The Grape Berry Moth. 



177 



uot quite extinct, while other species 

 aud varieties have taken their places; 

 and the entomologist who collects, 

 for a dozen years, in one and the 

 same locality — no matter how limited 

 that locality may be — is pretty sure to 

 find new species every year, while many 

 of those which he first found in abun- 

 dance either become rare or disappear 

 entirely. The late Dr. Harris, writing 

 to Mr. Edward Xewmau, in 1844, re- 

 marked: " Were I to be required to say 

 in one word What is the System of Natu- 

 re? I should say. Variety;" and if a 

 second word were to be added, we think 

 that woi'd should be. Change ! Scarcely 

 a year passes but some new insect foe 

 suddenlj'^ makes its appearance amongst 

 us ; and were it not for the fact that tlie 

 ravages of others are at the same time 

 abating, the destruction which they 

 unitedly would cause would be intoler- 

 able. 



The insect which forms the subject of 

 this article may be cited as an illustration 

 of such a sudden appearance in many 

 different parts of the country, for until 

 last year no account of it had ever been 

 published, and it was entirely unknown 

 to science. It had, however, been ob- 

 served at Hudson, Ohio, for three or four 

 years past, by Mr. M. C Read, of that 

 place, and several gentlemen who live 

 in different parts of ISlissouri and South 

 Illinois have informed us that they have 

 also been acquainted with it for about 

 that number of years, though they all 

 testify that it has gadually been on the 

 increase, and that it was never so numer. 

 ous as last year. Last summer we re- 

 ceived specimens of it from Mr. Read, 

 and likewise from Mr. Huron Burt, of 

 AVilliamsburg, Missouri, and we found it 

 universal in the vineyards along the 

 Pacific and Iron Mountain railroads, in 

 the last named State. It was equally 

 common around Alton, in Illinois, and 



we were informed by Dr. Hull, of that 

 place, that it ruined fifty per cent, of the 

 grapes around Cleveland, Ohio. It also 

 occurs in Pennsylvania, judging from 

 articles which appeared in the November 

 and December numbers of the Practica 

 Farmer, where Mr. S. S. Rath von gives 

 an account, with description, of some 

 worms which were sent to him by the 

 editors, and which answer in every re- 

 spect to the Grape-berry moth. 



Its Natural Histouy maybe given as 

 follows: About the 1st of July, the 

 grapes that are attacked by the worm 

 begin to show a discolored spot at the 

 point where the worm entered. (See Fig. 

 123 c.) Upon opening such a grape, the 

 inmate, which is at this time very small 

 and white, with a cinnamon-colored 

 head, will be found at the end of a wind- 

 ing channel. It continues to feed on the 

 pulp of the fruit, and upon reaching the 

 seeds, generally eats out their interior. 

 As it matures it becomes darker, being- 

 either of an olive-green or dark brown 

 color, with a honey-yellow head, and if 

 one grape is not sufficient, it fastens the 

 already ruined grape to an adjoining one, 

 by means of silken threads, and proceeds 

 to burrow in it as it did in the first. 

 When full grown it presents the appear- 

 ance of Figure V2o b, and is exceedingly 

 active. As soon as the grape is touched 

 the worm will wriggle out of it, and 

 rapidly let itself to the ground, by means 

 of its ever-ready silken thread, unless 

 care be taken to prevent its so doing. 

 The cocoon is often formed on the leaves 

 of the vine, in a manner essentially 

 characteristic. After covering a given 

 spot with silk, the worm cuts outa clean 

 oval flap, leaving it hinged on one side, 

 and, rolling this flap over, fastens it to 

 the leaf, and thus forms for itself a cozy 

 little house. One of these cocoons is 

 represented at Figure l-'4 b, and though 



