Insects, etc.. Injurious to the Strmvherry. 467 



fly and masses of white exuvite were found. ISTeverfcheless, there 

 were numbers, according to Mr. Bickham, on some young Paxtons, 

 which had only three or four leaves per plant. 



No doubt dense, close growth helps them in bad weather, but we 

 are sure to find it on plants of all ages and stages. 



From plants kept under observation during the greater part of 

 a year I feel sure that the whole life-cycle is passed on the straw- 

 berry. That it may occur on the wild strawberry and other plants 

 is possible, but at present we have no evidence that it does so. A 

 closely allied species is found on the wild strawberry which was 

 described by Koch as SipJwaopJiorff fragarice. Speaking of this 

 aphis Buckton (2) says : " I never before the year 1876 saw 

 the garden strawberry attacked, but in June of that year the 

 stalks of the unripe fruit were much infested. Mr. Smee, however, 

 remembers other seasons in which an aphis was common on the 

 strawberry plant Frarjaria vcmi." Infection may easily be spread 

 by nursery stock, by means of the eggs attached to the leaves, 

 passing unnoticed, 



The aphis not only prevents many trusses from bringing their 

 fruits to a marketable size, but many of them settle on the fruits, 

 themselves, sheltering between the fruit and the calyx. 



The attack lessened as the fruit got ripe and the leaves hardened, 

 and few were noticed at the end of picking. None were noticed by 

 Mr. Bickham on the worst plantation after picking, Ijut they con- 

 tinued on the young plants. 



Mr. Fuller, Government Entomologist of Natal, records the intro- 

 duction of the Strawberry Aphis into the Colony on English plants, 

 but they vfere all wisely fumigated, so that the pest did not spread. 



Descriptiox. 



Apterous viviparous female. — Body, bright shiny green some- 

 what yellowish towards the centre. Head and thoracic segments 

 pale yellowish-green. Eyes black. Cornicles long and thin, green 

 with a minute black apex. Antennte very long, pale fawn, with 

 dark tips to the segments. Legs fawn coloured, uniform except the 

 extreme apex of the tibia? and the tarsi, which are black. Proboscis 

 short, yellow, with dusky apex. In some lights the antennae look 

 fuscous on the apical half. Length yV to ^^ inch. 



The pupa is entirely pale green, except for dark apices to the 

 tibiffi and the black tarsi. Antennte green with minute black apices 

 to the basal segments forming three black spots, apical half of the 



2 11 2 



