INSECT ENEMIES OF THE GRAPE. 



225 



maple is a much more rapid growing tree than either 

 the common Red Maple (A. rubrum), or the Sugar 

 Maple (A. saccharinum), it long since became very pop- 

 ular as a street shade tree in many of our Eastern cities 

 and villages, and it is now thought that this Maple Cot- 

 tony Scale was introduced with it from the Western 

 States. But it does not matter how the pest was intro- 

 duced, it is enough to know that it is here, and in un- 

 numbered millions, not only on the .two species of soft 

 maples, but, to a limited extent, on the 

 sugar maples ; and from these it swarms 

 and passes to grapevines, American and 

 Japan ivies, and various other vines and 

 shrubs. The many thousands of soft 

 maples planted in the streets and parks of 

 some of our Eastern cities are, at this 

 time, a reeking mass of these filthy insects 

 and their excretions. 



These insects appear on the trees and 

 vines in the form of oblong brown scales, 

 Fig. 93, varying in length from one-fifth 

 to one- third of an inch. Under and 

 around these scales there is a white, fluffy, 

 cottony mass, which, in May and June, is 

 filled with minute eggs, and to the num- 

 ber of from six hundred to one thousand. 

 During June and July these eggs hatch 

 and the young lice spread in various direc- 

 tions, but soon settle down on the underside of the 

 leaves, and insert their beaks and begin to pump out 

 the sap for food. At this time these lice secrete a sweet- 

 ish liquid, which soon coats the upper sides of the leaves 

 upon which it falls ; much of it, however, falls to the 

 ground, coating the grass, weeds or sidewalks under- 

 neath, catching and holding any dust that may be flying 

 about at the time. These nectar-like excretions also 

 15 



FIG. 93. 



