very much as do the imported borers, except 

 that usually several work together instead of singly as in the case of 



