FRUIT ENEMIES. 285 



Pear Pests. 



Pear-leaf Blister Moth (Cemiostoma scittella). The 

 larvae of this moth feed on the inner soft tissues of the 

 leaves, and cause blisters to form thereon. The female 

 moth lays its eggs on the under sides of the leaves from 

 May to August, and the subsequent larvae gnaw their way 

 into the tissues and feed upon them. The blisters are 

 brownish at first, changing later to a dark hue. The 

 injured leaves in due course die and fall off. The larvse 

 are greenish in colour, and about ^in. long. There are 

 two broods in a season. Spraying with arsenate of lead 

 in May to destroy the young larvae before they have entered 

 the leaves seems to be the only remedy. 



Social Pear Sawfly (Pamphilius flaviventris). The 

 larvae spin webs over the shoots and leaves of the Pear 

 tree, and under the protection of this greedily devour the 

 foliage. The female sawfly deposits its eggs in groups on 

 the under sides of the leaves in May and June. The larvse 

 appear in about ten days, and at once begin to spin a 

 large web. Therein they devour the leaves within reach, 

 and when the supply is exhausted they move further on, 

 spin another web, and again make a raid on the neigh- 

 bouring foliage. They go on thus for about five weeks, 

 then lower themselves to the ground by a silken thread, 

 enter the soil, form a cocoon, remain in this until spring, 

 when they enter the pupal stage, and appear as sawflies 

 in May. When this pest appears, the webs or nests of 

 larvae should be cut off and promptly destroyed. A soil 

 fumigant should also be dug into the ground in autumn 

 to kill the hibernating larvae. (Fig. 132.) 



Pear Midge (Diplosis pyrivora). This is a terrible pest 

 in some seasons, the maggots infesting the young fruits 

 and completely destroying them. The midges appear in 

 April, deposit their eggs in the blossom either before it 

 has expanded or just afterwards, and in ten days small 

 yellowish-white maggots are produced. The maggots, to 



