INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CLOVER. 1?9 



some cases the beetles have been known to hibernate ovei 

 winter, when the larv^ would occur correspondingly 

 earlier. 



Enemies. — The reason that this insect has not become a 

 more serious pest is, that as often as it becomes excessively ■ 

 abundant the larvae are attacked by a fungous disease 

 AV'hich carries them off by the millions. When affected by 

 this they climb to the top of a blade of grass, curl tightly 

 around the tip, and soon die, first becoming covered with 

 a white mold and then turning to a jelly-like mass. The 

 spores of the fungus become scattered to healtlw indi- 

 viduals, which soon succumb. Larva? affected in this 

 manner may be easily recognized, and when diseased larvae 

 are found in any quantity care should be taken not to 

 pasture cattle on land infested with them, as instances are 

 on record in which there seems little doubt that cattle have 

 been seriously poisoned by eating these diseased larvae. 



The Clover-mite (B?^yoMa praieiisis). 



The spraying of fruit-trees for various in sect -pests in 

 winter has been found to be one of the best means of 

 keeping in control those which hibernate or whose eggs are 

 on the trees during that season. One of these is the 

 Clover-mite {Bryohia pratensis), an insect Avidely dis- 

 tributed and of most variable habits. 



As its name indicates, this insect is nearly related to the 

 common red spider of greenhouses, belonging to the family 

 of vegetable-feeding mites {Tetranychidce), and with which 

 it is often confused. It is, however, about twice the size 

 of the red spider, being fully three-tenths of an inch long. 



Though knovrn as the Clover-mite, on account of its 

 feeding upon that jDlant, yet this insect was first known 



