536 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



The fourth body segment is raised dor- 

 sally to form an oval red hump from 

 which the insect gets its common name. 



Remedies 



Arsenicals applied to the leaves are ef 

 ficient and probably the reason that we 

 seldom hear of this pest doing serious 

 damage is because they are poisoned by 

 the sprays used for codling moth, etc. 



Red-Necked Apple Tree Caterpillar 



Datana ministra 



A moderately large black caterpillar, 

 loosely clothed with soft hairs, and 

 marked with parallel longitudinal yellow 

 stripes. Disposed to be social, but makes 

 no web. Adult a reddish brown moth. 



Sometimes attacks a tree or two in nur- 

 sery or orchard, and then strips whole 

 branches, or the greater part of whole 

 trees, of leaves. The caterpillar when at 

 rest elevates both head and hind end of 

 the body and has a habit of gathering in 

 large masses on the trunks of trees. 



The species passes the winter in the 

 pupa stage in the soil under trees, and 

 comes up as a moth in late spring to place 

 its eg.gs on the leaves. 



Not noted in the Northwest. 



Burn with kerosene torches or spray 

 with arsenate of lead. 



Red or Si.\-(S|)otted Spider or Mite 



*Tetraiiychus bimaculatus Harv. 

 Tetranychus sexmaculatus Riley 



General Appearance 



This species (like the other mites) is 

 exceedingly small and individuals are sel- 

 dom noticed excepting when they collect 

 in great numbers. The color is red with 

 a yellowish tin,ge and usually with two 

 darker spots on each side of the body. 

 The young greatly resemble the adults 

 but have six rather than eight legs. 



Life History 



The mites usually begin to appear 

 after the first warm weather in the spring, 

 the winter having been spent in the 

 ground. They spin threads so as to con- 

 ceal themselves, their eggs and young, on 



•We are infuniipd by Pr. II. R. Ewing that 

 the onrrei't name of this species is Tetraniichus 

 tcUlriuK \A\\n. 



the undersides of the leaves and feed di- 

 rectly upon the tissues of the plant by 

 sucking which gradually stunts and kills 

 the latter. The common red mite is a 

 serious greenhouse pest, where, under fa- 

 vorable conditions, it is able to work 

 throughout the entire year. 



Distribution 



Though of foreign origin this mite 

 has become thoroughly distributed over 

 the entire state and is met alike in field 

 and greenhouse. 



Food Plants 



This mite is an omnivorous feeder, ap- 

 parently without any favorite food. The 

 plants which it is known to attack are 

 sugar beets, beans, sage, tomato, egg- 

 plant, pepper, cucumber, squash, cowpea. 



Fig. 1. Mite Esgs About an Apple Bug. 



hops, berries, violet, rose, clematis, mig- 

 nonette, pink, fuschia, pelargonium, go- 

 detia, passiflora, feverfew, thunbergia, ver- 

 bena, heliotrope, moon-flower, calla, smilax 

 and easter lily. 



Control 



Sulphur and dehydrated lime mixed in 

 equal proportions and thoroughly sprin- 

 kled over the plants are recommended. 

 Sprays such as emulsions, resin wash and 

 soap solutions are eificient remedies, but 

 these are usually too destructive to the 

 tender leaves of the food plants to be prac- 

 ticable. The flour paste spray is especially 

 recommended in such cases. 



