Insects. 



GRAPE MANUAL. 



Insects. 57 



instances, so that the vines soon die. When fully 

 grown it leaves the roots it was inhabiting, and forms 

 a smooth, oval chamber in the earth, wherein it 

 assumes the pupa form. If the roots are larger, it 

 remains within them to undergo its changes. The 

 perfect insect is a large, dark brown beetle, which 

 first appears towards the end of June, and is very 

 commonly found during the summer and fall months, 

 rushing (often with a heavy, noisy flight) into lighted 

 rooms. Prof. Riley has shown that this borer not only 

 attacks living trees and vines, but that it also breeds in 

 dead oak stumps, and can travel through the ground 

 from one place to another ; from which fact he draws 

 the important corollary that it will not do to leave oak 

 stumps to rot on ground which is intended for a vine- 

 yard a fact which our experience corroborates. Lit- 

 tle can be done in the way of extirpating these under- 

 ground borers, their presence being only indicated by 

 the death of the vine. Wherever you find vines sud- 

 denly dying from any unknown cause, search for this 

 borer, and upon finding one (in each case we have 

 found but one at each tree or vine), put an end to its 

 existence. 



THE GRAPE-VINE FLEA-BEETLE. 



(Haltica chalybea.) 



Fig. 83. 



a, larva, natural size; 6, do. magnified: c, cocoon; d, beetle, 

 enlarged. 



Like all Flea-beetles, this insect has very stout 

 swollen high thighs, by means of which it is enabled to 

 jump about very energetically, and is consequently 

 very difficult to capture. The color of the beetle 

 varies from steel-blue to metalic green and purple. 

 The beetles hibernate in a torpid state under any 

 shelter, such as loose bark, crevices of stakes, etc., and 

 they are roused to activite quite early in the spring, 

 doing the greatest damage at this early season by 

 boring into and scooping out the unopened buds. 

 As the leaves expand, they feed on these, and soon 

 pair and deposit their small orange eggs in clusters 

 on the under-side of the leaf. These eggs soon hatch 

 into dark colored larvae, which may be found of all 



sizes during the latter part of May and early part of 

 June, generally on the upper-side of the leaf, which 

 they riddle, devouring all but the largest ribs. A 

 dusting of dry lime kills the larvne, but the beetle 

 has to be caught and killed. 



THE GRAPE-BERRY MOTH. 



(Lobesia botrana.) 



Fig. 84. 



, moth; fc, worm; c, hole made In berry; d, rotting berry, 

 caused by worm. 



This insect first attracted attention about fifteen years 

 ago. About the first of July, the grapes that are at- 

 tacked by the worm begin to show a discolored spot 

 at the point where the worm entered. Upon opening 

 such a grape, the inmate will be found at the end of a 

 winding channel. It continues to feed on the pulp of 

 the fruit, and upon reaching the seeds generally eats 

 out their interior. 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 it from so doing. The 

 cocoon is often formed on the leaves of the vine, in a 

 manner essentially characteristic : the worm cuts out 

 a clean oval flap, leaving it hinged on one side, and, 

 rolling the flap over, fastens, it to the leaf, and thus 

 forms for itself a cozy little house, in which it changes 

 to a chrysalis. In about ten days after this last change 

 takes place, the chrysalis works itself out of the cocoon 

 and the little moth represented in the figure (hair-lines 

 showing natural size) makes its escape. As a remedy 

 we recommend picking up all fallen berries and con- 

 verting them into vinegar, as, upon racking off the 

 juice and water, countless numbers of these worms are 

 found in the sediment. This insect was named Penth- 

 nia vitivorana, by Dr. Packard, in this country ; but 

 Prof. Riley informs us that it is an importation from 

 Europe, where it is known as Lobesia botrana. 



THE ROSE-CHAFER. 



(Macrodactylus subspinosus .) 



This is the true "Rose-bug," injurious to 

 many plants, but especially hard on grape- 

 vines during some years. In Prof. Riley's 

 words : " It is one of those species whose 

 larva develops under ground, and cannot be 

 very well dealt with in this stage of its life. 

 We must contend with it in the beetle form, and there 

 is no other effectual means than by hand-picking, or 

 by shaking into vessels and on to sheets. This work 

 can be greatly facilitated by taking advantage of the 

 insect's tastes and preferences. It shows a great predi- 

 lection for the Clinton, and its close allies, of all other 



