174 



Insects and Diseases. 



following season, and hatch out about the time the gooseberry and 

 currant leaves expand, ready for devouring them. 



As the eggs remain on the bushes during the time that nursery 

 men dig and pack them for distant conveyance, care should be taken 

 that the insects are not thus carried to places where they were pre- 

 viously unknown. 



THE IMPORTED CURRANT WORM (Nematus ventricosus) is 



represented in Figs. 50 

 and 501 ; a a, the larvae 

 in the act of devouring 

 gooseberry leaves ; b, an 

 enlarged view of one of 

 the abdominal joints, to 

 show the position of the 

 black spots. 



In Fig. 501 are magni- 

 fied representations of 

 the male (a) and female 

 (b}j the cross lines show- 

 ing the natural size. The 

 perfect insect makes its 

 appearance as soon as 

 the leaves of the goose- 

 berry and currant are 

 fairly expanded, and lays 

 its eggs on the under- 

 side of the leaves, along 

 the principal veins, and 

 not, like the span worm, 

 on the young twigs. If 

 the latter deposited eggs 

 on the leaves they would 

 fall to the ground, as 

 they remain unhatched 

 till the following season, 

 as already stated. 



The eggs of the im- 

 ported worm soon hatch 

 into twenty - legged 

 worms, of a green color, 

 having at first black 



rig 501. Perfect state of Imported Currant Worm . 



uJ>J>er t male; lower, female heads and numerous 



