FRUIT ENEMIES, 289 



soil, form a cocoon, pupate, and appear as moths in a 

 few weeks. The females again lay eggs, producing a 

 second brood, which pass the winter in cocoons In the 

 soil, enter the pupal stage in April, and appear as moths 

 in May. Spray with an arsenate of lead wash as soon 

 as the insects are seen. In autumn, too, fork a soil fumi- 

 gant into the soil. 



Oyster-shell Bark Louse (Aspidiotus ostraeformis). A 

 scale insect which infests the trunks, branches, and shoots 

 of the Plum and other fruit trees. The scaly covering 

 of the insect resembles an oyster-shell in shape. The 

 wingless female insects deposit their eggs on the shoots 

 in April and May, and the larvae appear in June. They 

 crawl about the branches for a short time, then attach 

 themselves permanently to the bark, pierce the latter with 

 their beak-like mouths, and suck out the sap. In autumn 

 each larva forms an oyster-like scale over its body, under 

 which it lives until it reaches maturity the following April, 

 and commences to lay eggs. Spray the trees in winter 

 with a caustic alkali wash to kill the pest. 



Plum Fruit Sawfly (Hoplocampo fulvicornis). The 

 larvae of this sawfly attack the young fruit of the Plum, 

 feed on the fleshy interior, and cause it to fall off in an 

 early stage of its growth. The sawfly deposits an egg 

 in the unopened flower bud in April or May. In a week 

 or so a larva appears, and begins to eat its way into the 

 young fruit. The larvae are creamy-white or pinkish in 

 colour, and have a brown head. They attain maturity 

 in July ; then leave the fruit, enter the soil, and spin 

 cocoons, remaining thus until February, when they enter 

 the pupal stage and appear as sawflies in April and May. 

 Gather and burn all fruits attacked, and fork a soil fumi- 

 gant into the ground around the tree in autumn to destroy 

 the cocoons. 



Other Pests. The larvae of the Winter, Mottled Umber, 

 March, and Vapourer Moths, Pear Slugworm, and Social 

 Pear Sawfly feed upon the foliage ; the larvae of the Wood 



