PEAR LEAP-BLISTER MITES, HABITS OF. 60 



breadth only about one-fifth or sixtli part of its length. The greatly 

 magnified figure at p. 86, copied by kind permission of Dr. Nalepa 

 from one of his excellent figures, shows the shape perfectly. It is 

 cylindrical, tapering at the tail, with a strong slightly-curved proboscis, 

 and four legs, which are distinctly jointed; the terminal claw, variously 

 known as a "holding-claw" or "feather bristle," is four-branched. 

 The abdomen is uniformly ringed, and rather finely punctate. Without 

 very strong microscopic power, far beyond what most of us possess, 

 it is impossible to identify one from the other the different species of 

 PJnjtojitidcB ; but with this Pear " Leaf-blister," the attack may for all 

 practical purposes be identified by the existence nf the blister; and 

 with moderately strong magnifiers, the Mites may be distinguished as 

 Gall Mites, or as of the sub-family of Phytoptida, from others of the 

 order of Acarina — to which they belong — by their narrow cylindrical 

 shape, and by having throughout their lives only two pairs of legs. 

 They are hatched from the egg with two pairs, placed as shown in the 

 figure at the fore part of the body, and they never have more. This 

 is a most important point to be attended to, as, for want of knowledge 

 of this fact, observations are at times hopelessly confused as to 

 what kind of infestation is present, and consequently what treatment 

 needed. 



The history of the attack, taken shortly from Mr. Fletcher's report 

 quoted above, is as follows : — " The Mites, which are hardly visible 

 to the naked eye, emerge from the scales of the leaf-buds early in 

 spring, and attack the tissues of the unfolding leaves. The blisters 

 soon begin to show as small red spots, each of which has a small 

 central hole on the lower side of the leaf. The eggs are laid inside 

 these blisters, and the young, escaping through the central opening, 

 at once form new galls, until sometimes the greater part of most of the 

 leaves is rendered unfit to perform its functions." — (J. F.) 



Thus, as may be seen by all who are troubled by these blisters on 

 their Pear-leaves, the attack may go on spreading during the summer. 

 With regard to migration of the Leaf-blister Mites to their winter 

 lodgings, it is stated by different observers that when the leaves dry, 

 and the time of their fall drawls near, the Mites leave the blister-galls 

 through the opening, and move to the winter buds, and especially to 

 those at or near the ends of the shoots. 



With regard to their condition during winter. Dr. Taschenberg 

 mentions : — " This they pass as larvae, or as sexed individuals mixed 

 together in the leaf and flower-buds of the one-year-old shoots, 

 embedded in the layer of hair or downy felt inside the outer bud* 

 scales, commonly many together ; Herr Sorauer has found as many 

 as seventeen." * 



* 'Praktische Insekten-Kunde,' von E. L. Taschenberg, pt. v., pp. 159, 160. 



