Currant. 287 



fly, except that it is somewhat larger and has a yellowish 

 appearance. These flies may be seen in abundance in early 

 spring hovering about the currant and gooseberry bushes, just 

 as the first leaves are expanding. The small, white eggs are 

 laid on the under side of these leaves, generally in rows along 

 the larger veins. The eggs hatch in a week or ten days, and 

 the worms immediately begin feeding. The presence of these 

 insects is frequently not noticed until fully one-half or two- 

 thirds of the leaves have been destroyed ; this arises from the 

 fact that the eggs are almost invariably laid upon the leaves 

 which are near the ground, and also near the center of the 

 plant. The upper foliage is therefore reserved till the last, and 

 then when this also is gone the bushes appear as if suddenly 

 defoliated. The young larvae are at first whitish in color ; they 

 soon become green, and later they are spotted with black. 

 Before pupating they again become green. There are from 

 two to four broods a year. 



Treatment. There is no insect which is more easily con- 

 trolled than the currant-worm, yet there is scarcely one which 

 is left so undisturbed in its destructive work. The principal 

 trouble is that the pest is not noticed until the currants are 

 about ohe-half grown, and at that time much damage has 

 already been done, and eggs are being laid for a second brood. 

 If the plants be thoroughly sprayed with an arsenite as soon as 

 the first leaves are nearly grown, no injury will be done to the 

 fruit, and practically all of the first brood will be killed, and 

 with it the second one also. But this first treatment must be 

 made early. If later ones are necessary, hellebore will be found 

 an effectual remedy, whether applied dry or mixed with water. 

 Such applications will also free the bushes from other leaf- 

 eating insects. 



Four-lined Leaf-bug ; Black-lined Plant-bug ; Four-striped 

 Plant-bug ; Yellow-lined Currant-bug (Pcecilocapsus lineatus, 

 Fabr.). Description. The mature insect (Fig. 54) is a bug 

 about one-third of an inch long. Its back is yellow, but four 

 black stripes extend nearly its entire length, and these have 

 given rise to the many popular names of the insect. Eggs are 

 laid near the tips of the soft growths about a week after the 

 appearance of the adults. The eggs do not hatch until the 

 following spring, the young insects appearing during the latter 



