The Gooseberry Span-worm 339 



all wood cut away after it has borne one or two crops, this result will 



be accomplished with little extra trouble. 



References. 



Cook, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rep. 1890: 106. 



Colo. Expt. Sta. Bull. 19: 21. 



Vt. Expt. Sta. Kept. 1894: 130. 



Wash. Expt. Sta. Bull. 36: 14. 



THE GOOSEBERRY SPAN-WORM 



Cymatophora riberearia, Fitch 



This is the larva of a native pale yellowish moth, marked with 

 several dusky spots, and measuring about an inch and a quarter 

 across. The larva when full grown is about an inch long, of a whit- 

 ish color, with broad yellow stripes running down the back and 

 sides, and with a number of black spots on each segment. It is a 

 "measuring worm," moving by arching its body in the center. 

 When disturbed, it drops from the leaf and remains suspended in 

 the air by a web. It is most commonly found upon the gooseberry 

 or black currant, appearing soon after the leaves expand and feeding 

 upon them. It attains its full growth within three or four weeks, 

 descends to the ground and transforms to a pupa, hidden by rubbish, 

 or just beneath the surface of the ground. The moth emerges 

 about two weeks later. The beautifully sculptured eggs are laid 

 singly on the twigs, which they resemble in color, and are therefore 

 hard to detect. Here they remain until spring, there being but one 

 brood a year. It thus happens that the sale of plants affords a ready 

 means for the spread of the insect. 



Remedies. This is commonly not a serious enemy, but when it 

 does become numerous, is more difficult to destroy than the or- 

 dinary currant worm. Hellebore is not effective. Arsenate of lead 

 at the rate of two pounds to fifty gallons of water will give good 

 results when the worms are small. When full-grown they are not 

 easily poisoned. Paris green, using one-fourth as much, may replace 

 the lead arsenate, but the latter sticks to leaves better. 

 References. 



Fitch, Kept. N. Y. State Ent. 3: 427. 



Riley, Mo. Kept. 9:3. 



